Herman Melville's Moby Dick

Herman Melville's Moby Dick by Chaboute, 256 pages.

Chaboute's black ink drawings are really spectacular. His drawings and the edited text of Melville's classic novel really bring this abbreviated version to life. Or so I assume, because I have never read the original. I'm waiting until we do Moby Dick for our big-book summer read for that. This graphic novel comes to life, anyway. Ishmael and Queequeg meet when they share a room at the Spouter Inn. After a misunderstanding when they meet, Queequeg adopts Ishmael and helps him get a berth on Captain Ahab's ship, the Pequod. The rest of the story moves along, as I am told the original novel does not. So good for Chaboute. He makes it seem like this classic novel should move well up on the must-read list.

Alone

Alone by Chaboute, 367 pages.
Very detailed, evocative, and moving black-ink drawings that tell the story of a disfigured man who has spent his life alone on a deserted island. His parents had tended the lighthouse there; before they died they had arranged for supplies to be delivered regularly for their son.
He has spent his time with a dictionary, items that have washed up out of the sea, and his imagination. When the boat that has delivered supplies for many years takes on a new crew member things begin to change for the protagonist. The drawings outpace the story, but still a worthwhile read.