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Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxed (Maus #1-2)
Volumes I & II in paperback of this 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrated narrative of Holocaust survival.
Paperback, 0 pages
Published
October 19th 1993
by Pantheon
(first published January 1st 1986)
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Megan
rated it
Books I read rarely affect my emotions when I'm not reading it. A book can pull me every which way, make me feel horrified or saddened or joyful, but when I put it down, I'm in the same mood I was before I started reading it. Only occasionally can a book get under my skin, and Maus is one of them. I was actually happy to finish it, because I didn't like the way it was making me feel: anxious, upset, unhappy. And I've read Holocaust stuff before. It's not new. Something about the way Spiegelman c...more
This was an amazing read.
This was so good. I've known about it for a long time but somehow never sought it out. Maybe it was a bias against graphic novels? Not sure. I'm so glad I finally read it. This is a picture of human strength and frailty, humane and savage behavior, done in a novel way that seems to make it even more immediate and real.
This was so good. I've known about it for a long time but somehow never sought it out. Maybe it was a bias against graphic novels? Not sure. I'm so glad I finally read it. This is a picture of human strength and frailty, humane and savage behavior, done in a novel way that seems to make it even more immediate and real.
This was our second book in the local library's discussion of Jewish graphic novels. It is, of course, the most famous and most celebrated exemplar of the genre (if you don't count the superhero stuff). What is amazing about the book is the emotional resonance Spiegelman manages to pack into his panels. In telling the story of his father's experience in the Holocaust, the author refuses to sentimentalize or pander. The most striking innovation is the use of mice for Jews, an appropriation of the...more
Maus is a biographical graphic novel telling the story of the author's father, Vladek Spiegelman, his life in Poland before the second world war and his experiences in Auschwitz. The book uses the device of representing different nationalities as animals, drawn in a simple cartoon fashion - the Jews are represented by mice, the Poles are pigs, the Germans are cats and so on. This initially seems like a simplistic and heavy handed metaphor, but depth and complexity of the narrative quickly becom...more
I am always fascinated when I read survivors' accounts of the Holocaust. It amazes me that people could be put through such terror and pain and misery, and still not lose hope of something better tomorrow.
Maus really shows that aspect of the story. Art Spiegelman recounts his father's ordeal in unique form, a comic. While he's at it, he also examines his own relationship with his father, and his parent's relationship with each other, and the differences between a single generation t...more
Maus really shows that aspect of the story. Art Spiegelman recounts his father's ordeal in unique form, a comic. While he's at it, he also examines his own relationship with his father, and his parent's relationship with each other, and the differences between a single generation t...more
This was the best graphic novel I have ever read, and it offered a new perspective and reading experience on the Holocaust. It is an account related and drawn by the son of a Holocaust survivor. Art Spiegelman interviews his father throughout the book, and in addition to the Holocaust narrative, we are also given a peek into the post-war life of a survivor and his family. As one might imagine, the after-effects of a war (including, but more broad than, post-traumatic stress) can ruin families as...more
So far, I am really, really this book. I really enjoy graphic novels because so much content can be expressed through the graphics/pictures. This book has two interwoven stories. One about the author and the father's relationship with one another and the other is about the father's struggle to survive the holocaust. There is tragedy in this book, but at the same time there is also humor and touching moments that we can all relate too such as the culture and generation gap that divides the two.
...more
The Complete Maus is a holocaust story, but not like one you've ever read before. The author tells the story of his father, Vladek, a Polish Jew living through WWII, surviving Nazi occupation and Auschwitz thanks to his resourcefulness and good providence. However, the author also reveals his strained relationship with his father as he tells not only his father's story, but also the story of Vladek sharing his experience with his son.
Not only does the father-son dynamic make the book...more
Not only does the father-son dynamic make the book...more
Adorno said, "There can be no art after the Holocaust." No justifiable reason to produce anything beautiful; no possible way to portray the Holocaust in anything as beautiful as art.
