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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
These two incredible graphic novels tell the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1898. Boxers is told from the point of view of Little Bao, a young villager who has seen the foreign missionaries and soldiers take the ancient Chinese gods and beliefs and smash them apart. Trained in kung fu by a wandering man and also introduced to a ritual to bring the ancient gods to life, Little Bao becomes the leader of a band of commoners who become instrumental in the rebellion. Saints looks at the other side of the rebellion and is the story of Four-Girl, a daughter not even given a real name by her family. She finds a place for herself in Christianity, at first only attending the teachings because of the cookies but eventually finding a new name and new identity as Vibiana. Her faith makes her a target and both Vibiana and Little Bao have to find the extent of their beliefs and what they are willing to sacrifice for them. There are no easy answers here, no right and wrong, there are only choices in the middle of violence.
Yang has created two books that must be read together to get a full picture of the history. Both books are one-sided, showing only the point of view of the rebels or the Christians. At the same time, they are both balanced against one another, showing the violence on both sides, the hubris, and the faith. They also both capture a young individual caught up in history and questioning their own choices.
As always, Yang has written a compelling book. His art is strong and his story arcs are well developed. I found Boxers to be the more interesting of the two with the Chinese gods and the question of being in control of that amount of violence. Saints to me is a necessary foil to Boxers but lacks its depth. That said, Boxers is one of the more compelling graphic novels I have read for tweens, so Saints had a lot to live up to.
Highly recommended, this graphic novel duo has a place in every library collection. Its violence and questions about faith, duty and responsibility make it a good choice for teens and tweens. Appropriate for ages 12-15.
Yang has created two books that must be read together to get a full picture of the history. Both books are one-sided, showing only the point of view of the rebels or the Christians. At the same time, they are both balanced against one another, showing the violence on both sides, the hubris, and the faith. They also both capture a young individual caught up in history and questioning their own choices.
As always, Yang has written a compelling book. His art is strong and his story arcs are well developed. I found Boxers to be the more interesting of the two with the Chinese gods and the question of being in control of that amount of violence. Saints to me is a necessary foil to Boxers but lacks its depth. That said, Boxers is one of the more compelling graphic novels I have read for tweens, so Saints had a lot to live up to.
Highly recommended, this graphic novel duo has a place in every library collection. Its violence and questions about faith, duty and responsibility make it a good choice for teens and tweens. Appropriate for ages 12-15.
It's been a while since I'd read anything by Gene Luen Yang, about a decade, and I was interested in this historical duet. However, I think my tastes have aged, because this fell a bit flat for me as an adult reader. The magic aspects of the story seemed to discredit the Boxers, instead of serve as a well-incorporated metaphor for their determination.
The revolution itself still remains interesting to me, and I'll probably check out the nonfiction reading list included in the back of the novel.
The revolution itself still remains interesting to me, and I'll probably check out the nonfiction reading list included in the back of the novel.
Finished this a couple weeks ago and am still chewing on it, which shows, in my opinion, it's a worthwhile read. It's very engaging, and the art is spectacular (special shoutout to colorist Lark Pien, whose work on this title is breathtaking and who should really be named on the cover if you ask me.) Lots here about if and when violence is justified and how war makes criminals of everyone.
Quibbles, which will necessarily include spoilers, so stop now:
1.) The ending. I flipped the page waiting for more only to find it was over. I mean, I guess it's going to end with Bao's death, but it was profoundly unsatisfying.
2.) I feel like the magical realism lets Bao off the hook a little bit. The pivotal moment of Boxers is when Bao decides to burn the church with the innocents inside, and instead of getting a real account of how someone with legitimate grievances becomes a murderer, we just see him being goaded into it by a Chinese Opera guy. It's a shame because the book otherwise doesn't shy away from an exploration of how something like this happens.
Quibbles, which will necessarily include spoilers, so stop now:
1.) The ending. I flipped the page waiting for more only to find it was over. I mean, I guess it's going to end with Bao's death, but it was profoundly unsatisfying.
2.) I feel like the magical realism lets Bao off the hook a little bit. The pivotal moment of Boxers is when Bao decides to burn the church with the innocents inside, and instead of getting a real account of how someone with legitimate grievances becomes a murderer, we just see him being goaded into it by a Chinese Opera guy. It's a shame because the book otherwise doesn't shy away from an exploration of how something like this happens.
WELL HOLY HELL WAS THAT DARKER THAN I ANTICIPATED. My god. Full review to come, but jeez I need a breather.
Recommended:
Unexpectedly, yes. At the start I thought maybe for younger grades, now I'm thinking late middle or later. For a look at a history unknown in American public schools, for the whiplash turns of laughing to stunned silent darkness.
Thoughts:
Well. I certainly learned a bit of history. I laughed, particularly at our little lady being vaguely insulted at being told she had a face like an opera mask. Then abruptly my laughter ended at the conclusion of that interaction. Holy hell.
