What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rime of the Modern Mariner
An extraordinary, timely update on the classic Coleridge poem
Is it possible to update a masterpiece? Only, perhaps, with a brand-new masterpiece. Written in 1797, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” was the original eco-fable; drawn in 2010, The Rime of the Modern Mariner is a graphic novel, now set in the cesspool of the North Atlantic Garbage Patch—thus adding a timely and resonant message about the destruction of our seas.
Hayes’s visually striking debut is drawn with complex, iconic images reminiscent of old woodcuts. Emerging from every exquisite page are the poem’s enduring compassion for nature, a sense of connection among all living things, and rightful outrage at man’s thoughtless destruction of the environment. Powerful and evocative, lush and stark, The Rime of the Modern Mariner will appeal to fans of Habibi and Persepolis.
Is it possible to update a masterpiece? Only, perhaps, with a brand-new masterpiece. Written in 1797, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” was the original eco-fable; drawn in 2010, The Rime of the Modern Mariner is a graphic novel, now set in the cesspool of the North Atlantic Garbage Patch—thus adding a timely and resonant message about the destruction of our seas.
Hayes’s visually striking debut is drawn with complex, iconic images reminiscent of old woodcuts. Emerging from every exquisite page are the poem’s enduring compassion for nature, a sense of connection among all living things, and rightful outrage at man’s thoughtless destruction of the environment. Powerful and evocative, lush and stark, The Rime of the Modern Mariner will appeal to fans of Habibi and Persepolis.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published April 7, 2011
5 people are currently reading
409 people want to read
About the author
Nick Hayes
26 books80 followersNick Hayes is the author of The Rime of the Modern Mariner, an updating of Coleridge’s famous poem, and the visual biography Woody Guthrie and the Dust Bowl Ballads, both of which are among the most highly regarded of recent British long-form comics. He has also published two collections of his short comics, Lovely Grey Day and 11 Folk Songs. He is the founding editor of Meat magazine, a periodical showcasing new writing, comics and illustration and has won two Guardian Media awards.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
November 11, 2024
Nick Hayes' The Rime of the Modern Mariner is in part based on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," updated with an environmental theme. I found it in my local used bookstore, The Looking Glass, and it is a beautiful thing to behold. The first thing that strikes you is the two-colored art, expressive and bold and almost block print in the way of Hokusai (those waves) and others. Gorgeously illustrated. I was skeptical of the attempt to match the rhythm and rhyme of the original, which is singsongy: "water, water everywhere, a not a drop to drink." I was reminded of "Casey at the Bat," with a similar self-conscious rhythm. But Coleridge is a classic text you read in school, a haunting tale about a man cursed, with an albatross around his neck. A sea tale.
The modern mariner's story, told to a cynical, bottom-line businessman on a park bench in this version, happens on the eve of a divorce, and is much darker, at least initially. The mariner wants to get some whale bone, goes a-hunting for it on a large boat, shoots a bird that curses the enterprise, whereupon he sees the environmental disaster that the ocean has become. Much of the book is taken up with the detailing of what is found there in the sea, and perhaps this goes on a bit long, but in the end there is some hope. The point is that there are real consequences for our actions, in marriage and in sea. The businessman dismisses this, as do many of the reviewers of this book on Goodreads, who like the businessman largely dismiss this tale as preachy and too dark.
I found that view ironic, and I just disagree with it. I was around for the first Earth Day, and global consumption and neglect and hubris is destroying the planet at a pace we could only have imagined 40 years ago. Almost ever graphic novel I read lately is escapist superhero, or crime, or personal memoir, and almost completely ignores politics of any kind. "The hippies are gonna love this book," one reviewer says. And I did, actually! A gorgeous drawn and colored, darkly prophetic or cautionary tale with a little hope in the that a few people (hippies, apparently!) might still intercede, but if it's only a few aging hippies like myself who care about the fate of the planet, we are doomed. Now there's a little preaching Nick would appreciate.
I admit I really don't like the heavy rhyme scheme In Coleridge, (though I get its connections to sea shanties and ghost tales), but I found Hayes' writing to be admirable, an attempt to speak to the original and also meet the challenge of the quality of the original writing and its haunted nature. Almost no one here likes Hayes's writing, and I get that more so than the anti-environmental critiques, but I still give him points for his fine effort.
