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The Naked Tree
A delicate, timeless, and breathtaking coming-of-age story.
The critically acclaimed and award-winning cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim returns with a stunning addition to her body of graphic fiction rooted in Korean history. Adapted from Park Wan-seo’s beloved novel, The Naked Tree paints a stark portrait of a single nation’s fabric slowly torn to shreds by political upheaval and armed conflict.
The year is 1951. Twenty-year-old wallflower Lee Kyung ekes out a living at the US Post Exchange, where goods and services of varying stripe are available for purchase. She peddles hand-painted portraits on silk handkerchiefs to soldiers passing through. When a handsome young northern escapee and erstwhile fine artist is hired despite waning demand, an unlikely friendship blossoms into a young woman’s first brush with desire against the backdrop of the Korean War at its most devastating.
Gendry-Kim brings a masterpiece of world literature to life with bold, expressive lines that capture a denuded landscape brutally forced into transition and the people who must find their way back to each other within it. Available for the first time in English, this edition of The Naked Tree is exquisitely translated by award-winning expert Janet Hong.
The critically acclaimed and award-winning cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim returns with a stunning addition to her body of graphic fiction rooted in Korean history. Adapted from Park Wan-seo’s beloved novel, The Naked Tree paints a stark portrait of a single nation’s fabric slowly torn to shreds by political upheaval and armed conflict.
The year is 1951. Twenty-year-old wallflower Lee Kyung ekes out a living at the US Post Exchange, where goods and services of varying stripe are available for purchase. She peddles hand-painted portraits on silk handkerchiefs to soldiers passing through. When a handsome young northern escapee and erstwhile fine artist is hired despite waning demand, an unlikely friendship blossoms into a young woman’s first brush with desire against the backdrop of the Korean War at its most devastating.
Gendry-Kim brings a masterpiece of world literature to life with bold, expressive lines that capture a denuded landscape brutally forced into transition and the people who must find their way back to each other within it. Available for the first time in English, this edition of The Naked Tree is exquisitely translated by award-winning expert Janet Hong.
316 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2020
About the author
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
41 books270 followersKeum Suk Gendry-Kim was born in the town of Goheung in Jeolla Province, a town famous for its beautiful mountains and sea. Her graphic novels include The Song of My Father, Jiseul, and Kogaeyi, which have been translated and published in France. She also wrote and illustrated The Baby Hanyeo Okrang Goes to Dokdo, A Day with My Grandpa, and My Mother Kang Geumsun. She received the Best Creative Manhwa Award for her short manhwa “Sister Mija,” about a comfort woman. She has had exhibitions of her works in Korea and Europe since 2012, and her graphic novels and manhwa deal mostly with people who are outcasts or marginalized.
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November 25, 2023Super excited for this because
1. I’ve loved all of Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s graphic novels and learn a lot from them.
2. Dave Schaafsma 5 starred it in his review and he is the gold standard of graphic novel recs.
3. My band in college was named The Naked Trees after something I said while stoned so I’m sure I’m bound by library ethics laws to read it. Flashback to then:
1. I’ve loved all of Keum Suk Gendry-Kim’s graphic novels and learn a lot from them.
2. Dave Schaafsma 5 starred it in his review and he is the gold standard of graphic novel recs.
3. My band in college was named The Naked Trees after something I said while stoned so I’m sure I’m bound by library ethics laws to read it. Flashback to then:
November 19, 2023
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim adapts a 1970 novel by Park Wan-suh, The Naked Tree, into a graphic novel, injecting elements of the author's real life into an original framing sequence to emphasize the roman à clef nature of the work.
In the midst of the Korean War, a Korean woman in her early twenties works in a safe zone of Seoul at a booth at an American PX shilling souvenir portraits on scarves painted by some artisans who work on-site from snapshots provided by the clientele. She quickly develops a crush on one of the painters – who is a tortured soul destined to become become an acclaimed artist, not just a piecework craftsman – and pins on him all her dreams of escaping the dreary life of grief she shares with her widowed mother and compares to the lives of the other women around her.
It's a mild but engaging bit of coming-of-age drama playing out with some inevitable predictability but offering a rare and precious perspective of one America's several forgotten wars.
(Best Graphic Novels of 2023 Project: I'm trying to read all the books on the Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2023 list. Four down, six to go! How many have you read?)
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents:
• The Naked Tree Lives Again / Ho Won-sook [daughter of Park Wan-suh]
• Prologue
• 1951
• Ok Huido
• Demands
• Chimpanzee
• Family
• Crossed Paths
• Women You Can Buy and Women You Can't Buy
• Crimson Gingko Leaves
• The Naked Tree
• Epilogue
• Artists I Have Loved / Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
In the midst of the Korean War, a Korean woman in her early twenties works in a safe zone of Seoul at a booth at an American PX shilling souvenir portraits on scarves painted by some artisans who work on-site from snapshots provided by the clientele. She quickly develops a crush on one of the painters – who is a tortured soul destined to become become an acclaimed artist, not just a piecework craftsman – and pins on him all her dreams of escaping the dreary life of grief she shares with her widowed mother and compares to the lives of the other women around her.