Lo and behold, the half-century proceeding this declaration has produced a plethora of art about the Holocaust. Isn't art the best way to be drawn in? I finished Maus in twenty-four hours. I had nightmares for two nights in a row. Books like these show me that I often forget just how harrow...more
Lo and behold, the half-century proceeding this declaration has produced a plethora of art about the Holocaust. Isn't art the best way to be drawn in? I finished Maus in twenty-four hours. I had nightmares for two nights in a row. Books like these show me that I often forget just how harrow...more
oh my god.
This burrowed it's way deep into my heart. This made me feel so much. This was an experience, not just a "read". This was real and I can't even explain how this affected me because it was the most emotional thing I've ever read. Not made-up emotion. This was REAL and it affected me.
Vladek. He reminded me of my Grandfather, a little. I loved my Grandfather and I loved Vladek. His story, as told to his son Art Spiegelman, was one of the most ...more
This burrowed it's way deep into my heart. This made me feel so much. This was an experience, not just a "read". This was real and I can't even explain how this affected me because it was the most emotional thing I've ever read. Not made-up emotion. This was REAL and it affected me.
Vladek. He reminded me of my Grandfather, a little. I loved my Grandfather and I loved Vladek. His story, as told to his son Art Spiegelman, was one of the most ...more
I finally read this, in two separate editions, and now they are on my shelf of classic favorites that have moved me profoundly and changed me fundamentally.
After historical study, movies (Schindler's List et al) and novels (Sophie's Choice etc.), I felt I had had enough of Holocaust stories. I would never forget, as goes the dictum, but these tales were too unnerving and painful to read. What more could I learn?
The difference with Maus is not only the graphic novel form...more
After historical study, movies (Schindler's List et al) and novels (Sophie's Choice etc.), I felt I had had enough of Holocaust stories. I would never forget, as goes the dictum, but these tales were too unnerving and painful to read. What more could I learn?
The difference with Maus is not only the graphic novel form...more
For some, this book might not seem like it belongs in the books I read. It's a comic book (and I have a guilty pleasure with some comics). However, even if I didn't enjoy a single thing about comics, I would still recommend this book. Maus is not just a great comic book. This is one great book, a genuine piece of literature and visual art beautifully meshed around a difficult and profound subject.
Art Speigelman, the author, interviewed his father for several months, attempting ...more
Art Speigelman, the author, interviewed his father for several months, attempting ...more
this book won't change your life, but it will make you think, and hopefully feel grateful for what you have, be that family, food, home, or some combination thereof.
it will also make you laugh, and considering the topic of the book, i think that's quite a feat. for example, one of my favorite lines goes something like: if you're trying to survive, it's good to be friendly.
this came after another round of successful bartering in auschwitz. as a (likely) unvarnished comme...more
it will also make you laugh, and considering the topic of the book, i think that's quite a feat. for example, one of my favorite lines goes something like: if you're trying to survive, it's good to be friendly.
this came after another round of successful bartering in auschwitz. as a (likely) unvarnished comme...more
Just beautiful. Heartachingly beautiful. Really, the only criticism I can give to Maus is...that I wish there were more. Really, it's a fast, fast read, and in fact, goes by way too quickly. The artwork is not something you linger over; there aren't a lot of intricate details in the drawings or anything, but the format suits the story so well, and the artwork matches the emotion in every frame.
