Poe: Stories and Poems: A Graphic Novel (A Haunting Visual Adaptation and Retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's Chilling Works - For Young Adults and Teens)

This review is for Poe: Stories and Poems: A Graphic Novel; Illustrated by Gareth Hinds. I enjoy reading and I also love graphic novels. I love Edgar Allan Poe so I was curious as to how my two loves can be combined. This book was fun to read and the illustrations are very nice and really sets the mood. I only wish each story were a bit longer - more illustrations and more texts. Size wise, it’s probably great for kids but personally I prefer ones that are more like regular size books (8.5”x6” vs 11”x7”). I’m not sure if I like the typeset / font and text boxes used here as much because I prefer the type of callouts and fonts used in, say, Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children series, but it’s not a big deal. I guess they work with this genre and this style of graphic novel. Before each story or poem, there is a “checklist” such as confinement, death, disease, murder, etc to warn the (young) reader of what’s to come. Also, the author has an * next to certain words to assist with understanding the meaning, which is helpful for kids (and even adults). Finally, reading the author’s notes at the end about why certain stories and poems were chosen was interesting and gave me some perspectives on his thinking. It pretty much explained why Annabelle Lee was depicted in such a strange way to me. I didn’t like it but I can see why he took that route. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and only wish it were longer. The drawings were very nice and appropriate for the theme. I’m not too wild about the texts but it is what it is. I think this book should be great for kids (maybe early teens due to the subject and difficulty, especially with the poems) and will get them interested in reading and especially in reading Edgar Allan Poe’s works. I would give it a 4.5/5.0 - 10/29/2024.

This is a phenomenal graphic novel adaptation of a selection of Edgar Allan Poe’s works. Although it is listed as YA/teen, it is fully accessible and enjoyable for adults as well. It features The Masque of the Red Death, The Cask of Amontillado, Annabel Lee, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Bells, and The Raven. The stories and poems remain largely faithful to Poe’s originals (with perhaps some minor abridgment), bringing his tales to life. I was very impressed with this graphic novel. It does an excellent job of capturing the distinct moods and atmospheres of each work. The art is a beautiful combination of watercolor and pencil, creating a dreamlike, painterly quality that perfectly complements Poe’s writing. I also appreciated the author’s notes at the end, which describe his process and provide a brief history of each work. This is a wonderful adaptation of Poe’s stories and poems. It’s my first book by Gareth Hinds, and I’m excited to explore more of his work. Art: 5/5 My Enjoyment: 5/5

The illustrations are done wonderfully, very detailed and colorful. Love having this in my collection:)

I'm a graphic novel reader and a huge Poe fan. I like the way the author/illustrator stayed close to the text. The illustrations are a dark enough color scheme to convey the tone of the text while still being visually brilliant and interesting. I would recommend this book to any Poe fan as well as anyone you want to turn on to Poe's writing.

this was a gift, really nice book. great for preteens who are getting into reading but still not interested in chapter books. also great for people who love graphic novels in general.

Poe's stories are hauntingly brought to life in this beautifully illustrated book. An absolute must for horror fans, literature aficionados and young readers.

Start with the poems. The Raven, Anabel Lee, and The Bells are offered here with rich illustrations that add to the exceptional rhythms. These are read-aloud poems of the finest kind. The stories are amazingly illustrated. The format requires shortening, since the stories are repetitive to enhance their horror and suspense. The best of these is The Cask of Amontillado, then the Pit and the Pendulum. The Tell-Tale Heart and Masque of the Red Death are almost too short - the horror doesn't have time to build. Gareth Binds uses symbols to tie the illustrations and stories together thematically. This is exceptionally well done and will keep you returning to the book. My family of boys has loved Gareth Hinds' work in the Odysseus, Romeo and Juliet, the Merchant of Venice, and Beowulf. This book is another excellent adaptation by Hinds. This is why we need a sixth star.

My kid is 10 and wanted to learn more about this horror genius. These stories include all of the important bits to understand the story while illustrating some of the edited out details. The comic format makes it highly engaging.

Amontillado . . .plague. . .and a punishment from the inquisition. . .well drawn. . .nicely edited. . .good book. . .well executed👍

I bought this for myself, as I've always like Poe's more macabre work. Well illustrated and not too graphic for those of a more sensitive disposition. Brings some of his better known stories to life.

Le livre est très beau, je collectionne ce qui concerne Edgar Poe. Dommage que l'emballage ait été insuffisant et qu'il soit arrivé abîmé !

All of my favourite stories in one with killer illustrations to boot. Love it. Also, It shipped faster than I had expected, which was a definite bonus.

I bought this for my daughter who is a Poe enthusiast. She was delighted, and set off reading it as soon as I handed it over! Noting the age thingy underneath, my daughter is 35!