Grass
- Downloads：4708
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-04-04 14:53:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
- ISBN：1770463623
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
This true story of a Korean comfort woman documents how the atrocity of war devastates women’s lives
Grass is a powerful antiwar graphic novel， telling the life story of a Korean girl named Okseon Lee who was forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War—a disputed chapter in twentieth-century Asian history。
Beginning in Lee’s childhood， Grass shows the lead-up to the war from a child’s vulnerable perspective， detailing how one person experienced the Japanese occupation and the widespread suffering it entailed for ordinary Koreans。 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim emphasizes Lee’s strength in overcoming the many forms of adversity she experienced。 Grass is painted in a black ink that flows with lavish details of the beautiful fields and farmland of Korea and uses heavy brushwork on the somber interiors of Lee’s memories。
The cartoonist Gendry-Kim’s interviews with Lee become an integral part of Grass， forming the heart and architecture of this powerful nonfiction graphic novel and offering a holistic view of how Lee’s wartime suffering changed her。 Grass is a landmark graphic novel that makes personal the desperate cost of war and the importance of peace。
Grass is a powerful antiwar graphic novel， telling the life story of a Korean girl named Okseon Lee who was forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War—a disputed chapter in twentieth-century Asian history。
Beginning in Lee’s childhood， Grass shows the lead-up to the war from a child’s vulnerable perspective， detailing how one person experienced the Japanese occupation and the widespread suffering it entailed for ordinary Koreans。 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim emphasizes Lee’s strength in overcoming the many forms of adversity she experienced。 Grass is painted in a black ink that flows with lavish details of the beautiful fields and farmland of Korea and uses heavy brushwork on the somber interiors of Lee’s memories。
The cartoonist Gendry-Kim’s interviews with Lee become an integral part of Grass， forming the heart and architecture of this powerful nonfiction graphic novel and offering a holistic view of how Lee’s wartime suffering changed her。 Grass is a landmark graphic novel that makes personal the desperate cost of war and the importance of peace。
Reviews
Gabii
，
First book for the 24hr #raedathon。What a devastating book。 History that I never learned， but it should be taught in schools everywhere。 The artwork is so beautiful and adds so much to the story。
Julia Modde
，
This graphic novel is sensational。 It tells the story of Granny Lee Ok-sun， an elderly activist， who was a Korean Sex Slave to Japanese soldiers during World War II。 The black-white panels， which are confronting nature and landscape with the deep pain and horrors the women suffer， are extraordinary。 I’ve never seen something similar in a Comic。 Some pages capture the grieve in such a breathtaking way I had to put the book down to just be still for a few moments。 To be still in the face of male a This graphic novel is sensational。 It tells the story of Granny Lee Ok-sun， an elderly activist， who was a Korean Sex Slave to Japanese soldiers during World War II。 The black-white panels， which are confronting nature and landscape with the deep pain and horrors the women suffer， are extraordinary。 I’ve never seen something similar in a Comic。 Some pages capture the grieve in such a breathtaking way I had to put the book down to just be still for a few moments。 To be still in the face of male atrocities。 But there is more to the book than capturing the ferocity of “comfort women” （urgh this framing is so wrong and horribly。 I hate how it is still used to describe the inhumanity of the act）。 It tells the story of Granny Lee Ok-sun through the lens of her “incredible will to survive and her love for life。 She was a warrior who had fought each second to live” （Keum Sun Gendry-Kim）A dark chapter of HERstory told through powerful pictures！ Be witness to the tales of women， so they can be heard！ 。。。more
Elaine
，
Beautiful and painful， a look at the lives of the women stolen from Korea into sexual slavery for the Japanese in occupied China。
Dree
，
This is a graphic biography of Lee Ok-sun， a former Korean comfort woman （kidnapped at age 15） and current activist for Japan to acknowledge and compensate the women and families for what their country and army did。Gendry-Kim's artistry is amazing。 Using just one color， she conveys emotion， narrative， and memory。 There are 12-panel spreads and 2-page single images。 Negative space is key; blurring/blotchy images convey bad and frightening memories。 This book is not text-heavy--the art supplements This is a graphic biography of Lee Ok-sun， a former Korean comfort woman （kidnapped at age 15） and current activist for Japan to acknowledge and compensate the women and families for what their country and army did。Gendry-Kim's artistry is amazing。 Using just one color， she conveys emotion， narrative， and memory。 There are 12-panel spreads and 2-page single images。 Negative space is key; blurring/blotchy images convey bad and frightening memories。 This book is not text-heavy--the art supplements the limited text to tell more of the story without needing words。Gendry-Kim includes herself interviewing Lee and researching from 2015-17--and allows her own character to question so much of what she is doing。 Should she interview and publish and thus spread another's story？ Will she bring back horrible memories that Lee may never want to relive？ Seeing Lee on TV， speaking for herself， releases her from her worries。 。。。more
