Review of
Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon History of
Hiroshima, Volume One, by Keiji Nakazawa, ISBN 9780867196023
Five out of five stars
Riveting tale of the most horrific of events
The author was
six years old and present when the atomic bomb was exploded over Hiroshima.
Fortunately, there was a concrete wall between him and the explosion, so he was
spared the devastating effects of the heat of the flash. Therefore, he was an
eyewitness to the horror of people walking around where their flesh was
literally melted from their bodies. His family dwelling collapsed and some of
his family members trapped, later killed by the firestorm that engulfed the
city.
This graphic
novel is a graphic depiction of those events that were literally seared into
the city and into his memory. It depicts a family (the author’s) that did not
follow the official line of Japanese greatness with inevitable victory in what
was becoming more and more a suicidal war. His portrayal of their struggles to
find sufficient food and overcome the ostracism of others is a bit of fresh air
in the usual depiction of the Japanese people blindly following their leaders.
Willing to die for the Emperor without questioning the purpose.
One negative
aspect is the depictions of people being brutally punched by neighbors, parents
and siblings. Not simple slaps but punched powerful enough to bounce them off
the walls. It is puzzling why the author decided to include these scenes.
This is one of
the best graphic novels ever written. The anti-war message is powerful,
specifically the reality of the consequences of an atomic war and what it does
to living beings. Based on one of the most significant and destructive events
of all time, this book could serve as a resource in the teaching of history.
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