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A review by phyrre
Manga Classics: Count of Monte Cristo by Crystal S. Chan, Stacy King
3.0
You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
- The gorgeous artwork on the front is what originally caught my eye about this book, and on that front, it certainly delivers. I don’t remember much about The Count of Monte Cristo other than high-level plot points and characters, since I read it in sixth grade. What I do remember was that it was tough to get through and super boring to me. While still being a historical fiction and retaining the overall themes and structure of the plot, this book does a wonderful job of presenting it in a way that looks almost more modern, easily consumable, and much more engaging. Part of that, I’m sure, is the difference between reading a graphic novel and reading a book written a very, very long time ago, when it was a challenge to see how long a sentence could go without a period. The artwork, though, felt very clean and modern and easy to follow, and it’s every bit as pretty as the cover suggests.
- There’s this constant, ongoing argument about whether kids should be forced to read classics, and you know what? This is the best of both worlds. Does it leave things out from the original? Sure. What exactly, I couldn’t tell you, because, as I said, it’s been a while. The overall story and the message and themes, as far as I can remember them, stayed the same. Best yet, it was like discovering the story again, in a whole different format, and even though it felt familiar, it was still something somewhat new. While the story relies a little too heavily on exposition in some places, the overall plot seemed easier to follow and more accessible to younger audiences. Kids seem to love graphic novels, and I love the idea of meeting them where they’re at and presenting the classics in a format they seem to gravitate towards.
- There are a lot of threads (as there were with the original), and it’s sometimes hard to follow. That being said, I do believe it was easier to follow the graphic novel than the book, though I don’t know if that’s because of my age when reading them or the differences in the books themselves, so take that with a grain of salt. From very early on, it’s easy to see how the count is manipulating things and laying seeds, even if you don’t know what his plan is beyond “revenge,” so there’s a nice air of mystery and plotting that’s particularly fun when told through art rather than words.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for an eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
- The gorgeous artwork on the front is what originally caught my eye about this book, and on that front, it certainly delivers. I don’t remember much about The Count of Monte Cristo other than high-level plot points and characters, since I read it in sixth grade. What I do remember was that it was tough to get through and super boring to me. While still being a historical fiction and retaining the overall themes and structure of the plot, this book does a wonderful job of presenting it in a way that looks almost more modern, easily consumable, and much more engaging. Part of that, I’m sure, is the difference between reading a graphic novel and reading a book written a very, very long time ago, when it was a challenge to see how long a sentence could go without a period. The artwork, though, felt very clean and modern and easy to follow, and it’s every bit as pretty as the cover suggests.
- There’s this constant, ongoing argument about whether kids should be forced to read classics, and you know what? This is the best of both worlds. Does it leave things out from the original? Sure. What exactly, I couldn’t tell you, because, as I said, it’s been a while. The overall story and the message and themes, as far as I can remember them, stayed the same. Best yet, it was like discovering the story again, in a whole different format, and even though it felt familiar, it was still something somewhat new. While the story relies a little too heavily on exposition in some places, the overall plot seemed easier to follow and more accessible to younger audiences. Kids seem to love graphic novels, and I love the idea of meeting them where they’re at and presenting the classics in a format they seem to gravitate towards.
- There are a lot of threads (as there were with the original), and it’s sometimes hard to follow. That being said, I do believe it was easier to follow the graphic novel than the book, though I don’t know if that’s because of my age when reading them or the differences in the books themselves, so take that with a grain of salt. From very early on, it’s easy to see how the count is manipulating things and laying seeds, even if you don’t know what his plan is beyond “revenge,” so there’s a nice air of mystery and plotting that’s particularly fun when told through art rather than words.