Grass (, Pul) is a 2017 Korean-language graphic novel by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim.
It was translated into English by Janet Hong, with that version published in 2019 by Drawn and Quarterly. The English version has a translator's note.
Plot
It is about Ok-sun a.k.a. "Granny Lee", a woman who had been a "comfort woman" in World War II, returning to live in Korea. Alison Mandaville of California State University, Fresno wrote that it is "An oral history in comics form". A version of Gendry-Kim is in the story and tries to record an oral history of Ok-sun. Sean Rogers of the Globe and Mail wrote that "respectful distance" is used in the story.
Artwork Tom Lathan of Times Literary Supplement stated that the artwork has Eastern and Western influences.
Reception
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) stated that Gendry-Kim "conscientiously eschews sensationalizing or providing graphic representations of violent scenes."
Thomas L. Batten of Library Journal wrote that the artwork is "exquisite" and that the narrative is "thoughtful".
The book received the Harvey Award. By 2021 there were about 14 translations.
See also Other graphic novels by Gendry-Kim: Dog Days The Naked Tree The Waiting
References
Further reading
External links Grass - Drawn and Quarterly Grass - Pan MacMillan India Grass - Digital Library of Korean Literature, Literature Translation Institute of Korea - Entry about Korean version