Banned Book Club

Reading and Resistance

South Korea 1983: 3 years after the Gwangju Uprising, where a group of student and citizen protestors was violently suppressed and killed by government troops. Hyun Sook, a young university student, is invited to a banned book club where they read everything from The Feminine Mystique to Chomsky and Kim Il-Sung. Although skeptical at first, she becomes increasingly involved with activism against the oppressive government as she and her friends face intimidation and brutalization by police.
The art of Banned Book Club is dynamic and full of character, and there are plenty of lighter moments alongside the serious ones. Fans of Persepolis might enjoy this graphic novel. I would recommend it to all young activists, and to anyone interested in Korean history.