The modern mariner's story, told to a cynical, bottom-line businessman on a park bench in this version, happens on the eve of a divorce, and is much darker, at least initially. The mariner wants to get some whale bone, goes a-hunting for it on a large boat, shoots a bird that curses the enterprise, whereupon he sees the environmental disaster that the ocean has become. Much of the book is taken up with the detailing of what is found there in the sea, and perhaps this goes on a bit long, but in the end there is some hope. The point is that there are real consequences for our actions, in marriage and in sea. The businessman dismisses this, as do many of the reviewers of this book on Goodreads, who like the businessman largely dismiss this tale as preachy and too dark.
I found that view ironic, and I just disagree with it. I was around for the first Earth Day, and global consumption and neglect and hubris is destroying the planet at a pace we could only have imagined 40 years ago. Almost ever graphic novel I read lately is escapist superhero, or crime, or personal memoir, and almost completely ignores politics of any kind. "The hippies are gonna love this book," one reviewer says. And I did, actually! A gorgeous drawn and colored, darkly prophetic or cautionary tale with a little hope in the that a few people (hippies, apparently!) might still intercede, but if it's only a few aging hippies like myself who care about the fate of the planet, we are doomed. Now there's a little preaching Nick would appreciate.
I admit I really don't like the heavy rhyme scheme In Coleridge, (though I get its connections to sea shanties and ghost tales), but I found Hayes' writing to be admirable, an attempt to speak to the original and also meet the challenge of the quality of the original writing and its haunted nature. Almost no one here likes Hayes's writing, and I get that more so than the anti-environmental critiques, but I still give him points for his fine effort.
December 14, 2012
This modern take on Coleridge's famous poem was tedious and repetitive. Despite the beautiful artwork, there are only so many ways to say, "Everything was covered in trash and it surprised me and then made me sad," before a person gets tired of reading it. I had high hopes for this after reading other reviews (e.g. "Holding this exquisite book in your hands feels akin to a sacramental act." -The Guardian) but quickly lost interest by Part 3 and nearly gave up on the book (which is unusual for me) by Part 4. Luckily, the book is relatively short, and I made my way to the relief of the final page. When I had finished, I discovered the book had indeed altered me; for, holding that book of gorgeous artwork in my hands, I contemplated for the first time dumping a book in my recycling bin. Instead, I returned it to the library to serve as a punishment for others.
I look forward to the author's next attempt, for the illustrations were brilliant in both their representations and arrangement.
I look forward to the author's next attempt, for the illustrations were brilliant in both their representations and arrangement.
October 7, 2015
It is sailing season, so books that have anything to do with boats and oceans jump higher on my reading pile.
This is a fun graphic novel. The poem is a wonderfully updated riff on Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I quickly read through on my first sitting, but now plan to slowly pour over the wonderful artwork.
This is a fun graphic novel. The poem is a wonderfully updated riff on Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I quickly read through on my first sitting, but now plan to slowly pour over the wonderful artwork.
October 17, 2014
GORGEOUS illustrations, but the rhyming text made me want to rush through them.
October 8, 2018
Wow. This simple graphic novel has a strong message and beautiful graphics. A new classic for graphic novels.
September 18, 2011
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is given a contemporary interpretation in Nick Hayes' "The Rime of the Modern Mariner", a tale as haunting as Coleridge's but also beautifully illustrated.
The Modern Mariner starts out as a man in search of whalebone to fashion dominoes out of to decorate his house with, and so goes to sea with a fishing boat to get his whalebone. The tedium gets to him and he brings out his gun to shoot at the floating detritus of the sea to entertain him but these targets quickly become boring. And then he sees a bird. He shoots it, not knowing the superstition of sailors and the meaning of the albatross. As soon as the bird hits the sea, the ship is doomed.
Hayes throws his Mariner through a series of nightmarish scenes as the Mariner begins to see the results of his, and the rest of humanity's, consequences on the world. The seas clogged with plastic that won't biodegrade, follies such as the Titanic rusting on the seabed, the toxic chemicals we pump into our environment without a thought for what it does to our planet, the dying trees, the blackening skies...
And this is where I should say that the real highlight of the book is Hayes' artwork. It reminded me of artists as wide ranging as Alastair Gray to Katsushika Hokusai to Martin Rowson, but Hayes has fashioned his own unique imprint onto the book. Each page has so much detail and is designed so beautifully, no simple panel layout but a sweeping, flowing exuberant expression of illustration. There were so many pages I would stare at and be utterly caught up in the drawing. Nick Hayes is an original talent and just a short perusal of the book will convince anyone of that.
Hayes does a fantastic job as well of narrating this story through poetry, rhyming all the way through. The words never got in the way of the story but you could appreciate that they were well thought out and planned carefully even without the illustrations to accompany them.