Cheebs
，
Horrifying， heartbreaking， and a necessary read told from the perspective of a surviving comfort woman。 Tears flowed even after finishing。
analytical_chaos
，
"How can an agreement be made without the consent of the victims？"TW: rape， violence， death， war "How can an agreement be made without the consent of the victims？"TW: rape， violence， death， war 。。。more
Federica Nardiello
，
Ognuno di noi dovrebbe leggere questa immensa testimonianza。
Madison McQuary
，
I’ve gotten more into graphic novels recently and this one is truly captivating with a story so real and so raw。。。human trafficking is a topic I’m passionate about spreading awareness for so reading the story of Comfort Women in Korean during WWII was truly eye opening。 At times the story seemed a bit disjointed but I think it’s because of how it was translated。Even though the writing is simple， the illustrations brought the riveting story to life and you could feel al the emotions of the charac I’ve gotten more into graphic novels recently and this one is truly captivating with a story so real and so raw。。。human trafficking is a topic I’m passionate about spreading awareness for so reading the story of Comfort Women in Korean during WWII was truly eye opening。 At times the story seemed a bit disjointed but I think it’s because of how it was translated。Even though the writing is simple， the illustrations brought the riveting story to life and you could feel al the emotions of the characters 。。。more
Rossetto e guai
，
Le cose da dire su questo graphic novel sono molte。Innanzi tutto che la Bao ha scelto un carattere indecoroso per scrivere la vignette。 Stona in modo indecoroso con lo stile delle tavole。I disegni sono secondo me molto bello ed evocativi quasi sempre， ma c’è qualcosa che ogni tanto stona。 La storia e bellissima e durissima， struggente e poetica。 Non mi fa impazzire che ci siano gli intermezzi dell’autrice di prima persona ma è un piccolo dettaglio che non sminuisce la bellezza dell opera
Camy
，
4。5
bet mercer
，
A startlingly raw telling of one Korean woman's experiences as a "comfort woman" during WWII--Granny Lee Ok-sun。 While the author doesn't shy away from sharing the horrors of rape， she chooses to state things matter-of-factly and use stark images of nature or harsh scribbles to visually depict these experiences。 The otherwise almost cartoonish illustrations of people make the story all the weightier。 Touching on Korea， China， and Japan， this book offers a valuable window into history that is not A startlingly raw telling of one Korean woman's experiences as a "comfort woman" during WWII--Granny Lee Ok-sun。 While the author doesn't shy away from sharing the horrors of rape， she chooses to state things matter-of-factly and use stark images of nature or harsh scribbles to visually depict these experiences。 The otherwise almost cartoonish illustrations of people make the story all the weightier。 Touching on Korea， China， and Japan， this book offers a valuable window into history that is not often mentioned in the Western World。 。。。more
Meredith
，
“I’ve never known happiness from the moment I came out of my mother’s womb” An absolutely gutting， heart wrenching story; one woman’s story but also the same as thousands of others。 Girls， as young as 12 sold or stolen into sex slavery by the Japanese army during WWII。 Then left behind by all humanity as broken goods when the war ended; most still children。 Made all the worse by the fact that the Japanese government still， to this day， refuses to acknowledge the atrocities sanctioned and encoura “I’ve never known happiness from the moment I came out of my mother’s womb” An absolutely gutting， heart wrenching story; one woman’s story but also the same as thousands of others。 Girls， as young as 12 sold or stolen into sex slavery by the Japanese army during WWII。 Then left behind by all humanity as broken goods when the war ended; most still children。 Made all the worse by the fact that the Japanese government still， to this day， refuses to acknowledge the atrocities sanctioned and encouraged by them。 Man’s inhumanity to woman。 。。。more
Laís
，
Tão bom quanto Maus， de certa forma ainda mais triste。
Emily Judds
，
Stunning。 Absolutely stunning。I wasn’t sure what it would be like to read such a heartbreaking story in this format， but these illustrations were far more powerful in their subtlety than even the prettiest of prose could be。 As soon as I finished it， I wanted to read it again。 It was like a living， breathing organism。 Everyone should read this book。
