Maus: A Survivor's Tale (1980)

I think that this is a really good way to teach kids about the holocaust. i think that sometimes history teachers are really boring and they drone on and on. But if you give them a graphic novel that has all the information in it. I think it would be much more retained and understood. ( )

I was expecting the harrowing tales of the holocaust. I was not expecting the perfectly, painfully drawn parent/child relationship, full of guilt and complexity. The book is heartbreaking and fascinating. ( )

I’ve had Maus for months only reading a few pages at a time. It is a non-fiction graphic novel about a young New Yorker interviewing his father about his time in the Holocaust. It’s hard to explain why reading about the ghettos, Auschwitz and the marches come across even more horrific in comic book form, but I had a harder time with this than most WWII books. The portions in the present show the complications of relationships in terms of survivor’s guilt and the stress that caused for Art as a son. I completely understand why this book is listed as a must-read of the 20th century. I did read the many critiques from as basic as if the holocaust should ever be in comic book form to the fact that by portraying the different groups as animals (Jews-mice, Germans-cats, poles-pigs) it reinforces the Nazi beliefs of major differences in genetics. All points I didn’t think about as I was reading. I think just the fact that this book has received so many reviews and criticisms shows how powerful it is. ( )

Graphic Novel. True story of the author's father and mother first hiding from the Nazis, then going into a concentration camp. The story is told with rats as Jews, cats as Nazis. If you change the facts the truth can be articulated better. Scene where the author asks his therapist (also a concentration camp survivor) to tell him what being in Auschwitz was really like is worthy of Dostoevsky or Faulkner. ( )

Vladek Spiegelman was a Polish Jew born on October 11,1906. As a young man he bought and sold textiles. While visiting his family he met a girl named Anja. Vladek describes her as a smart, clever girl, but not the prettiest. He moves from Czechstochowa to Sosnowiec to be with Anja. They get married on February 14,1937. Anja would always have this boy visit her. This boy turned out to be a communist. She would translate the messages the boy gave her into German. Police got wind of this and came looking for her. Anja panicked and gave the papers to the seamstress, the police arrested her. Vladek found a job running a factory in Bielsko. While looking for a house Vladek got a call telling him Anja was sick. Giving birth was too much for Anja. So she and Vladek went to a Santarium for 3 months and by that time the Nazis where arresting Jews. Vladek's factory was completely robbed. He joined the Polish Army, was caught on the battle field, and was taken by the Germans. Vladek was sent to labor camp. After months there, he was freed and sent on a train "home" but the Germans were going to kill them. He escaped and returned to his family. His home was the same but the town was different. For instance, now there was a underground market to buy food without coupons since the Germans ran every shop in town. They would do round ups, raid houses, and public beatings. Then the Jews were relocated. When people started going to Auschwitz, Vladeks family hid but soon they were found. They were sent to the ghetto. Then the Germans started killing everyone. Vladek left with his wife and started hiding with Poles. They were caught and sent to Auschwitz. There, Vladek made friends with high people but then when it was time to go to the real work camps Vladek knew right where to stand. Anja was having a hard time with all the hard work. Vladek became a shoemaker there. In the end they find each other after being seperated for several years.

This book helped me understand a little more what the Jewish people went through during this time. The author is Jewish and he wrote this book to tell his father's story. Students in America should be required to read this book to gain an understanding of the Holocaust. This book does a good job of painting a picture of what life was like for Jews during the Holocaust. It is also very interesting how the author uses mice to represent Jews and cats to represent Germans. It gives it a stronger storyline. I highly recommend this book. ( )