Andrew K. (kuligowskiandrewt) -
I am too young to recall a debate over the novel vs. film adaptation of Harper Lee's âTo Kill a Mockingbirdâ but will assume that there was one; there always is. I DO remember some discussion over a stage adaptation that appeared on Broadway in 2018, however. The explanation was simple â each storytelling medium had its own strengths and weaknesses which needed to be considered when using it to tell a shared story.
In the same approximate timeframe as the play, Fred Fordham released âTo Kill a Mockingbirdâ as a graphic novel, taking on both the responsibility for adapting the novel into graphic form, and then illustrating it.
I cannot evaluate the play, as I have never seen it and it is not the purpose of this review. However, having gone through Mr. Fordham's adaption, I found it to be a loyal re-telling of the novel as Ms. Lee wrote it. This is both very good - AND quite disappointing. Listening to an interview with Jeff Daniels, who recreated the role of Atticus Finch on Broadway, he described how different media require different techniques to tell the same story. I didn't get a feel that anything made the graphic novel âspecialâ; it was simply a re-telling with pictures and word balloons. Mr. Fordham did eliminate the distinct boxes between panel drawings and he did occasionally explode a picture to larger size for dramatic effect. However, I did not feel that he took full advantage of the techniques available via the comic / graphic novel mechanism to make the story both Ms. Lee's and HIS.
I am not saying avoid this book, it is a nice telling of the tale. BUT I am not saying rush out and get it and move it to the top of your âTo Be Readâ list, either, especially if you've already read the novel or seen the movie. (On the other hand, if you're rushed to do a high school book report on the novel and put off reading it until the last minute, this book may be your saving grace.)
RATING: 3 ½ stars, rounded down to 3 stars where ½ stars are not permitted.
In the same approximate timeframe as the play, Fred Fordham released âTo Kill a Mockingbirdâ as a graphic novel, taking on both the responsibility for adapting the novel into graphic form, and then illustrating it.
I cannot evaluate the play, as I have never seen it and it is not the purpose of this review. However, having gone through Mr. Fordham's adaption, I found it to be a loyal re-telling of the novel as Ms. Lee wrote it. This is both very good - AND quite disappointing. Listening to an interview with Jeff Daniels, who recreated the role of Atticus Finch on Broadway, he described how different media require different techniques to tell the same story. I didn't get a feel that anything made the graphic novel âspecialâ; it was simply a re-telling with pictures and word balloons. Mr. Fordham did eliminate the distinct boxes between panel drawings and he did occasionally explode a picture to larger size for dramatic effect. However, I did not feel that he took full advantage of the techniques available via the comic / graphic novel mechanism to make the story both Ms. Lee's and HIS.
I am not saying avoid this book, it is a nice telling of the tale. BUT I am not saying rush out and get it and move it to the top of your âTo Be Readâ list, either, especially if you've already read the novel or seen the movie. (On the other hand, if you're rushed to do a high school book report on the novel and put off reading it until the last minute, this book may be your saving grace.)
RATING: 3 ½ stars, rounded down to 3 stars where ½ stars are not permitted.
