Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
First part of the Boxers & Saints series, and I am definitely sucked in. This is from the perspective of the "boxers", the Chinese, during the Boxer Rebellion in China. Very interesting approach to history. Looking forward to reading Saints next.
A great historical fiction graphic novel about the conflict between Chinese peasants and Westerners bringing Christianity to China in the late 1800s. This is no "good guys vs bad guys"story, it is much more complex that that. Little Bao is determined to bring justice to China, but in the process many innocent lives are lost, including Chinese citizens who have converted to Christianity. I am excited to read Saints and get another perspective on this complex story.
Barry Goldwater famously said "extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice." Little Bao, the protagonist of this first of two parallel stories on the Boxer Rebellion, would no doubt agree. This volume explores the ramifications (and horror) of that maxim in the context of turn of the 20th century China, with a healthy dose of magical realism. The story is about 1/3 overlong, with some sequences that feel repetitive (at least on first reading), but it cannot be fully appreciated without reading Saints immediately afterward. The loss of a single star here reflects a sense of incompleteness that is resolved only after reading the companion volume.
A two book graphic novel looking at two sides of the Boxer rebellion in China at the turn of the 19th century. This has a lot of resonance with my background - as a Chinese person, as a Christian - but even though it was an interesting read that I finished in one sitting, I felt a bit cold about it at the end.
Boxers features Little Bao, a Chinese peasant boy who, having awakened the old gods of his people, leads a ragtag army of villagers to march on Peking to fight the foreigners they see as abusing and belittling the Chinese nation, both physically and spiritually through the spread of Christianity. Saints takes on the other side, as a Chinese peasant girl takes refuge from her low status and unfeeling family in the care of Christian converts and an old French priest, and feels guided towards a calling by visions of Joan of Arc.
There are fascinating glimpses of the complex issues of nationality, religious fervour and the intersection between them in both these stories, but the unfolding of the story is unsatisfying in the end. It doesn't help that I liked Saints better but it's a much slimmer volume, and I was slightly bitter about the fate of Little Bao compared to that of Vibiana (and other female characters such as Mei Guan). For representation's sake, I'm glad this exists - but now I want more.
Boxers features Little Bao, a Chinese peasant boy who, having awakened the old gods of his people, leads a ragtag army of villagers to march on Peking to fight the foreigners they see as abusing and belittling the Chinese nation, both physically and spiritually through the spread of Christianity. Saints takes on the other side, as a Chinese peasant girl takes refuge from her low status and unfeeling family in the care of Christian converts and an old French priest, and feels guided towards a calling by visions of Joan of Arc.
There are fascinating glimpses of the complex issues of nationality, religious fervour and the intersection between them in both these stories, but the unfolding of the story is unsatisfying in the end. It doesn't help that I liked Saints better but it's a much slimmer volume, and I was slightly bitter about the fate of Little Bao compared to that of Vibiana (and other female characters such as Mei Guan). For representation's sake, I'm glad this exists - but now I want more.
Brutally heartbreaking. I ended up reading about the actual rebellion. What a travesty, religion and colonialism have been the biggest scourge of humanity since forever.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tragic truth, amazing graphic novel. Violent, desperate, hopeful, filed with injustice and vengeance. I can't wait to pick up the companion, Saints, tomorrow.