Ward K. (conservative) reviewed Maus: A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, Bk 1) on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This book is a graphic novel. It is written by Art Spiegelman as he interviews his Jewish father's experiences in Nazi Germany. The Jews are mice, the Germans are cats, and the Poles are pigs. The story is compelling, and is made less revolting, (If that is possible) by the de-humanizing, (pictorially) of the groups. It is an easy, quick read, but it will have great impact. For those who want to understand the holocaust and don't want to slog through some of the many long volumns out there...pick this one up.
Ann K. (liblit) reviewed Maus: A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, Bk 1) on + 130 more book reviews
Very well done. An unusual book that blends cartoons and history. Emotionally moving without being horrific.
John O. (buzzby) -
You can tell that it was written by a man, because he has a map showing the major locations in Poland, as well as a map of part of New York, even though they aren't absolutely necessary. I would say that telling the story via cartoons gives a different perspective, although it isn't lighthearted at all.
Kimhouy T. reviewed Maus: A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, Bk 1) on + 11 more book reviews
A heartbreaking story told in graphic novel form.
Sarah R. (brianslittlegirl) reviewed Maus: A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, Bk 1) on + 49 more book reviews
A powerful and touching tale. This graphic novel is definetly one above the rest.
Part 1 of two part graphic novel series. Spiegelman tells the story of his parents during the Holocaust and he also tells the story of his relationship with his father. Very moving!
Andrew K. (kuligowskiandrewt) -
6,000,000. 6 Million. Think about that number. How can an individual get their arms around a number of that magnitude? HOW can you describe the government-sponsored murder of 6 MILLION people? (And that number only includes the Jewish people killed by the Nazis. Roma, homosexuals, the disabled, and so many others almost DOUBLE that number! NOR does it include the number of people who were persecuted but managed to survive the war.)
In Maus, writer/artist Art Spiegelman doesn't attempt to deal with 6 million people. Instead, he tells the story of 2 people living through that horror â his parents. There are, of course, others around them â but all are ancillary to the tale of the Spiegelmans. Actually, Spiegelman tells TWO stories â the story of his father's dealings with the Nazis AND of his father's dealings with life today. It is easy to see from a reader's vantage point how the events of the war shaped Mr. Spiegelman's attitudes towards life and towards those around him, but the characters of this story cannot make the connection. This is especially true of his new wife â who ALSO lived through the Holocaust but emerged with different life lessons.
Why âMausâ? Because the characters in this graphic novel are depicted as animals. The Jewish people are drawn as anthromorphic mice, the Gentile Poles as pigs, and the Germans as cats. In fact, when Jews are attempting to pass as Gentiles, they wear a pig mask. This depiction may be troubling to some people, but I believe it allows the writer / artist to have a little more freedom in telling his tale. (I DID find it a bit ironic when the mice were talking about being in a basement with mice and rats â NON-anthropomorphic rodents.
This book takes us from the rise of the Nazis in Germany through their invasion of Poland, but comes to an end when the Spiegelmans are brought to Auschwitz . There is a sequel, which I MUST acquire and read at my earliest opportunity.
RATING: 5 stars. More if I was allowed to give them.
In Maus, writer/artist Art Spiegelman doesn't attempt to deal with 6 million people. Instead, he tells the story of 2 people living through that horror â his parents. There are, of course, others around them â but all are ancillary to the tale of the Spiegelmans. Actually, Spiegelman tells TWO stories â the story of his father's dealings with the Nazis AND of his father's dealings with life today. It is easy to see from a reader's vantage point how the events of the war shaped Mr. Spiegelman's attitudes towards life and towards those around him, but the characters of this story cannot make the connection. This is especially true of his new wife â who ALSO lived through the Holocaust but emerged with different life lessons.
Why âMausâ? Because the characters in this graphic novel are depicted as animals. The Jewish people are drawn as anthromorphic mice, the Gentile Poles as pigs, and the Germans as cats. In fact, when Jews are attempting to pass as Gentiles, they wear a pig mask. This depiction may be troubling to some people, but I believe it allows the writer / artist to have a little more freedom in telling his tale. (I DID find it a bit ironic when the mice were talking about being in a basement with mice and rats â NON-anthropomorphic rodents.
This book takes us from the rise of the Nazis in Germany through their invasion of Poland, but comes to an end when the Spiegelmans are brought to Auschwitz . There is a sequel, which I MUST acquire and read at my earliest opportunity.
RATING: 5 stars. More if I was allowed to give them.
redwidowz reviewed Maus: A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, Bk 1) on + 15 more book reviews
Being one for historical facts, I don't particularly like "survivor tales" from the holocaust. I find that they tend to be very emotional, one-sided, and mushy, with distorted facts and perceptions. This book is not so; it is by far the most pointed, dis-associative recount of one man (Vladek Speigelman)'s journey through life during Hitler's reign.
Some things I wish I would have known prior to reading: this book is a graphic novel but it is entirely in black and white. The cover portrays a colored comic; I felt that the monochromatic scheme distracted from the story, and in a few instances the actions being pictured are hard to decipher.
Secondly, [SPOILER ALERT] this isn't the complete story, this is just basically Maus: Part 1. You have to purchase the follow up book to read what happens at the end of Vladek Speigelman's story. I'm sorry, but I found this to be a cheap cliffhanger, hence I deducted a star.
However, overall it is a very solid story, and I appreciate the injection of how Art (Vladek's son) attained the story from his father. The book does cover a huge range of Vladek's story, from 1938 to 1944, and also informs of what happens to all the other members of the Spiegelman family. Worth the read if you are a Holocaust/Hitler historian.
Some things I wish I would have known prior to reading: this book is a graphic novel but it is entirely in black and white. The cover portrays a colored comic; I felt that the monochromatic scheme distracted from the story, and in a few instances the actions being pictured are hard to decipher.
Secondly, [SPOILER ALERT] this isn't the complete story, this is just basically Maus: Part 1. You have to purchase the follow up book to read what happens at the end of Vladek Speigelman's story. I'm sorry, but I found this to be a cheap cliffhanger, hence I deducted a star.
However, overall it is a very solid story, and I appreciate the injection of how Art (Vladek's son) attained the story from his father. The book does cover a huge range of Vladek's story, from 1938 to 1944, and also informs of what happens to all the other members of the Spiegelman family. Worth the read if you are a Holocaust/Hitler historian.
keli reviewed Maus: A Survivors Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, Bk 1) on + 31 more book reviews
Amazing