This story gets you, because you think it won't take such dark turns. At least, *I* didn't. I kept waiting to see the moments that Clarissa said she had to put the book down for a bit due to. Well, I found them.
The art style is lovely, I liked the simplicity that still gave such detail and life to the world and characters. The vibrant colors of the gods and fighting contrasted with the muted sepia colors of their daily lives through the villages. Story-wise, loved it. It ramped up pretty quickly, and felt like little Bao grew up exponentially faster as the story progressed.
Recommended:
Unexpectedly, yes. At the start I thought maybe for younger grades, now I'm thinking late middle or later. For a look at a history unknown in American public schools, for the whiplash turns of laughing to stunned silent darkness.
Thoughts:
Well. I certainly learned a bit of history. I laughed, particularly at our little lady being vaguely insulted at being told she had a face like an opera mask. Then abruptly my laughter ended at the conclusion of that interaction. Holy hell.
This story gets you, because you think it won't take such dark turns. At least, *I* didn't. I kept waiting to see the moments that Clarissa said she had to put the book down for a bit due to. Well, I found them.
The art style is lovely, I liked the simplicity that still gave such detail and life to the world and characters. The vibrant colors of the gods and fighting contrasted with the muted sepia colors of their daily lives through the villages. Story-wise, loved it. It ramped up pretty quickly, and felt like little Bao grew up exponentially faster as the story progressed.
Simple drawing, simple storytelling - in the same vein as the Beach Boys made their songs sound simple but were really complex and hard once you started analysing them.
This is a layered, quite non-preachy story about choices in life and a view of the Boxers rebellion in the late 1800s, where religions clashed, and former friends could make for enemies.
A boy turns older and fights, while in the process discovering himself and the world around him. Duty vs personal responsibility clashes.
Highly recommendable.
This is a layered, quite non-preachy story about choices in life and a view of the Boxers rebellion in the late 1800s, where religions clashed, and former friends could make for enemies.
A boy turns older and fights, while in the process discovering himself and the world around him. Duty vs personal responsibility clashes.
Highly recommendable.
Back in grad school, I had my first experience with Gene Luen Yang's work when we read his most famous graphic novel thus far, American Born Chinese. Though disparate in subject matter, Boxers does have something in common with his prior work, the magical realism that Yang brings to bear even on historical or contemporary subjects. In Boxers, Gene Luen Yang manages to pack quite a punch with his spare prose and straight forward drawings.
Though I learned about the Boxer Rebellion in college, I'll admit that my memories thereof are limited at best. Based on extensive research (okay, I checked Wikipedia), Yang actually fits in the main historical points without being at all tedious or lecturing. Basically, Yang has perfected the ability to teach without seeming like he's teaching, which is ideal for the intended audience. He conveys the difficult times that led to the rebellion, the drought and the negative impact foreigners were having in China, through the lens of the life of one young boy who grows up to head the rebellion.
Little Bao did not start out as a remarkable boy. He lived in the shadow of his older brothers and had his head in the clouds, fancifully imagining himself the character in an opera. With Little Bao's optimism, to some degree never shed throughout his journey, Yang captures the wholehearted believe the Boxers had that they would be victorious. In no way did they imagine that their gods would let them lose or that foreigners could truly take over China.
Remember how I mentioned the fantasy angle? Well, in Boxers, the beliefs in local gods, the beliefs being challenged by the conversion to Christianity coming with the influx of foreigners, are manifested physically. Yang literally pits the old gods versus the imperialist forces. Through a mystical process, Little Bao and his friends are able to transform themselves into gods of China, and fight with a strength much bigger than their own bodies and kung fu training give them. It's a bit strange, but I think Yang makes it work, and this technique adds a lot of color and vibrancy to the otherwise fairly spare Boxers, highlighting the colorful culture that is being suppressed.
However, Boxers does not preach. Yang, unsurprisingly given the dual nature of this release - Boxers being paired with Saints from the other side of the conflict, presents a balanced view. He makes it quite clear that horrible acts are perpetrated by both sides. If anything, Yang shows how horrible war is. Little Bao, once so innocent and fanciful, does brutal things, as so all of the Boxers. Bao must choose between love and war, and each time he chooses war and China. Boxers is surprisingly dark, intense and bloody, but done in a style that I do not think will overwhelm most readers.
Gene Luen Yang's Boxers confronts subject matter not covered enough in western culture with an even, honest hand. He adds in fantasy to the history, making for a more metaphorical and more visually exciting read. The focus on visual over narrative storytelling will make this a great read for both more reluctant readers and those at a higher reading level.
Though I learned about the Boxer Rebellion in college, I'll admit that my memories thereof are limited at best. Based on extensive research (okay, I checked Wikipedia), Yang actually fits in the main historical points without being at all tedious or lecturing. Basically, Yang has perfected the ability to teach without seeming like he's teaching, which is ideal for the intended audience. He conveys the difficult times that led to the rebellion, the drought and the negative impact foreigners were having in China, through the lens of the life of one young boy who grows up to head the rebellion.
