PotsandPlots

Plant With: Fiction, Graphic Novels, YA.

Rating: 🌻🌻🌻 – Hardy Perennial – An excellent addition to any home or school library. A great companion or entry to the full novel.

Review Copy sent by publisher. (Faber in the UK)

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The Review

Lord of the Flies is an amazing book, though it was notable in my early life for not being The Lord of the Rings, a book I was obsessed with.

I didn’t read William Golding’s classic until much later, but it was, without a doubt, a nailed-on classic. It seems amazing to me that even in my youth, it should have already gained such a status, having been written less than 20 years before I was born.

“Instant classic” is a superlative often bandied around about books, but rarely deserved. I’ve lost count of the “instant classics” I’ve read that nobody can remember 5 years later. Lord of the Flies is a novel that can truly claim the title. A perennial favourite and forever on school reading lists, it has now been updated by Aimée De Jongh, who brings us Lord of the Flies: The Graphic Novel.

What Is Lord of The Flies – The Graphic Novel?

I guess one could argue whether a book as good as Lord of the Flies needs a graphic novel. The answer is, honestly, possibly not. But that doesn’t mean that De Jongh hasn’t created something special.

This is a straight-up retelling of the story. A chunky tome, filled with evocative illustrations that reinforce the power of Golding’s story. According to the author’s afterword, all the text used comes straight from the original. She states her aim as wishing “[to add] meaning through composition, colour and atmosphere.”

Why Read Lord of The Flies – The Graphic Novel?

I would say De Jongh succeeds in her aim. Her pictures vividly bring to life the horror of the “Lord of the Flies” itself. The festering pig head becomes even more malignant in De Jongh’s drawings. I’m not sure whether it is due to the artist’s framing of the author’s words or the longevity of Golding’s vision, but this retelling brought home how relevant the original novel remains.

Looking at how the boys arranged themselves and the assertion of “might is right” chimes with the politically turbulent times we find ourselves in. Jack’s rise to power and the way in which the other boys are cowed by him play out in front of us on an almost daily basis. Through de Jongh’s treatment of the text, we can see echoes of the populism that infects the world today.

Lord of the Flies is a text that I think will hit home for every reader. It is currently on the GCSE syllabus in the UK (the exams we take at 16) and its themes and characters will resonate with anybody of that age. Aimée De Jongh’s accessible retelling opens opportunities for even more people to enjoy the novel.

I don’t think this interpretation can replace the power of reading the original, but as a way into the full text, it is perfect. There were certainly some nuances that I either overlooked when I first read the book or have since forgotten from when I did. The lure of rereading the original book is strong. I’m definitely considering taking another look.

I think for anybody new to the story will, after reading the graphic novel, want to dig deeper – “You mean there’s more of this? – Sign me up!” Though perhaps I’m telegraphing my own love of reading onto a teenage reader in a way that just won’t stack up.

Nevertheless, whether you’re a newcomer to Golding’s work or already a lover of it, there is much to enjoy about Aimée De Jongh’s graphic retelling. It’s a compelling companion to one of the 20th Century’s finest novels.