The book is at once a compelling and haunting narrative of one man's realisation of his actions on his surroundings and also an expression of an artist's anger at the thoughtlessness of human kind on our environment. In these points the book succeeds marvellously and is a resounding and memorable story of 21st century excess. Wonderful art and a haunting narrative that Coleridge would have been proud of, "The Rime of the Modern Mariner" is a must read for all fans of good books.
The Modern Mariner starts out as a man in search of whalebone to fashion dominoes out of to decorate his house with, and so goes to sea with a fishing boat to get his whalebone. The tedium gets to him and he brings out his gun to shoot at the floating detritus of the sea to entertain him but these targets quickly become boring. And then he sees a bird. He shoots it, not knowing the superstition of sailors and the meaning of the albatross. As soon as the bird hits the sea, the ship is doomed.
Hayes throws his Mariner through a series of nightmarish scenes as the Mariner begins to see the results of his, and the rest of humanity's, consequences on the world. The seas clogged with plastic that won't biodegrade, follies such as the Titanic rusting on the seabed, the toxic chemicals we pump into our environment without a thought for what it does to our planet, the dying trees, the blackening skies...
And this is where I should say that the real highlight of the book is Hayes' artwork. It reminded me of artists as wide ranging as Alastair Gray to Katsushika Hokusai to Martin Rowson, but Hayes has fashioned his own unique imprint onto the book. Each page has so much detail and is designed so beautifully, no simple panel layout but a sweeping, flowing exuberant expression of illustration. There were so many pages I would stare at and be utterly caught up in the drawing. Nick Hayes is an original talent and just a short perusal of the book will convince anyone of that.
Hayes does a fantastic job as well of narrating this story through poetry, rhyming all the way through. The words never got in the way of the story but you could appreciate that they were well thought out and planned carefully even without the illustrations to accompany them.
The book is at once a compelling and haunting narrative of one man's realisation of his actions on his surroundings and also an expression of an artist's anger at the thoughtlessness of human kind on our environment. In these points the book succeeds marvellously and is a resounding and memorable story of 21st century excess. Wonderful art and a haunting narrative that Coleridge would have been proud of, "The Rime of the Modern Mariner" is a must read for all fans of good books.
June 15, 2022
The boy and I were talking about albatrosses for a report he had to write for 4th grade. That got me wondering about graphic novel Rimes of ancient mariners, and I finally got around to reading Nick Hayes' Rime. It moves the scene to the North Pacific Garbage Gyre and you may only get a couplet or half a quatrain per page, but it is a feast for the eyes.
June 19, 2022
A trippy tome of artistic environmentalism.
June 28, 2022
the original poem is one of my all time favorites, so this had a lot to live up to. unfortunately it was just fine. it adapted the poem to feel more timely, but felt a little repetitive in its message. i also didn’t really vibe with the art style.
February 5, 2017
Wunderschöne Zeichnungen, aber die Geschichte ist doch etwas dünn geraten.
December 24, 2021
Čudovita ilustracijska in poetična okoljska epopeja!
May 4, 2021
This is a modern take on Rime of the Ancient Mariner. The first thing that you will probably notice about this read is the stunning artwork. It has a style all its own and it is truly breathtaking and whimsical. An office worker in a city sits down on a park bench inside a city and is joined by the mariner. The mariner tells the man a tale of his voyage. The tale tells a story of a rocky voyage filled with many hardships. The story touches on modern environmental disasters and it appeals to one's moral side. This is a very nice read, and I like how it is different from most stories that are around. Definitely a good read. I would recommend this to others.
June 12, 2025
I absolutely loooooved this spin on the Ancient Mariner story. It seamlessly blends the old and classic story into our modern time, hence the name, and easily tackles current topics of environmentalism and human feelings towards it on both sides. It discusses how every single thing is eventually traced back to our affect on the environment and each of us can make small changes daily to fix our behaviors.
By using a graphic novel style, the illustrations and commentary of the narrator can hit home with readers and bring a new perspective to the table on how we view the world around us.
By using a graphic novel style, the illustrations and commentary of the narrator can hit home with readers and bring a new perspective to the table on how we view the world around us.
April 20, 2013
I picked this up at the library by complete and utter chance and how glad I am that I did. Hayes has revamped Coleridge's original poem (which I admit I haven't read, yet) and made it relevant to today, highlighting the damage we are causing to the very planet that sustains us without being preachy or condescending. The illustrations are superb and the blue/grey combination perfectly suited to the subject matter, adding a sense of melancholy and remorse to the tale.
