Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel (British English Edition) [Paperback]

Charlotte Bronte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2008

This Charlotte Bronte classic is brought to vibrant life by artist John M. Burns. His sympathetic treatment of Jane Eyre's life during the 19th century will delight any reader with its strong emotions and wonderfully rich atmosphere. Travel back to a time of grand Victorian mansions contrasted with the severest poverty and immerse yourself in this love story. It is presented in full colour graphic novel format wonderfully illustrated by legendary artist John M. Burns. It meets UK curriculum requirements. Teachers notes/study guides for KS2/KS3 available.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Classical Comics series presents great literary works in multiple volumes, each written in text of varying simplicity to suit a wide range of readers’ abilities and interests. This Original Text edition features the more challenging language of the two versions of Jane Eyre (the other being an abridged Quick Text), with sentences drawn directly from Brontë’s classic novel. Words printed in bold indicate the rhythmic emphasis in each sentence and will help guide readers through the skillfully abbreviated text. Burns’ artwork suffers somewhat in the fine detail; faces sometimes appear distorted in their lack of definition. The scenes’ compositions are excellent, though, and Burns ably conveys the dramatic action and romance and even extends the story in wordless panels that portray the characters’ thoughts. The extensive back matter includes a long prose biography of Brontë, a chronology of her life, a Brontë family tree, and an interesting spread describing how the dual graphic editions of this classic were created. A solid, accessible graphic adaptation of a novel that teens continue to read for pleasure as well as for assignment. Grades 7-10. --Gillian Engberg --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

This comic adaptation of Jane Eyre belongs to an ambitious project carried out by Classical Comics whose aim is to bring to young people great works of British literature (following the guidelines of the UK syllabus) in a more attractive and exciting format. But we know what you are thinking - this is not the first time that we have heard of something similar. And you are right. However, this is not just one more honest (or not) effort. What Classical Comics is trying to do is not only entice young readers to read, giving them a glimpse of the classics, but trying to do all that with quality and high standards in the art department as well as in the scripts. All their releases appear at least in two versions: Original Text, where the original novel or play is abridged but most of the times quoted almost verbatim and a Quick Text version which might be more controversial in its editorial decisions(1).Focusing now on Jane Eyre, the first thing we realises as soon as we had the graphical novel in our hands was that this adaptation was one of the BrontA" events of the year. It is a long (long) way from other comic adaptations of Jane Eyre(2). Not only because the book is beautifully presented but also because, despite the unavoidable abridging, this adaptation is over 130 pages (which clearly shows the scope and ambition of this enterprise) divided into 38 chapters, exactly like the original novel(3).We have been pleasantly surprised by the Original Text script adaptation which manages to aptly quote not just dialogues but also several descriptions and as much of Charlotte BrontA"'s beautiful, unique prose as possible. Of course, this also constitutes one of our main concerns about the Quick Text version (and about many other juvenile/abridged adaptations). If you extirpate Charlotte's own memorable words from the story, what are you left with exactly? Only the bare bones of the story, which may retain some of the grace of the full body, but are not as exciting or interesting to look at and examine.Both the script adaptation by Amy Corzine and the artwork by John M. Burns are highly respectful to the original novel, something which was practically a must in a collection named Classical Comics. There is no trace of any of the many critical readings which the novel has known since its publication. There are no parallels between the Red Room scene (which is somewhat of a disappointment in the final version of the comic(4)) and Bertha's imprisonment, and Bertha is treated in a pre-Wide Sargasso Sea fashion. She's nothing but the mad woman in the attic, the maniac... even her character profile is nothing short of a beast. The absence of a personal reading of the novel should not be understood as a drawback but as a conscious choice. Nowadays we are so used to subjective interpretations in most adaptations that an objective one is quite a rara avis(5).As opposed to other comic adaptations of the novel meant for young readers (like the 1941 or 1962 Classics Illustrated versions) the structure of this version doesn't overdo Jane Eyre's childhood. For instance, Norbert Bachleitner shows in Jane Eyre For Young Readers. Three Illustrated Adaptations(6) how the 1941 Classics Illustrated version devotes 50% just to describe the childhood episodes. Classical Comics Jane Eyre devotes just 23% (as compared to 17% in the original novel). The other main stages of Jane Eyre's story are distributed like this: Thornfield Hall: 42% in the comic vs 51% in the novel, Moor House: 13% vs 22%, and probably the most relevant difference in this new version: the Ferndean Manor scenes represent 18% of the comic, whereas they are a mere 7% of the novel. This may be a conscious decision, taking into account that rushed endings are among the most common criticisms to different Jane Eyre adaptations.The watercolours by John M. Burns are completely in keeping with the script adaptation. His artwork is beautiful, clear and always illustrative(7). His choice of colours and general style evoke even a period-look not at all unrelated to the traditional kind of drawing and colouring used by Mr Burns as opposed to other more modern techniques, such as the one used by Dame Darcy in her illustrations of Jane Eyre. As Bear Alley has noticed in his review, Burns's work tries to bring to life not only the main events but also the imagery of fairies and green men with which Jane is associated by Rochester or the many bird metaphorical allusions of the novel(8) as well as Jane's drawings or dreams.We have noticed, however, that this Jane Eyre is somewhat beautified in some of the illustrations, but not so much so that it interferes with the narrative. Along this line, we have also observed that her eyes are depicted a la Rochester, that is, hazel rather than green(9). Like Jane, we also excuse the mistake.Both editions include a short but rather good biography on Charlotte BrontA"(10), a BrontA" family tree, a chronology and a letter from Charlotte to her publisher dated 24th September 1947, concerning the first part of Jane Eyre.It is said that a book review should judge the book for what it set out to achieve, not for what the reader expected of it. In this case, we can confidently say that Classical Comics have both achieved, by and large, what they aimed at when they conceived this project, and have earned - or should earn - any lover of Jane Eyre's respect by treating this well-loved novel with such respect and care. But it doesn't stop there: they are also paving the way for future lovers of Jane Eyre who will find - to their amazement, no doubt - that the classics in general and Jane Eyre in particular are not dead things of the past, but stories very much alive and enjoyable. For our part, what can we say? We are extremely looking forward to Classical Comics' forthcoming Wuthering Heights, but preferably in the Original Text edition.Notes(1) The Shakespeare adaptations are also published in plain text editions.(2) An incomplete list would include such titles as Classics Illustrated, No 39, Illustrated by Harley M. Griffiths, 1947; Classics Illustrated No 39, Illustrated by H.J. Kihl, 1962; Jane Eyre, Limewire Graphics, Ed. Philip Page & Marilyn Petit, Hodder & Staughton, 2003.(3) Except for the prologue (not in the original novel) which recounts the facts pertaining to Jane Eyre's parents and Mrs Reed's promise to keep her as her own daughter.(4) Somewhat unexpected because the scene both visually and dramatically leaves a lot to the imagination. (5) We are aware that this is a naive interpretation because even an objective reading is a reading of sorts. Furthermore, the script - consciously or unconsciously - excises some of the best-known quotations from the novel. The comic doesn't begin with the famous There was no possibility of taking a walk that day... and, though rephrased, the Quick Text version is more similar to the original opening than the Original Text version. The women feel just as men feel speech is absent as well. There isn't even a Reader, I married him -it has been subsituted by a more laconic I married him in the Original Text version and by a more to-the-point We had a quiet wedding in the Quick Text version. Also on the negative side we can quote several French typos in Adele's speeches (p. 40). By the way, in the Quick Text version Adele's French becomes a laughable parody of English with French accent.(6) A Breath of Fresh Eyre. Intertextual and Intermedial Reworkings of Jane Eyre. Edited by Margarete Rubik and Elke Mettinger-Schartman, Rodopi, Amsterdam/New York, NY, 2007.(7) Curiously enough this wasn't the first BrontA" experience of John M Burns in his long career in the comics world. He adapted Wuthering Heights for the comic publication Diana for Girls (No 42. 7th December 1963).(8) Interestingly, the famous I'm no bird... quotation has been left out.(9) As Rochester says in the novel (ch. XXIV): "... This little sunny-faced girl with the dimpled cheek and rosy lips; the satin-smooth hazel hair, and the radiant hazel eyes?" (I had green eyes, reader; but you must excuse the mistake: for him they were new-dyed, I suppose.) (10) Curiously, and although it is stated that Charlotte BrontA" was pregnant when she died, her death is attributed to tuberculosis, thus overlooking other, most probable causes, particularly hypemeresis gravidarum.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Classical Comics; British English ed edition (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906332061
• ISBN-13: 978-1906332068
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,722,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, January 12, 2009