Sarah
，
This graphic novel lays out the heartbreaking truth of the “Comfort Women” who were forced sexual slaves of the Japanese during WWII。 This is the first book I’ve read on the subject， and I appreciated hearing the struggles and brutal reality of what life was like for these women。 My heart hurt for Granny Lee OK-sun after hearing how she was sold as a child and later stolen off the streets of her village and forced into this slavery。
Courtenay
，
It's so hard to rate a book when you loathe the subject matter （1 star - almost put it down twice， it got such a visceral reaction） but it's material that the world needs to know （5 stars for storytelling） in a way that is new and compelling （4 stars for interesting black and white artwork） and evokes emotional empathy （4 stars for compassion for living beings who didn't have any choice）。 I wouldn't ever read it again， as who wants to read about comfort women having any and all rights stripped a It's so hard to rate a book when you loathe the subject matter （1 star - almost put it down twice， it got such a visceral reaction） but it's material that the world needs to know （5 stars for storytelling） in a way that is new and compelling （4 stars for interesting black and white artwork） and evokes emotional empathy （4 stars for compassion for living beings who didn't have any choice）。 I wouldn't ever read it again， as who wants to read about comfort women having any and all rights stripped away from them before they've even reached child-rearing age？ Or read about a woman who has never loved anyone or had an opportunity to care for others， except in a servant / doormat capacity？ Or has no wishes left？ This tragic story follows a woman who sets out to tell the story of a "Granny" or a comfort woman who was treated with less respect than a common bug by men and "marketeers" alike， repeatedly raped in "service to soldiers" -- as "convenient as a public toilet。" Grass evokes empathy and respect for human beings who are so resilient that they can endure the most horrific lives， and yet horror at how humans treat other humans。 No teen， no woman， no human， no living creature should be treated as such。 Grass is worth a read if only to make sure history doesn't repeat itself。。。 。。。more
Emre Yavuz
，
It's like a fist in the stomach。 It's like a fist in the stomach。 。。。more
Mayara Finardi
，
Um livro extremamente impactante， que retrata a vida um tanto sofrida de uma coreana que passou muita fome， foi dada para “adoção “ pelos pais e acabou como mulher de conforto， ou escrava sexual da tropa imperial japonesa。Do ponto de vista artístico， amei os desenhos， que parecem ter sido feitos com tinta nanquim， ao estilo mais oriental possível。 A forma como a autora expressa cada momento histórico ou da vida da personagem principal é intenso， por vezes um soco no estômago do leitor。É mais um Um livro extremamente impactante， que retrata a vida um tanto sofrida de uma coreana que passou muita fome， foi dada para “adoção “ pelos pais e acabou como mulher de conforto， ou escrava sexual da tropa imperial japonesa。Do ponto de vista artístico， amei os desenhos， que parecem ter sido feitos com tinta nanquim， ao estilo mais oriental possível。 A forma como a autora expressa cada momento histórico ou da vida da personagem principal é intenso， por vezes um soco no estômago do leitor。É mais um momento monstruoso do mundo em plena 2a Guerra Mundial， mas que não foi muito exposto para o lado de cá do mundo， é que até hoje não foi bem resolvido entre Coreia do Sul e Japão。 O roteiro me lembrou Maus， onde a autora foi o elo entre a história e as entrevistas com a sobrevivente， é isso é mostrado no decorrer da história。O momento que mais me tocou foi quando a personagem principal alega que nunca conheceu a felicidade。 Até agora estou muito triste com isso， pois não é justo uma pessoa nunca ser feliz em sua vida。 。。。more
Dejsi H。
，
Le Malerbe parla della storia vera di una comfort woman coreana， ovvero una donna che ai tempi della dominazione giapponese viene costretta a prostituirsi。 È una vicenda storica poco conosciuta， soprattutto in Occidente， per questo ritengo che questa testimonianza sia preziosissima e consiglio a tutti la lettura di quest’opera
Bethany
，
Incredible art， devastating story。 Content Warning for every page - this is not an easy read。
Kelly Adams
，
An insight into girls forced and trapped into being ‘pleasure workers’An interview in GN form telling the story of her life。 Not graphicTakes place during the 1930’s
Davi Kladakis
，
3。5 stars。 It seems really odd to say that I enjoyed a memoir about a Korean comfort woman that really went into details about being kidnapped， trafficked and raped。
Aaron
，
