Book vs. Graphic Novel vs. Movie

As we go from reading a book, to perusing a graphic novel, to watching a movie, we progress from a slow paced, detailed depiction of a story to a faster, more wide-ranging one.

In a book, a single event may span a few paragraphs, or the length of a chapter, or even the entire length of the book itself. The thoughts, emotions, and actions of the characters have to be spelled out. A reader knows only what he or she is told. Although they might be able to make connections and draw inferences on their own, they can’t draw conclusions without first being presented with some sort of information.

In a graphic novel, a number of different events can be presented on the same page. The way in which these events are presented – their order, their tone, their emphasis – determines how the story is viewed. The reader can draw conclusions not only from the text – the narration and the dialogue – but also from the images that are in front of them. This result in a sort of paradox: while the reader is presented with a more vivid, detailed view of the story, he or she is less likely to note the details. This is because a graphic novel provides details, but does not focus in on them. The reader is shown the décor of a room and the colors of a character’s outfit, but they are rarely ever drawn to pay close attention to them through the text.

In a movie, the story is often cut down to its bare essentials and crammed into a single, two hour sitting. The amount of detail is far greater than in a book or a graphic novel – the reactions of characters can be seen, and the tones of their voices can be heard – but the amount that the viewer actually remembers is far less.