{"product_id":"the-graphic-canon-volume-1-russ-kick-9781609803766","title":"The Graphic Canon, Volume 1: From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Shakespeare to Dangerous Liaisons","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eTHE GRAPHIC CANON\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e (Seven Stories Press) is a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind trilogy that brings classic literatures of the world together with legendary graphic artists and illustrators. There are more than 130 illustrators represented and 190 literary works over three volumes--many newly commissioned, some hard to find--reinterpreted here for readers and collectors of all ages. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eVolume 1 takes us on a visual tour from the earliest literature through the end of the 1700s. Along the way, we're treated to eye-popping renditions of the human race's greatest epics: \u003ci\u003eGilgamesh\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Iliad\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Odyssey\u003c\/i\u003e (in watercolors by Gareth Hinds), The \u003ci\u003eAeneid\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBeowulf\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Arabian Nights\u003c\/i\u003e, plus later epics \u003ci\u003eThe Divine Comedy\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Canterbury Tales\u003c\/i\u003e (both by legendary illustrator and graphic designer Seymour Chwast), \u003ci\u003eParadise Lost\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eLe Morte D'Arthur\u003c\/i\u003e. Two of ancient Greece's greatest plays are adapted--the tragedy \u003ci\u003eMedea\u003c\/i\u003e by Euripides and Tania Schrag's uninhibited rendering of the very bawdy comedy \u003ci\u003eLysistrata\u003c\/i\u003e by Aristophanes (the text of which is still censored in many textbooks). Also included is Robert Crumb's rarely-seen adaptation of James Boswell's \u003ci\u003eLondon Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, filled with philosophical debate and lowbrow debauchery. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eReligious literature is well-covered and well-illustrated, with the Books of Daniel and Esther from the Old Testament, Rick Geary's awe-inspiring new rendition of the Book of Revelation from the New Testament, the \u003ci\u003eTao te Ching\u003c\/i\u003e, Rumi's Sufi poetry, Hinduism's \u003ci\u003eMahabharata\u003c\/i\u003e, and the Mayan holy book \u003ci\u003ePopol Vuh\u003c\/i\u003e, illustrated by Roberta Gregory. The Eastern canon gets its due, with \u003ci\u003eThe Tale of Genji \u003c\/i\u003e(the world's first novel, done in full-page illustrations reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley), three poems from China's golden age of literature lovingly drawn by pioneering underground comics artist Sharon Rudahl, the Tibetan Book of the Dead, a Japanese Noh play, and other works from Asia. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTwo of Shakespeare's greatest plays (\u003ci\u003eKing Lear\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eA Midsummer Night's Dream\u003c\/i\u003e) and two of his sonnets are here, as are Plato's \u003ci\u003eSymposium\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGulliver's Travels\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCandide\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eA Vindication of the Rights of Woman\u003c\/i\u003e, Renaissance poetry of love and desire, and \u003ci\u003eDon Quixote\u003c\/i\u003e visualized by the legendary Will Eisner. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSome unexpected twists in this volume include a Native American folktale, an Incan play, Sappho's poetic fragments, bawdy essays by Benjamin Franklin, the love letters of Abelard and Heloise, and the decadent French classic \u003ci\u003eDangerous Liaisons\u003c\/i\u003e, as illustrated by Molly\u003cbr\u003eCrabapple. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Edited by Russ Kick, \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Graphic Canon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is an extraordinary collection that will continue with \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVolume 2: \"\u003c\/i\u003eKubla Khan\"\u003ci\u003e to the \u003c\/i\u003eBronte Sisters\u003ci\u003e to The Picture of Dorian Gray\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e in Summer 2012, and \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVolume 3: From Heart of Darkness to Hemingway to Infinite Jest\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e in Fall 2012. A boxed set of all three volumes will also be published in Fall 2012.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Russ Kick\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1609803760\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781609803766\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Seven Stories Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/22\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 512\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 3.57lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 10.86h x 8.54w x 1.30d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/15\/2012 pg. 48\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/15\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 09\/15\/2012 pg. 54\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/02\/2012 pg. 44\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/09\/2012 pg. 30\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Bea Big Book Guide\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/15\/2012 pg. 17\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2013","brand":"Russ Kick","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43984591945983,"sku":"9781609803766","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_9f3aed4f-7afb-47a5-b728-96c0b3ec504f.jpg?v=1683273144","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-graphic-canon-volume-1-russ-kick-9781609803766","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}