Plot point follows plot point in these fast-paced adaptations. With scant space allotted for character development or setting, the tales seem to be little more than a collection of elaborate coincidences. Jane Eyre holds up best. Les Miserables is simply too large for such a brief treatment, and Martin's propensity for choppy sentences makes a hash of Oliver Twist. [Review covers these Stepping Stone Book Classic titles: Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Les Miserables.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

The Classical Comics series presents great literary works in multiple volumes, each written in text of varying simplicity to suit a wide range of readers' abilities and interests. This Original Text edition features the more challenging language of the two versions of Jane Eyre (the other being an abridged Quick Text), with sentences drawn directly from Brontë's classic novel. Words printed in bold indicate the rhythmic emphasis in each sentence and will help guide readers through the skillfully abbreviated text. Burns' artwork suffers somewhat in the fine detail; faces sometimes appear distorted in their lack of definition. The scenes' compositions are excellent, though, and Burns ably conveys the dramatic action and romance and even extends the story in wordless panels that portray the characters' thoughts. The extensive back matter includes a long prose biography of Brontë, a chronology of her life, a Brontë family tree, and an interesting spread describing how the dual graphic editions of this classic were created. A solid, accessible graphic adaptation of a novel that teens continue to read for pleasure as well as for assignment.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2009 Booklist