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Maus: A Survivor's Tale

GeoGeo
edited August 2008 in Manga/Comics
I've just finished reading Volume I and Volume II of a classic graphic novel called Maus: A Survivor's Tale by Art Spiegelman.

For those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically about a son asking his father to tell him how he escaped capture from the Nazis. The most significant thing about this book is that the Jews are portrayed as anthropomorphised mice while the Nazis are portrayed as anthromorphised cats (other animals portray other nations' citizens but there are too many to list). Despite the cat and mouse concept, the entire story is true (including the parts with Art and his father Vladek and the events that unfold around them). It's a very interesting story, and I highly suggest this to anyone who is interested with War History or just wants to find a new graphic novel to read.

If there is anyone in the forums who has read Maus, I'd be very interested to hear their opinions and what they think about this literary work.

Comments

  • I read it, and loved it. Unfortunately I don't have any well formed thoughts on it because I read it several years ago. I'll probably read it again soon, but in the mean time I'll just say that you should all read it.
  • edited August 2008
    I just read this two weeks ago, and from here on out it's going to be my prime example for how illustrated material is just as much literature as prose. It was amazing and I will recommend it to everyone. I typically hate World War II-era movies and novels, but this book opened it up to me in such a meaningful way that I was compelled to blitz through the entirety in a single day. It's not even about the anthropomorphic angle; the thing that kept me reading was the complex father-son relationship and the father's inane idiosyncrasies. It reminded me very much of one of my grandparents, and made me want to ask him for his life story, about which he's always been elusive.
    Post edited by Jason on
  • It was alright.
  • edited August 2008
    Read the first book once upon a time, I liked it. I can't say much about it though read it a long time ago and it didn't make that strong of an impression on me.
    Post edited by Shiam on
  • edited August 2008
    I read MAUS when it came out, goddamit. I was flabbergasted. Jason is completely correct about the way the normal, everyday, real world of the son was contrasted with the father's war experiences. It was a little hard to understand how the father could have those wacky idiosyncrasies (meaning it would be easier to understand how he would be bat-shit insane instead of just having a couple of relatively minor quirks), but it was totally understandable how the father could nag his son to do things like learn a useful trade.
    Read the first book once upon a time, I liked it. I can't say much about it though read it a long time ago and it didn't make that strong of an impression on me.
    Are you sure you're taliking about the same book?
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • edited February 2011
    Art Spiegelman is one of my favorite illustrators (he's also responsible for a number of infamous/famous New Yorker covers). I read Maus back in high school, and was amazed. This is truly an excellent example of the use of comics as a dramatic storytelling medium: I do not know anyone who could argue that the way Spiegelman presents his fathers story is not enhanced by his talent with sequential art. It's a very sad, but very real story, and the simple anthropomorphic characters are so expressive.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • Art Spiegelman is one of my favorite illustrators (he's also responsible for a number of infamous/famous New Yorker covers). I read Maus back in high school, and was amazed. This is truly an excellent example of the use of comics as a dramatic storytelling medium: I do not know anyone who could argue that the way Spiegelman presents his fathers story is enhanced by his talent with sequential art. It's a very sad, but very real story, and the simple anthropomorphic characters are so expressive.
    Yeah, but I think his move to use cats and mice were genius. That aspect alone brought this book to life.
  • I remember WiP/Andrew talking about this in another thread. This has been added to the list of "More comics I need to spend money on."
  • edited August 2008
    Are you sure you're talking about the same book?
    Unless of course we aren't ;P.
    Note that I read this freshman year of high school at the latest (most likely middle school sometime), and I only ever read the first volume. The lack of impact doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the quality. In fact I enjoyed reading it as much as anything, though I think I found it a bit odd at the time.
    Post edited by Shiam on
  • Are you sure you're talking about the same book?
    Unless of course we aren't ;P.
    Note that I read this freshman year of high school at the latest (most likely middle school sometime), and I only ever read the first volume. The lack of impact doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the quality. In fact I enjoyed reading it as much as anything, though I think I found it a bit odd at the time.
    Oddities makes life more interesting. Take for example the playtpus, it proves that God has a sense of humor (I can't believe I'm saying this despite being an agnostic but I couldn't think of any way else to say it).
  • Maus struck a real cord with me because my grandparents were survivors, so I felt like I was able to understand, just a little bit better, what they had gone through.
  • I don't know how much we can go into spoilers here so I will use the spoiler text later on, but I'd like to add my voice to those that loved this book. I was sick to death of anything related to a war and only picked this book up impulsively one Amazon order. It sat on my shelf for a year before I bothered to read it. It is a hard book to bother to recommend as everyone has already heard so much positive about it, another person saying "you have to read this" is probably not going to make a difference. I know I was the same. This book is riddled with some beautifully complex characterisation, subtle use of the comic form, and incredibly expressive art. Some of my favourite moments were (I am not sure how to do spoiler text):
    The relationship between the father and the son. The desire to please his father out of a sense of paternal obligation versus the need to be himself is done really well. Dealing with parents can be tricky at the best of times, but I'd imagine more so when your father survived such a devastating event. I think he discusses it in the book, this desire to almost have gone through the same thing as his father so that he could have his respect. The constant inadequacy one would feel, it was a great bit on insight into the life of a survivors child.
    The scene where he is discussing with his partner how she should be represent, and we can all clearly see she is a mouse, but we are watching as that decision is made. I loved that scene. I am not sure if it was the same bit but there is also the conversation with his partner where he does a lot of talking and then acknowledges that this must be a story because there is no way she would have let him rattle on so long in real life. Great little moments that break the fourth wall.
    I remember that there were plenty more but these were the two I remembered best.
  • We had to read these in my 12th grade literature class earlier this year. Sadly, In a discussion about which books should stay in the curriculum and which should leave, most people said that they didn't think Maus was valuable, so next year's seniors might not get to read it.

