  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2017 Veteran illustrator Hinds breathes vivid life into seven of Edgar Allan Poe’s most well-known stories and poems in his latest adaptation. Faithfully preserving the gothic tone of the original texts, from the macabre endpapers filled with symbols of death to the twisted anguished faces found throughout its pages, the author never shies away from the darkness found there, instead distilling Poe’s fascination with madness, death, and terror into single haunting images: a sliver of lamplight shines on a milky blue eye in “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and a shadowy black raven haunts a solitary figure reminiscent of Poe in its namesake poem. Color is used to full effect in each story; the garish colors of an ill-fated party foreshadow impending doom, while the saturated red surrounding a man about to die only serves to heighten the emotional intensity. Title pages include a key to the main themes and year of publication, while an author’s note provides an overview of Poe’s life and insight into each story and poem. A welcome addition for fans of graphic horror. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. School Library Journal - 07/01/2017 Gr 9 Up—Hinds adds to his impressive library of graphic novel adaptations with this collection of stories and poems. In "The Masque of the Red Death," a prince holds a massive party inside a fortified castle while his subjects die of plague outside his walls—that is, until a mysterious stranger appears at the door. In "The Cask of Amontillado," a young man plots revenge against a man who insulted him. In "The Pit and the Pendulum," a frightened man must escape the clutches of the Spanish Inquisition before it's too late, and in "The Tell-Tale Heart," a man is driven to murder by his benefactor's haunting "vulture" eye. Hinds also brings his own interpretation to three poems: "Annabel Lee," a love ode to Poe's dead wife; "The Bells," a poem about the eerie sounds of bells; and, of course, "The Raven," arguably Poe's best-known work. Hinds's vivid, haunting mixed-media illustrations pair perfectly with Poe's unfailingly bleak and terrible tales. Red and black tones are thrown about with controlled force, fully realizing the gothic influences of Poe's writing. Particularly sinister is the artwork that accompanies "The Masque of the Red Death;" the specter that wordlessly passes among the partygoers is terrifying. The adapter's note at the end discusses the selections that were chosen and includes a brief biography of Poe. VERDICT A spellbinding adaptation of one of America's most legendary authors. This volume can easily be worked into literature courses and is a fantastic way to introduce Poe to new readers.—Tyler Hixson, Brooklyn Public Library - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |