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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
From the author of the award-nominated graphic novel American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang, comes an epic and original undertaking on the catastrophic event known as the Boxer Rebellion. Yang uses an innocent simplicity to the story and artwork that leaves the reader contemplating the big picture. One part of a diptych, along with Saints, this is the first graphic novel ever to be nominated for the National Book Award Longlist.
The year is 1898 and the place is China, but the country that has been so familiar and known to its inhabitants is changing. Foreign missionaries roam the countryside, converting Chinese to the new Christian faith, while foreign soldiers roam around bullying and robbing Chinese peasants. Little Bao is a young boy who has had enough of these “foreign devils.” Secretly learning martial arts from a stranger in town, he feels his calling from the old gods of China and recruits an army of Boxers. They begin to mount their defense, fighting back against the foreigners, killing and freeing the Chinese. Their final showdown will be at the great city of Peking.
Boxers does an excellent job of explaining the history of the period, as well as revealing the mythology and beliefs of the people in mounting their defense. While the story has a feel of fiction, it is a moving tale that remains true to the history and culture. It is an excellent example of how some graphic novels can go one long step further than just a regular work of nonfiction.
Originally written on October 2, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
The year is 1898 and the place is China, but the country that has been so familiar and known to its inhabitants is changing. Foreign missionaries roam the countryside, converting Chinese to the new Christian faith, while foreign soldiers roam around bullying and robbing Chinese peasants. Little Bao is a young boy who has had enough of these “foreign devils.” Secretly learning martial arts from a stranger in town, he feels his calling from the old gods of China and recruits an army of Boxers. They begin to mount their defense, fighting back against the foreigners, killing and freeing the Chinese. Their final showdown will be at the great city of Peking.
Boxers does an excellent job of explaining the history of the period, as well as revealing the mythology and beliefs of the people in mounting their defense. While the story has a feel of fiction, it is a moving tale that remains true to the history and culture. It is an excellent example of how some graphic novels can go one long step further than just a regular work of nonfiction.
Originally written on October 2, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site.
I don't know much about this war, so this was an interesting introduction. The artwork is so detailed it can stand on it's own. The story as told from the side of the Boxers is heartbreaking. The story does justice to the beliefs they held while not leaving then blameless. Very well done.
Boxers and Saints #1.
The Boxer Rebellion took place in China during the 1890s. Gene Luen Yang tells the story of this bloody war in two parts, the first from the perspective of Little Bao, a young Chinese boy who learns kung fu and how to use the power of the ancient Chinese gods. He eventually recruits an army (the Boxers) to defend his village and the rest of the countryside from foreign missionaries.
In his quest to free China from these "foreign devils," Little Bao becomes a person he can no longer recognize. This is a war story. It's a violent and not especially hopeful look at what happens when people go to war over culture and religion.
The Boxer Rebellion took place in China during the 1890s. Gene Luen Yang tells the story of this bloody war in two parts, the first from the perspective of Little Bao, a young Chinese boy who learns kung fu and how to use the power of the ancient Chinese gods. He eventually recruits an army (the Boxers) to defend his village and the rest of the countryside from foreign missionaries.
In his quest to free China from these "foreign devils," Little Bao becomes a person he can no longer recognize. This is a war story. It's a violent and not especially hopeful look at what happens when people go to war over culture and religion.
Really a rating of 3.5. I'm torn because I think the subject matter is important and probably unknown to a majority of Americans and I appreciate the way Yang weaves history together with folklore. Some of the content was pretty intense and other parts were slow. I wasn't compelled to finish this quickly, but I am glad I read it fairly soon after Saints so I could compare the two points of view. Good supplemental resource for a high school history class.
I love Gene Yang, and I can't believe I forgot to add it earlier when I actually read it.
Absolutely loved the artwork of thus graphic novel. This is one of those books that will be a tear jerker, but I very much enjoyed reading this, and am about to start reading Saints.
Gene Luen Yang's art is perfect for the content and vibrant, and the story is about a time in history that I have very little knowledge about but I can't say that I liked it. Bao was a character that was poorly guided by his sense of loyalty and pride, and any events that cause so much unnecessary death make me sad. I am thankful to Yang for sharing this event in history though and am interested to learn the story in Saints.
Quality wise, this was really good, as are all Gene Luen Yang's books that I've read so far. There's so much talent in this book, and the historical account mixed with a personal story and magical realism works really well together, but at the same time, I didn't enjoy it, it's thought provoking, but it's an unpleasant reading experience and it probably deserves more than a 3 Star rating, but my feelings toward it aren't very positive so I don't want to rate it higher.
If you want to check out Yang's work, I'd start with American Born Chinese or The Shadow Hero, both are excellent, and this one is worth a read but I wouldn't recommend starting with it.
If you want to check out Yang's work, I'd start with American Born Chinese or The Shadow Hero, both are excellent, and this one is worth a read but I wouldn't recommend starting with it.
This was a really interesting look at a part of history I didn't know much about. I always find it interesting when a rebellion/revolution is looked at from different sides at the same time.