THE ORIGINAL: The Odyssey by Homer
THE NEW TWIST: This book is the same as the Odyssey epic poem. The main difference with this text is that it has been written as a graphic novel. For those students and/or educators that are not familiar with graphic novels, they are stories with dialogue and sequential art, much like a comic. This is much more inviting than the huge epic poem of the Odyssey. Students like illustrations. Adults like illustrations. The art by Gareth Hinds is excellent and it never feels too childish or goofy.
The Odyssey is almost always taught in the high school setting, and it's usually not the most exciting unit to teach. However, I found it a lot easier to read through this version and the illustrations made it flow much easier. Additionally, actually being able to follow the dialogue closer made seeing all the communication much easier. This book can definitely be substituted in the classroom for just the text of the poem. I would also recommend reading this for pleasure outside of an academic setting.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What benefits does reading a graphic novel offer?
What are the negatives to reading a graphic novel as opposed to the original?
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