It's a mild but engaging bit of coming-of-age drama playing out with some inevitable predictability but offering a rare and precious perspective of one America's several forgotten wars.
(Best Graphic Novels of 2023 Project: I'm trying to read all the books on the Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2023 list. Four down, six to go! How many have you read?)
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents:
• The Naked Tree Lives Again / Ho Won-sook [daughter of Park Wan-suh]
• Prologue
• 1951
• Ok Huido
• Demands
• Chimpanzee
• Family
• Crossed Paths
• Women You Can Buy and Women You Can't Buy
• Crimson Gingko Leaves
• The Naked Tree
• Epilogue
• Artists I Have Loved / Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
December 4, 2021
Una novela gráfica basada en un clásico de la literatura surcoreana. Una historia basada en hechos reales vividos por la escritora.
En cualquier idioma y en cualquier país las guerras no son buenas para nadie, todo el mundo sufre. En este caso, aparte de transcurrir la historia durante la guerra civil de Corea, la autora nos cuenta muchas más cosas: la culpa, el miedo, la pena, el hambre, la desidia, el amor.
Una novela con pocos personajes pero muy bien definidos. Aunque es una novela gráfica y, como la misma ilustradora indica, refleja las partes que más le gustaron de la novela, se define claramente todo lo que la novelista quería reflejar.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia y me ha dado ganas de leer la novela para conocer más en profundidad la vida de la autora y datos sobre la guerra civil de Corea que, aunque sólo duro treinta y seis meses en los años cincuenta, ha mantenido la separación para siempre de las dos Coreas. Un acontecimiento que ha sido olvidado y eclipsado por otros acontecimientos históricos.
En cualquier idioma y en cualquier país las guerras no son buenas para nadie, todo el mundo sufre. En este caso, aparte de transcurrir la historia durante la guerra civil de Corea, la autora nos cuenta muchas más cosas: la culpa, el miedo, la pena, el hambre, la desidia, el amor.
Una novela con pocos personajes pero muy bien definidos. Aunque es una novela gráfica y, como la misma ilustradora indica, refleja las partes que más le gustaron de la novela, se define claramente todo lo que la novelista quería reflejar.
Me ha gustado mucho la historia y me ha dado ganas de leer la novela para conocer más en profundidad la vida de la autora y datos sobre la guerra civil de Corea que, aunque sólo duro treinta y seis meses en los años cincuenta, ha mantenido la separación para siempre de las dos Coreas. Un acontecimiento que ha sido olvidado y eclipsado por otros acontecimientos históricos.
September 11, 2024
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim adapts the novel by by Park Wan-Suh originally printed in 1970. It's a coming-of-age story in war time Korea - a slightly fictional account of her time as a street vendor selling custom portraits to American GIs. She starts to have feelings for one of the painters Ok who would rather spend his time creating original pieces of art not using his talents to make a buck.
Although I haven't read the original, Gendry-Kim's adaptation was incredible. She bookmarks the original tale with the character's real-life counterparts opening with when the author Park Wan-Suh is inspired to write the novel and ending with her and her partner attending (the real life counterpart of Ok) funeral. Gendry-Kim blends in some of the real painting into the story (I could have used more because they looked really interesting). The essay material really helped appreciate the story as well.
The story sketches a moving depiction of Korea in the 50s, Lee Kyung's relationship with GIs, her aging mother still reeling from the death of her two sons, and trying to find her own identity.
This is the third graphic novel by Gendry-Kim that I've really enjoyed.
Although I haven't read the original, Gendry-Kim's adaptation was incredible. She bookmarks the original tale with the character's real-life counterparts opening with when the author Park Wan-Suh is inspired to write the novel and ending with her and her partner attending (the real life counterpart of Ok) funeral. Gendry-Kim blends in some of the real painting into the story (I could have used more because they looked really interesting). The essay material really helped appreciate the story as well.
The story sketches a moving depiction of Korea in the 50s, Lee Kyung's relationship with GIs, her aging mother still reeling from the death of her two sons, and trying to find her own identity.
This is the third graphic novel by Gendry-Kim that I've really enjoyed.
August 2, 2024
obrigada, obrigada, obrigada por trazerem os livros da keum suk gendry-kim para cá. eu cá aguento-me bem a lê-la em espanhol (as edições são lindíssimas), mas todes merecemos ler esta autora coreana 🖤
mais uma história baseada em factos verídicos. keum suk gendry-kim é mesmo a melhor a fazer uso da informação que encontra, retratando, assim, o contexto histórico da coreia como ninguém, revelando-nos a realidade das mulheres coreanas. mas, para além disso, é ótima a desnudar-nos personagens que, reais ou não – pouco importa –, são genuínas.
nas suas histórias sinto-me a aprender em cada detalhe. a aprender e a deslumbrar-me com a magnificência da sua arte. vemos as imagens movimentarem-se como se estivéssemos a ver um filme: é mágico. o movimento das suas ilustrações é mágico, belíssimo e traz uma vida que nem sempre encontro nas bandas desenhadas que leio.
situado em 1950, quando começa a guerra da coreia, este livro – adaptação do romance coreano homónimo de park wan-suh – conta-nos a história de kyung, uma jovem de vinte anos que trabalha como vendedora numa loja do exército americano. aqui conhece ok heedo, um pintor refugiado do norte. no meio do despertar desta paixão são-nos revelados os traumas da nossa protagonista e o impacto da guerra na sua vida e na das pessoas ao seu redor.
