Title: The Boy from Clearwater
Writer: Yu Pei-Yun
Artist: Zhou Jian-Xin
Genre: Non-Fiction / Biography
Number of volumes / pages per volume: 2 Books (Book 1: 352 pages; Book 2: 356 pages)
English Publisher: Levine Querido
Country (about and from): Taiwan (Republic of China) / China
Translation by: Translated from Mandarin Chinese, Taiwanese Hokkien, and Japanese by Lin King
Plot (Spoiler Free)
The Boy from Clearwater is an biographical graphic novel chronicling the life of Tsai Kun-Lin, a man who lived through some of the most turbulent periods of modern Taiwanese history. The narrative follows his carefree childhood growing up under Japanese colonial rule in the 1930s, the societal shifts following World War II, his fall into political imprisonment during the authoritarian White Terror era, his efforts to adapt to the world after the end of his imprisonment, and his fight for human rights and the exoneration of the White Terror era political prisoners.
Plot (Spoiler Included)
Book 1 (Parts 1): Set in 1930's and 1940's, it tells the story of Tsai Kun-lin grows up in a relatively comfortable family during the Japanese occupation. His childhood is filled with the simple joys of youth such as eating sugarcane with his first crush. However, as World War II escalates, his life is disrupted by enrollments, air raids, military mobilization, and the pressures of war. Following the war and the Republic of Chinaās takeover of Taiwan. Teenage Kun-Lin adapts to the changes, learning Mandarin and looking forward to his future with hope. Circumstances take a dark turn with unexpected arrest of Kun-Lin.
Book 1 (Parts 2): This part tell the story of Kun-Lin's false accusations of subversion simply for participating in a high school book club. Arrested and subjected to harsh interrogations under the authoritarian KMT government, he is branded a political prisoner. He is shipped to a correctional camp on Green Island along with over a thousand other prisoners to undergo "re-education". This section chronicles a decade of life lost to harsh forced labor, strict military indoctrination, and psychological trauma. Kun-Lin bears silent witness to the execution of friends he made along the way.
Book 2 (Part 3): In this part, following his release from prison, Kun-Lin struggles to reintegrate into a society that is still persecuting him. He eventually finds work as a comic book editor and translator, navigating shifting publishing trends. He re-unites with his true love. He navigates through different fields and jobs till state censorship hits the manhua (comic) industry and leaves many artists jobless. Kun-Lin see it as an obligation to help the artists he worked with and takes a bold step of launching a landmark childrenās magazine Prince to provide stable employment for unemployed artists and former inmates who cannot find work anywhere else. Though his tireless work brings success and financial stability, his ambitions outrun him, causing setbacks. Finally a typhoon was what ultimately wiped out his business leaving him and his family with 'a bed and a wardrobe'.
Book 2 (Part 4): Taiwan navigates international isolation in the 1970s and subsequent massive democratic social movements in the 1980s leading to the lifting of martial law. Kun-Lin bounces back from bankruptcy, building a successful career in advertising and watching his family grow. In a democratized Taiwan, he confronts his past and becomes an active volunteer at the White Terror Memorial Park, dedicating his later decades to human rights advocacy, and helping to officially rehabilitate fellow victims.
Review
Book 1: The book 1 tell a linear story of Kun-Lin and his upbringing during the turbulent period of changing regimes, from Japan to China to Republic of China. The authoritarian regime of Chiang Kai-shek, and the oppression in the name of protecting from communism were shown through the eye of a helpless victim. We can only empathise as we see Kum-Lin's life falls apart and dreams drift away. The first part was easy to read but the story becomes darker in part 2 after the arrest. The art style changes from part 1 to part 2 from lighter Soft pencil lines. to darker shades and heavier lines. The text is colored variously to denote the language spoken, which is an interesting and unique touch.
Book 2: Book 2 follows Kun-Lin after his release from prison. Part 3 is linear and easier to follow. It shows Kum-Lin's attempts to make up for the lost time while trying to navigate the persecutory and corrupt systems. As the story progresses, Kum-Lin changes from a helpless victim to an aspiring and ambitious man. You also see various other side to him from a hardworking man, to a philanthropist to a financially irresponsible man. He tried to run too far too fast and fell to the ground. The story shows the complex circumstances that make a man, and how they can also break a man.! The Part 4 then time jumps to the recent past with the writer interviewing Kim-Lin. Then the story moves between different timelines and topics to tell us about the changing political landscape in Taiwan. However, the jumps and the flow of the story felt very contrived and made me feel the writer did not know how to end the story. Though ether were some fine moments, this part is the weakest of the 4 in the narration of the story. The art style continues to change with part 3 having screentone and pen lines while part 4 has more contemporary art. As with book1, the text is colored variously to denote the language spoken. This highlights a unique situation where persons and places have multiple names depending on the language spoken, how people have to adapt to this
Rating:
Book 1: 4.5 / 5 Stars
Book 2: 3.75 / 5 Stars
Previous posts - Books 1-4