Now I'm heading over to hulu.com to watch the Simpson's episode that Art Speigelman gues...more
Now I'm heading over to hulu.com to watch the Simpson's episode that Art Speigelman gues...more
El Templo de las Mil Puertas
added it
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review of another edition
Shelves:
02-eltemplo,
la-comicteca
"Cuando Art Spiegelgamn decidió contar la historia de su familia y de muchos otros judíos durante el genocidio de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, no se planteó escribir una novela. Decidió que la mejor manera de acercarse a aquella terrible realidad, en su condición de dibujante, sería a través de las viñetas. De ese modo comenzó a crear la memoir gráfica sobre el tema más cruento que el mundo haya vivido. En 1980, Spiegelman publicó la primera parte en la revista Raw, pero no sería hasta 1991 ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I discuss Maus and comic book theory here:
http://www.morethanaweekend.com
or continue reading below:
Maus: A Reader's Tale
In his Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud coins the phrase "amplification through simplification." He uses the term in reference to cartoons and how by simplifying (usually) human features, artists amplify certain aspects of whatever the drawing is supposed to represent. By amplifying, let's say, just the basic facial f...more
http://www.morethanaweekend.com
or continue reading below:
Maus: A Reader's Tale
In his Understanding Comics, Scott McCloud coins the phrase "amplification through simplification." He uses the term in reference to cartoons and how by simplifying (usually) human features, artists amplify certain aspects of whatever the drawing is supposed to represent. By amplifying, let's say, just the basic facial f...more
Today I will be reviewing the novel that got me interested in graphic novels and really introduced me to this underrated genre of books, The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman. With the source material coming directly from conversations Art had with his father Vladek over a period of time, Art converted this story to a graphic novel where every Jewish person is a mouse and every other ethnicity is portrayed by a different animal (Germans are cats, Poles are pigs, etc). The story paints a ...more
I read this in two separate volumes but they were back to back so I’m going to review the whole thing as one. This is the tale of Spiegelman’s father’s experiences during the Holocaust in Poland, as told through interviews with his son. There are a large number of flashbacks, but interspersed are present-day exchanges as Spiegelman attempts to deal with his often unreasonable father. A number of interesting things were done here: first, the father’s imperfect English was kept verbatim, so I c...more
Maus is the story of the Holocaust told by a survivor to his son, a comic book writer. I don't want to dumb down Art Spiegelman's work by calling it a comic, but it's not a novel, so graphic novel doesn't do it justice either. In fact, I just don't think I can do this book justice at all.
It is, quite frankly, amazing.
The artwork is monotone, but it's this bleakness that works so well to portray the life of his parents and family as they tried to survive the ethnic cleansing ...more
It is, quite frankly, amazing.
The artwork is monotone, but it's this bleakness that works so well to portray the life of his parents and family as they tried to survive the ethnic cleansing ...more
This year marks the 25th anniversary of "Maus, A Survivor's Tale," by Art Spiegelman. Originally published in two volumes, the first completed in 1986, and the second in 1991, "Maus" was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 1992. The Pulitzer Committee frankly stated they found the work difficult to classify. "Maus" remains the only comic strip to be so honored.
Naturally, simply referring to "Maus" as a comic strip or comic book raises the hackl...more
Naturally, simply referring to "Maus" as a comic strip or comic book raises the hackl...more
Ci sono pochi libri che farei adottare come testi obbligatori nelle nostre scuole, Maus è uno di questi, un capolavoro a fumetti che consiglio di leggere a tutti coloro che ancora nutrono un forte pregiudizio(e sono in molti nel nostro paese, purtroppo) nei confronti dei fumetti.
Un'opera di una bellezza estrema, capace di suscitare nel lettore un irrefrenabile uragano di sentimenti, dalla tristezza alla rabbia, dalla dolcezza alla commozione, dall'ira allo sdegno.
L'ho dovuto legger...more
Un'opera di una bellezza estrema, capace di suscitare nel lettore un irrefrenabile uragano di sentimenti, dalla tristezza alla rabbia, dalla dolcezza alla commozione, dall'ira allo sdegno.
L'ho dovuto legger...more
Books I read rarely affect my emotions when I'm not reading it. A book can pull me every which way, make me feel horrified or saddened or joyful, but when I put it down, I'm in the same mood I was before I started reading it. Only occasionally can a book get under my skin, and Maus is one of them. I was actually happy to finish it, because I didn't like the way it was making me feel: anxious, upset, unhappy. And I've read Holocaust stuff before. It's not new. Something about the way Spiegelman c...more
(From my wordpress blog.)
