Poe [graphic novel] : stories and poems : a graphic novel adaptation

A volume of graphic novel renderings of some of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known works includes "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven."

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Book

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103 pages :

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Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
Young Adult Graphic Novel	YA/GN/POE	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

In a thrilling adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known works, acclaimed artist-adapter Gareth Hinds translates Poe's dark genius into graphic-novel format.

It is true that I am nervous. But why will you say that I am mad?

In "The Cask of Amontillado," a man exacts revenge on a disloyal friend at carnival, luring him into catacombs below the city. In "The Masque of the Red Death," a prince shielding himself from plague hosts a doomed party inside his abbey stronghold. A prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, faced with a swinging blade and swarming rats, can't see his tormentors in "The Pit and the Pendulum," and in "The Tell-Tale Heart," a milky eye and a deafening heartbeat reveal the effects of conscience and creeping madness. Alongside these tales are visual interpretations of three poems -- "The Raven," "The Bells," and Poe's poignant elegy to lost love, "Annabel Lee." The seven concise graphic narratives, keyed to thematic icons, amplify and honor the timeless legacy of a master of gothic horror.

Author Notes

Gareth Hinds is the acclaimed creator of the graphic novels Macbeth, The Odyssey, Beowulf, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, and King Lear . Gareth Hinds lives near Washington, D.C.

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up-Hinds adds to his impressive -library of graphic novel adaptations with this collection of stories and poems. In "The Masque of the Red Death," a prince holds a massive party inside a fortified castle while his subjects die of plague outside his walls-that is, until a mysterious -stranger appears at the door. In "The Cask of Amontillado," a young man plots revenge against a man who insulted him. In "The Pit and the Pendulum," a frightened man must escape the clutches of the Spanish Inquisition before it's too late, and in "The Tell-Tale Heart," a man is driven to murder by his benefactor's haunting "vulture" eye. Hinds also brings his own interpretation to three poems: "Annabel Lee," a love ode to Poe's dead wife; "The Bells," a poem about the eerie sounds of bells; and, of course, "The Raven," arguably Poe's best-known work. Hinds's vivid, haunting mixed-media illustrations pair perfectly with Poe's unfailingly bleak and terrible tales. Red and black tones are thrown about with controlled force, fully realizing the gothic influences of Poe's writing. Particularly sinister is the artwork that accompanies "The Masque of the Red Death;" the specter that wordlessly passes among the partygoers is terrifying. The adapter's note at the end discusses the selections that were chosen and includes a brief biography of Poe. VERDICT A spellbinding adaptation of one of America's most legendary authors. This volume can easily be worked into literature courses and is a fantastic way to introduce Poe to new readers.-Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Having previously created rich graphic adaptations of The Odyssey, Beowulf, and several of Shakespeare's works, Hinds brings a handful of Poe's poems and short stories to grisly visual life. Focusing on seven of the writer's most famous pieces-including "The Masque of the Red Death," "The Raven," and "The Cask of Amontillado"-Hinds uses distinct visual styles to draw out the mood and tone for each. Full-page charcoal panels amplify an atmosphere of bleak despair in "The Raven," while screaming red display type ("thub dub thub dub") creates a growing sense of mania in "The Tell-Tale Heart." And although "The Pit and the Pendulum" opens in near-total darkness, the horrors of the captive's situation gradually becomes clearer as Hinds lets dim light in. In a neat detail, each story opens with a legend indicating recurring themes (death, fire, and scary sounds in "The Bells") so readers know what to expect; Hinds further reflects on and contextualizes each story in endnotes. Hinds doesn't sugarcoat the blood and gore in these stories and poems-each haunting sequence is rife with tension and dread. Ages 12-up. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

Veteran illustrator Hinds breathes vivid life into seven of Edgar Allan Poe's most well-known stories and poems in his latest adaptation. Faithfully preserving the gothic tone of the original texts, from the macabre endpapers filled with symbols of death to the twisted anguished faces found throughout its pages, the author never shies away from the darkness found there, instead distilling Poe's fascination with madness, death, and terror into single haunting images: a sliver of lamplight shines on a milky blue eye in The Tell-Tale Heart, and a shadowy black raven haunts a solitary figure reminiscent of Poe in its namesake poem. Color is used to full effect in each story; the garish colors of an ill-fated party foreshadow impending doom, while the saturated red surrounding a man about to die only serves to heighten the emotional intensity. Title pages include a key to the main themes and year of publication, while an author's note provides an overview of Poe's life and insight into each story and poem. A welcome addition for fans of graphic horror.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2017 Booklist