Graphic Novels

When I was a freshman in high school we read "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. This was exciting because the movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow had just been released. Then we started reading the text and my enthusiasm was lost in the difficulty of the text. My friend came to the rescue with a comic book of "Great Expectations" that she had found at the city library. Reading this comic book was so much easier than reading the actual book by Dickens.

Looking back I now realise it wasn't a comic book but a graphic novel. This graphic novel saved my grade and my enthusiasm for the story told. My teacher may have thought it was cheating and maybe it was (this is a very grey area). When I was a freshman I wasn't prepared to enjoy Charles Dickens but since that graphic novel, I have returned to Dickens and read "Oliver Twist" and enjoyed it. 

Graphic novels help to keep reading interesting to those unprepared to read a massive text. By reading graphic novels, it is easier to grasp the story and still enjoy reading. Graphic novels can be enjoyed by any reading level. Reading is Reading even if it has a lot of pictures.