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A review by graypeape
Anna Karenina by Gemma Barder
3.0
I am conflicted about this book. On the one hand, looking at it purely as an adaption, Gemma Barder has done a good job of condensing over 800 pages of text down to 120 pages. While much is lost, of course, the bones of the story are there, and it was an interesting read. I admit, I've not read Anna Karenina yet, but reading this adaption honestly did make me more interested in reading the original, so there's that, that's a plus to me. However...
The publisher's blurb on Netgalley lists this book thus: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for younger readers and teens." Their blurb on GoodReads says this: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for children aged 7+." Now, the style of language in the adaption is suitable for children as young as seven, but the subject matter? Not so much. Nor do I think it would interest a child that young. An adaption of Anna Karenina would be better suited toward middle grade/high school students, with the language bumped up to their level, while still simplified from the original, in my opinion. I'm giving this 3 stars because I feel Barder did a good job within the parameters set for her, but I do think perhaps the publisher should rethink the audience, beef up the length of the adaptions in their Easy Classics Epics Collection to about double what they are now, and raise the language up to a higher level suited to older children and teens. Again, just my opinion, others mileage may vary.
#kidsTolstoy #NetGalley
The publisher's blurb on Netgalley lists this book thus: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for younger readers and teens." Their blurb on GoodReads says this: "Suitably adapted and illustrated for children aged 7+." Now, the style of language in the adaption is suitable for children as young as seven, but the subject matter? Not so much. Nor do I think it would interest a child that young. An adaption of Anna Karenina would be better suited toward middle grade/high school students, with the language bumped up to their level, while still simplified from the original, in my opinion. I'm giving this 3 stars because I feel Barder did a good job within the parameters set for her, but I do think perhaps the publisher should rethink the audience, beef up the length of the adaptions in their Easy Classics Epics Collection to about double what they are now, and raise the language up to a higher level suited to older children and teens. Again, just my opinion, others mileage may vary.
#kidsTolstoy #NetGalley