English-lit students may be interested to learn that a new version of Ray Bradbury’s classic novel, “Farenheit 451” is hitting stores this week–and that the new version is extremely faithful to the original text.
The classic novel about a post-apacolyptic future where firemen burn books instead of putting out fires is getting the graphic novel treatment. The new version is set to hit stores this week in both a hardback and softcover version.
And the new vision of the future has the approval of the grand-master himself, reports USA Today.
“It’s beautiful,” says Bradbury, adding that he imagines “someone giving it to a 10-year-old kid who then wants to read the original novel. That’s what good graphic novels can do. They can make you read more.”
Bradbury, who wrote the first-draft of the story in nine days, added that he’d like to see a new big-screen version of the story get made in his lifetime. The prolific author will turn 90 later this month.
Bradbury wrote an introduction to the latest adaptation, but otherwise, “I didn’t interfere.”
And Bradbury says he’s not worried that students will only read the new graphic-novel “451.”
“I don’t know, but I know when I was 5 years old, my parents gave me an illustrated version of ‘Beauty and the Beast’, and I loved it so much that I decided that I had to learn to read, and I did,” he said. “When I was 9, the Buck Rogers comics took me to the future, and I never came back.”
How lucky for all of Ray Bradbury’s fans (especially me!). I’ll be heading out to make certain that I get my copy this week! From the first time that I read a Bradbury novel, I was hooked as his fan. Thanks for the information.
Check out my first and recently released novel, Long Journey to Rneadal. This exciting story is a romantic action adventure in space.