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Graphic Novel Adaptations of Classical Literature
"This is a fun way of getting into the stories. Plays are not meant to be read but to be seen. The illustrations in these books are an easy way of following what is going on. The genius of Shakespeare is in the language but for some students understanding it can be a struggle. It will be useful for teachers to have three different versions of the text." - Ian McNeilly, director of the National Association for the Teaching of English
English literature sensitively, carefully and faithfully transformed into stunning - and award-winning - graphic novels!
Each Shakespeare title is available in three different text versions (Original Text, Plain Text, and Quick Text), all using the same wonderful full colour artwork. With non-Shakespeare titles the Original Text version is already easy to understand for a modern reader, so a Plain Text version is not published.
‘... many students have literacy issues ... having a range of textual levels is useful as [they] can see the same pictures as their friends but as they gain confidence, can move onto the more complex text and eventually to the actual Shakespeare’ - Linda Lorenza, Head of Education, The Bell Shakespeare Company
Contents
Titles include (with more being produced):
 MacbethWilliam Shakespeare A tragedy about a regicide and its aftermath. Is it Fate, or Destiny, or obsession with power? Macbeth is probably the most dramatic of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Set against the backdrop of 11th century Scotland with all the drama you’d expect from this gruesome play. |
 Romeo and JulietWilliam Shakespeare A tragedy about two young "star-cross’d lovers" whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare’s most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers. |
 A Midsummer Night’s DreamWilliam Shakespeare The comedy features three interlocking plots, connected by a celebration of the wedding of Duke Theseus of Athens and the Amazon queen, Hippolyta, and set simultaneously in the woodland, and in the realm of Fairyland, under the light of the moon. |
 The TempestWilliam Shakespeare Critics see The Tempest as explicitly concerned with its own nature as a play, drawing links between Prospero’s "art" and theatrical illusion; early critics saw Prospero as a representation of Shakespeare, and his renunciation of magic, as signalling Shakespeare’s farewell to the stage. |
 Henry VWilliam Shakespeare The historic tale of the war and peace between England and France in the reign of Henry V, shown just as Shakespeare intended... only much more exciting! |
 Jane EyreCharlotte Bronte This inspired rendition of the classical romance will delight any reader with its strong emotions and wonderfully rich atmosphere. |
 FrankensteinMary Shelley Broadening the range into gothic horror, we simply HAD to include this classic tale! |
 A Christmas CarolCharles Dickens The original Christmas Tale set in Victorian England. Highlighting the social injustice of the time we see one Ebenezer Scrooge go from oppressor to benefactor. |
 Great ExpectationsCharles Dickens No classical collection would be without this intruiging story from Charles Dickens. The wonderful tale of Pip is retold here with fresh enthusiasm and deep Victorian ambience. |
 The Canterville GhostOscar Wilde Our favourite Oscar Wilde story! While most people would claim Dorian Gray as his best work, we think that this tongue-in-cheek novella is his most enjoyable achievement. |
 Wuthering HeightsEmily Bronte Emily Bronte’s only novel is famous the world over, and is the favourite classic of many readers. It’s easy to see why, with hardship, insanity and ghosts; what more could you want from a book? |
Other titles in production: |
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Text VersionsSource: Classical Comics Like you, we are passionate about the graphic novel format, and we know how much quality means to you. That’s why we only employ top-flight artists to create the full-colour artwork that captures all of the atmosphere, emotion and excitement of the original classical works . We want to give you a thoroughly absorbing reading experience. On top of that, research shows that the complex Elizabethan language used by Shakespeare stops many people from even starting to enjoy his masterful works. So we came up with the solution! Our titles are available in different text versions, all using the same wonderful full colour artwork. |
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Shakespeare Titles |
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| Original Text This is the full, unabridged original script - just as the bard intended. This version is ideal for purists, students and for readers who want to experience the unaltered text. |
Plain Text We take the original script and "translate" it into modern English, verse-for-verse, whilst retaining the full essence of the play. If you’ve ever wanted to fully appreciate the works of Shakespeare but find the original language rather cryptic then this is the version for you! |
Quick Text We take the dialogue and reduce it to as few words as possible; but because it still features the same artwork, this version retains all of the characters, plots and motives from the play. Ideal for younger readers, reluctant readers, or for people who want to get a quick but full understanding of the play. |
Non-Shakespeare Titles |
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| Original Text This version uses as much of the original dialogue, caption and "voice over" as possible within the limitations of the book format. We aim to produce 120 to 140 pages of artwork for a title, and while that often requires a certain amount of abridging, we make sure that every main event is covered. |
Plain Text Not available. Unlike Shakespeare titles, the Original Text version is already easy to understand for a modern reader, so we don’t publish a Plain Text version. |
Quick Text We take our Original Text version and reduce it to as few words as possible; but because it still features the same artwork, this version retains all of the characters, plots and motives from the story. Ideal for younger readers, reluctant readers, or for people who want to get a quick but full understanding of the story. |
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Teaching Resources
Spiral bound & CD-ROM ~ 297 x 210 mm. 100pp Illustrated.
To accompany most titles in Classical Comics’ series of graphic novels and to help with their application in the classroom, they have also published teaching resource packs. Links to these resources are underneath the titles listed above. They can be found in several sections on the website including Teaching Resources : Middle and Secondary.
These widely acclaimed 100+ page books are spiral-bound, making the pages easy to photocopy. They also include a CD-ROM with the pages in PDF format, ideal for whole-class teaching on whiteboards, laptops, etc or for direct digital printing. These books are written by teachers, for teachers, helping students to engage in the play or novel.
Suitable for teaching ages 10-17, each book provides exercises that cover structure, listening, understanding, motivation and character as well as key words, themes and literary techniques.
Devised to encompass a broad range of skill levels, they provide many opportunities for differentiated teaching and the tailoring of lessons to meet individual needs.