November 24, 2012
Coleridge's classic poem is recast in this timely graphic novel about a modern mariner who faces the consequences of his inability to live within the natural world and understand the limits of his humanity.
The rhythm of the pictures and verse lines dovetail perfectly.
The rhythm of the pictures and verse lines dovetail perfectly.
April 6, 2013
This is a beautiful tale of a mariner's horrific encounter of a giant swirl of sludge in the Pacific Ocean. The book is beautifully illustrated. I keep looking at the detail in the drawings. A great book to give as a gift.
November 29, 2013
Beautiful!!
March 29, 2015
A modern take on on the Ancient Mariner. Sea pollution. People who don't care. I like the flow of the artwork with the story.
May 18, 2015
The art and design are exquisite but Coleridge he is not. The message - or should that be Message - made me want to stop my ears long before the end.
September 9, 2020
He swiftly signed the papers
In the stuffy office air...
It felt just like the wedding...
(A perfunctory affair).
Cocooned inside and cosy
In the artificial glow
The divorcee was startled
...As he hit the street below.
This retelling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's classic masterpiece The Rime of the Ancient Mariner seems more relevant today than when it was published, over a decade ago.
The modern mariner, telling his poetic story of woe to the divorcee, warns of man's destruction of the planet through pollution, plastic waste, oil spills, and more. Of how man needs to see the truth of his actions. Unfortunately the divorcee only sees the modern mariner as another mad homeless man, throwing a few coins at him.
In the stuffy office air...
It felt just like the wedding...
(A perfunctory affair).
Cocooned inside and cosy
In the artificial glow
The divorcee was startled
...As he hit the street below.
This retelling of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's classic masterpiece The Rime of the Ancient Mariner seems more relevant today than when it was published, over a decade ago.
The modern mariner, telling his poetic story of woe to the divorcee, warns of man's destruction of the planet through pollution, plastic waste, oil spills, and more. Of how man needs to see the truth of his actions. Unfortunately the divorcee only sees the modern mariner as another mad homeless man, throwing a few coins at him.
May 30, 2023
I don't think I ever read the poem "The Rime of Ancient Mariner" (if I did, it was in college and I have no recollection of it) so I wasn't sure to expect of this modern day retelling of it. What we got with this was a new poem set as a graphic novel.
The poem itself was fine (I guess people really had problems with the rhyming, but I thought it all worked). It tells the story of a man that gets trapped at sea surrounded by garbage. If I'm understanding the poem correctly, it's basically telling us to take care of the environment before we get destroyed by all of the garbage that is polluting the natural world. There also seems to be a secondary story about a divorced man that is so consumed with work that he misses out on life (another lesson the poem is trying to give us).
The art in this story was really good. It definitely helps bring visuals to the poem.
Overall, this was just fine. I was able to read it in about 20 min but I can't say it really stuck with me once I was done.
The poem itself was fine (I guess people really had problems with the rhyming, but I thought it all worked). It tells the story of a man that gets trapped at sea surrounded by garbage. If I'm understanding the poem correctly, it's basically telling us to take care of the environment before we get destroyed by all of the garbage that is polluting the natural world. There also seems to be a secondary story about a divorced man that is so consumed with work that he misses out on life (another lesson the poem is trying to give us).
The art in this story was really good. It definitely helps bring visuals to the poem.
Overall, this was just fine. I was able to read it in about 20 min but I can't say it really stuck with me once I was done.
June 23, 2023
3.5. I really enjoyed reading a modern take of the classic poem. I wasn’t expecting the Earth health/pollution focus but the two concepts worked well together. There’s also a lot of religious references, like like Adam and Eve, Pentecostal ring of fire, and Greek gods, and others that I didn’t understand at first but are really cool like Gaia and al-Jazari’s candle clock. Some great scientific parts too.
The art is lovely but I felt it was repetitive at times and caused the story to drag. There’s like six pages of almost the same drawing of a whale. The text on each page is very limited and is all in verse. Some of the words seemed like they came from a thesaurus but given the confines of meter it was probably necessary. I was never bothered by any of the text and thought it was able to accomplish a lot but I saw a lot of reviews that disagree.
Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised and would recommend.
The art is lovely but I felt it was repetitive at times and caused the story to drag. There’s like six pages of almost the same drawing of a whale. The text on each page is very limited and is all in verse. Some of the words seemed like they came from a thesaurus but given the confines of meter it was probably necessary. I was never bothered by any of the text and thought it was able to accomplish a lot but I saw a lot of reviews that disagree.
Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised and would recommend.
