Most readers have them: classic titles that keep getting pushed to the end of the "to-read" list. Some may be epic poems from ancient Greece; others are essential foundations of the Western literary canon. Most have endured for multiple generations and are recognized as important reads for the well-read. So why are they withering on the reading list vine? Mark Twain’s famous quote “a classic is something that everybody wants to have read but nobody wants to read” is very apt - maybe it’s the intimidating length, the archaic language, or the dense layers of symbolism that make the work less than inviting. Or perhaps it’s as simple as there always being something else that seems more enjoyable to read.
Well, prepare to exorcise those to-read list demons: allow me to suggest graphic novel adaptations! Please don't dismiss these as mere hollow echoes of the original works. These adaptations are as varied as the books they are based on: sometimes the text is largely preserved, while others may be rearranged, modernized, and cut to work in the new format. The artwork may be realistic, manga-style, or cartoonish, but will always illuminate the story in new cinematic ways by adding context clues to the language and additional shading to the stories. You are still experiencing and reading the literature, even if it is in a different format.
If you are looking for authors from the canon, graphic novels from Graphic Classics are a great place to start. They specialize in adaptations of works from the classic literature canon and have the (slightly cheeky) tag line of “Classics you’ll want to read!” They have published graphic novel versions of texts by many of the great authors, including Jack London and Robert Louis Stephenson. One of their strongest titles is a collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s work. While the stories are somewhat abridged, the poetry is left untouched and gorgeously illustrated. Works by other horror or gothic writers are also available, including a collection of Bram Stoker’s work described by BookList as a “marvelous adaption.”
If you always meant to pick up The Odyssey, Gareth Hind’s graphic novel is a great option. He has adapted several well-known canonical works into stunning graphic novels and his Odyssey received four starred reviews upon its release. Kirkus called it "another magnificent addition to his ouevre," while the Wall Street Journal stated that it "does genuine justice to Homer's epic poem." His other works are similarly well-reviewed. Hind is recognized as a master of combining "historical adventure with human understanding" (BookList), so after The Odyssey consider reading his Beowulf or King Lear adaptations.
Inarguably important and influential, Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species has long resided on my to-read list. Luckily, there is a graphic novel version – and Michael Keller’s Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species is not merely the book adapted to a new format. Instead, it also follows Darwin’s personal evolution of ideas and includes a timeline amongst other resources. Carefully illustrated by Nicolle Rager Fuller with scientifically accurate images of the various creatures, Science News describes the book as “a highly readable and copiously illustrated page-turner.”
Finally, Kafka’s Metamorphosis is a modern classic. The story of a man who wakes one morning to find himself turned into a beetle is an essential read for the philosophically inclined. Library Journal describes the graphic novel version by Peter Kuper as “faithful and compelling,” and both the horror and black humour of the original are fully present.
Consider clearing out your to-read list this fall with the help from some graphic novels available at the library. Maybe they will inspire you to read the original works of literature – or perhaps some original graphic novels instead.
Laura Prinselaa
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