Overall this is a great adaptation of thirteen poems by Victor Hugo into comics with a diverse range of artistic styles. They use some 19th century public domain translations, but received the permission to use some more recent ones as well.

However, the comic adaptaions were originally published in French. I point this out as it means the illustrations were drawn for the French, and the text was then changed to English. This has the end result of exposition appearing in dialogue balloons, and dialogue appearing in exposition boxes. This can be confusing, but not insurmountably so.

I have copies of the 19th century translations they used, and a comparison shows changes were made -- both to lessen the above-mentioned confusion, and to update the language. I don’t have a problem with this, as the changes they make are generally positive, and are still representative of the original. However, they don’t admit to doing it. And this violates a cardinal rule I have with all adaptations. I want to be told when something is abridged, or altered in any way.

My last complaint is the result of a minor editorial oversight. On the last page of the book they have a short bibliography. This bibliography includes: “Poems and Translations Written Between the Ages of Fourteen and Seventeen” by Emma Lazarus, 1867. But Lazarus is not credited within the book for any of the poems. It appears they decided to go with a different translation for one (or more) of the poems. This upsets me. Emma Lazarus’ name is recognized by many Americans. She is easily more important than any of the translators they include in the collection. Maybe not all kids today are taught who wrote the words on the Statue of Liberty, but they should be.

Emma Lazarus’ poem is associated with Freedom in America. Just as Victor Hugo’s name is associated with Freedom in France. It’s a shame they decided not to use her translation(s). It would have been extremely appropriate.

Her book is described as: Thirty original poems and forty-four translations from the German (Heinrich Heine) and the French (Alexander Dumas and Victor Hugo), seventy-four poetic pieces in all. This, as one might guess from the title, was her first book of poetry, and it was apparently highly praised by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

The above review is modified from a review I posted to my blog back in 2004: http://transylvaniandutch.com/td/archives/979 ( )