Abridging classic novels for younger readers is nothing new. But in recent years, classic literature has been graphic novel-ized, making it more accessible for readers young and old while preserving the plot, themes, and sometimes even the author’s voice. English class will never be the same, thanks to these classics gone graphic.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde’s only novel, about a man who sells his soul to maintain his beauty, was just begging for a more visual makeover. The 2009 graphic novel written by Ian Edginton and illustrated by I.N.J. Culbard abridges the text, but still keeps much of Wilde’s original prose. Marvel’s 2008 version has better graphics, but it reads more like a copy of SparkNotes. Both books are recommended as a supplement to—not a substitute for—the original work. In the words of Dorian Gray himself, “How sad it is! I shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But this picture will remain always young. If it were only the other way!”
The Metamorphosis
The Incredible Hulk. Wolverine. Gregor Samsa. All of these characters undergo major transformations, but only one of them might appear on an AP English exam. Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella about a traveling salesman who wakes up to find he’s turned into a huge insect makes for a compelling graphic novel. Peter Kuper’s 2004 adaptation looks like an enjoyable read, but it goes against Kafka’s wishes. When the cover of the first edition was being designed nearly a century ago, the author asked that Gregor not be drawn as an insect. Instead, he hoped readers would conjure their own image of “horrible vermin” when picturing the creepy-crawly protagonist.
"The Trial," Kafka’s dystopian novel about the perils of bureaucracy, has also been adapted into a graphic novel. And if you want to learn more about the man behind the stories, check out Kafka’s graphic biography by R. Crumb and David Zane Mairowitz.
Ulysses
"Ulysses" is one of those works that comes with a few barriers to entry. For starters, the Penguin Classics version is 1040 pages long. Then there are the 18 unstructured chapters that James Joyce boasted “[have] so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant.” (Thanks, dude.) But Robert Berry’s “Ulysses ‘seen’” makes the modernist masterpiece more modern—and accessible—than ever. The graphic novel is available for free online or $7.99 on the iPad. Like the original, Berry’s adaptation is serialized and raised a few questions of obscenity—Apple required nude images to be removed. Unlike the original, each chapter comes with a handy reader’s guide.
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