"I've never known happiness from the moment I came out of my mother's womb。"Should one deign to surmise， on behalf of those whom have suffered far more than oneself， whether happiness is possible in wartime， amid poverty and starvation， amid abandonment and abuse， then one will have surely missed the truth in granny Lee Ok-sun's words。 Indeed， happiness is relative。 GRASS upends the basic， fractious truths that typically encapsulate discussions of forced prostitution during the Second World War， "I've never known happiness from the moment I came out of my mother's womb。"Should one deign to surmise， on behalf of those whom have suffered far more than oneself， whether happiness is possible in wartime， amid poverty and starvation， amid abandonment and abuse， then one will have surely missed the truth in granny Lee Ok-sun's words。 Indeed， happiness is relative。 GRASS upends the basic， fractious truths that typically encapsulate discussions of forced prostitution during the Second World War， and provides， damningly and elegantly， one woman's experiences。The "comfort women" issue is as widely discussed and debated as it is broadly ignored。 Socially， it is a topic whose enduring relevance manifests so long as there remains an awkward consensus to unbury and rebury wartime sins and human error of the highest order。 Politically， the abduction and prostitution of Korean women by Japanese foot soldiers is chattered about in whispered breaths， with pensive reluctance， because the very act of unburying and reburying demands redress。In GRASS， readers encounter the stubborn but spirited Ok-sun， a girl whose family is dragged through the muddy wreck of an impoverished nation in the nascent years of the Second World War。 The girl is scolded for the smallest slights， disparaged for refusing to yield， beaten for speaking the truth， and ultimately sold off， abandoned， and later kidnapped simply because it was convenient for others to do so。 Ok-sun's life was never， at any point， fruitful。The girl's imprisonment and enslavement in northern， occupied China witnessed countless iterations of sexual abuse and brutality。 No family。 No education。 No clothing and no food。 No sincere medical care。 Ok-sun and the many other girls stationed with her were treated like animals -- raped like animals -- daily and often by the dozens on weekends。 And all before she reached age 16。GRASS chronicles Ok-sun's survival， her anxieties and fears and worries; the violence and the disease that nearly claimed her life time and again。 GRASS also chronicles Ok-sun's uncanniness and strength， her humor and resolve; the intense， steel-bitten gaze she girl delivers when， after the war， she and her friends make the soul-crushing decision to split up so as to increase their chances of living another day。The graphic novel employs a visceral cascade of inks to pull sometimes clean and sometimes murky distinctions between the past and the present， both riddled with painful levels of clarity。 The author communicates with remarkable precision the emotional truths of Ok-sun's journey， for example， by articulating the girl's subjugation through fraying textures and flaky ink stains that reinforce the brothel's lack of cleanliness， the girls' dissolving hope， and the darkness in the hearts of the criminals who condoned her abuse。 The book also includes larger spreads showcasing the ephemeral listlessness and caustic emptiness of northern China's hilly grasslands。 Therein also are compelling landscapes of the poplar trees， the waist-high weeds， and the fetching parade of stars that climb overhead each night。 But GRASS， smartly， wields these visuals with purpose， to pull the reader's eyes away from the dearth of humanity without truly distracting one from it: on a page overlooking the lumpy mountains that bracket her prison， Ok-sun wiles away her time， watching her dirt-brown menstrual rag as it dries on a sagging clothesline。GRASS is a long， intense， and heart-rending exchange， perhaps necessarily so。 The author exposes the corruption and malevolence inherent in militant sexism and yet never allows the sensational inclination of such narratives usurp the reality of one woman's story。 Lee Ok-sun is one woman， but she is also one of many。 GRASS shows readers the fatefully numerous ways for which this holds true。 。。。more
Stella
，
4。5This one was very well done。 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was so gentle and cautious with this story that it never veered into exploitation and sensationalism; it was such a respectful yet brutal and honest portrait of this historical event that I knew nothing about。 The humanity and humor on granny Ok-sun was delightful and kept the book really well balanced。 The story was beautifully told in an almost metafictional way which kept it contemporary and made the reader feel like they were the one interv 4。5This one was very well done。 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was so gentle and cautious with this story that it never veered into exploitation and sensationalism; it was such a respectful yet brutal and honest portrait of this historical event that I knew nothing about。 The humanity and humor on granny Ok-sun was delightful and kept the book really well balanced。 The story was beautifully told in an almost metafictional way which kept it contemporary and made the reader feel like they were the one interviewing and getting to know granny， feeling like we were in the room with her。At first， I didn't love the art by slowly it struck me as so beautiful。 The inky landscape pictures， the way that darkness is used was really moving。 There was this interesting commentary also about how places change and how people die， so who bears the history of those who leave no bodies or stories behind that I found very meaningful。 Really well done graphic novel。 。。。more
