The Graphic Canon of Crime and Mystery, Vol. 1: From Sherlock Holmes to A Clockwork Orange to Jo Nesbø

Literature is riddled with all kinds of crimes, which this volume puts front and center. Excerpts from works as disparate as Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Body Snatcher, Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound, and Franz Kafka’s In the Penal Colony jostle with many others in sections that explore unifying themes: The Act, Criminals, Whodunit, Judgment, and Punishment. Juxtaposing ancient, historical, and modern authors and their works in such a way gives you an interesting lens through which to compare these works and the meaning behind them. They are all excellent literary works, worth study and comparison. The graphic novel illustrations are wonderful. Various artists are represented, adapting the classic works to this medium in unique and memorable ways. After reading the excerpts in this format, you will wish not only to become familiar with the original work but that the artists would expand their adaptation to the full story. A word of caution: many of these stories deal with mature themes and the illustrations are sometimes quite frightening; parents may want to preview this book; the stories are not adapted for children! However, this is a brilliant introduction to the classical canon of crime literature.