The Great Gatsby A Graphic Novel Adaptation by K. Woodman-Maynard, F. Scott Fitzgerald

​     I love The Great Gatsby. For my money it’s one of the few classics that really lives up to its designation, through the timeless themes of the class distinctions, unmet romantic expectations and the failure of the American dream and the sheer beauty of the language. The story has been adapted in many different formats over the years, graphically and cinematically, to different degrees of success and this graphic adaptation is definitely on the higher end of that spectrum.
    The watercolor drawings, the forgoing of the traditional panel structure, the clever use of space and gravity and equally clever allocation of text amid the scenery and tailored to it added up to a lovely sum total that manages to convey the very soul of the novel and to do so astoundingly in just 60 minutes of reading time. Granted, Gatsby isn’t a huge book, but you got to appreciate that level of conciseness.
    It wasn’t exactly my favorite sort of art personally, but it worked really well here, the author made a number of interesting and smart choices that really paid off, utilizing the very best aspects of the book, right down to that legendary ending.
    On a side note, having recently read Farris’ Nick, almost managed to forget what a sh*te Nick actually is in the original. A spineless milquetoast of an observer who professes his nonjudgemental values and then proceeds to judge the living daylights out of everyone around him, especially Gatsby himself. Makes Nick a very different version of the traditional unreliable narrator. Which is to say he tells the truth, but colors it very heavily with his own perspective. But at any rate, Gatsby still shines and the careless people are still every so brutally caress.
   Anyway…this was lovely. A very enjoyable revisit for a beloved book. Maybe it’ll manage to bring new readership to the story. If you ever wanted to read a book, but were put off by the lack of pictures or amount of words, here’s your chance. If you already love the book, you’ll enjoy this on an entirely different level. Recommended.