Little Bao did not start out as a remarkable boy. He lived in the shadow of his older brothers and had his head in the clouds, fancifully imagining himself the character in an opera. With Little Bao's optimism, to some degree never shed throughout his journey, Yang captures the wholehearted believe the Boxers had that they would be victorious. In no way did they imagine that their gods would let them lose or that foreigners could truly take over China.
Remember how I mentioned the fantasy angle? Well, in Boxers, the beliefs in local gods, the beliefs being challenged by the conversion to Christianity coming with the influx of foreigners, are manifested physically. Yang literally pits the old gods versus the imperialist forces. Through a mystical process, Little Bao and his friends are able to transform themselves into gods of China, and fight with a strength much bigger than their own bodies and kung fu training give them. It's a bit strange, but I think Yang makes it work, and this technique adds a lot of color and vibrancy to the otherwise fairly spare Boxers, highlighting the colorful culture that is being suppressed.
However, Boxers does not preach. Yang, unsurprisingly given the dual nature of this release - Boxers being paired with Saints from the other side of the conflict, presents a balanced view. He makes it quite clear that horrible acts are perpetrated by both sides. If anything, Yang shows how horrible war is. Little Bao, once so innocent and fanciful, does brutal things, as so all of the Boxers. Bao must choose between love and war, and each time he chooses war and China. Boxers is surprisingly dark, intense and bloody, but done in a style that I do not think will overwhelm most readers.
Gene Luen Yang's Boxers confronts subject matter not covered enough in western culture with an even, honest hand. He adds in fantasy to the history, making for a more metaphorical and more visually exciting read. The focus on visual over narrative storytelling will make this a great read for both more reluctant readers and those at a higher reading level.
a fun and fanciful take on the Chinese Boxer Rebellion. Interesting story, lovely use of magical realism (of a kind), and fantastic format.
This graphic novel, the first in a duology about the Boxer Rebellion, took my breath away, violently, depressingly, Fun-Home style (but with a lot more sword-fighting). I knew nothing about the Boxer Rebellion other than its name, and all I'd heard of the book was that it was a literary-quality graphic novel by an author of color. I picked it up for our classroom library in an effort to increase the number of Asian and Asian-American authors we have available. And then I read it, and it is very, very good. I'm kicking myself for not buying both books - Boxers & Saints, the set - together, because I hate reading graphic novels on e-readers, and that means I'll have to wait until at least December to read the second book. In the meantime, go out and read this one yourself.
Funny note: This book is written primarily in English with some Chinese and also Arabic. The Arabic letters are, at times, not connected to each other. I hope they've fixed that in later printings.
Funny note: This book is written primarily in English with some Chinese and also Arabic. The Arabic letters are, at times, not connected to each other. I hope they've fixed that in later printings.
We picked up this historical graphic novel at the library book sale last year, but I only got round to reading it now. It is based in the late 19th and early 20th century and tells the story of the Boxer Rebellion in China from the viewpoint of a young rural peasant boy. The story shows how the clash of Eastern and Western cultures, with the threat of colonialism, has major effects on the people, especially those in the rural areas. It's well-drawn and, once I got going, it was hard to put down. I have to admit that I don't know a lot about the history of the Boxer Rebellion, but this book piqued my interest enough to want to go and find out more about it. There is also companion volume, Saints, which we picked up from the library sale at the same time. It tells the story from the viewpoint of a young girl who has been converted to Christianity. I'll be interested to read that one soon as well.
There's nothing more I can add to a review for this book that others haven't already said. I knew a little about the Boxer Rebellion before, but reading it from this first-person perspective, learning how things progressed through the eyes of the main character Little Bao, is so incredibly effective. I've seen Yang speak about this book/series and it's obvious that his immense research allowed to see the Boxer Rebellion in a deeper way than many others before him did not. I really value the opportunity to see the events from Yang's detailed point of view, and I think his story and art were wonderfully composed.
Other reviewers mentioned that the supernatural elements of the story were distracting, and there is credence to the comment, but if you've read American-Born Chinese, it is not completely foreign. For me, that part held almost a welcome comfort, a familiarity that gave me a touch-point outside the story, too.
Readers be warned: this is a full-on war, and Yang did not shy away from that. Even in comic-panel form, the violence and blood is a bit jarring, so this is not a book to share with the young and innocent, no matter their age. As with all books, pre-read for appropriateness.
Other reviewers mentioned that the supernatural elements of the story were distracting, and there is credence to the comment, but if you've read American-Born Chinese, it is not completely foreign. For me, that part held almost a welcome comfort, a familiarity that gave me a touch-point outside the story, too.
Readers be warned: this is a full-on war, and Yang did not shy away from that. Even in comic-panel form, the violence and blood is a bit jarring, so this is not a book to share with the young and innocent, no matter their age. As with all books, pre-read for appropriateness.