The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, SunNeko Lee on March 31, 2015
Genres: graphic novels
Pages: 308
Format: eBook
Source: Advance Reader Copy
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A powerful tale of forbidden love, shame, and revenge comes to life in Manga Classics: The Scarlet Letter. Faithfully adapted by Crystal Chan from the original novel, this new edition features stunning artwork by SunNeko Lee (Manga Classics: Les Miserables) which will give old and new readers alike a fresh insight into the Nathaniel Hawthorne's tragic saga of Puritan America. .Manga Classics editions feature classic stories, faithfully adapted and illustrated in manga style, and available in both hardcover and softcover editions. Proudly presented by UDON Entertainment and Morpheus Publishing.
I liked The Scarlet Letter in high school, and I’ve read it once or twice since then. But this is completely different. This was a new way to experience the classic tale.
So, this is a different type of review, with different subject matter than normal, but you can find summaries and essays galore out there on this book. Since this is the manga version, I thought I’d focus on the artwork.
I’m not big on manga or graphic novels, but this was a beautiful edition. The artwork was well-done, the story was easy to follow. I’m going to have my 11 year old read it, since she loves graphic novels, and I think she’d grasp the nuance in this edition much better.
The advantage of a graphic novel, is that with a good illustrator, you can see the emotion of the piece, even if it’s shown in black and white, or if the character isn’t in the scene. And SunNeko Lee definitely created some beautiful artwork.
I know some manga fans will follow certain artists, even if the book isn’t in their typical genre of choice. With SunNeko Lee’s talent, I can see why.
If you ever want a cliff’s notes version of the classic, but with more story to it, these manga classics are a really neat way to go.
***ARC courtesy of the publisher via netgalley
