The Purpose of This Page
The following definitions are gathered from a variety of sources where the citation, either MLA or Chicago style, is provided underneath each definition.
Note: I am providing the information below, so that the reader can see the different interpretations and understanding of the words. It is best to GO to the source and look it up yourself, so that you can get a FULL picture of the subject. :-) Thank you.
Graphic Novel
“n. A novel whose narrative is related through a combination of text and art, often in comic-strip form.”
“Graphic novel.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. 4th ed. 2000. Print.
“a novel in the form of comic strips. [1985-90]”
“Graphʹic novʹel.” Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. 2nd ed. 2001. Print.
“n. a novel in comic-strip format.”
“Graph·ic novel.” The New Oxford American Dictionary. 2nd ed. 2005. Print.
“A graphic novel can be almost any book of visually/verbally told stories, although the term is something of a misnomer given that “graphic novels” can be long or short, fiction or nonfiction, even collections of short stories, uncompiled partial works or magazine serials. Graphic novels embrace all genres, can be of any shape or format, and do not have to be of the “format, serious intent, and hefty weight of traditional literature” or be the “visual equivalent of 'an extended, fictional work'” (Gravett 2005, 8).”
John A. Lent, “Part 1: Global Context of Graphic Narrative,” in Graphic Novels Beyond the Basics: Insights and Issues for Libraries, ed. Cornog, Martha and Timothy Perper (Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited, 2009), 110.
“Of course, not all graphic narratives are fiction; increasingly, the term “graphic novel” is used to include graphic nonfiction such as autobiography, reportage, and historical work.”
Lorena O'English, “Comics and Graphic Novels in the Academic Library Collection,” in Graphic Novels Beyond the Basics: Insights and Issues for Libraries, eds. Cornog, Martha and Timothy Perper (Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited, 2009), 164.
© 2012 Linda Thai
