A review by graypeape
Tiananmen 1989: Our Shattered Hopes by Adrien Gombeaud, Lun Zhang

5.0

Most people are familiar with the image of a single man facing off against a line of tanks in Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, one of the most iconic images of all time. I remember seeing the footage on the news at the time, but I never knew the events that led up to it. Reading this book gave me the story of the events leading up to the protests, the gatherings, the hunger strike, and the occupation of Tiananmen Square that happened from April 15, 1989, through June 4, 1989, when the Chinese government declared martial law and massacred untold numbers of its citizens. Told by Lun Zhang, a young sociology teacher at the time of the events, we get an inside view of what was going on in China at the time, what had happened leading up to these events, and how the movement gained momentum to become as large as it was. Now, I will say at this point that there is probably more reading in this book than a graphic novel reader is used to; to me, this is necessary and not a problem, but I've seen reviews that complained about a graphic novel being text-heavy, so if this bugs you, maybe pass on this one. The narration of the text can be a bit dry at times; I'm assuming this is due to Zhang's own personality, and to his being a professor, used to giving lectures. While there is a certain wistfulness to the story, I didn't feel strong emotion through the text. Having said that, it is a powerful story, and well worth the read.

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