Art's relationship with his father, Vladek. Art is fascinated when Vladek starts talking about his youth in Poland, and keeps coming back to record more of his father's life and experiences. Art and Vladek have very different ideas on life and what is important in it, and these undercurrents come through as Vladek's story is told simply but compellingly. The tension grows as Vladek's life in Poland is seen to become more and more dangerous, and the reader can see the ripples of effect flowing on down to his relationship with his son, his second wife, and others he encounters.

This story is told in cartoon form. The pictures tell so much more than words could of the emotions, concerns and tensions of the characters. The Jews are pictured as mice, Nazis as cats and non-Jewish Poles as pigs.

read the sequel, Maus II

That I could partly begin to appreciate what the Jews endured during the Nazi regime.

has had his cartoons widely published and is cofounder and editor of Raw, "the acclaimed magazine of avant-garde comics and graphics" (Quote from cover of Maus II)

The Holocaust had such a major effect on the course of world events, and affected so many, that it is worth the time in trying to understand what the Jews and others went through. Maus portrays some of what they experienced, and helps those of us distant from it to appreciate a little of the tragedies that took place.

The artwork is superb; black-and-white line drawings have never seemed so expressive.




There are many little touches; two that caught my eye were:


when the Jews disguised themselves, they were drawn with pig-shaped masks to make them look like non-Jewish Poles;


the swastika is used occasionally to good effect, such as the shape of a crossroads that Vladek and his wife were approaching.

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Maus: A Survivor's Tale   from Amazon.Com!

Created Dec 02, 2001 at 1:31pm • Submit your own review...