Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
by illini75

Comment:
I hate to nitpick topicality but the book is neither a novel nor can it be considered a "classic". However the image seems suitable, say, as a possible dilapidated building where the author might have lived. As to the image itself, I enjoy the collection of textures and spaces, even the random wiring that characterizes such a run-down urban residence. But visually the problem is that there is so much going on that the viewer is quickly overwhelmed with too much information, especially with the texture-amplifying processing. Personally, I'm drawn to the deep blackness of the door, but distracted by the surrounding activity. I think a tighter crop on the window and door would make the impact much stronger. It's a tough subject and the image reminds me of many I've taken myself but disgarded because I couldn't decide what to do with them. So your effort is commendable but I can't go above a 6 for the reasons above.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)
by Garry

Comment:
Shouldn't the knife blade be on the other side amplifying Hyde's personality, or is this Hyde threatening Jekyll? Anyway, technically well produced as a photo although the facial expressions doesn't quite fit with my impression of the story or its characters. 6

The Water Babies ~ Charles Kingsley
by Ja-9

Comment:
I know these fish. Love the color and the filigree and the sense of depth even in a shallow pool. Water yes, but babies - ok transformed into water creatures, maybe. 6 anyway for visual appeal.

A la recherche du temps perdu - Marcel Proust
by mariuca

Comment:
Haven't read Proust but I know it's long and can understand how the shriveled leaves may reflect such a long passage of time spend in writing the entire set, or perhaps Proust's regret for "lost time". So the image might even serve as an illustration for a literary work which defies illustration. As to the image itself, the color and detail are suburb but the crop/composition could be improved quite a bit. In other words, while the subject itself (the leaves) are visually appealing, the effect is marred by several unattractive elements such as the black glare (upper right) and the edge of the shelf. Better to burn in the glare and crop out the shelf. And of course, if possible recapture the right edges of the leaves which are currently cropped out. Ultimately the worthy qualities are outweighed by these defects which if corrected could result in a 6 or 7 from me but in its current state, only a 5.

"The Great Gatsby" Remembered
by beatabg

Comment:
Creative visual effect - she looks like a poster cutout pasted onto a photorealistic old car painting. A character transported from the Gatsby country club into a barn. 6 for something different.

The Secret Garden
by pmichaud

Comment:
The image is too contrasty and oversaturated, but there is some of the mood as if we were looking out from a secret place to the outside light. 5

A Lazy Autumn Day by the River : Inspired by "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn"
by Bear_Music

Comment:
Captures the mood of the lazy autumn day, although the outboard motor becomes an anachronism when considering Huck Finn. Composition and tones look good and I love the reflected mast leading in. 6

Wuthering Heights
by wdamman

Comment:
Overprocessing has clumped up the normal tonal range and the composition lacks clear intent. As to subject matter, this comes closer to the source inspiration than most images in the challenge. 5

Keep the aspidistra flying - George Orwell (1936)
by hajeka

Comment:
I think the aspidistra alone is too literal to serve as a visual extension of the novel although in the image, it does have the thrust of motion upward and away and so appears to reflect the title. The strictly photographic qualities do not make it stand out beyond a simple plant macro however, so it is difficult to consider better than an average vote. 5

City-of-Glass
by artistChan

Comment:
It's a real stretch to call this a "classic" novel and although the very harsh processing does add a brittle quality (as of glass in a fantasy world), in the end the extreme processing becomes too overpowering and the digital artifacts dominate the impact, especially in the mottled sky and the black mush of the shadows. 5