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4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, that was depressing! I always like books that entertain as well as educate, and this is definitely one of them. I knew nothing about the Boxer Rebellion and wouldn't have even placed it in China. (Boxer Rebellions? Like Boxing Day, right? Apparently I suck at history...) Yang is just an amazing author. Most of the time I think graphic novels are way too short and they feel more like a chapter than a whole book. I'm not sure how Yang does it, but in a short book that is mostly pictures he managed to pack in a whole novel's-worth of history, character development, love, humor, compassion, guilt, suffering, action... it's really something. I hated the ending, but what can you do about that? It's based on true events. I definitely recommend this one, and I agree that it's even better than American Born Chinese. Looking forward to reading Saints now to get the other side of the story!
tessadehart's review against another edition
5.0
This book is a beautifully illustrated comic telling a story about the Boxer Rebellion in Peking, China in 1900. I love the author’s simple line work and use of color. It helps keep the comic clear and story easy to follow. So much happens in this story, setting up beautifully to tell the story of this rebellion. The author interweaves details about Chinese culture into this story masterfully, emphasizing the changes that are happening in China at the time.
So far, this book illustrates the difficulty of choosing the “right” side of the war, showing that even when you believe in what you are doing, people are still lost and hurt by the choices made. I am looking forward to reading the companion book!
So far, this book illustrates the difficulty of choosing the “right” side of the war, showing that even when you believe in what you are doing, people are still lost and hurt by the choices made. I am looking forward to reading the companion book!
olliewheaton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
alyshadeshae's review against another edition
5.0
I read Boxers and Saints one right after the other essentially as one book. As they overlap timeframe and just follow different people, I'm going to write one review for the two.
I'm aware that this is a fictional story regarding a real war, but I'm not sure what my takeaway should be. Like, is this a critique of religious zealotry inciting violence in general? Was it meant to be point out how crappy it is to overrun a people's culture because you think you're right and they're wrong?
We get both sides. And we're kind of led to believe that both sides are right.
BUT, the invaders' side (Saints) is presented by a Chinese girl who seemingly barely understand the religion she's been adopted into. She grows into more understanding, but still not much. Her father seemingly had delusions and now she sees people that aren't there, too. So is she a reliable narrator?
The "rebels" are Chinese people that are rejecting the invaders and their religion, which should be acceptable, but is it? They're killing everyone - women and children, too. And are they delusional? They seem to think a ritual turns them into actual gods. The leader sees people that no one else sees. How reliable is his narration?
Maybe the takeaway is just that life is messy and complicated and there's no simple answer for things? But I feel like there's at least one simple solution here: don't force your beliefs on others and don't try to change others' briefs unless they are causing harm with their beliefs.
I'm aware that this is a fictional story regarding a real war, but I'm not sure what my takeaway should be. Like, is this a critique of religious zealotry inciting violence in general? Was it meant to be point out how crappy it is to overrun a people's culture because you think you're right and they're wrong?
We get both sides. And we're kind of led to believe that both sides are right.
BUT, the invaders' side (Saints) is presented by a Chinese girl who seemingly barely understand the religion she's been adopted into. She grows into more understanding, but still not much. Her father seemingly had delusions and now she sees people that aren't there, too. So is she a reliable narrator?
The "rebels" are Chinese people that are rejecting the invaders and their religion, which should be acceptable, but is it? They're killing everyone - women and children, too. And are they delusional? They seem to think a ritual turns them into actual gods. The leader sees people that no one else sees. How reliable is his narration?
Maybe the takeaway is just that life is messy and complicated and there's no simple answer for things? But I feel like there's at least one simple solution here: don't force your beliefs on others and don't try to change others' briefs unless they are causing harm with their beliefs.
mayray58's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed Boxers even though the subject matter is very sad and fraught with conflict. Yang's storytelling skills are superb and charming. I love the way Gene Luen Yang interweaves themes of traditional Chinese opera, the elemental gods, and romance to tell the story of the Boxer Rebellion at the turn of the last century. The words and pictures of Boxers are simple, straightforward, and make for effortless reading.
sarahanne8382's review against another edition
4.0
This and the companion novel, Saints tell the story of two teenagers on opposite sides of the Boxer Rebellion. What little I knew about this historical event was blown away and shattered by these engaging graphic novels. It just goes to show how much cultural misunderstanding is at the heart of most wars.
katyk321's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
unladylike's review against another edition
4.0
I'll admit, despite having spent multiple years being the only non-Chinese person in my household, from age 20-22, and specifically being in the unfortunate role of initially trying to befriend grad students in the international community at my university as a means of evangelizing to them with Christian house churches, I never really learned anything about the Boxer Rebellion. I would say, like many significant movements or atrocities in history, it was something I just knew had happened at some point, but couldn't tell you anything about it.
This is basically a magical realism story of a growing group of peasants who are barely trained in warfare but learn an easy magical ritual that invokes ancient Chinese deities and historical figures, allowing them to fight and kill many "foreign devils" comprised of Christian missionaries, converted Chinese Christians, and the various colonizing military powers taking control of significant portions of the country.
It's a well-told story, with both pleasing and troubling elements. I was particularly bothered by the particular brand of misogyny that's culturally enforced with spiritual philosophies, and the constant threat of sexual violence and condescension the women in the story endure.
