36. The Merchant of Venice - Gareth Hinds

Graphic Novel
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
For: YA/Adult
Pub: 2008
72 pgs.
2.5/5
Read: Aug. 12, 2008

I keep trying graphic novels. I really wanted to love this one. Immediately you take in the modern setting and easily understood conversations. Okay, this might work. But then, many of the guys in business suits look the same (except for Shylock) and you have to keep flipping back pages to compare. However, you're comfortable with a few holes in the plot and you're following the storyline just fine. But wait. Slowly the dialogue is beginning to change, and although it flows beautifully, it's getting harder and harder to understand. Hinds gets tricky and goes from easy-to-understand modern prose to unedited Shakespeare by the end of the book. Some readers might like this dip into the original. I didn't.

I got it, but I had to work too hard for it. Darn, I had hight hopes. I'm teaching this play to seventh graders this year, and a graphic novel would be such fun. Not this one, unfortunatley. I'll just have to keep looking!