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A review by spenkevich
1984: The Graphic Novel by George Orwell
4.0
I often think that art is the closest thing we have to magic. Just words or images on a page can transport us to imaginative worlds, instill strong emotions that overcome us and make us laugh, cry, love and dream. While I tend to find graphic adaptations of “classic” novels to be rather hit or miss, Fido Nesti’s 1984 is a real success that brings Orwell’s beloved and eerie novel to life and truly immerses us in the frightening dystopia. This is an artistic journey that stays faithful to the story and delivers uneasy imagery that adds to the story instead of seems just an excuse to have a graphic novel as I sometimes feel these adaptations tend to go. This would be great for hesitant readers who still want to experience Orwell’s work but fans of the original novel (I won’t get into the plot much but I have reviewed it at length here) will find this a rewarding visual plunge into the darkness of the tale.
Fido Nesti has a really engaging style that is rather cartoonish in a way that doesn’t soften the blow but rather makes it almost more distressing through the grotesque caricatures. Much of the story is done in grey-scale that captures the grimness of the society with light uses of reds and yellows. It gives a very “cold war” vibe while also feeling futuristic and very very dystopian. I particularly liked the use of frames, having many small frames with tight angles on Winston to help express the small, fleeting and dangerous spaces the idea of individuality can occupy. Juxtapose this with the large panels of crowds, particularly the Two Minute Hate or other moments that show the masses as threatening.
This is a very eerie and unsettling rendition and for that I quite enjoyed it. There are long passages from the novel threated through the book, which was a bit jarring but does show much visual and visceral the actual text is without the need of images (though, then it almost seems to ask what is the point of a visual adaptation?) which is cool I guess. Though I had just read the book so it felt unnecessary to me. Still, Nesti manages to dazzle and really bring this story to life in a lovely hardbound edition that is quite large and lovely to hold. Worth the trip, but be careful because Big Brother is watching…
Fido Nesti has a really engaging style that is rather cartoonish in a way that doesn’t soften the blow but rather makes it almost more distressing through the grotesque caricatures. Much of the story is done in grey-scale that captures the grimness of the society with light uses of reds and yellows. It gives a very “cold war” vibe while also feeling futuristic and very very dystopian. I particularly liked the use of frames, having many small frames with tight angles on Winston to help express the small, fleeting and dangerous spaces the idea of individuality can occupy. Juxtapose this with the large panels of crowds, particularly the Two Minute Hate or other moments that show the masses as threatening.
This is a very eerie and unsettling rendition and for that I quite enjoyed it. There are long passages from the novel threated through the book, which was a bit jarring but does show much visual and visceral the actual text is without the need of images (though, then it almost seems to ask what is the point of a visual adaptation?) which is cool I guess. Though I had just read the book so it felt unnecessary to me. Still, Nesti manages to dazzle and really bring this story to life in a lovely hardbound edition that is quite large and lovely to hold. Worth the trip, but be careful because Big Brother is watching…