“a árvore despida” é uma história de autodescoberta que explora a complexidade das relações familiares, a solidão e a busca pela conexão humana, o luto, a importância da memória e como esta influencia o presente, a arte.
presenteia-nos com a dualidade desespero-esperança, feio-belo, que tão bem é representada pelas ilustrações de keum suk, carregadas de negro, refletindo o peso emocional e a melancolia da narrativa, e expandidas por imagens da natureza, preenchidas com luz, criando um contraste visual incrível e tão característico das suas obras.
mais uma BD que posso recomendar. eu adoro-a! está claro, não está?
—
leitura extra #koreanmarch para a minha iniciativa #perpetuandoaasia 🫰🏼
mais uma história baseada em factos verídicos. keum suk gendry-kim é mesmo a melhor a fazer uso da informação que encontra, retratando, assim, o contexto histórico da coreia como ninguém, revelando-nos a realidade das mulheres coreanas. mas, para além disso, é ótima a desnudar-nos personagens que, reais ou não – pouco importa –, são genuínas.
nas suas histórias sinto-me a aprender em cada detalhe. a aprender e a deslumbrar-me com a magnificência da sua arte. vemos as imagens movimentarem-se como se estivéssemos a ver um filme: é mágico. o movimento das suas ilustrações é mágico, belíssimo e traz uma vida que nem sempre encontro nas bandas desenhadas que leio.
situado em 1950, quando começa a guerra da coreia, este livro – adaptação do romance coreano homónimo de park wan-suh – conta-nos a história de kyung, uma jovem de vinte anos que trabalha como vendedora numa loja do exército americano. aqui conhece ok heedo, um pintor refugiado do norte. no meio do despertar desta paixão são-nos revelados os traumas da nossa protagonista e o impacto da guerra na sua vida e na das pessoas ao seu redor.
“a árvore despida” é uma história de autodescoberta que explora a complexidade das relações familiares, a solidão e a busca pela conexão humana, o luto, a importância da memória e como esta influencia o presente, a arte.
presenteia-nos com a dualidade desespero-esperança, feio-belo, que tão bem é representada pelas ilustrações de keum suk, carregadas de negro, refletindo o peso emocional e a melancolia da narrativa, e expandidas por imagens da natureza, preenchidas com luz, criando um contraste visual incrível e tão característico das suas obras.
mais uma BD que posso recomendar. eu adoro-a! está claro, não está?
—
leitura extra #koreanmarch para a minha iniciativa #perpetuandoaasia 🫰🏼
March 22, 2024
A vigorous and evocative adaptation of a novel I haven't read, set amid the Korean War, in which so much is lost by so many. The narrator is a resourceful young woman who oversees a couple of "signies," artists whom American GIs pay to paint (usually on scarves) portraits of their sweethearts back home. My one complaint is the framing device, which makes Park (the original novelist) a character—it's needlessly fussy, and adds a layer of confusion (on the naming level). Sharp and memorable, it's of a piece with Gendry-Kim's two other books published here, GRASS and THE WAITING—together they form a sort of extended threnody on Korea's painful 20th century history.
September 6, 2023
This is a touching graphic novel about the ugly toll war takes on the everyday people caught up in its machinations, as well as the struggle to maintain some sort of a semblance of a normal life when things are falling apart around you.
I wasn't a huge fan of the illustration style; some of the side characters resembled Saturday morning cartoon villains and did not seem to fit in with the universe of this novel.
I wasn't a huge fan of the illustration style; some of the side characters resembled Saturday morning cartoon villains and did not seem to fit in with the universe of this novel.
June 21, 2023
Retomo, a una de mis autores favoritas de novela gráfica Coreana, en esta nueva historia, la autora sigue con una trama de denuncia social, y más aún que puede darle diferentes lecturas.
En si "El árbol desnudo" es una reinterpretación de la obra original coreana de Park Wan Seo, que nos relata su vivencia más íntima al estar enamorada de un pintor norcoreano llamado Park Soo Geun, el cual es autor de el " Árbol Desnudo" una obra que retrata el amor de este hombre por dos mujeres (según la interpretación que es la autora) y también el como se conocieron en un contexto histórico, dónde La Guerra de Corea sigue latente en la memoria de el pueblo asiático.
Esta reinterpretación tiene varias lecturas magníficas, que la misma autora Keum Suk Gendry Kim va desglosando a lo largo de los majestuosos nueve capítulos, y dónde conocemos a cada uno de estos personajes, sobretodo en sus momentos más oscuros, en dónde Park Soo sufrirá por ese enfrentamiento con su madre , la muerte sus hermanos y el enamorarse de ese pintor, harán algo tan profunda está Historia.
El contexto histórico es un punto clave en dónde podemos ver qué la sociedad coreana está sumida en la pobreza y dónde , buscan sobrevivir, y tratan de sobrevivir con las pequeñas aportaciones que hace el ejército Norteamericano. Aunque quisiera comentar más y dar spoilers, está obra es un homenaje previo a lo que es "La Espera" y dónde Keum Suk Gendry-Kim , nos deja un mensaje claro de que " La Guerra de Corea " no ha terminado.
