Ever since they made Twilight into a graphic novel, I have to wonder if graphic novels are the future or literature or its demise. More and more graphic novels are hitting the shelves (like last week’s featured book Sons of Liberty) and while I think that is great – I have to wonder if they are pulling readers away from regular books. However, graphic novels are also getting a lot of people excited about reading again which, in my opinion, is always a great thing.
Are graphic novels the future of a pastime that has been in desperate need of a facelift or are they just glorified comic books?
Ever since they made Twilight into a graphic novel, I have to wonder if graphic novels are the future of literature or its demise. More and more graphic novels are hitting the shelves (like last week’s featured book The Sons of Liberty) and while I think that is great – I have to wonder if they are pulling readers away from regular books. However, graphic novels are also getting a lot of people excited about reading again which, in my opinion, is always a great thing.
Are graphic novels the future of a pastime that has been in desperate need of a facelift or are they just glorified comic books?
Comments
Glorified comic book. Don't get me wrong, I like graphic novels but there is something to be said about a plain old book. When you start making graphic novel versions of actual books, something is wrong.
Would your opinion on graphic novels change if a well respected author wrote one? For example, if Markus Zusak came out with a graphic novel or a graphic novel version of The Book Thief, do you still think it would be bad? Just curious! Love to hear opinions!
I tend to agree with chrliffn...I like graphic novels for the art and the kinda theatrical experience, but I don't think they can replace books. I really don't like when they remake books into a graphic version...Artemis Fowl was only so-so, Redwall was cute, but so thin compared to the book. I also saw that they made a graphic version of Fahrenheit 451, which is one of my favorite books because of the /writing/. I don't think I could stand to read it any other way. But, they've recently started making graphic Shakespeare, which I really love, since it's the next best thing to actually viewing the play (and they use the original text).
It's not the same although I have overheard 8-year-old boys who didn't even like graphic novels because they didn't like to read. I enjoy both formats but not in the same way or the same titles. Of course, I feel the same way about some TV shows based on books - I like Sookie Stackhouse fine in print but I really don't like"True Blood" even though I like Anna Paquin. The characters look so differently in my head when I read than are presented in a show or a graphic novel. I like to think that people who pick up the graphic novels will try the printed book at some point (just like those who watched the Harry Potter movies who would then try the books).
Graphic novels encourage a love of reading. In fact, I think graphic novels are very important to young readers. They provide a transition from picture books to chapter books, and appeal to visual learners. Many of the skills required to read a "traditional" novel apply to reading a graphic novel as well. It takes way more brain activity to read a graphic novel than watching a movie. It's also a great tool for those whose second language is English. Great question!
I think about graphic novels like Persepolis and Maus when I think about graphic novels that are literature. These graphic novels serve as pieces of art and tell visually what might have been difficult to represent with words. I don't consider Twilight to be great literature. Fun, yes. Entertaining, yes--Otherwise I wouldn't have read all 3,000+ pages of the series. Great literature that will become a classic one day, like Maus? No way. There are graphic novels for every genre and occasion. It's awesome.
People say that graphic novels would destroy a book, but I disagree. James Patterson and NaRae Lee made a graphic novel version of Maximum Ride and I think that the characters are the same and so is the plot. They might've taken things out but they left in some important parts.
Too expensive in my opinion - would prefer the novels!
I think graphic novels are just glorified comic books. They do get people to read, which is good, but a realy novel is always better and more...satisfying!
I used to be a fan of the "Twilight Saga", but once the movie came out and everyone who hadn't even read the books started gushing about Edward, I stopped. Books should stay books unless the movie companies can make a movie that fits EXACTLY to the book. Since most books these days are fantasy, that's a very hard thing to accomplish.
I personally would much rather have a real book than a comic or graphic novel. Now, for some people graphic and comic help them to read better and are preferred but I don't think they are the future of novels. I don't think that most books should be remade into graphic or comic. They shouldn't be made into shows or movies either. Very rarely is there a show made from a book that accurately presents the story. Most often they leave important parts out or represent the characters wrong or just don't get the book right. Plus if you read the book and then watch the movie they aren't represented like how you imagined them.
Books make you use your imagination by having to visualize and create the characters in your mind your-self verses having the producers and artists put them on the page or screen for you. It takes all of the imagination out of reading. So no, I don't like reading graphic or comic myself because I don't get to imagine what the characters look like and have the pictures going on in my head that come from the words. But I don't think that they are awful either. Just don't take really good books and change them into graphics. Make up your own stories and put them as graphics. I know the point is to take novels and turn them into to graphics and some have been represented okay but the majority of them are not going to represent the original book to its full potential.
I love Graphic Novels, and I don't think they are going to destroy books. LOL, Twilight might though.