When I moved to the Netherlands in 2019 and I wanted something that would help improve my Dutch, I got a library card and found myself being pulled into comics again, specifically graphic novels.
Of course, graphic novels can be heavy, have a lot of text, and be even more complicated to read than regular text-only novels (the only reason I haven’t read Maus yet – even though it has been recommended to me several times – is because it is so dense). But choosing graphic novels with less text and fun artwork made it easier for me to dive into this strange language and grammar. It made the process of reading in Dutch something fun, rather than something daunting.
One of my favourite things to do is picking up a graphic novel adaptation of a book I’ve already read, and lose myself into that story again, without making the commitment of rereading a whole novel all over again. Especially with classics, which I have more trouble reading, choosing the graphic adaptation feels like less of a commitment because it can be easier to digest than a whole ass book, and it can be a more direct and creative approach to the story.
Making it easier, though, is not the reason why I love graphic novels, and there is a lot to gain from consuming literature in this way. As Book Rioter Neha points out in her post about what you win or lose from a graphic adaptation of The Hobbit, “to be fair, while the illustrations were on point, I did find the adaptation of the text to be rather dense for a graphic novel. But this was fine by me since I wanted to read the original anyway. […] At the end of the day, a good story is a good story.” How and what we decide to consume is a personal choice.
If you are a reader of novels, and graphic novels don’t really catch your attention, allow me to present you with a few options that may just change your mind about the medium. If you want to start with classics, there is plenty here to look forward to, but contemporary options also abound.
Note that I am using the term novel loosely here: the list below contains both fiction and nonfiction, a few retellings too, and each title is great.
I find this to be a very solid list, but I would still love to see more diversity in the graphic adaptations, especially when it comes to classics like Giovanni’s Room and Beloved, for example, but also more modern memoirs, like All Boys Aren’t Blue and In The Dream House.
The graphic novel is filled with amazing illustrations, which make the violence of the story even more – wait for it – graphic.
It’s almost as if the story is coming alive right in front of your eyes, and it makes it even more memorable.
I grabbed a copy of this graphic adaptation right before The Testaments came out, because I wanted to brush up on the plot before reading the sequel, but I didn’t have a lot of time to reread the original text, so this was a perfect solution.
If you are a fan of Orwell’s writing, Animal Farm has also been turned into a graphic novel by illustrator Bernardi Odyr.
Packed with light pastel colours, it really manages to capture the feel and look of the 1920s.
It talks about the change in times, and how we may fall prey to the similar dictatorships as those of the 20th century, and how we can fight against it.
This graphic adaptation is still very packed with text relevant to the issues at hand, making it a very interesting guide.
The artwork helps create a somber feeling, helping the reader dive into the story and what it represents.
It is not a word-for-word adaptation, but more a retelling of what happened at the house in Westermarkt 20, told using Anne’s words from the original diary.
Divided into two volumes, the illustrations are at the hand of P. Craig Russel, paperback with shiny paper, which make these a great addition to any collection.
There is also a single volume available, but I find it easier to read as is in the original publication, and I also prefer those particular covers.
The story focuses on Jonas, who believes to be living in an ideal world, until he is given a more prominent role in his community.
The graphic novel really helps highlight the change between dark and light.
The main character, Will, loses his brother by murder. Will gets on an elevator, and at each stop a new person connected with his brother appears.
We accompany this journey down each floor and what each floor has to teach Will, and us.
The graphic novel encompasses all Will is going through and this elevator journey amazingly.
Do I have both the novel and the graphic novel on my TBR? Absolutely!
For now, I will continue to postpone knowing how wrong my assumptions were. But you should definitely read the novel if you haven’t yet, or get on with the graphic adaptation if that’s more your style. Or both. Both is always good.
Good news is, this is the first modern adaptation in a series called Classic Graphic Remix, so besides Little Women, you can already get your hands on The Secret Garden. It’s all good news today.
This adaptation follows the life of a modern girl with big dreams to live in NYC and make art. But as her dreams slowly starts to materialize, she realises dreams can very different once they’re at your reach.
As the trial proceeds, Steven uses his love as an amateur filmmaker as a way to cope with the trauma of what he is going through, by imagining and writing down a script about all that is taking place in his life. But reality and imagination start blurring together.
The graphic adaptation contain amazing black and white illustrations, giving this story a life of its own.
The graphic adaptation has a wonderful purple-and-bubble-gum-pink cover, which will make you want to dive right into the story without further ado.
The two volumes of the graphic novel are a perfect way to go back to what you have learned and refresh that memory, or to have a more visual learning experience, in case that works better for you.
And yes, there are illustrated adaptations of the original text, but I think this modern take on the play is chef’s kiss, and therefore deserves a place in this list.
Marie Lu’s excellent book has been turned into an amazing graphic novel, and I don’t need to tell you you can choose to read only the novel, but you won’t want to miss the graphic adaptation for sure!
I love poetry, and I love the symbiosis that can happen between the beauty of poetry and the beauty of artwork.
Poetry almost jumps off the page in this amazing adaptation, and you should totally experience poetry this way at least once.
If you liked this post, here are a few more you will like:
Best Graphic Novels To Give Beginners
Best Graphic Memoirs
2022 Comics And Graphic Novels To Add To Your TBR
