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  • Possibility of ordering without an account
Fri 27 May 2022

Graphic novel adaptations of Classics

by means of Eren Can Korkmaz | Marketing & Contentbeheer

Graphic novel adaptations of Classics

Lately, our bookstore has noticed an increasing interest in comic books and manga. Our graphic novel section is always filled with booklovers skimming through their favourite series. It’s hard for everyone to put their finger on the cause of this increase in interest, but perhaps it’s because of popular movie adaptions of beloved comic book series like The Batman and The Avengers. An important thing to note is that not every graphic novel is about a caped superhero who saves the day, recently publishers have also released graphic novel adaptations of classic literary works. In this blog we’ll walk you through some of our recommended graphic novel adaptations of classical literature.

1984 by George Orwell & Fido Nesti

Readers of Orwell’s 1984 will have wondered what the world of Big Brother might look like. This dystopian novel follows the story of Winston Smith, a citizen of a totalitarian state where the government follows every movement of it’s inhabitants. It’s hard to tell truth from propaganda in the world of 1984, we’re not even sure if the story takes place in the year of 1984. Orwell wrote this book to warn the world of the dangers of totalitarianism, which was prevalent in some parts of the world during and after the second world war. Fans of the classic novel can now experience the story in a more illustrated form, with drawings from Fido Nesti.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley & Fred Fordham

Bertrand Russell’s foreword of Huxley’s classic Brave New World explains how odd the concept of a dystopia caused by pleasure is. But Russell acknowledges that the message does have some truth to it. Brave New World takes place in a utopic future where mankind has reached a technological peak. Humans are bred in laboratories to prevent disease and overpopulation, every person’s genes are manipulated to cause them eternal happiness with doing whatever task is assigned to them. To combat sadness and discomfort, people consume a substance called soma which creates an immense feeling of euphoria. Traditional values and relationships are non-existent and even taboo, since they might lead to heartache. A world where sadness has been completely eradicated draws the question as to whether or not this truly is a dystopia, but the writer assures us that it would require a lack of freedom. Readers can now enjoy this work of fiction in graphic novel form, illustrated by Fred Fordham.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee & Fred Fordham

Harper Lee’s classic novel about racism in the American south is now available as a graphic novel. The story about the lawyer Atticus Finch who tries to raise his children during the great depression in a small town is well known among many readers. A conflict arises when an African-American man is falsely accused of a crime and Atticus has to represent the man in court. It soon becomes clears that the man is innocent, but this doesn’t stop the townspeople from turning against Atticus, whose children get to see an ugly side of the town.

Further reading

As mentioned earlier, we have a wide collection of graphic novels and manga which are classics within the genre. A clear example would be Art Spiegelman’s Mouse or Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Checkout our Comics & Graphic Novels section for more information, or visit our bookstore at the Coolsingel. Books ordered on workdays before 16:00 can be delivered the next day as long as they’re in stock, Dutch books ordered before 23:00 on workdays can be delivered the next day. Checkout our FAQ page for more information on our delivery conditions.