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Breathtaking Adaptations: 13 Classic Books Transformed Into Graphic Novels (PHOTOS)

Breathtaking Adaptations: 13 Classic Books Transformed Into Graphic Novels (PHOTOS)
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First there was the book. Then there came the film. Or sometimes, there is the comic book, and then there is the film. Case in point: "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World," this summer's runaway sensation based on the graphic novel by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

In honor of "Scott Pilgrim," we published the "7 Best Graphic Novel to Film Adaptations" slide show last week. And it got us thinking ...

What other book adaptations are out there?

We've seen graphic novels-into-films and, of course, books-into-movies, but what about books-into-graphic novels? What happens when you take a classic work of literature and transform it into a graphic text?

You won't believe what classic books have been transformed into comics. From "Genesis" to "Metamorphosis," see the best here.

What other adaptations should have made the list? What other classic books still need a graphic novel version? How about an "Audacity Of Hope" graphic novel? Let us know in the comments section below.

13 Great Graphic Novels Adapted From Classic Books
Crime And Punishment(01 of13)
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By Fyodor Dostoevsky. Adapted by David Zane Mairowitz and Alain Korkos.Somehow Dostoevsky's brilliant work is distilled into 128 pages, which leads to some storytelling that's a bit rough around the edges. But the gray palette and the decision to set it in modern-day Russia make this a worthy companion piece.
Fahrenheit 451(02 of13)
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By Ray Bradbury. Adapted by Tim Hamilton.Fully authorized and supported by Bradbury (he even wrote the foreword), this adaptation lifts the original's haunting and evocative imagery right off the page.
The Book Of Genesis(03 of13)
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Adapted by R. Crumb.Every word of the first book of the Bible is included here in stunning images strengthened by Crumb's own personal touches.
On The Origin Of Species(04 of13)
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By Charles Darwin. Adapted by Michael Keller.Complex, groundbreaking ideas are smartly juxtaposed against a simple, washed-out style in this important work's adaptation.
The Jungle(05 of13)
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By Upton Sinclair. Adapted by Peter Kuper.Industry legend Peter Kuper fuses the muckraking masterpiece with the important art styles of the day, beginning with cubism and gradually melding into Futurist-inspired artwork.
City Of Glass(06 of13)
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By Paul Auster. Adapted by Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli.Some have said this adaptation surpasses its source material. Now if only the rest of the "New York Trilogy" could get the same treatment...
The Stories Of Oscar Wilde(07 of13)
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Adapted by Antonella Caputo and Rich Rainey.Four stories are collected here, including "The Picture Of Dorian Gray," which employs a chilling black-and-white, heavily-shadowed style.
The Metamorphosis(08 of13)
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By Franz Kafka. Adapted by Peter Kuper.While the graphic novel adaptation of "The Trial" has also received great acclaim, Kafka's grotesque bug story is more suited to being put into panels.
I Am Legend(09 of13)
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By Richard Matheson. Adapted by Steve Niles and Elman Brown.Before Will Smith was in the movie version, but after Richard Matheson wrote the original story, "I Am Legend" was a graphic novel with a grainy, noirish art style.
King Lear(10 of13)
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By William Shakespeare. Adapted by Ian Pollock.Pollock's surreal style marvelously turns the tragedy on its head. If Tim Burton were commissioned to adapt "Humpty Dumpty," this is what his concept art would look like.
The Divine Comedy(11 of13)
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By Dante Alighieri. Adapted by Seymour Chwast.For their tour through the nine circles of hell, Dante wears a trench coat and sunglasses and Virgil has on a fedora and spectator shoes. Employing simple black-and-white line drawings, Chwast's adaptation is infused with his original comic style.
Ulysses(12 of13)
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By James Joyce. Adapted by Robert Berry.Berry's re-imagining of the post-modern epic is a monumental task, but rabid Joyceans will love this fresh take on the happenings of Bloomsday. Available to read here and on the iPad.
Gravity's Rainbow(13 of13)
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By Thomas Pynchon. Illustrated by Zak SmithHaving a hard time following Pynchon's intricate prose abyss? Pick up this companion, in which Zak Smith gives you an image for EVERY SINGLE PAGE of the dizzying saga, and you may unlock the novel's mysteries. Or you may just get more confused.

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