David Copperfield

by Jacqueline Morley (Adapter), Penko Gelev (Illustrator), Charles Dickens

Titles in Barron's Graphic Classics series present faithful graphic novel adaptations of memorable works of literature. Graphic Classics introduce elementary and secondary school students to many great books, and encourage boys and girls to discover the joy of reading the masterworks in their original form. Graphic Classics titles tell absorbing stories with high-quality color illustrations, brief narrative sections, and dialogue balloons that capture the spirit of the originals. Each title includes background material to help young readers understand when and why the literary work was originally written. David Copperfield, a classic novel by Charles Dickens, tells of a little boy's struggles against a wicked stepfather and other hardships as he grows to manhood. The story is also enlivened with many colorfully comic characters. Probably the funniest of them is the always-in-debt but ever hopeful Mister Micawber. Dickens claimed that David Copperfield was his favorite among his many fictional characters. This edition is paperback. The book is also available in a hardcover edition.

Genres: Classics, Graphic Novels, Fiction

48 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2011

About the author

Jacqueline Morley studied English at Oxford University and has taught English and History. She is the author of numerous books, including award-winning historical nonfiction titles for children. Her books have won several TES Senior Information book awards.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5) This is part of the Graffex series of graphic novel literary retellings issued by Salariya Book Company. I snapped up a remainder copy from Addyman Books in Hay-on-Wye the other week. It’s remarkably faithful to Dickens’s original, with just a bit of condensing in terms of the plot and a few secondary characters cut out or greatly reduced in importance. Although this is no substitute for reading David Copperfield itself (my favorite book), I could see it being useful for high school or college students who need a quick recap of what happens when preparing for a quiz or essay. The three main young females are amusingly similar and idealized, but all the other characters’ looks are true to the novel’s descriptions (and previous adaptations). The end matter – a brief biography of Dickens, commentary on the novel, a timeline of stage and screen versions – is particularly helpful, though in the chronology of Dickens’s works they’ve forgotten Dombey and Son!

[Anna Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't realise this was not intended for adults, whoops. I don't know the story of David Copperfield so can't really comment but did seem rather abridged. However, it still allowed some of the personalities to shine through.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll be honest... I've never read the actual source material for this graphic so I have to take the back blurb's word for it when it says that the graphic is a faithful retelling. I'm sure the comic form is very much condensed and boiled down to the bare basics. I semi enjoyed the read as I feel that I got a general overview of the book and I almost feel inclined to read the actual novel.
The art isn't fantastic but better than expected for such a storyline. I can see how this might interest younger audiences to get into reading the "classics".

[Billie Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it and appreciated the footnotes to make the material easily accessible for a younger reader who may not be familiar with some of the older English terms. But I agree with other reviews that too much may have been cut out making the story hard to follow once he's an adult and meeting a new cast of characters each page. I also liked the graphic novel format to help kids visualize the clothing, homes, and transportation of the day just wish it had been a bit longer to build up the characters to keep them straight.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The basic structure of the story is there, but it is so condensed that I'm not sure kids who are unfamiliar with the story will understand it. With a graphic novel, the hope is that it will spark an interest in the novel and/or the author.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the art style and the simplicity of the story. I have not read David Copperfield, although it is on my tbr. I was still able to understand the premise of the novel and think it would be a great introduction for children/ middle grade interested in Dickens work.

[StrictlySequential ArtNarrative · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm obviously on a Dickens via Gelev binge here and loving it!

Here his art is his most refined as I've seen it- the look he gave Oliver Twist fit the best but this is beautiful.