Schoolboys survive a plane crash into a remote tropical island. It’s just them on the island - no other humans, no means of escape. How will they survive - what will happen to the boys without civilisation, without adult supervision for so long… and will they all make it back home?
Aimee de Jongh adapts William Golding’s 1954 classic Lord of the Flies into an absolutely triumphant masterwork of comics in its own right. I read the original novel years ago but it feels fresh in de Jongh’s capable hands because of her incredible art and perfectly laid-out pages.
The story is as iconic and exceptional here as it always was. Ralph meets Piggy, they find the conch, we meet Jack and the older boys who become the hunters, and, though the boys establish a semblance of order to begin with (whoever holds the conch gets to speak at the assembly), their shaky society gradually breaks down as the boys revert to a terrifying primal state and the violence escalates into murder.
De Jongh keeps Golding’s sentences intact so it feels like a perfect collaboration beyond the grave - her images complementing Golding’s prose - and the story beats are as remarkable as they ever were but feel more powerful because of the visuals. Piggy in particular seems more tragic here, because of how de Jongh draws him - vulnerable yet dignified, sad but noble.
Piggy is such a brilliant character. I felt for the poor kid all over again - he’s asthmatic, he’s kind to the younger boys, making them feel safe, he stands up to the bullies despite being the target of bullies prior to this book, and he appeals to reason and compassion in the face of naked aggression and rootless hatred. And we know what happens all too often and unfairly to good people. He doesn’t even get to have a real name - just the cruel nickname he hates.
Piggy is the best character but the others are just as perfectly written - Ralph, the hero of the story, and Jack, the horrible older boy who leads the descent into madness. And Golding throws in some inspired scenes as well to keep up the tension like the introduction of the dead soldier parachuting over the island and one of the most creative, ingenious scenes in all of literature: the Lord of the Flies scene.
The ending is equally perfect with that haunting final image, reminding us of what happens when boys grow into men and the violence only becomes more sophisticated and extreme, rather than stopping.
The story is perfectly paced, the characters are unique, it captures a truth about humanity so astutely, and the book as a whole is so memorable and imaginative. It’s no wonder Golding was awarded the Nobel for this book and that it’s gone on to influence numerous other major works of fiction over the years from Battle Royale to The Hunger Games and their many lesser iterations.
Aimee de Jongh’s art is beautiful. It’s colourful, evocative - there isn’t a single page that doesn’t look amazing. She found another level to Golding’s story with her art - as much of an achievement as Golding’s novel is, this comics adaptation may be even better. I found that all aspects of the story - the scenes, the characters - were more powerful to read because of her vivid art.
From subtle details like seeing the boys getting more dishevelled over time, to the horror of the soldier’s corpse, the radiance of the island’s nature to the jarring scene when the pig’s head starts talking - what a contribution she gave to an established masterpiece to somehow make it that much better.
Even if you’ve read Lord of the Flies, this comics adaptation is still worth reading - a genuinely great book from a world-class artist lending her talents to a deservedly legendary story. I couldn’t recommend this book more.
No comments:
Post a Comment