A graphic novel is a new experience for me. I have never
considered buying one, probably because I associate them with the comic books
of my youth (mostly featuring derring-do in World War 2). However, I understand
they are popular with a wider audience these days, and since Windhaven is a novel I like and have
reviewed here, I accepted the offer from Titan Comics to review the graphic
version of it.
I will start by replicating my review of the print version:
This stand-alone 1981
novel consists of three novellas (the first two originally published separately
in 1975 and 1980) and an epilogue. The stories are set on the planet of
Windhaven which is almost entirely covered by ocean except for a few
widely-scattered groups of islands. These islands were populated by the
survivors of a spaceship crash-landing generations before the events in the
novel. Due to resource shortages the civilisation has regressed to the medieval
level with one exception: they still possess quantities of almost
indestructible but extremely thin and light fabric, ideal for making glider
wings. The Windhaven weather is almost always windy and frequently stormy and,
although not specified in the book, the combination of surface gravity and air
density is sufficient to support long gliding flights by highly-skilled
hereditary "flyers", with the aid of folding wings with a twenty-foot
span. The high-status flyers form the main communication links between the
islands, as shipping is hazardous due to the storms and sea monsters.
Although nominally SF,
there are no mind-stretching concepts other than the initial premise described
above. The story is really about people; their alliances and antagonisms,
struggles to succeed, failures and successes.
The novellas focus on
the story of three stages in the life of Maris, a girl of humble origins who is
adopted by a flyer and thereby given the chance to learn to fly – the only
thing she has ever wanted to do. She is faced by many obstacles and problems
throughout her life, and this is far from a "happily ever after"
story. It is something of an emotional roller-coaster ride, being very moving
in places. There are some impressive set-pieces such as the intense and
brilliantly argued debate at the end of the first part in which the flyers decide
who should and should not have the right to be trained to join them.
The character of Maris
is superbly developed throughout the book and the richness of the descriptions
of the society, the personalities and the emotional intensity of their complex
and ever-evolving relationships irresistably drew me in. I found myself really
caring about what happened, sometimes even reluctant to carry on reading
because of the dangers Maris courted and the pain and disappointments she
suffered.
Windhaven is not a
long book by modern standards but nonetheless tells an epic story, the stuff of
legend. It is beautifully told and deserves to be far better known, and I
highly recommend it.
The first point to note about the graphic version is that
the adaptation was done by Lisa Tuttle, co-author of the original novel, which
is a big plus point. The artwork is by Elsa Charretier. The book is a smart hardback,
the full-colour graphics printed on high-quality paper; it is an attractive
book to handle and look through. Unlike the comics of my childhood, the
illustrations of the characters are, well, somewhat stylised and cartoonish
rather than realistic, but I understand that is the popular fashion these days.
Most of the text consists of dialogue, supplemented by a few short information
boxes per page. Effectively the text forms a precis of the print book, and a
good one too – all of the key moments are there.
I approached this book with some reservations (which would
also apply to any other graphic novel) because of the way in which I normally
experience a novel. While I don't do this consciously, I realise that when I
read a text, the words generate pictures in my mind; effectively, I create my
own movie as I read. This quite strongly affects my experience of the story.
For example, if the text describes a building on one side of a river, I form an
image of the view with the building located on what I think is the correct
side. If, later on, it turns out that the author means the building to be on
the other side of the river, I find this very disorientating. I generally find
that it is very difficult to rewind and "reshoot" the view in my mind
to match the change; it is easier to
ignore the author's words and continue to picture it on the "wrong"
side, unless that really messes up the plot. With a graphic novel of course
this situation cannot arise: in effect, the reader is seeing the illustrator's
movie of the story (or stills from it, at any rate). This reduces my
involvement in the story as I become a spectator rather than a participant.
However, I need not have worried. Somewhat to my surprise, I
was immediately drawn into the story once more and read it without a break (it
took about an hour, a quarter of the time it takes me to read the print
version). Of course, it is a different kind of experience to reading the print
novel but I found that I had no problems with getting into and appreciating the
story, and the conclusion was still moving. I was aware that my familiarity
with the tale may have enabled me to understand the context rather more easily
than a newcomer to the story could manage, but it's impossible for me to assess
that.
What is the value of the graphic version of this (or any)
novel? It certainly saves time and some mental effort, so is an easier way to
enjoy the story. It is more accessible, potentially stimulating an interest in
the story which could be a lead-in to the print version. It is unlikely that I
will ever prefer the graphic format, as I gain so much pleasure from exercising
my imagination as I read, but I found the graphic Windhaven surprisingly enjoyable.
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