GRPAHIC NOVEL REVIEW: Pride and Prejudice
Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen (original text), Nancy Butler (graphic novel adaptation)
Artist: Hugo Petrus
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” This is why when Mr. Bingley moves into Netherfeld Park, Mrs. Bennett has high hopes that the rich young man will desire to marry one of her five unwed daughters. Unsurprisingly, it's the eldest, the beautiful and kind Jane, that attracts his attention, but Mr. Bingley has not come alone. When his haughty friend, Mr. Darcy, insults the second eldest daughter, the independently minded Elizabeth Bennett, she immediately takes a disliking to him. But first impressions are not always completely accurate.
Pride and Prejudice is one of those rare books that someone can read hundreds of years after it's publication, and still connect with it's cast of characters and themes of sisterhood, financial struggle, and romantic love. It's these themes and characters that Nancy Butler must convey in comic book form to make an accurate adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, and I think she quite a good job. The story has remained pretty intact, and the characters, from the comedic Mr. and Mrs. Bennett to the scheming Caroline Bingley, retain there personalities. Admittedly one of the drawbacks of adapting one of these timeless pieces is that you're not going to be the first or last to do so. Other adaptations have made different choices, such as pacing certain scenes differently. There were times when I found I preferred how other adaptations had done things, but on a whole, I was happy with Butler's choices.
This is the second Jane Austen graphic novel that I have read, following Sense and Sensibility. At first, I was disappointed that the quirky art style present in Sense and Sensibility could not be found here, instead replaced by a more standard period piece artwork by Hugo Petrus. Still, once I got used to the artwork I found that it worked really well for me. Admittedly, there are a few awkward moments when what's described in the narration doesn't quite match what's portrayed in the pictures (the most obvious example I can think about is the first encounter between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickam), but some of the other more emotional moments (such as Mr. Collin's frustrating proposal) are really well done.
Final Thoughts- Pride and Prejudice has been adapted into many formats, including movies, mini series, a recent web series, and more spin off and parody books than one can count. Making a comic book version of the tale, although it may sound strange, was clearly bound to happen sooner or later. The adapter, Nancy Butler, does quite a good job of keeping the story and characters we all known and love. Although I had some issues with the artwork, I was ultimately pleased with the results. I didn't end up liking the graphic novel of Pride and Prejudice quite as much as I liked the graphic novel of Sense and Sensibility, but I found it to be a worthwhile read overall. Four Stars.
Next I will be reviewing The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
Author: Jane Austen (original text), Nancy Butler (graphic novel adaptation)
Artist: Hugo Petrus
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” This is why when Mr. Bingley moves into Netherfeld Park, Mrs. Bennett has high hopes that the rich young man will desire to marry one of her five unwed daughters. Unsurprisingly, it's the eldest, the beautiful and kind Jane, that attracts his attention, but Mr. Bingley has not come alone. When his haughty friend, Mr. Darcy, insults the second eldest daughter, the independently minded Elizabeth Bennett, she immediately takes a disliking to him. But first impressions are not always completely accurate.
Pride and Prejudice is one of those rare books that someone can read hundreds of years after it's publication, and still connect with it's cast of characters and themes of sisterhood, financial struggle, and romantic love. It's these themes and characters that Nancy Butler must convey in comic book form to make an accurate adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel, and I think she quite a good job. The story has remained pretty intact, and the characters, from the comedic Mr. and Mrs. Bennett to the scheming Caroline Bingley, retain there personalities. Admittedly one of the drawbacks of adapting one of these timeless pieces is that you're not going to be the first or last to do so. Other adaptations have made different choices, such as pacing certain scenes differently. There were times when I found I preferred how other adaptations had done things, but on a whole, I was happy with Butler's choices.
This is the second Jane Austen graphic novel that I have read, following Sense and Sensibility. At first, I was disappointed that the quirky art style present in Sense and Sensibility could not be found here, instead replaced by a more standard period piece artwork by Hugo Petrus. Still, once I got used to the artwork I found that it worked really well for me. Admittedly, there are a few awkward moments when what's described in the narration doesn't quite match what's portrayed in the pictures (the most obvious example I can think about is the first encounter between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickam), but some of the other more emotional moments (such as Mr. Collin's frustrating proposal) are really well done.
Final Thoughts- Pride and Prejudice has been adapted into many formats, including movies, mini series, a recent web series, and more spin off and parody books than one can count. Making a comic book version of the tale, although it may sound strange, was clearly bound to happen sooner or later. The adapter, Nancy Butler, does quite a good job of keeping the story and characters we all known and love. Although I had some issues with the artwork, I was ultimately pleased with the results. I didn't end up liking the graphic novel of Pride and Prejudice quite as much as I liked the graphic novel of Sense and Sensibility, but I found it to be a worthwhile read overall. Four Stars.
Next I will be reviewing The Maze Runner by James Dashner.