May 12, 2017
Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars
A cautionary tale about pollution and nature, beautifully illustrated and taking inspiration from (of course) Coleridge. While I'm very impressed by Hayes' rhyming skills and lovely art, the moral of looking after nature didn't hit anywhere for me. Admittedly, amongst the political issues I stand up for global warming and pollution is lower on the list of things that hits a personal note for me despite how important it is to be aware of. The Rime of the Modern Mariner was very hopeless, and fair enough, but I always like something constructive and hopeful at the end of these things to motivate people to change things, instead of leaving a note of despair.
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars
A cautionary tale about pollution and nature, beautifully illustrated and taking inspiration from (of course) Coleridge. While I'm very impressed by Hayes' rhyming skills and lovely art, the moral of looking after nature didn't hit anywhere for me. Admittedly, amongst the political issues I stand up for global warming and pollution is lower on the list of things that hits a personal note for me despite how important it is to be aware of. The Rime of the Modern Mariner was very hopeless, and fair enough, but I always like something constructive and hopeful at the end of these things to motivate people to change things, instead of leaving a note of despair.
February 5, 2026
beautiful poetry beautiful illustrations my update history has some of my favourite stanzas but woww that was such a lovely read! i have such a soft spot for media that combine aesthetics from different time periods
i did get lost in the middle and i think maybe i should re-read this (physically perhaps!) but overall i love the concept! couldve been a bit simpler. also i didnt really feel the impact of the ending - i think i was more touched in the first half but the conclusion was too on the nose (again maybe a lot got lost as i was a bit impatient to finish it so maybe a reread will change my opinion of it)
i did get lost in the middle and i think maybe i should re-read this (physically perhaps!) but overall i love the concept! couldve been a bit simpler. also i didnt really feel the impact of the ending - i think i was more touched in the first half but the conclusion was too on the nose (again maybe a lot got lost as i was a bit impatient to finish it so maybe a reread will change my opinion of it)
June 9, 2017
I am going to be completely honest, I only decided to read this book because I need one more and this was short enough to read in one period. However, I was surprised at what I ended up reading. This story is a re creation of the classic mariners tale. It was interesting to see how through all of the protagonists travels and struggles, he realizes how the earth is a living thing just as much as the people on it, and that people should respect it. As far as a book consisting of mostly pictures goes, I enjoyed this one.
October 3, 2018
A graphic novel updating Coleridge's poem, even to mimicking the rhyme scheme of the original.
Basically, this is a protest on oceanic plastic pollution, perhaps better written as an original poem. The three stars are for mimicry, but I found it lacking in agitprop, something written as protest should at least make the reader angry, and want to take action. This really does nothing, except make the reader long for the genius of Coleridge. Plastic debris in the ocean's ecosystem is a serious problem that doesn't need iambic pentameter, but awareness.
Basically, this is a protest on oceanic plastic pollution, perhaps better written as an original poem. The three stars are for mimicry, but I found it lacking in agitprop, something written as protest should at least make the reader angry, and want to take action. This really does nothing, except make the reader long for the genius of Coleridge. Plastic debris in the ocean's ecosystem is a serious problem that doesn't need iambic pentameter, but awareness.
June 3, 2017
Nice update on Coleridge's poem but the real joy here is in the artwork. Every page is sublime - a mini masterpiece! Hayes' use of line is just superb - each frame is simple but masterful and the use of just two colours is focuses the eye on the glorious illustrations. I have many graphic novels but I think the illustrations in this one are, by some measure, the best and ones I will return to and study over and over again.
September 13, 2017
This should be required reading in high school English classes around the world. Wow! I picked this up at the library on a whim and am I glad I did. The art work is amazing, the poem readable and moving, and the message of dire importance. I never read the original poem on which it is based, but this version is so relevant and important. I'm extremely impressed. It's very difficult to get 5 stars from me and this does it!
May 8, 2021
Brilliant resetting of Coleridge’s famous poem as an environmental warning. The rhyming of so many modern words, especially chemical names, was amazing, and I’d like to see teens reading this to get a more visceral understanding of marine environmental problems. The art work is a distinctive style and complemented the serious, tragic nature of the book well, as did the monochromatic color scheme.
May 18, 2021
A few English teachers and I were hanging out the other day and we started talking about wearing an alborotos around your neck. We started talking about works of literature that my friends always wanted to teach and Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. Another teacher pulled out this graphic novel and said she always planned to pair the two. So of course, I borrowed the graphic novel. I love the modern twist on the poem. And I love the clean up the ocean message. The art style reminds me of woodcuts and ink. I could see how the pair would lead to a great lesson.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews