Planeta Comic by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic, The Great Gatsby brings us a graphic novel adaptation
The Great Gatsby is another example of a timeless novel. of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work was first published in 1925 to good reviews, but dismal sales. It seemed like another forgettable novel, but it had the revival that makes it a classic during World War II. Today it is considered a classic of world literature and one of the greatest American novels. It’s ironic that the author died admitting his novel was a failure, considered one of the best novels written today.
Fitzgerald’s novel is set in the 1920s. Instead of praising the great economic prosperity of that time, the author criticizes society’s oppression and false American dream, love, betrayal and class struggle. Although many new rich people were emerging during that time (the gap between the social classes became fatal), most of the high society continued to despise them. A society where people do whatever it takes to move up the social ladder, even if they commit morally questionable actions.
Screenwriter Ted Adams and artist Jorge Coelho join forces to create the first graphic novel adaptation of this classic. This comic comes to Spain from Planeta Comic.
The Great Gatsby Story
In the year In the mid-summer of 1922, the main character and narrator of the work, Nick Carraway, moved to a modest house in Long Island, New York. The mansion is located between two huge mansions, one of which is owned by his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Bucharan, a rich, mean and arrogant man who, before Nick knows it, already introduces him to his lover. Another mansion is that of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious nouveau riche who attracts all kinds of wealth.
Nick doesn’t trust the stories he tells about his past, but it isn’t long before he meets the enigmatic Gatsby, who becomes his friend. The millionaire tells the protagonist that he met his cousin Daisy many years ago but was separated from her because of the war. When he returned, he found out that the woman had married Tom. Gatsby asks Nick to help him reunite with Daisy and rekindle their romance, so that the two lovers can get back together and the woman can separate from her husband. Also part of the equation is Jordan Baker, a successful golfer who becomes Nick’s love interest.
After Gatsby and Daisy reunite, everything seems to be going well, but it doesn’t take long for that apparent happiness to evaporate and things start to get complicated.
Review of The Great Gatsby
I should warn you in advance that I haven’t read the original work so it’s hard to know exactly how faithful the artists’ adaptation is. But with a little research, Ted Adams has faithfully adapted the original work into a comic. You could almost say he copied the same semicolons from the book. The novel is not very long, 218 pages, but it is very likely that Adams had to cut some aspects of the plot, so he at least feels with some characters. Even so, the script perfectly conveys what Fitzgerald wanted to show in his novel, how rotten and hypocritical the people are.
It’s hard to tell when it’s Adams’ or Fitzgerald’s work in the script. Those who have read the original work may not find anything interesting there. What’s most impressive about this comic is Jorge Coelho’s artwork, which is the best part of his career. The picture is beautiful, marked by fine lines and very straight lines. All of this makes it feel like a beautiful piece of work in keeping with the time and what it wants to represent. The vignettes can be packed with overwhelming detail at any moment.
We’ve mentioned beauty and glamor, but Coelho manages to overdo that, with details of smoke (from tobacco or other things) as well as the vulgarity that Fitzgerald wants to convey in a representation of drunkenness. It’s amazing how little details like that can change what a scene conveys.
Coelho, together with Ines Amaro, lead the color and it is difficult to say whether it is the color that improves the painting or vice versa, because it is amazing. In the year Lots of pastel colors that transport you to a summer in the 1920s, from the luxurious mansions where everything seems alive, to the dark and gray valley where the poor live. Although Amaro is listed as a color assistant on this comic, I think she deserves more credit than she gets because her work is impeccable.
Planeta Comic’s version of The Great Gatsby.
Planeta Comic brings us an amazing comic issue. They celebrated the beautiful original hardcover cover. It is worth highlighting the paper used for the print, which has a lot more holes than the printer usually uses for other works, which is amazingly suitable for the work, especially because of the funny color type. With a total of 184 pages, the comic sells for €22.00.
The Great Gatsby by Ted Adams and George Coelho of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work is a fantastic adaptation. In addition to shortening some plots, the script is the same as the novel, so those who read the book will not find anything new. Even so, I recommend the readers of the book to read the comic because the graphic novel’s amazing art quality, amazing drawing and color make it impossible to read. And for those who have never read the original work, here you have the perfect opportunity to enjoy it in a comic version.
The Great Gatsby
Authors: Ted Adams | Jorge Coelho | F Scott Fitzgerald
Publisher: Planeta Comic
Format: Hardcover without dust jacket
Dimensions: 18.3 x 25.5 cm
Pages: 184
ISBN: 978-84-1140-740-3
Price: 22.00 €
Conclusion: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s adaptation of the classic graphic novel.
New York, in the twenties. Jay Gatsby throws lavish parties at his magnificent Long Island home where guests flock. But the host only wants to stun one person: Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is beautiful, rich, charming… and the wife of a millionaire heiress.
A classic of 20th century American literature, F. One of Scott Fitzgerald’s greatest novels has been adapted into a graphic version for the first time by an American author.