Customer Reviews

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Maus I & II represent a fascinating account of the Holocaust from the perspective of one survivor and his son. The idea of using different animals to represent different types of people ends up creating a very human story - even more so when the author doesn't shy away from revealing the moral weaknesses of his own protagonists (including himself).

The two previous reviews criticising the portrayal of Poles as pigs miss the point entirely. In fact, the Poles are not portrayed uniformly. Some good, some bad - but in any case, as they were remembered by the main protagonist, free of any attempts at being "nice" or diplomatic. (After all, a politically correct zealot could also object to the image of Jews as mice.)

Since Maus came out in the early 90's, other artists have created stories using the same idea of animals representing character types - such as Canales' and Guarnidos' "Blacksad" series - with a much greater range of artistic expression and abilities. But Maus remains an original, and as far as an account of one of the most monumental and dark historical events in history, it is entirely unique.

I'm Jewish and easily depressed, so I expected to be very moved by this tale. But I wasn't. I was freaked out-Art portrays Jewish life well and I was honestly scared for the characters-but not moved. I did not cry. Then again, I'd probably give it four stars if it weren't for my high expectations. I'm definitely definitely going to buy the next installment though.

I disagree with people who say Polish people are portrayed negatively in this book, aside from the fact that he portrays them as pigs. Most of the Poles in this book were nice-they hide in the house of a Polish lady, there housekeeper is Polish. Of course, at one point you have Polish people being anti-semitic but what do you expect? No Poles actually hurt the Spiegelman's, though they do occaisonally put them in jeopardy by yelling that there is a Jew in the yard. I think the animals are meant to portray stereotypes. Vladek has disdain for the Poles, and Art shows that by making them pigs. That doesn't mean that the Poles are bad, that's just how Vladek is.

This book is one that caught me in its clutches instantly! For those who are interested in the Holocaust and are sick of stories of Anne Frank(no offense), this is perfect! Summary: The author of this book, Art Speigelman, goes to visit his father, Vladek, and learn of his story of living in Hitler's Europe. Art also tries to understand his father's changes that have happened due to his experiences. Art's stepmother, Mala, complains that Vladek is too uptight and doesn't care about her. Vladek complains that all Mala cares about is his money. Art's struggles show how even the children of the survivors have to survive. Review: This book took me away. For a story of the Holocaust, this hits a home run. Never before have I read a book like this. A tale like this deserves to be read by everyone.

MAUS surprised me. Before I read it, I expected I might admire and respect it as an important comic, but I figured the subject matter was altogether too heavy and serious to permit it to be in the least bit enjoyable.

Boy, was I was wrong. MAUS is not only a an amazing use of the comic idiom-an affecting chronicle of what is surely THE most uncomical event in the 20th Century-it is also a gripping and psychologically astute portrait of a family tottering on the sizable wake of that event.

Art Spiegelman has managed to create something equally important and entertaining with MAUS. If you've been scared away by the heaviness of the subject matter, don't let yourself be. It's heavy, for sure, but it's also a great bit of storytelling.

I recently read the book entitled Maus: A survivors tale; 1 My father bleeds history. It was a really good book. I especially liked how it was it was written like a comic book, so it was really easy to read and entertaining at the same time. My favorite part was when Artie's father, Vladek would stand up for himself, I liked it because it gave me a really good feeling inside myself, that sort of inspired me to do something constructive or that would help someone. In conclusion if I were you and had not read this book I would definitely go to my local library or neigh/borhood bookstore and borrow/buy this book because it is totally worth your time and money. So basically I am telling you to make sure you read this book!
Mik Green

This first book tells us the story of Art's parents, how they met, and how their lives changed as Hitler took over Europe. The story moves back and forth from Art's father's life in WWII Poland to 1980s New York. I felt that the drawings showing depictions of different races as animals put such a different spin on the Holocaust. Plus, when you think that the Nazis treated the Jews at "less than human" it seems to make sense on more than one level. I was eager to start the next book, for this book ends with Art's father arrives at Auschwitz.

Summary:
Art (Artie) Spiegelman is a cartoonist and the son of holocaust survivors, Vladek and Anna Spiegelman. Despite a rocky relationship with his parents (resulting in years of therapy), Art eventually makes the decision to tell his parents' story in graphic novel (comic book) form. (I'm including what would generally be considered background information because it is actually included in the novel.)

Art's mother, Anna, committed suicide, and now he has only the recollections of his wealthy but super-frugal father upon which to base the story. Through repeated visits, Art gets his father to recount his World War II experience.

Vladek's begins with his pre-war life, which barely pre-dates his meeting Anna. Once Vladek meets Anna and they marry, Vladek is quickly taken in by Anna's parents who help him set up a factory near where they live (in Poland). But the War is rapidly approaching and Vladek is drafted into the Polish military, which quickly fell. He was then a prisoner of war for a number of months before returning to his family. The family is then torn apart as they move from ghetto to ghetto, doing their best to stay alive, in large part due to Vladek's resourcefulness. Vladek and Anna even send their firstborn son to live with relatives as they think he will be safer. As it turns out, the son dies, but he probably would have with them as well.

