Graphic adaptor Gareth Hinds applies to Homer's hexameter his own poetic compression in prose form, staying true to the pace and tension of the heroic journey. Accompanying his retelling is his graphic translation of the imagery, utterly true to itself while evoking the enthralling detail of Mitsumasa Anno and the clarity of David Macaulay. "The Odyssey is a book I've always wanted to adapt," he says, "in part because there is so much to work with visually-fantastic monsters, gods, battles, shipwrecks-but also because its tells a remarkable story that continues to resonate after 2,000 years." Odysseus comes across as morally inconsistent and a consummate liar, yet he is also smart, strong and eager to drink in life's glorious strangeness. Lashed to the mast to hear the Siren's call, drilling a hot poker into the eye of Cyclops-you can't get much more compelling than that.
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Pub info:
The Odyssey
Gareth Hinds
Candlewick / October / 9780763642662 / $24.99 / ages 12 & up