By 

Toni Ann Loiacono "Grace" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel (American English, Original Text) (Paperback)

I do not have any experience with graphic novels or comics beyond the random flipping through of my cousin's Batman comics. I found the Graphic Novel version of Jane Eyre to be completely interesting and engaging. The illustrations were magnificent. They really brought the story of Jane Eyre to life. The language was almost exactly the same as the novel. There was once jarring moment where Jane says "Huh?". It just didn't fit with the language of the rest of the comic.

This graphic novel and other graphic novels like it would be excellent in the school atmosphere where some students would be more likely to read and enjoy a graphic novel rather than the novel itself. These graphic novels are beautifully illustrated and remain true to the novels they are based on. I will definitely be buying more of them and hope and pray they make one for Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, April 4, 2010

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¢¾ Leah ¢¾ "Leah" (TX) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel (American English, Original Text) (Paperback)

I felt it chould have been a lot better. I whould have like it in hardback. There are options of having this in org text, which is what I got or a more simple text. It kept true to the story and was very well done. I felt the art work chould have been better.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Darling Book, July 11, 2009

By 

A. M. Wagner "monmoth" (AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jane Eyre: The Graphic Novel (American English, Original Text) (Paperback)

The point of creating the Graphic Novel is to encourage today's students to go back to the original and enjoy it more. Ooops, I gave the game away! :) The Comic's text has been wonderfully abridged, and Americanized (hence the "Huh?" Jane says). I suggest renting the 1973 BBC version, if your Blockbuster has it. The 1983 version is adequate: I believe Mr. Dalton did not have a "Jane" who challenged him. Teased him. Stuck a sly penknife, so to speak, under his ear. Mr. Jayston and Miss Cusack, however, take the witty script and run with it.