En si "El árbol desnudo" es una reinterpretación de la obra original coreana de Park Wan Seo, que nos relata su vivencia más íntima al estar enamorada de un pintor norcoreano llamado Park Soo Geun, el cual es autor de el " Árbol Desnudo" una obra que retrata el amor de este hombre por dos mujeres (según la interpretación que es la autora) y también el como se conocieron en un contexto histórico, dónde La Guerra de Corea sigue latente en la memoria de el pueblo asiático.
Esta reinterpretación tiene varias lecturas magníficas, que la misma autora Keum Suk Gendry Kim va desglosando a lo largo de los majestuosos nueve capítulos, y dónde conocemos a cada uno de estos personajes, sobretodo en sus momentos más oscuros, en dónde Park Soo sufrirá por ese enfrentamiento con su madre , la muerte sus hermanos y el enamorarse de ese pintor, harán algo tan profunda está Historia.
El contexto histórico es un punto clave en dónde podemos ver qué la sociedad coreana está sumida en la pobreza y dónde , buscan sobrevivir, y tratan de sobrevivir con las pequeñas aportaciones que hace el ejército Norteamericano. Aunque quisiera comentar más y dar spoilers, está obra es un homenaje previo a lo que es "La Espera" y dónde Keum Suk Gendry-Kim , nos deja un mensaje claro de que " La Guerra de Corea " no ha terminado.
February 29, 2024
picked this one off the new book shelf at the library, if i had known it was a graphic novel retelling of a korean classic, i probably wouldn't have done so? which would have been a shame, bc this one is quite good! i tend to avoid graphic novel retellings - i always get it in my head i'm going to read the original at some point. this is a really good graphic novel though, and while it doesn't make me want to explore the original, it definitely paints a very painful, aching, story of war-torn korea. the illustrations and the emotions they evoke really amplifies the story. it's uncomfortable and unsettling and melancholy, but it holds beautiful seeds of humanity in fragile hand and i was really impressed.
July 8, 2024
Nesta adaptação gráfica de um conhecido romance da autoria de uma escritora coreana, conseguimos entender toda a vivência de um juventude "inquieta" no pós-Segunda Guerra Mundial ou, para ser ainda mais preciso, no pós-Guerra da Coreia (1950-1951), a qual deu origem àquilo que durante décadas ficou conhecida como Guerra Fria.
Acompanhamos a vida de uma jovem de 20 anos que se apaixona por um pintor mais velho casado e com filhos. Um amor quena sua origem não parece estar destinado a vingar...
O tom da história é melancólico e nostálgico, o que não deixa de ser adequado para aquilo que se está a contar. Esse tom triste acaba por dar um certo "realismo" aos desenhos de Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (que são tendencialmente abstractos).
Acompanhamos a vida de uma jovem de 20 anos que se apaixona por um pintor mais velho casado e com filhos. Um amor quena sua origem não parece estar destinado a vingar...
O tom da história é melancólico e nostálgico, o que não deixa de ser adequado para aquilo que se está a contar. Esse tom triste acaba por dar um certo "realismo" aos desenhos de Keum Suk Gendry-Kim (que são tendencialmente abstractos).
March 21, 2023
Encara que l'estil naïf em provocava reticència, m'he deixat seduir per la senzillesa del blanc i negre, les ombres i la representació pausada, fins i tot quan els esdeveniments o els sentiments es precipiten. La història, ambientada en la guerra de Corea, és molt previsible, però al darrere hi ha motius universals. M'ha captivat la manera de dibuixar la natura, tan sensible i delicada. Com pot ser que unes fulles de ginkgo o la silueta d'un arbre nu puguen transmetre tant de dolor i tanta humanitat?
«Les draps trempés de sang rouge, presque noir. Des tâches de sang rouge sur le sol et le mur. Des morceaux de chair éparpillés ici et là qui semblaient s'agiter comme s'ils s'accrochaient encore à la vie.»
«Les draps trempés de sang rouge, presque noir. Des tâches de sang rouge sur le sol et le mur. Des morceaux de chair éparpillés ici et là qui semblaient s'agiter comme s'ils s'accrochaient encore à la vie.»
August 13, 2023
(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
The naked tree by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim is a very sensitive and profoundly intimate coming-of-age story surrounded by an adjacent war and the turmoil of a broken family.
When protagonist Lee Kyung was twenty years old, she sold hand-painted portraits to American soldiers while trying to find a way to bee free in a saddened and shadowy household where no man was still lived. A dull, repetitive life until northerner Ok Huido came looking for a job and the initial indifference turned into friendship and then into the first strokes of desire for a girl lost in the day-to-day routine.
They way in which author Keum Suk Gendry-Kim both describes and draws realism is just mesmerizing. The reader gets to get very intimate with the characters, their emotions and their fears. With the slow movement of each panel, the reader gets to appreciate every little detail, every wrinkle in Lee Kyung’s mother’s mouth, every gesture. Even the cold seems to go beyond the page. Thus, the story never feels stagnant and each chapter is just a new opportunity to walk those streets or watch the little monkey dance.
