Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim

24 reviews

corky12's review

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Pedophilia, and Infertility

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Colonisation

Minor: Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, and War

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

The history of “comfort women” (i.e., girls and women who were forced into sexual slavery by Imperial Japan’s military) is one of the many heartbreaking parts of Korea’s dark history during the twentieth century. In Grass, Gendry-Kim illustrates the life story of one survivor, the late Lee Okseon, starting from Lee’s childhood leading up to the present. Lee had a difficult life even before she was forced into sexual slavery, and she recounted life under Japanese occupation and those who suffered under their rule (particularly Koreans). Unfortunately, life remained difficult for her even after she and the rest of Korea were liberated, facing enough adversity throughout her life that she stated, “I’ve never known happiness from the moment I came out of my mother’s womb.”

I thought Gendry-Kim did a wonderful job presenting Lee’s story with great respect, as she never turned Lee’s suffering into a spectacle, as well as emphasizing that Lee is more than a survivor. I really liked the brushwork art style that Gendry-Kim used, and I got the impression that she was heavily inspired by traditional Korean brushwork. She noted at the end of the graphic novel that she “refrained from provocative expressions to give lightness to a story burdened with such brutality.” On this note, I did feel that she found a relatively good balance between restraint and freedom in her illustrations, the freeing moments especially highlighted when opportunities arose to show the beautiful landscapes of Korea, as well as the occasional smiles and laughter given by Lee in the present.

Lee was one of the few remaining comfort women survivors (at least based on those registered with the South Korean government), and she passed away in 2022. It breaks my heart to know the number of survivors is growing smaller, with neither those who have passed away or are currently alive having received full reparations and a proper apology from the Japanese government. It’s imperative that their life stories are documented in all forms, and I truly appreciate that Gendry-Kim did so with great care through a graphic novel form.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Murder, Death, Misogyny, and Violence

poemsandponds's review

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This book was devastating. Not sure how else to describe it beyond that. The story of this woman is overall well told and heartbreaking. It pulls no punches in telling the horrors that  “comfort women” aka girls sold into sex slavery, endured during the Japanese occupation of Korea.  It was hard to read. And yet I couldn’t look away. I found myself wanting to know her story. The truth is I came away knowing much more than I had going in about the occupation and that it was so much worse than I had thought. The brutality is unbearable to witness, and yet people lived it. As a whole, I think it shows that no matter what side of the world, what period on time, the atrocities of war, colonization, and oppression bring  out the darkest sides of human nature. I came away feeling amazed that people survive these things and continue on. It brought out a sense of compassion that said, you really don’t know what other people have been through, so carry that thought in mind whenever you meet someone.

Side topic: To comment on the author inserting needle fin the narrative, I wasn’t a fan. It just took me out of the story. I like the idea of flashing backwards and forwards in time in stories like these, however, I think those flashbacks should be solely focused on the teller of the story, not the journalist wiring it down. The journalist was too detached for it to have a real impact on the delivery of the story, but somehow her thought, feelings, and etc, were part of it? I like hearing the author’s pov when they have a very personal connection to the story, such as Thi Biu in the Best We Could Do. She’s telling her parent’s refugee story and giving parts of her life, thoughts, feelings, but you care because she’s their daughter. I didn’t care about a random journalist’s thoughts, and the thoughts given weren’t even insightful or emotionally impactful. They could’ve been removed with no harm to the book. It would have been a lot more interesting if the author would have made a section in the back of the book dedicated just to their research process and how they developed the book. If they talked about the emotions that came up whole writing and interviewing, why they wrote this book, etc it would have been so much more interesting. I guess I learned that I don’t like researchers inserting themselves in the memoir narrative when they don’t have much to say. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Slavery, Violence, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, and War

chispy_06's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

5.0

Un cómic basado en hechos reales que te dejará completamente desolada mientras lo lees, al ver la dura realidad a la que fueron sometidas muchas mujeres jóvenes coreanas durante la guerra del Pacífico destinadas a ser "mujeres de consuelo". Además Keum sabe transmitir a través del dibujo millones de sentimientos que te envuelven durante la lectura. Muy recomendable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexism, and Violence

books_n_rosess's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, War, Murder, Pedophilia, Death, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Infertility, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

devynreadsnovels's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Police brutality, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, War, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Slavery, Trafficking, Abandonment, Sexism, Violence, Death, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship

beac's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Slavery, War, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Rape

Moderate: Infertility and Pregnancy

julia20y3's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Suicide attempt, War, Abortion, Genocide, Infertility, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, and Death

juliavra's review

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, War, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Slavery, Infertility, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Racism, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Death, Rape, Torture, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Genocide, Classism, Sexual content, and Deportation

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Infertility, Abandonment, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Deportation, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Genocide, War, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Death, Violence, and Suicide attempt

jhbandcats's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Wow. What a powerful story with such strong artwork. The illustrations feel oppressive, obviously since Lee Ok-Sun was oppressed through most of her life. 

The author / illustrator, Keum Duk Gendry-Kim, met and interviewed Lee. They became friends of a sort, with Gendry-Kim working for three years to complete her biography. It begins when Lee was a child, sold by her parents to alleviate their poverty. From there things got progressively worse with her being abducted and sent to a “comfort station” at the age of 16 or 17. 

Things were almost as bad after the war. The newly liberated women were shunned as whores, unable to find food or work. Lee told Gendry-Kim that her life was miserable from the moment she was born, and that’s all too clear. 

Gendry-Kim tells Lee’s story in a straightforward fashion without sensationalizing the violence and misery. I confess I can’t conceive of this level of pain and anguish. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Infertility, Abortion, Kidnapping, Blood, Violence, Classism, War, Death, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Slavery, Trafficking, and Xenophobia