Graphic Canon

            Well, I had a huge realization that I loathe the graphic novel.  I know there is a purpose for it, a student it can reach, but it is something really need to get into more to find an appreciation for it.  Three of the five selections we had to read are some of my favorite stories, but in the graphic novel, the literature was taken away, the stories were summarized, and the way they were laid out made reading chaotic.  I was so distracted by the art, the words disappeared, and gaining an understanding of the story was difficult.

            Typically, I am a lover of art and a lover of reading, but this genre did not tickle my pickle.  Various art forms were used to summarize classic literature, but instead of giving a clear idea, in an organized fashion, the ideas were all over the wall and not done consecutively.  I wish I knew which type of student and what grade level/reading level this type of organization could reach.  Instead of using this as an English text to reference, I might use it as a representation of visual art.  Honestly, the whole thing confused me.

            Pride and Prejudice was robbed of its witty dialogue, beautiful word choice, and imagery.  The mystery and detail of the characters and scenery of The Great Gatsby, I felt, was misrepresented by the short picture rendition.  Alice in Wonderland’s color was ripped away and put in black and white.  I was unfamiliar with Faulkner’s The Hill before this canon, but it didn’t make me want to read the original text, and A Modest Proposal, was just that, a modest representation of the original.

            I will keep this canon just in case I find out which student it is for, but as far as it being used for deep understanding or appreciation of literature, that idea is lost on me.