I would also like to mention the translation by Janet Hong. It feels very agile and true. The decision of leaving some of the words in Korean and the translation in a footnote makes some of the conversations feel more genuine, somehow. I do not know if the little footnotes explaining some of the cultural facts are a decision by the translator or if they were already present in the original, but are a huge help.
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim has been critically acclaimed for her other works, and I think The Naked Tree consolidates her as one of the best story-tellers in recent years.
The naked tree by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim is a very sensitive and profoundly intimate coming-of-age story surrounded by an adjacent war and the turmoil of a broken family.
When protagonist Lee Kyung was twenty years old, she sold hand-painted portraits to American soldiers while trying to find a way to bee free in a saddened and shadowy household where no man was still lived. A dull, repetitive life until northerner Ok Huido came looking for a job and the initial indifference turned into friendship and then into the first strokes of desire for a girl lost in the day-to-day routine.
They way in which author Keum Suk Gendry-Kim both describes and draws realism is just mesmerizing. The reader gets to get very intimate with the characters, their emotions and their fears. With the slow movement of each panel, the reader gets to appreciate every little detail, every wrinkle in Lee Kyung’s mother’s mouth, every gesture. Even the cold seems to go beyond the page. Thus, the story never feels stagnant and each chapter is just a new opportunity to walk those streets or watch the little monkey dance.
I would also like to mention the translation by Janet Hong. It feels very agile and true. The decision of leaving some of the words in Korean and the translation in a footnote makes some of the conversations feel more genuine, somehow. I do not know if the little footnotes explaining some of the cultural facts are a decision by the translator or if they were already present in the original, but are a huge help.
Keum Suk Gendry-Kim has been critically acclaimed for her other works, and I think The Naked Tree consolidates her as one of the best story-tellers in recent years.
December 14, 2023
Obviously a passionately crafted adaptation of an esteemed 1970 novel/memoir of a family dealing with devastation during the Korean War. The author/artist does a very commendable job capturing a young woman in the throes of her first crushes and pained longing for independence in the shadow of war. To be honest, I found the ending a bit confusing, probably due to the sketchy nature of the characterizations.
January 2, 2024
Vuosi 2024 käyntiin korealaisella sarjakuvalla. Keum Suk Gendry-Kimin "The Naked Tree" pohjautuu Park Wan-suhin vuonna 1970 julkaistuun samannimiseen romaaniin. Sota vie nuorelta Kyeongalta niin opiskelupaikan kuin veljen. Äiti on surun murtama ja Kyeongan tehtäväksi jää kaksihenkisen perheen elättäminen. Ihastuminen ja sen tuoma pako arjesta vievät Kyeongaa kuitenkin elämässä eteenpäin, vaikka trauma piilottelee taustalla.Teos on niin tarinallisesti kuin kuvallisestikin hieno kokonaisuus aikuiseksi kasvamisesta vaikeana aikana. Täytynee etsiä myös alkuperäinen romaani luettavaksi :)
December 31, 2023
A first-rate graphic memoir that stands in the ranks of Maus and Persepolis for its ability to draw the reader into the inner-world of its characters while simultaneously providing a practical orientation to the historical and political circumstances of its setting. The Naked Tree stands as a melancholy yet beautiful adaptation of its source novel. I am left feeling inspired to seek out more work by both the original author and the comic artist, as well as to create art that reflects my own time and place.
July 9, 2024
More a 3.5 or 3.25. Had some really strong characters and chapters, but the ending felt dissatisfying.
Edit: I’ll add that the book also sparked in me a desire to search out more historical fiction as it conveyed really well the lived space of this time.
Edit: I’ll add that the book also sparked in me a desire to search out more historical fiction as it conveyed really well the lived space of this time.
January 8, 2024
Another set of eyes on the forgotten war.
March 26, 2024
4.5 stars
June 1, 2024
The Naked Tree is a graphic novel adaptation of the book of the same name which is said in the preface to have major differences, but I have yet to read it. The graphic novel details one woman's daily life in Seoul during the Korean War, showing the civilian toll of the war, particularly the fact that almost every aspect of life was constrained by the war. The main focus is on her encounter with an artist who struggles to find the freedom and self-sufficiency to make art in a time of war.
The story begins and ends with the writer of the original book many years after the war, showing what motivated her to write this autobiography and how the artist affected her.
In addition to this, the central story of this book is also quite non-linear. While the writer's side of the story made it a bit confusing to follow due to the name changes, the non-linearity of the main story represents the woman's repressed, painful memories quite well and clarifies the reason behind her gloomy feelings in the first part of the story. I can't imagine this book having as much impact if it was in chronological order and the pacing was very fast and engaging towards the second part. Especially since the frames are quite structured and rigid in the beginning but the latter half flows and uses more creative frames.
The brushstroke style artwork fits the setting quite well, but some characters are drawn in a cartoonish way that feels out of place. They were likely meant to represent what the woman felt about them and it would have made more sense if she was someone who drew and this was from her personal sketches, but I don't believe this was the case.
However, the slightly confusing name changes and cartoon drawings are minor quips, and the story is a quite moving experience of an ordinary person during a time of war and her reflection on what art can do.