    I think I got an unusual perspective on the book because I go to a jewish school where the vast majority of students have at least a grandparent or two who survived the Holocaust. I know that the book was really about the relationship between Art and Vladek, but I want to mention, to the credit of the author, that the portrayal of survivors was spot on. Not only Vladek, but all of the Holocaust-survivor characters were absolutely perfect.
  • most people said that they didn't think Maus was valuable
    Man, people are fucking idiots.
  • This is one of those books that I've intended to read forever, but never have.

    Also, this thread made me notice how Geo hasn't been around lately.
  • Also, this thread made me notice how Geo hasn't been around lately.
    Yeah, he's pretty much all but quit the forum. He might come back in time, he might not. I don't know.
  • Also, this thread made me notice how Geo hasn't been around lately.
    Yeah, I noticed that too. Anyone know what's up with that?
  • edited February 2011
    Yeah, I noticed that too. Anyone know what's up with that?
    Yep. Between his schooling, social life, study, and the fact that he felt he wasn't contributing much and wasn't terribly fondly thought of, he just decided to bow out quietly and not make a scene, to give you the most basic version.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • A pity. He had a lot to contribute when it comes to visual arts.
  • Awww, poor kid. Although we did pick on him for his tendency toward hyperbole, I didn't think we ragged on him more than the average forum-ite.
  • He's doing alright, though, hanging out, going to school, enjoying life - y'know, normal stuff. He still listens to the podcast, and I think he'll come back at some point in the future - Which I think would be quite nice, as he's a good guy, just a little inexperienced at times. We all saw how he changed for the better over time, and I'm happy to report that he continues on that path, he's becoming a pretty well rounded and cool guy.
  • Hmm, it's hard to use the search engine to find posts by him.
  • Hmm, it's hard to use the search engine to find posts by him.
    "Geo: " (Geo colon space) does it.
  • He's doing alright, though, hanging out, going to school, enjoying life - y'know, normal stuff. He still listens to the podcast, and I think he'll come back at some point in the future - Which I think would be quite nice, as he's a good guy, just a little inexperienced at times. We all saw how he changed for the better over time, and I'm happy to report that he continues on that path, he's becoming a pretty well rounded and cool guy.
    Yeah, I always thought he was okay. Age will calm him.
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