How to classify Maus..? It's a difficult question, a question even the Pulitzer Prize committee struggled to answer. They ultimately awarded Maus and Mr. Spiegelman a Special Award in 1992 as they did not have a category they felt was appropriate. "Graphic narrative" would probably be the most accurate description, however it does not begin to inform a potential reader of the weight or the value of the work. Holocaust memoir? Yes, in many ways, but...more
How to classify Maus..? It's a difficult question, a question even the Pulitzer Prize committee struggled to answer. They ultimately awarded Maus and Mr. Spiegelman a Special Award in 1992 as they did not have a category they felt was appropriate. "Graphic narrative" would probably be the most accurate description, however it does not begin to inform a potential reader of the weight or the value of the work. Holocaust memoir? Yes, in many ways, but...more
Maus was very easy to read and understand. Maus is about the story of a survivor of the Holocaust, in the book he tells his story to his son. So the book goes from the present to the past, with the father and son talking to each other. Its a comic book but its still historical. The book starts with the Father talking about his live before the Holocaust. He was capture at first during the war and later manage to escape. Then it was when the Nazies started to take the Jews that their family decide...more
Art Spiegelman won the 1992 Pulitzer for Maus. The complete edition (originally published as two 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 Auschwitz. 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. What makes Spiegelman’s work so moving is the juxtapo...more
Today, I went to the library and I picked up a variety of graphic novels. Among them were Maus and Fax from Sarajevo. After reading Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis and Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen, I suppose you could say I'm hungry for more graphic novels about wartime. As odd as it may seem, I believe that graphic novels are probably one of the best mediums with which to truly capture the human side of war.
It's especially funny that one would describe Maus as "humanizing" the H...more
It's especially funny that one would describe Maus as "humanizing" the H...more
The really interesting part of Maus for me is the relationship between
Spiegelman and his father, Vladek.
The holocaust doesn't just come through in the father's stories that
spiegelman depicts in this graphic novel, but also in the parts of the book set in the present day. Vladek hoards everything because it might one day be useful (a habit that kept him alive through WWII). He's gruff and affectionate at the same time and is always yearning for his first wife, the author...more
Spiegelman and his father, Vladek.
The holocaust doesn't just come through in the father's stories that
spiegelman depicts in this graphic novel, but also in the parts of the book set in the present day. Vladek hoards everything because it might one day be useful (a habit that kept him alive through WWII). He's gruff and affectionate at the same time and is always yearning for his first wife, the author...more
Art Spiegelman’s Maus is rightly considered to be the breakthrough graphic novel - the one which confirmed what aficionados of the medium knew all along: comics are not just for kids. But to reduce it to just great literature is to belie the fact that it showcases some of the greatest strengths of the medium. Spiegelman demonstrates his mastery over panel placement and interaction throughout Maus. Generally, he opts for small panels with an abundance of text, which means that the reader will oft...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Mega-Mara...: The Complete Maus and Meta Maus | 1 | 3 | Jan 10, 2012 09:27pm | |
| Cafe Parlez: Maus: Contine the discussion | 1 | 3 | Oct 24, 2011 12:02pm | |
| Teaching and Lear...: Maus and Middle School | 2 | 2 | Sep 07, 2011 10:35pm |
Art Spiegelman (born February 15, 1948) is an American comics artist, editor, and advocate for the medium of comics, best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning comic memoir, Maus. The second volume of Maus was dedicated to Richieu and to Spiegelman's daughter Nadja. He also has a son, currently a junior at Brown University.
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“I know this is insane, but i somehow wish i had been in auschwitz with my parents so i could really know what they lived through! I guess it's some kind of guilt about having had an easier life than they did.”
—
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