King Lear in graphic style

Guest reviewer, Rachel Glade, writes about King Lear: A Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds from Candlewick Press. (Recommended for ages 12 and up.)

A horrific tale of pride, betrayal and insanity, Shakespeare’s King Lear tells the tale of the downfall and the final rebirth of two disillusioned, excessively proud men. Seriously misunderstanding the meaning of love, both King Lear and Gloucester give everything they have to their cruel offspring and disown their only good children. After they are both completely ruined by their evil children, they finally open their eyes and see their mistakes; but it is too late for them to reverse their bad decisions.
In his surprisingly accurate rendition of King Lear in the form of a graphic novel, Gareth Hinds spins the complex tale with vivid illustrations and dialogue from the original Shakespeare play. The novel is engaging enough for teenage readers, yet stays true enough to Shakespeare’s masterpiece that scholars will not be upset by the unconventional remake. As a book for young adults, the original horror of the play is slightly toned down; yet the message against pride and superficial measures of love is still carried strongly throughout the novel.

Versatile in its audience, this book can be enjoyed by readers of any age and any knowledge of Shakespeare; whether a teenager looking for an introduction to Shakespeare or a seasoned Shakespeare reader who is interested in revisiting the story of King Lear in a new, playful style, anyone who reads it will absolutely love Hinds’ King Lear: A Graphic Novel. I give it my highest recommendation.

Rachel Glade is finishing up her senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School in Fort Lauderdale. She is a National Merit Scholar Finalist 2010 and a College Board AP Scholar with Distinction. She plays the piano, dulcimer and sitar and has been featured in the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Teen Link Magazine as well as Listen Magazine for her role in producing music for the book/CD, The Travel Adventures of Lilly P Badilly: Costa Rica. In the fall, she will attend The University of Pennsylvania as a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and plans to major in both physics and music.