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Summary: Maus By Art Spiegelman
Review: Corbin L
Mrs. Fulton
Dec. 17, 2002Maus By Art Spiegelman
When Maus, by Art Spiegelman was first recommended to me as my Holocaust reading assignment, I was skeptical to say the least. I thought, "A comic book about the Holocaust? Am I seeing things?" As I pondered the first few pages of this "quiet triumph" of a book, I soon realized this novel, documentary, and memoir all in one, was an ingenious view on the Holocaust. With its in-depth conversations about the Holocaust, to its bone-chilling recollections of the event itself, Maus is truly one of the great books in its genre.
Maus, the story, which is similar but nonetheless just as exciting as any other survivor's tale, is being told to Art Spiegelman by his father Vladek Spiegelman. As the story thickens, you truly see what hardships families such as the Spiegelman family went through. In this book Art Spiegelman illustrates what many families had to do to keep the Nazis from dismantling as well as separating each other.
Maus was well developed and showed the Holocaust in a light like no other.
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Summary: compelling story in readable format
Review: The real apeal of this book is not necesarily the story which most of us have heard before. But instead is the manor that it is presented and the context that it is set in. It puts it in an angle that we can all relate to not some distant scene thousands of miles from where we live now. I think this would be a great way to introduce an older teenager to what the holocaust was about, beyond what they learn in school
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Summary: It could only have been a comic
Review: The Holocaust is something that needs requires both words and pictures. Either alone cannot do the horror justice, words aren't able to convey the sheer inhumanity of what was done and pictures don't tell the stories behind the faces, of the lives tragically cut short by a crime beyond the comprehension of all except for those who lived through it. Spiegelman, an underground cartoonist who published his and others' works in RAW in the seventies and eighties, combined both words and pictures in telling the story of his father during the Holocaust, of his capture and imprisonment and the things he saw and did there. The initial surface of the comic is deceiving, since you see at first funny animals in the place of people . . . but reading the story behind the cats and mice you start to realize that the drawings might from one man's imagination but the story isn't, these things that Spiegelman deftly draws on the page actually happened. Over the course of the story Spiegelman depicts his sometimes frustrating efforts to get his father to talk about what he experienced, flashing back to WWII Germany/Poland under Nazi occupation and to the present day, where Vladek is a cranky old man who argues with his second wife, is stubbornly set in his ways and drives his son, who he sees infrequently, absolutely nuts. But Spiegelman tells it all like it is and leaves nothing uncovered, his father's admirable quick thinking and amazing luck under pressure sitting comfortable next to the amazingly frustrating old man he grew up to be. In the end it grounds the story, and there's no reason not to believe that this resourceful young man and the old man are one and the same, it's just the years that have changed. Spiegelman deals unflinchingly with his mother's suicide, his own thoughts about becoming a father and eventually his own feelings about his father. The combination of historical thriller, as Vladek does his best to stay alive, and present day examination gives the story a sense of reality and a humanity that wouldn't have been possible outside of comics. The perfect marriage of words and pictures always threatened to be, but all too infequently aspires to, blooms here, as Spiegelman shows that sometimes in the face of tragedy there aren't winners and losers, friends and enemies, or even victims and heroes. In the end, there are only survivors.
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Summary: Maus (II)- Nearly As Good As the Original
Review: Although still brilliant, it is only natural that this second installation would lose the flair and novelty of the original Maus. I actually would have preferred that Spiegleman wrote this after his father's death (which is documented only in the book's final page: a tombstone in the last panel), since he was the tale's central character, and since we're so painfully aware throughout of his afflictions. Vladek's health has gotten worse since Maus I, and his physical travails provide an interesting subtext to the story.
That said, the Maus II is still excellent, and is comfortable in that the characters and style by now are familiar (Mala and Speigleman's wife also play more prominently here than in Maus I). Maus II picks up where Maus I left off, and chronicles the depravity of the concentration camps. It is a stark contrast to version one's descent from family contentment and happiness into Hell- here, there is salvation after unspeakable horror, as Vladek is freed, and later reunited with his wife. Sadly, his plight is never too far behind him, as life outside the concentration camp is rife with its own set of problems, and a perfect adjustment to a free life is never truly made. As Maus I was, this story is remarkable in its depiction of the human condition- warts (and evil characters, family squabbling, spousal discord) and all.
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Summary: pleasantly surprised
Review: I must admit that I was a bit sceptical before reading Maus. I have never been a fan of comic books, and couldn't imagine this book being any good. My negative assumptions about this book were put to rest immediately. Spiegelman does a terrific job with this book, not only in retelling his fathers Holocaust experience, but also dealing with their personal relationship. His illustrations were masterfully done, and very clever. I soon became so absorbed in the book that I forgot that I was reading a "comic". My words simply can't give justice to how excellent this book is. I consider this to be a must read and can't wait to read the second book.
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Summary: A new perspective
Review: Reading Maus was a new experience for me. I am not real familiar with graphic novels and wasn't sure how I would like the format. I found it very easy reading and quite informative. I was able to follow the story line with ease and appreciated the use of the animals in telling of the story. It really helped me to focus on the content and message of the text rather than get hung up on the people. I also felt Art Spiegelman offered an outlook theat focused more on the victim and his reaction, reather than just a historical account. I was able to glean new aspects on the events of that itme and empathized with the frustrations and helplessness that would envelope you. I never really understood Art Spiegleman's relationship with his father and wonder if he did actually. I was a bit frustrated by the abrupt ending of the book and would like to get the sequel to read also. I was also confused by his accusation that his father was a murderer. I assume he means that figuratively in regards to the destruction of his mother's diaries. All in all I enjoyed the book and feel it had a message worht reading and contemplating. I feel I have a better grip on a victim's response and the long term effect this will have for generations to come.
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Summary: Making the Holocaust Real
Review: Although this is not by any means a definitive look at the Holocaust, I found it the most effective presentation of its horrific effects on its victims (both direct and indirect). It's amazing how well the comic book format works. Rather than trivialize the Holocaust, it personalizes the impact of persecution and the camps. I felt like I was drawn into the Spiegelman family. While I'd recommend "Maus" to anyone, I think it would be particularly useful in providing students an understanding of what the Holocaust was like on a personal level.
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Summary: A pictorial eye-opener
Review: This book is not only great in getting a picture of the Holocaust but also understanding the children of the survivors. Vladek's character opened my heart to the understanding of the survivors way of life, during and after the Holocaust encompassed in a documentary, a memoir, and a comic book. The use of animals portraying humans give it almost a vivid simplicity. It is truly a work to be read, discussed, and thought about.
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Summary: Incredible Graphic Novels!
Review: Maus is the story of the author, an adult son of a holocaust survior, who is struggling with emotions brought on by his mother's suicide, and who is learning alot more about his father. It is very well written, the characters acting and re-acting in very realistic ways. Since Maus is written in a graphic novel format, it might dissapoint those looking for a super hero story, or disintrest those who aren't used to anything but "pop culture fluff" coming from a comic book. Art Speigelman has really done some very interesting things with the medium. In this story Jewish people are represented as mice, and Nazi's as cats. As with Aesops Fables and Animal Farm, by using animal characters with very human traits (a method used to tell stories to children) it somehow becomes much more powerful when geared for adults. It would not hurt a late junior high history class to review this book, as they may learn in an entertaining way.
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Summary: Brilliant! Absolutely Brilliant!
Review: I teach high school social science and first read this book for an upper division history course at UCLA. This account works from 6th grade on up through graduate school! An excellent way to teach and learn this part of history.
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