The phrase “comic book” still conjure visions of Batman and Archie for many people. But comic books have grown up and spawned a whole new generation for readers to enjoy. Normally known as “graphic novels” to distinguish them from the comic books of our youth, they are not a static genre but a format which, like regular “word only” books, comprises a wide variety of genres and content.  A good starting place for someone interested in giving these grown-up comics a try would be one of the many graphic novel adaptations of classic literature.  The visual illustrated content provides these familiar stories with an extra level of depth and interest that many find very engaging! Frequently, these classics are shelved under the name of the artist or writer who produced the adaptation, so for your reference, the original author will be included in parentheses in our list.

Appignanesi, Richard.   Twelfth Night (William Shakespeare)

Butler, Nancy.   Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen)

Chwast, Seymour.   Dante’s Divine Comedy (Dante Alighieri)

Edginton, Ian.  The Sign of the Four (Arthur Conan Doyle)

Hamilton, Tim.  Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

Hinds, Gareth.  The Odyssey (Homer)

Kuper, Peter.  The Jungle (Upston Sinclair)

Mairowitz, David.  The Trial (Franz Kafka)