Wrinkle in Time as Graphic Novel

I adored the Newbery award-winning (1962) classic, Wrinkle in Time, an adventure through space and time, the first time around—it was a magical book.

I voraciously read all Madeline L'Engle's (1918-2007) time-travel quintet (and other books) again as an adult. The magic still held. 

However, I'm ambivalent about the idea of graphic novels—an extended comic book, but, then, I'm a fast reader. So a weighty tome doesn't slow me down. 

Certainly the Harry Potter books demonstrate that kids can and do read lengthy books—not that Madeline's books are even long. They're not. 

So, if graphic novels encourage kids (and adults) who struggle to read, then, all is good. I guess. 

But in a graphic novel, crucial text is necessarily omitted because of length. It concerns me (especially the loss of metaphor/simile), and the inevitable dumbing down, the visual spoonfeeding of mental imagery disallows the readers to form their own unique images. 

Hope Larsen's interpretations of tessering may be vividly imagined in the graphic novel rendition of Wrinkle in Time. But they're HER interpretations. Not the reader's. A little too pat. Taming the wildness.

As one dissatisfied Amazon reader put it: "I don't know why we feel the need to make comic books out of classic literature. It is an insult to the original story-telling; it is an insult to the reader and this book is no exception. It allows for no imagination, no interpretation other than that of the illustrator." — KiddieLit

The engagement of one's imagination is an important aspect of reading. That amazing movie-in-your head. I know, I know—it's a facet of the old "book vs. movie" paradigm. Movies of books generally disappoint, but then, I've an agile imagination (artist/ writer) and that enters into it. 

During the Middle Ages, books (the Bible, psalters, etc.) were graphic novellas in that most people couldn't read—but the graphics were splendid summations. 

When I traveled to tiny villages in South America, I was amazed to see semi-literate men reading graphic novels—torrid little affairs—bodice rippers for men—but at least they were reading (sort of.) 

I'm all for wild imagination versus passive reading. But I hope that kids will also read the original novels as well.

NB: this came from a post to James Patterson on Facebook.