Mary Thomas
，
This is one of the most harrowing and devastating books I’ve ever read。 I knew next to nothing about this history and I’m not sure I’ll ever process the magnitude of the trauma women like Granny Lee Ok-Sun endured。 I’m grateful to Keum Suk Gendry-Kim for the opportunity to bear witness。
Jessica
，
You should read this book。 The afterward is one of the most beautifully written tributes I’ve ever come across; such respect and honor given to comfort women， and Granny。 So deeply sad， but the illustrations alone are worth the it。 The brushwork is so unique it’s almost as if you can watch the grass flow from page to page。 Stunning。
Steph
，
4。75/5
Isabela ✌🏻
，
First off I have to say that the expression of the brush strokes in the illustration of this graphic novel is beautiful！ It reflects so strongly the storyline and the themes that are discussed。 The term ‘comfort women’ can be discomforting and difficult to digest when reading。 However the illustrations aren’t drawn as graphically disturbing。 Gendry-kim has done an amazing job at telling the story with the strokes of lines。 A lot of it is really dark and rough so you can’t see too well， which is First off I have to say that the expression of the brush strokes in the illustration of this graphic novel is beautiful！ It reflects so strongly the storyline and the themes that are discussed。 The term ‘comfort women’ can be discomforting and difficult to digest when reading。 However the illustrations aren’t drawn as graphically disturbing。 Gendry-kim has done an amazing job at telling the story with the strokes of lines。 A lot of it is really dark and rough so you can’t see too well， which is such a raw reflection of how Granny Lee Ok-Sun must remember these painful memories she endured。 。。。more
Rosalie Hawks
，
Credo che purtroppo quando si narra di queste tematiche sia troppo facile scadere nel morboso， concentrandosi sulla violenza in sé e indugiando in determinate scene， ma tutto ciò qui non avviene， anzi: non ho un senso di profonda pena per queste "nonnine"， anzi provo un moto di profondo rispetto e sono orgogliosa del loro essere "malerba"。 Se loro， nonostante le vite dolorose e infelici che hanno avuto， sono ancora lì a chiedere al Giappone delle scuse ufficiali e un indennizzo， io posso solo is Credo che purtroppo quando si narra di queste tematiche sia troppo facile scadere nel morboso， concentrandosi sulla violenza in sé e indugiando in determinate scene， ma tutto ciò qui non avviene， anzi: non ho un senso di profonda pena per queste "nonnine"， anzi provo un moto di profondo rispetto e sono orgogliosa del loro essere "malerba"。 Se loro， nonostante le vite dolorose e infelici che hanno avuto， sono ancora lì a chiedere al Giappone delle scuse ufficiali e un indennizzo， io posso solo ispirarmi a non loro e non mollare quando in quanto donna mi sento sempre più umiliata e avvilita da una certa impenetrabile cappa di sessismo che avvolge certi ambienti lavorativi e sociali。 Un particolare che ho amato molto è quanto la personalità della nonnina protagonista emerga così tanto da darmi l'impressione di sentire il tono della sua voce leggendo le sue battute， e quindi non posso fare a meno che non apprezzare la cura e l'amore che l'autrice ha riversato in questa opera delicata e forte insieme。 。。。more
Carolina
，
Grama é uma obra incrível， pesada e necessária。 A autora mergulha na história de vida da vovó Ok-Sun Lee， que na época da guerra sino japonesa foi forçada a se tornar uma "mulher de conforto"， uma escrava sexual que servia ao exército japonês。O tema central dessa hq é sem dúvida terrível e muito doloroso。 Entretanto， Keum Gendry-Kim acerta ao conseguir retratar os muitos momentos de dificuldade de Ok-Sun com leveza suficiente para tornar a história digerível。 Comecei minha leitura com um conheci Grama é uma obra incrível， pesada e necessária。 A autora mergulha na história de vida da vovó Ok-Sun Lee， que na época da guerra sino japonesa foi forçada a se tornar uma "mulher de conforto"， uma escrava sexual que servia ao exército japonês。O tema central dessa hq é sem dúvida terrível e muito doloroso。 Entretanto， Keum Gendry-Kim acerta ao conseguir retratar os muitos momentos de dificuldade de Ok-Sun com leveza suficiente para tornar a história digerível。 Comecei minha leitura com um conhecimento prévio do que estava por vir e isso me assustava um pouco， mas ao longo das páginas da hq não tive como não reparar no respeito e cuidado que a autora teve em relação aos temas mais sensíveis。Grama， para mim， já é um clássico moderno e leitura enriquecedora， pois traz à luz a história de milhares de mulheres que por décadas foram tratadas com negligência por governos e sociedades que deveriam， antes de tudo， reparar os danos severos sofridos por elas。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Grass
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Grass&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Grass&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0