Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows (A Graphic Novel Adaptation) by Nathan Carson and Sam Ford

Book Description

This immortal novella of extra-dimensional weirdness on the Danube comes to vivid life in graphic comic form thanks to the incredibly detailed black-and-white linework of talented newcomer, Sam Ford. Writer Nathan Carson’s thoughtful retelling reverently preserves the plot while breathing character-driven depth into this all-time classic.

Two adventurous women, one British, one Swedish, encounter strange horrors in the Hungarian wilderness of 1907. What they discover on that crumbling sandbar makes them question their sanity, fear for their lives, and revel in otherworldly strangeness.

Readers familiar with the story will delight in seeing it depicted in such painstaking, quality illustrations. And those for whom it is new will want to leave a light on for many nights after.

My Review

This graphic novel adaptation of “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood was an absolute treat and should be enjoyed by anyone who loves early horror. I love how Nathan Carson (the Adapter) extracted powerful phrases from within the original 1907 story, and Sam Ford (Illustrator) built the scenes visually to enhance the impact.

I loved the way Carson summarized the story into the graphic novel frames and moments that mattered, but the technique and impact of the illustrations Ford brought to the story utterly floored me. Watching the willows come to life on the page, in all the contorted horror of the unseen, the fear and the self-doubt packed into the characters’ expressions, and the overall rendering of monstrosity out of imagining was an experience beyond comparison.

I cannot possibly do more than insist that anyone who has the opportunity should absolutely experience this interpretation.

Click for the full size.

Click for the full size.

Book Details

Title: Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows
Author: Nathan Carson (Adapter), Sam Ford (Illustrator), Algernon Blackwood (Original Author)
My Rating: 5/5 Stars
Published: November 12th 2019 by Floating World Comics
ISBN: 9781942801757
Where: If you’d like to find out where the book is sold, please check Goodreads.

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