Named one of the 10 best graphic novels of 2008 for youth by Booklist!
When an old king tries to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, he unleashes a power struggle that will tear his family and the kingdom apart.
With a raging storm as a backdrop, Shakespeare explores themes of truth, loyalty, anger, madness, ambition, justice, and rebellion in this, one of his greatest tragedies.
My adaptation features loose, flowing page layouts, often without panel borders, and the setting is a melange of historical periods and styles. The text is mainly based on the 1608 Quarto, and is condensed to about half the original material.
Candlewick Press Edition 2009 – 128pp., full color, oversize – ORDER A SIGNED COPY
paperback $11.99 ISBN 978-0763643447
hardcover $22.99 ISBN 978-0763643430
Sample pages:
For more samples see Amazon’s “Look Inside”
Why King Lear? Lear is generally considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest masterpieces. However, it tends not to be performed as often as some of his other great tragedies such as Hamlet or Romeo and Juliet, perhaps because it’s difficult to do justice to some of the descriptions in a theatrical production. The storm, for example, is almost a character in its own right, and demands a convincing representation.
Shakespeare’s plays were meant to be performed, and yet their greatness rests as much on their merits as literature – on the experience they give a reader – as on their theatrical power. I think the graphic novel form is a perfect bridge between the printed word and theatrical performance. I am so pleased to be able to make Lear, with its incredible imagery and drama, available in this format.
Medium:
King Lear uses a range of styles and materials, but the majority of the work was done with technical pen and watercolor.
Large portions of this book were drawn while riding the subway.