The story begins and ends with the writer of the original book many years after the war, showing what motivated her to write this autobiography and how the artist affected her.
In addition to this, the central story of this book is also quite non-linear. While the writer's side of the story made it a bit confusing to follow due to the name changes, the non-linearity of the main story represents the woman's repressed, painful memories quite well and clarifies the reason behind her gloomy feelings in the first part of the story. I can't imagine this book having as much impact if it was in chronological order and the pacing was very fast and engaging towards the second part. Especially since the frames are quite structured and rigid in the beginning but the latter half flows and uses more creative frames.
The brushstroke style artwork fits the setting quite well, but some characters are drawn in a cartoonish way that feels out of place. They were likely meant to represent what the woman felt about them and it would have made more sense if she was someone who drew and this was from her personal sketches, but I don't believe this was the case.
However, the slightly confusing name changes and cartoon drawings are minor quips, and the story is a quite moving experience of an ordinary person during a time of war and her reflection on what art can do.
December 14, 2023
I really enjoyed this book, but I have a feeling that I would have liked it even more if I had read the original book first. I felt like there were a few things missing that would have made this feel more complete.
The book made me feel sad for those who were just trying to survive through the Korean War. Many were doing jobs that they did not want to do just to get by. I did have a little trouble caring for or liking Ms. Lee at times. I understand that this was a different time, and a different country, but I felt sometimes that she was too easily swayed. By believing that she was in love with a married man that she hardly knew. By believing someone's promises that he would "free her" while meeting him at a motel. She also seemed very judgemental of others. I might care more in the original story. I believe I will have to read that now.
Overall the story was interesting. Getting to learn about what "normal" citizens did during that time, how they were treated, how they treated others, what they did just to survive. I really enjoyed the illustrations, and believe that they really added to the story. Again, the pieces that I did not like so much might just have to do with my perspective. I had to remind myself that this was based on someone's real life and experiences and how that made them feel.
The book made me feel sad for those who were just trying to survive through the Korean War. Many were doing jobs that they did not want to do just to get by. I did have a little trouble caring for or liking Ms. Lee at times. I understand that this was a different time, and a different country, but I felt sometimes that she was too easily swayed. By believing that she was in love with a married man that she hardly knew. By believing someone's promises that he would "free her" while meeting him at a motel. She also seemed very judgemental of others. I might care more in the original story. I believe I will have to read that now.
Overall the story was interesting. Getting to learn about what "normal" citizens did during that time, how they were treated, how they treated others, what they did just to survive. I really enjoyed the illustrations, and believe that they really added to the story. Again, the pieces that I did not like so much might just have to do with my perspective. I had to remind myself that this was based on someone's real life and experiences and how that made them feel.
August 23, 2024
4⭐
Comovente.
Este livro resulta de uma adaptação da obra literária de Park Wan-Seo e conta-nos a história da jovem Kyung que, quando a guerra da Coreia começa, em 1950, vive com a sua mãe que se encontra numa tristeza profunda pela ausência dos seus filhos homens, irmãos de Kyung. Para encontrar sustento, passa a trabalhar numa loja do exército americano, onde são vendidos aos soldados lenços ilustrados a partir das fotografias que esses mesmos soldados fornecem aos desenhadores que trabalham na loja.
É nessa dinâmica que ela conhece o Senhor Ok - um pintor que fugiu do norte da Coreia para poder sobreviver e alimentar a sua família. O Sr Ok era um pintor “a sério”, mas agora vê-se na necessidade de ter que fazer um trabalho "menos digno" para sobreviver.
O livro começa com eventos corriqueiros. Vivência do dia a dia de um país em guerra e vai-nos dando pistas sobre o passado da personagem principal e dos seus pensamentos.
No entanto, na segunda parte, a narrativa abre-se para uma poesia que não estava a espera, de todo. Com muita dor.
No ocidente parece que pouco sabemos do que foi a guerra na Coreia e de como ela teve um impacto gigantesco na Guerra Fria e na nossa percepção do mundo e do lugar dos EUA no meio disto tudo.
Este livro é um retalho do sofrimento deste povo.
Comovente.
Este livro resulta de uma adaptação da obra literária de Park Wan-Seo e conta-nos a história da jovem Kyung que, quando a guerra da Coreia começa, em 1950, vive com a sua mãe que se encontra numa tristeza profunda pela ausência dos seus filhos homens, irmãos de Kyung. Para encontrar sustento, passa a trabalhar numa loja do exército americano, onde são vendidos aos soldados lenços ilustrados a partir das fotografias que esses mesmos soldados fornecem aos desenhadores que trabalham na loja.
É nessa dinâmica que ela conhece o Senhor Ok - um pintor que fugiu do norte da Coreia para poder sobreviver e alimentar a sua família. O Sr Ok era um pintor “a sério”, mas agora vê-se na necessidade de ter que fazer um trabalho "menos digno" para sobreviver.
O livro começa com eventos corriqueiros. Vivência do dia a dia de um país em guerra e vai-nos dando pistas sobre o passado da personagem principal e dos seus pensamentos.
