[ficbot]

I was getting caught up with the kid brother the other day (he's 17) and among our discussion topics was what he's reading in school. We both like to read; he is an amateur writer too and of course everyone in the family likes to encourage this. So when he said they were studying Romeo and Juliet, I mentioned that play was a favourite of mine and asked him what he thought of it. So then we have the following conversation:

Him: Which version?

Me: What do you mean, which version? The PLAY.

Him: Well, we saw the movie. The one with Leonardo DiCaprio.

Me: (sinking feeling) And then you read the play after?

Him: Well, it was a graphic novel.

Me: And?

Him: And then we did a project.

It turns out that they never actually read the real play! Not even a snippet of it. They saw the modern movie, they read a graphic novel adaptation and that was it! Am I the only one who thinks that is completely wrong? We read a play a year---the REAL version--when I went through high school. It was part of the curriculum. I understand not everyone is a literature nerd and some kids might find the language quaint. I can understand hooking them in with Leonardo DiCaprio. But then after that, you give them the real play, no?

My dad was equally horrified, fwiw, and as soon as dinner was done, went up to his office, got the real play off his bookshelf and gave it to little bro to read. But...the 'graphic novel' version? Really?