I can't say I've ever read an entire comic book or graphic novel, and I'm not sure Holocaust literature was the place to start. However, reviewing the book as a teacher, I must say it's a great book to hook some of my not-so-eager readers. Art Spieglman writes, in comic book form, about his father's experiences as a Holocaust survivor. Using mice to represent Jews and cats to represent the Nazis, Maus follows Spiegleman's family's life from the mid-thirties until the winter of 1944.
Spiegelman's style is rather abrupt. His brutal honesty regarding his father's behavior can come across as shocking. But, I truly believe for others to even begin to understand the Holocaust, an author should not sugar-coat any aspect of a biography. I struggled a bit with Spiegelman's transitions; I often had to reread a passage to determine if I was in past or present tense.
I know that Maus is a part of many high school's English curriculum. I have read numerous memoirs and biographies that have had a much greater impact on me and my view of the atrocities of the Holocaust. Aside from the unique presentation, I don't really think that this particular story stands out among the others.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
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