The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel

The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel by Gareth Hinds

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hinds, Gareth. 2010. The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763642681

PLOT/SUMMARY

Gareth Hinds does a fabulous job retelling the story of Odysseus and his travels home to his loving wife, Penelope, after fighting in the Trojan War. His graphic novel rendering will engage readers of all levels as we follow Odysseus on his dangerous journey.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

All of the criteria are present. There are strong characters at every turn, and a plot with twists that you don’t see coming. The themes are plentiful, and loyalty, vengeance, perseverance, and bravery play out on every page. It is really the style where Gareth Hinds takes it to another level. Retelling the epic tale of The Odyssey in lavish fashion, the reader is treated to almost 250 pages of fully painted art. Using effective watercolor and pencil art, he uses color throughout to tell his version of the epic poem, which he put together based on earlier adaptations. He uses various shaped frames for his illustrations and is not afraid to let those illustrations tell the story when it’s appropriate.  The author has taken an epic poem and made it relatable and exciting for today’s young readers.

REVIEW EXCERPTS/AWARDS

Best Children's Books of the Year, 2011 ; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Booklist Book Review Stars , Sept. 15, 2010 ; American Library Association; United States
Kirkus Best Young Adult Books, 2010 ; United States
Kirkus Book Review Stars, October 1, 2010 ; United States
Pure Poetry, 2010 ; Voice of Youth Advocates; United States
YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2011 ; American Library Association; United States
YALSA Top 10 Great Graphic Novels for Teens, 2011 ; American Library Association; United States

School Library Journal Battle of the Kids' Books, 2011 Nominee United States

Starred Review in Kirkus Reviews…” Hinds adds another magnificent adaptation to his oeuvre (King Lear, 2009, etc.) with this stunning graphic retelling of Homer's epic. Following Odysseus's journey to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope, readers are transported into a world that easily combines the realistic and the fantastic.”

Starred Review in Library Media Connection…” Gareth Hinds’ retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey will attract your adventure-loving boys and graphic novel fans. This adaptation belongs in every collection where the epic poem is studied. Using various sized panels to either accommodate larger than life characters and action, or to show close-up facial expressions and detail, Hinds often lets the illustrations stand alone to tell the story.”

Starred Review in The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books…”A hair-raising adventure tale that’s lasted well over two millennia can hardly be said to need new life breathed into it. A fresh retelling, though, is always welcome, and with this graphic-novel interpretation Hinds will hook some of those holdouts who have thus far resisted The Odyssey’s lure. Hinds notes in an afterword the translations consulted and favored for his opus, and his own narrative style stays true to the epic in both tone and form.”

CONNECTIONS

*The Odyssey is brimming with themes the students can relate to, such as vengeance, perseverance, and loyalty. Ask the students to pick two or three modern books or movies that they’ve read or seen recently that they consider to contain themes similar to The Odyssey. Have them write about the similarities and connections that can be made between this classic tale and more modern cinema and literature.

*This is a great opportunity to delve further into Greek mythology and learn more about the gods and goddesses. You can have the students pick one particular god or goddess from the book to research more about. How are they represented in other works of literature and art?

*Together, as a class, develop a list of characters and a phrase describing their personality or archetype. Examples would be Odysseus as the Hero, Penelope as the Faithful Partner, or Antinous as a Bully. Once they have worked together to develop this list, have them pick which one they feel they most closely resemble. Have the students write why they feel they resemble this character the most.

*The author makes use of text as well as letting the illustrations tell the story when it’s appropriate. Take any section of the story that doesn’t already have text written for it and let the students provide what they think the words should say in that particular section.