What If Literature Logged On?
Books like The Lord of the Rings, Romeo and Juliet and Oliver Twist have one thing in common: all are set in a world where modern-day technology doesn’t exist. Smartphones, social media and the internet weren’t around, but what if they were? Would Juliet have used Tinder to meet her one true love? Would Frodo have used Google Maps to get to Mordor? These eight illustrations show what happens when you put modern technology into the hands of literary characters.
Juliet Finds Love on Tinder
Would Juliet’s love survive the temptations of Tinder, or would she have used the dating app to hook up with someone a bit more “available”? (Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare)
Twist Speaks Out on TripAdvisor
Oliver Twist finally has the chance to speak out on TripAdvisor against the Victorian workhouse he grew up in. (Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens)
Wonka Finds Inspiration on Pinterest
Eccentric? Yes. Creative? Not so much. Many of Willy Wonka’s best ideas were stolen from Pinterest while the Oompa-Loompas were asleep. Hair toffee, three-course dinner chewing gum and eatable marshmallow pillows were all someone else’s dream originally. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl)
Caterpillar Feasts with GrubHub
It’s hard work turning from a caterpillar into a butterfly – that’s why the Very Hungry Caterpillar is always eating. With GrubHub installed on his phone, this caterpillar is taking binge eating to the next level. (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle)
Holden Hates on Twitter
Holden Caulfield is the kid actively on Twitter, complaining about Twitter and telling everyone how “phoney” they are. He can’t explain what he means and he’s not sure he’d feel like it, but he’d still try in less than 140 characters. (The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger)
Frodo Returns Ring with Help of Google Maps
How much easier would the trip to Mordor have been if Frodo had had Google Maps to guide him through a fast, orc-free route? (The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien)
White Rabbit Hails Uber
The White Rabbit’s life would have been so much easier if he’d swapped his broken pocket watch for a smartphone and Uber. Then he could have hailed a ride and relaxed for the rest of the story. (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll)
Aslan Goes Viral on Instagram
Everyone loves a good cat meme – that’s why Aslan has built up such a following on Instagram. People adore his #gingerbeard and #epicsmile, and he now has more followers than Grumpy Cat and Hamilton the Hipster Cat put together. (The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis)
View the full set of illustrations as one image here.