Despite doing their best to avoid it, eventually Vladek and Anna end up in Auschwitz, but that is covered in the second book: Maus II.

My Comments:
I wasn't expecting to find this book as engaging as I did, though I'm not sure why. Eventually, I was drawn into the book and was disappointed when it ended just as the Spiegelman's are sent to Auschwitz.

Initially, I was distracted by the approach of the book as it bounces back and forth between the author interacting with his father as he is interviewing him (quasi present day) and the father's account of his experience during the war (~30 years prior). But it quickly becomes clear that this is included for a reason - to illustrate what the father has become (likely in large part due to the experience he is recounting).

I was also surprised by the author's willingness to reveal so much about himself. Rather than present himself as 'the good son', he is quite critical of himself. His character in the book is constantly complaining about his father and even goes so far as to call him a murderer when he discovers that Vladek burned Anna's journals from just after the war.

Keep in mind this book is only the first 1/2 of the story. Without reading the second book the story wouldn't be complete. Thus, while this book is interesting, it is really just setting the foundation of what becomes a compelling love story between two survivors and their son's attempt to deal with his parents and childhood. I think this book could serve well as an introduction to the holocaust for young readers as it combines an actual account with thoughts, comments, and pictures. Of course, additional books should be used to supplement this one, but it would make a good primer. And, for those that have read quite a bit about the holocaust it still is a powerful tale about what it took to survive (luck and an insurmountable desire to love and live).

In the novel Maus, My Father Bleeds History there are three types of people. There are the Jewish (mice), the Polish (pigs), and the Nazis (cats). Archie, the main character, is writing a comic book on his father's experience in the holocaust. But through out the story it jumps back a forth between Archie's father telling his story, and their real life. In the end Archie gathers all the information he needs for his comic book, but in all his joy he finds a huge disappointment.
There are many things that I enjoyed about this novel. The first thing that I enjoyed was that it was about history, but presented in an interesting way. It wasn't just strait out facts about the holocaust, the author, placed it out in a way that grabs your attention. Another aspect of the comic book that I enjoyed was that each group of people was presented as a different kind of animal; The Jewish (mice), the Polish (pigs), and the Nazis (cats). I thought that this brought a good sense of how different, everyone back then thought of each other. Although I liked many features of Maus, My Father Bleeds History there was one major thing that I disliked about the novel, and this part was the character of Archie's father. I thought that he wasn't ever satisfied, and that the author could have wrote him in differently. Over all there wasn't much that I disliked about the comic book.
I would most definitely recommend this novel to anyone, in the sixth grade or higher. I feel that anyone younger wouldn't be able to grasp the concept as well. I recommend this history packed comic book to anyone who likes to learn about history without the strait out facts, because that is exactly what this book does. I feel that the author did an excellent job, at bring across the major points of the holocaust, and did a wonderful job at grasping the attention of many.

I read both "Maus" books awhile back and thoroughly enjoyed them. They are well-thought out, creative and informative. It was pure luck to stumble upon them, seeming as how my two favorite book genres are "talking animal" fantasy and historical fiction. This graphic novel combined my two loves and was entertaining and fast-paced. It tells the story of a young mouse (a Jew) living during the Holocaust and his fight to survive. Spiegelman's tale is well-researched, as it is based on his father's own experiences in Europe during WWII. A must read for graphic novel fans and sheer delight for other readers, too.

"Maus I" is a powerful and awe-inspiring experience. I have never read anything quite like it, I have to admit. It's really hard to comprehend the term "page-turner" until you read this very unique and intense tale of surviving one of the most terrible times in history.

Written in comic book form, Art Spiegelman tells the tale of his father's hardships and survival in the Holocaust. Vladek Spiegelman (his father) was a POW, but managed to sneak out of one of the camps that held him, only to later have him and his whole family thrown into terrible death camps. Uncertain of what tragedies they would endure or when they may be the next to be sent to Auschwitz, Vladek was always certain that they would make it out alive, no matter what obstacles were thrown in their way. This is a survivor's tale, as well as a tale of how a son tries to patch up a damaged relationship with his father. The account we are given is absolutely horrifying, but at the same time triumphant.

I literally could not put this book down once I started it. It's a very fast and easy read. This is a great advantage because this makes it easier for those who do not read a lot to be able to read it without any problems. It's an important tale that needs to be told and it is one that needs to be read by as many people as possible. The Holocaust is something we should never forget and it's something that needs to be taught to everyone. This book is a great way to get people aware of the situation who may not know a lot about that terrible time.

The comic book structure and style really makes the story work. While this is something I could've read in plain text or in a regular novel, the drawings help you experience just exactly what is taking place. It makes it easier for you to want to continue reading without forcing you to strain yourself. The style and structure also insures that more people will give it a chance and read it.

"Maus I" is an important tale of survival, hope, hardships and family. It's a tale worth being told, that much I can assure you. If you have never read this before, I strongly recommend that you pick it up sometime and give it a chance. It is an easy and fast read that will give you an experience like none you have ever encountered. It may be a sad and terrible tale to hear, but to know that somebody can survive such a horrendous scenario like the Holocaust and come out of it alive just goes to show you how strong a person can be, both inside and out. It is an important tale that deserves to be heard by as many people as possible.