Where I'm at with efforts of decolonizing, a big part of me, even as a white person, is like, "Yeah! Kill all the white devils coming in before it's too late!"
Two things briefly alluded to but never explained in this book that I want to follow up on and learn about: "dragon lines," which are apparently the same thing as what we call "ley lines" in the West, and which are said to be taken over in the story by Christians (deliberately?) building churches over their sacred and powerful paths. This would make sense, in light of some of the insidious tactics employed by aggressively proselytizing Christians. Second, the name Red Lantern, either singular or plural, comes up. I vaguely recall my Chinese friends in college trying to explain to me that in China, the film Raise the Red Lantern, by famed director Zhang Yimou, is much more critically praised (and controversial) than the western blockbusters that were coming out at the time - Hero and House of Flying Daggers. I picked up that the "red lantern" was loaded with a lot of cultural significance that didn't mean anything to me in my own awareness or cultural context.
I realize this is not much of a review, but those are the thoughts I've got. I'd recommend this book to anyone who can dig in to a legit graphic novel of historical fiction, and I'm curious what the counterpart, Saints, will hold.
This is basically a magical realism story of a growing group of peasants who are barely trained in warfare but learn an easy magical ritual that invokes ancient Chinese deities and historical figures, allowing them to fight and kill many "foreign devils" comprised of Christian missionaries, converted Chinese Christians, and the various colonizing military powers taking control of significant portions of the country.
It's a well-told story, with both pleasing and troubling elements. I was particularly bothered by the particular brand of misogyny that's culturally enforced with spiritual philosophies, and the constant threat of sexual violence and condescension the women in the story endure.
Where I'm at with efforts of decolonizing, a big part of me, even as a white person, is like, "Yeah! Kill all the white devils coming in before it's too late!"
Two things briefly alluded to but never explained in this book that I want to follow up on and learn about: "dragon lines," which are apparently the same thing as what we call "ley lines" in the West, and which are said to be taken over in the story by Christians (deliberately?) building churches over their sacred and powerful paths. This would make sense, in light of some of the insidious tactics employed by aggressively proselytizing Christians. Second, the name Red Lantern, either singular or plural, comes up. I vaguely recall my Chinese friends in college trying to explain to me that in China, the film Raise the Red Lantern, by famed director Zhang Yimou, is much more critically praised (and controversial) than the western blockbusters that were coming out at the time - Hero and House of Flying Daggers. I picked up that the "red lantern" was loaded with a lot of cultural significance that didn't mean anything to me in my own awareness or cultural context.
I realize this is not much of a review, but those are the thoughts I've got. I'd recommend this book to anyone who can dig in to a legit graphic novel of historical fiction, and I'm curious what the counterpart, Saints, will hold.
sarabz's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful book, amazing graphic storytelling (the same goes for the companion Volume, Saints).
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a fan of Yang's, and I've been looking forward to this title and the companion book, [b:Saints|43798|The Feast of All Saints|Anne Rice|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348444787s/43798.jpg|2926011]. At the same time, I had no prior knowledge of the Boxer Rebellion. Boxers is intense, deep, moving, and it motivated me to read more about the rebellion. In the back matter, Yang provides a list of titles for further reading.
Boxers follows Little Bao's journey with the rebels, first with the Big Sword Society. We see why Bao joins the movement, and we watch his rise in the ranks. Some humor and a bit of romance is sprinkled in, but mostly this is a harsh story with lots of murdering of people simply because they were foreigners or Chinese Christians.
The artwork, as ever, is perfect. Once in a while I found the layout of the panels confusing, and I needed to backtrack to determine what was happening. When this occurred, it felt like small bits of the story had been skipped, and that's one of the reasons I didn't give a higher rating.
If you have interest in reading this, I suggest you also read [b:Saints|43798|The Feast of All Saints|Anne Rice|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348444787s/43798.jpg|2926011]. The two work well together, though I believe reading Boxers first will provide more background and information, and give you some solid call-back moments during your reading of Saints.
Edit--My 12 year-old son also read both Boxers and Saints, after a warning from me about how violent they are. He's sensitive to that, yet a huge graphic novel fan, so he finished them. He says he would give them both 3.5 stars because they "are just too violent for my tastes, even though the violence is based on history." These aren't books for kids, though my sensitive boy did fine. Use your own best judgment.
Boxers follows Little Bao's journey with the rebels, first with the Big Sword Society. We see why Bao joins the movement, and we watch his rise in the ranks. Some humor and a bit of romance is sprinkled in, but mostly this is a harsh story with lots of murdering of people simply because they were foreigners or Chinese Christians.
The artwork, as ever, is perfect. Once in a while I found the layout of the panels confusing, and I needed to backtrack to determine what was happening. When this occurred, it felt like small bits of the story had been skipped, and that's one of the reasons I didn't give a higher rating.
If you have interest in reading this, I suggest you also read [b:Saints|43798|The Feast of All Saints|Anne Rice|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348444787s/43798.jpg|2926011]. The two work well together, though I believe reading Boxers first will provide more background and information, and give you some solid call-back moments during your reading of Saints.
Edit--My 12 year-old son also read both Boxers and Saints, after a warning from me about how violent they are. He's sensitive to that, yet a huge graphic novel fan, so he finished them. He says he would give them both 3.5 stars because they "are just too violent for my tastes, even though the violence is based on history." These aren't books for kids, though my sensitive boy did fine. Use your own best judgment.