Boxers and Saints is great way to learn and teach about the Boxer Rebellion, a significant, complicated, and relatively recent episode of modern Chinese history that many Americans have barely heard of.

Yang invites readers with little historical knowledge to simply read the story, without requiring them to feel stupid or devote themselves to catching up. That means that I can read quickly, and the many references to historical context that I don’t fully understand do not compel me to research. Boxers and Saints might be classified as YA. On top of that, Boxers and Saints healthy dose of magical realism puts it in another genre I do not spend significant reading time exploring.įor me, the fact that this is a graphic novel designed with a relatively young audience in mind (despite some very violent and disturbing graphic scenes and themes) is probably crucial. I would not expect all of this to work, at least not for me: The scale is epic, not something I normally seek out. Somehow, I think Yang’s trademark magical realism makes this balance work. Also central is the masterful balance of the individual and small scale with the scope of the Boxer Rebellion. This dual perspective approach is central to what makes Boxers and Saints work. One book features a “Boxer” and the other a “saint.” The graphic style is appealing to me, the time period complex and controversial, and the two novel approach compelling and an excellent strategy for addressing differing perspectives. I’ve read it a few times, sometimes dipping in and out, but also straight through more than once. I like a pretty wide range of fiction, but a magical realist epic graphic novel would not be something I would expect to love. Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers and Saints is a critically acclaimed historical graphic novel set.

Yang boxers and saints