Beowulf

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This timeless adventure, one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature, sees the titular hero fight off ghastly monsters in order to protect his neighbours and his people. A mixture of history and legend, the battle-filled epic shines in this brilliantly illustrated graphic novel adaptation. Ideal as visual introductions to classic texts, Graffex titles are fast-moving, cinematic retellings of well known stories. Equally rewarding as comics, graphic novels or learning resources, the series uses specially commissioned full-colour artwork to retell some of the most incredible, influential and memorable tales in the canon of English literature. Speech bubbles feature direct quotes from the original text, running captions describe events in a clear manner and detailed footnotes translate challenging vocabulary and provide interesting background information. It's a wealth of key information that, critically, doesn't overwhelm or distract from the original story. Featuring photographs, paintings and maps, Graffex endmatters tell the story of each book in its wider geographical context. Text details the life of the author, the socio-political events which influenced the book and the impact the book had on the society of the time. Each title also features a double-page opening illustration and a full index.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

With its Geat (and great) warrior who battles a hideous progression of monsters from the limb-rending Grendel through his marsh-dwelling mother to a giant, fire-breathing dragon there has likely never been a classic tale more ready-made for graphic adaptation than Beowulf, as evidenced by the many previous efforts, most notably Gareth Hinds' action-packed interpretation. So it is all the more astonishing that Barron's has managed to make their Graphic Classics version so much like the graphic novel's philosophical antithesis: a textbook. The well-encapsulated story is told almost exclusively in narrative captions, and every second page begins with a bold chapter heading. The slick, contemporary art is locked into panels with very little variation in shape and arranged in rather dry page layouts. Finally, the whole package is topped off with lengthy, though quite informative, text pieces. And although it will feel most like a tool of education to young readers, it might very comfortably be used to advantage as a standout in a classroom collection or worked smoothly into an appropriate curriculum.--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

This comic-book-style adaptation capably conveys plot points but fails to capture the original story's thematic depth or epic scale. Awkwardly placed rectangular text boxes and distracting footnotes create separation between illustrations and words. Marginally useful historical context (e.g., discussion of the mystery of Beowulf's authorship) is appended to the story. Ind. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.