Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxed 
asked by carrots on November 26, 2006 11:19 AM
Volumes I & II in paperback of this 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrated narrative of Holocaust survival.
Reviews
0%
0%
What a fabulous and different take on the holocaust. A good read for parents to read along with their children (ages 10-14). You don't have to be a certain religion to enjoy it.
reviewed by iread on November 28, 2006 8:35 PM
0%
0%
Maus is a graphic novel in which Art, the author and protagonist, chronicles the experiences of his father, Vladek, who is a Holocaust survivor. There is simultaneuos, if a little subdued, plot underneath all of this concerning the troubled relationship between Art and Vladek as well.
As far as the story goes, it really is an intriguing one; it's just interesting to see how Vladek manages to survive, and to see how much of it was through his own means, and how much he owed to chance. At first, I'll admit, I was a little skeptical, just because the art work seemed a bit lacking, but if that is an issue at all, it really shouldn't be; the art may seem a little rough, but if you pay attention to detail, there are plenty of subtleties that you can catch, just keep your eyes open.
Maus being a graphic novel about such a serious subject was a controversial, I understand, when it first appeared. Apparently graphic novels weren't exactly considered "literature" (as if they are now), and so some people were ready to just write off Maus without giving it a fair chance. Being a visual medium, Maus allows for a different presentation of the story, that would be significantly different if condensed solely into text. There is some humor in this book that really wouldn't have been possible if Art had just recorded his father's words and published them.
Maus can really be a quick read, I had it done in maybe two hours, so I'm sure it can be read more quickly. The fact that it's a great story (touching, funny, entertaining) and a visual medium pretty much means that you'll never be bored and there're no real anti-climatic or boring parts to the story. I highly recommend that you try Maus I, at least to get a sense of what Art is trying to do, and whether it resonates with you or not.
As far as the story goes, it really is an intriguing one; it's just interesting to see how Vladek manages to survive, and to see how much of it was through his own means, and how much he owed to chance. At first, I'll admit, I was a little skeptical, just because the art work seemed a bit lacking, but if that is an issue at all, it really shouldn't be; the art may seem a little rough, but if you pay attention to detail, there are plenty of subtleties that you can catch, just keep your eyes open.
Maus being a graphic novel about such a serious subject was a controversial, I understand, when it first appeared. Apparently graphic novels weren't exactly considered "literature" (as if they are now), and so some people were ready to just write off Maus without giving it a fair chance. Being a visual medium, Maus allows for a different presentation of the story, that would be significantly different if condensed solely into text. There is some humor in this book that really wouldn't have been possible if Art had just recorded his father's words and published them.
Maus can really be a quick read, I had it done in maybe two hours, so I'm sure it can be read more quickly. The fact that it's a great story (touching, funny, entertaining) and a visual medium pretty much means that you'll never be bored and there're no real anti-climatic or boring parts to the story. I highly recommend that you try Maus I, at least to get a sense of what Art is trying to do, and whether it resonates with you or not.
reviewed by trailrider on November 28, 2006 11:24 PM