No entanto, na segunda parte, a narrativa abre-se para uma poesia que não estava a espera, de todo. Com muita dor.
No ocidente parece que pouco sabemos do que foi a guerra na Coreia e de como ela teve um impacto gigantesco na Guerra Fria e na nossa percepção do mundo e do lugar dos EUA no meio disto tudo.
Este livro é um retalho do sofrimento deste povo.
December 7, 2023
As someone who was a big fan of Grass and The Waiting, I went into The Naked Tree with my emotional guard up because those two works are some of the most devastating I have ever read. So when this first began I was a bit surprised that it was this romantic drama first and foremost. The war and its impact was on the periphery, as we saw these people trying to survive in a world that was slowly being broken more and more. Never did I realize that creating portraits for US GIs was such a prominent business during the Korean War.
As an artist, Keum Suk Gendry-Kim excels greatest when it comes to characterization, which is vital for a story of this nature that is so centered on people. Not a great deal of lines are used but just enough so you understand each character, especially when it comes to the emotions that are not spoken.
The Naked Tree was not as unrelenting as Grass or The Waiting, but the slow burn approach made the devastation more impactful. As someone who never read the source material this is based on I am sure I wonder how much has changed considering this incorporates the original creator into the story. I am curious to see how that altered the framework of the story.
As an artist, Keum Suk Gendry-Kim excels greatest when it comes to characterization, which is vital for a story of this nature that is so centered on people. Not a great deal of lines are used but just enough so you understand each character, especially when it comes to the emotions that are not spoken.
The Naked Tree was not as unrelenting as Grass or The Waiting, but the slow burn approach made the devastation more impactful. As someone who never read the source material this is based on I am sure I wonder how much has changed considering this incorporates the original creator into the story. I am curious to see how that altered the framework of the story.
June 11, 2023
The Naked Tree comic is based on the novel by the same name by Park Wan-suh. It's set during the Korean war. 1951 Kyeonga is a young woman making portraits for American soldiers to get by. Her coworker is Ok Huido, who's a talented painter and an actual artist. She falls in love with him, but he already has a family and she has lost hers, well, the mother is mostly a ghost now anyhow. We looks at their lives through the war and see them survive, because they need to. Eventually Kyeonga writes her first novel, The Naked Tree, about the war time and the artist she adored. The story is sad and hollow in many ways. Somehow it depicts the war time so well. The rhythm isn't the best though, as the beginning in slow and towards the end, we have time skips, but not enough pages to make them work.
The art is smudgy, just like Asian brush art and it fits the comic well. The Naked Tree is an interesting comic for its topic and how things are seen from a young woman's point of view during dark times. I don't think I can read the original book, since this was heavy enough. Korean history is surely interesting and horrible too.
The art is smudgy, just like Asian brush art and it fits the comic well. The Naked Tree is an interesting comic for its topic and how things are seen from a young woman's point of view during dark times. I don't think I can read the original book, since this was heavy enough. Korean history is surely interesting and horrible too.
October 30, 2023
While I appreciated the perspective of Kyeonga and seeing how war affects her daily life, I didn't particularly enjoy this book. I have not read the original text so I can't really speak to the translation of the graphic novel.
The things I enjoyed were Kyeonga's observations of soldiers and coworkers at the PX, the painful relationship with her mother, and her crush on Ok Huido. The context of this story is really everything, very little actually takes place in the plot. Maybe I was expecting some more action or maybe it was the bleak subject matter, but I felt a little empty after finishing this book. The stark art style of the book contributed to this feeling (I saw another reviewer call it "hollow" which I feel is a good descriptor). The illustrations of others' faces seem to reflect how Kyeonga felt about them, but Kyeonga's own face seemed flat through most of the book. Maybe this indicates that she feels unable to express herself fully due to her surroundings, but I think it took away from her relatability.
The things I enjoyed were Kyeonga's observations of soldiers and coworkers at the PX, the painful relationship with her mother, and her crush on Ok Huido. The context of this story is really everything, very little actually takes place in the plot. Maybe I was expecting some more action or maybe it was the bleak subject matter, but I felt a little empty after finishing this book. The stark art style of the book contributed to this feeling (I saw another reviewer call it "hollow" which I feel is a good descriptor). The illustrations of others' faces seem to reflect how Kyeonga felt about them, but Kyeonga's own face seemed flat through most of the book. Maybe this indicates that she feels unable to express herself fully due to her surroundings, but I think it took away from her relatability.
August 18, 2023
1951, set against the backdrop of the Korean war - twenty-year-old Lee Kyeonga lives an ordinary life while selling hand-painted portraits to American soldiers. Until a northern escapee Ok Huido, a talented painter and real artist, becomes her coworker and an unlikely friendship blossoms.
Reimagining of a classic Korean literature THE NAKED TREE by Park Wan-Suh, this graphic novel highlights broken family, loneliness, westernization and the devastation during war time. People lose someone to the war and the way war controls their lives. The smudgy art, allied with an exquisite translation, convey all the nuance and emotions. I thought the pacing is steady and the few characters allow them to be fleshed out.
THE NAKED TREE (tr. Janet Hong) is a coming-of-age story that is sensitive and profound. It found myself angry and sad along this read. An intimate graphic novel.
