= Good/Very Good
= Okay read
= Not recommended
= Ugh! Don't waste your time.
Maus I and Maus II - Book Reviews
Art Spiegelman won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize under the category of Special Awards and Citations - Letters for his amazing graphic books Maus I and Maus II. The books comprise a powerful memoir which recounts the lives and survival of the author’s parents Vladek and Anja Spiegelman during WWII in Poland where they were eventually captured and transported to Auswchitz. But it is also a story about Art Spiegelman’s difficult relationship with his father, and the impact of survival on the survivor’s family.
Told in a cartoon format where the Jews are portrayed as mice and the Nazi soldiers as cats, the story gains much of its power from the form in which it is written.
Spiegelman alternates between Poland during the war (where Vladek recounts the terrible and terrifying days of the Nazi occupation) and Rego Park, New York in the 1980s (where Art and his aging father struggle to establish meaningful lives together).
The result is a story which compels the reader to keep turning the pages while terror comes to life through vivid illustrations. It is a story of survival and finally of love - love between a man and a woman which the German camps could not destroy, and love between a father and son. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History and Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began are powerful documentaries of a family who survived the Holocaust and its impact on their future and the child who was born after the war.
This was my first foray into Graphic Art as story and I was moved and touched by it. If you decide to read Spiegelman’s work, you must read both books, back to back without a rest in between.
Highly recommended.
Topics: Books, Five-Ten Star Books, Main Page |
August 31st, 2008 at 18:14
I checked The Complete Maus out from our public library and I could not put it down. It was my first graphic novel, as well. I picked Persepolis next, which I also recommend.
August 31st, 2008 at 19:59
Though I don’t usually care for the graphic novel format, I have this and Persepolis on my TBR. Wonderful review Wendy!
August 31st, 2008 at 20:00
I forgot to mention in my last comment, I nominated you for an award on my blog.
August 31st, 2008 at 20:40
I have read many great reviews of these books. I even went to B+N to look at them. I have never read a graphic novel that I can remember. So far I have not taken the plunge.
September 1st, 2008 at 01:25
I just read this recently as well and really enjoyed it. I am always happy to hear that someone has made that first branch out into graphic novels and has enjoyed it. Maybe try reading Persepolis next about a girl growing up in Iran.
September 1st, 2008 at 08:06
Carrie: Glad you enjoyed Maus as I did - I’ve heard great things about Persepolis…might have to check that out now
Teddy: Thanks Teddy - these are very quick reads. I finished each one with only about an hour to 2 hours of reading.
Brittanie: Take the plunge! I don’t think you’ll regret it
Rhinoa: *nods* Now that I know graphics are enjoyable, I’ll be more likely to try more of them. Thanks for the recommendation.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:27
I recently finished my first graphic novel as well (Persepolis, which I highly recommend). This will be my next–glad you liked it so much!
September 1st, 2008 at 10:45
I must read this soon but I’ll have ILL it since my library doesn’t have it. I’ve become very interested in non-fiction graphic novels.
September 1st, 2008 at 14:41
I’d also like to recommend Persepolis. It may be as good as Maus.
September 2nd, 2008 at 07:06
Trish and CB James: I guess I really need to read Persepolis because there seems to be an overwhelming majority of people who loved it!
Nicola: I bought these on the buy 2, get one free table at B&N
September 3rd, 2008 at 00:19
This was also my first Graphic Novel, introduced to me by none other than Philip Pullman probably the best part of fifteen years ago now. Pullman has always been a fan of the Graphic Novel and this was at a workshop he was running long before ‘His Dark Materials’ was published. His enthusiasm was infectious and I’ve returned to them many times since and always introduced students to them.
September 5th, 2008 at 21:11
Ann - glad to see you also found these books fabulous…
September 7th, 2008 at 17:51
I just read this one this past month and for the most part enjoyed it. Graphic novels is a very new thing for me.
September 8th, 2008 at 07:26
Natasha: I think Graphic novels take a little getting used to - these two books are great ones to start with.
September 9th, 2008 at 20:08
SO GLAD you loved these as much as I did. Truly profound books.
September 11th, 2008 at 07:23
Michelle: *nods* I was surprised how much I liked them - I was a little leery of the graphic format…but found that is what made the books so powerful.