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Drawn and Quarterly . All opinions are my own ]
Reimagining of a classic Korean literature THE NAKED TREE by Park Wan-Suh, this graphic novel highlights broken family, loneliness, westernization and the devastation during war time. People lose someone to the war and the way war controls their lives. The smudgy art, allied with an exquisite translation, convey all the nuance and emotions. I thought the pacing is steady and the few characters allow them to be fleshed out.
THE NAKED TREE (tr. Janet Hong) is a coming-of-age story that is sensitive and profound. It found myself angry and sad along this read. An intimate graphic novel.
[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Drawn and Quarterly . All opinions are my own ]
December 2, 2023
Reading 2023
Book 222: The Naked Tree by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
I have seen this book on some lists including the Washington Post best graphic novels of 2023. This is a book by the author of one of my favorite all time graphic novels, Grass.
Synopsis: The year is 1951. Twenty-year-old wallflower Lee Kyung ekes out a living at the US Post Exchange, where goods and services of varying stripe are available for purchase. She peddles hand-painted portraits on silk handkerchiefs to soldiers passing through. When a handsome young northern escapee and erstwhile fine artist is hired despite waning demand, an unlikely friendship blossoms into a young woman’s first brush with desire against the backdrop of the Korean War at its most devastating.
Review: I liked this book okay. I was so excited to read the newest story by this author. The book fell flat for me though. It did not carry the same punch as Grass. Sadly 3⭐️.
Book 222: The Naked Tree by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
I have seen this book on some lists including the Washington Post best graphic novels of 2023. This is a book by the author of one of my favorite all time graphic novels, Grass.
Synopsis: The year is 1951. Twenty-year-old wallflower Lee Kyung ekes out a living at the US Post Exchange, where goods and services of varying stripe are available for purchase. She peddles hand-painted portraits on silk handkerchiefs to soldiers passing through. When a handsome young northern escapee and erstwhile fine artist is hired despite waning demand, an unlikely friendship blossoms into a young woman’s first brush with desire against the backdrop of the Korean War at its most devastating.
Review: I liked this book okay. I was so excited to read the newest story by this author. The book fell flat for me though. It did not carry the same punch as Grass. Sadly 3⭐️.
February 11, 2024
Two big takeaways from this:
1) There's something really, really beautiful about a piece of media that adapts another but with hindsight that the original author couldn't have had. I haven't read The Naked Tree as it was originally published, but reading the afterword from Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was fascinating. She adapted the original novel into a new medium, but she changed things when she did. Biggest of all the changes was including the author and her writing process in the story. It was a fascinating change and it's the kind of thing that really illustrates how much a piece of art can affect another person.
2) No one deserves to have eke out a life in war zone. So many lives have been ruined by pointless conflicts. Every life lost is a tragedy. Wars destroy people. Reading about Park Su-geun made me think of Gaza and Palestine. So many lives ruined, ended, and for what?
1) There's something really, really beautiful about a piece of media that adapts another but with hindsight that the original author couldn't have had. I haven't read The Naked Tree as it was originally published, but reading the afterword from Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was fascinating. She adapted the original novel into a new medium, but she changed things when she did. Biggest of all the changes was including the author and her writing process in the story. It was a fascinating change and it's the kind of thing that really illustrates how much a piece of art can affect another person.
2) No one deserves to have eke out a life in war zone. So many lives have been ruined by pointless conflicts. Every life lost is a tragedy. Wars destroy people. Reading about Park Su-geun made me think of Gaza and Palestine. So many lives ruined, ended, and for what?
May 25, 2024
I picked this one up only knowing it was published by Drawn and Quarterly because they put out great stuff, so I didn’t know that this was an adaptation of an already celebrated memoir. That said, I had no context for knowing what liberties the graphic novelist took aside from what is said in the afterword. Like she says, I couldn’t pin down exactly what this story was: missed connection love story, war story, coming-of-age story.
It hit everything. The death of the brothers was treated with the appropriate amount of horror. It’s maybe the most moving series of panels that deal with death that I’ve seen in any graphic novel. Aside from those big moments, there are so many times when the characters seem numb to their surroundings and situations, no doubt due to shared trauma. It’s a great book and I’m interesting in reading the original text it’s based on to compare.
It hit everything. The death of the brothers was treated with the appropriate amount of horror. It’s maybe the most moving series of panels that deal with death that I’ve seen in any graphic novel. Aside from those big moments, there are so many times when the characters seem numb to their surroundings and situations, no doubt due to shared trauma. It’s a great book and I’m interesting in reading the original text it’s based on to compare.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2024
I am unfamiliar with the source material, but the backmatter does a pretty good job of providing context for the story. That there are real-life people and histories behind the characters of The Naked Tree is fascinating and makes me want to learn more, especially since the last three of Gendry-Kim's graphic novels I have read (all reviewed here) cover a similar timeline in Korea's history. I will confess that it was initially hard to get into the story, as there is an air of detachment around the characters and events--which, admittedly, is understandable considering what they were all going through. By the end it proved to be a very engaging and herat-breaking tale, but in the case of both Grass and The Waiting the reader is drawn in immediately. I very much look forward to what we will see from this creator next!
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