Art Spiegleman
Maus: A Survivor's Tale (1973)
Author: Art Spiegleman
Genre: Graphic novel/Historical/Biography
Plot Summary:
This unique work, winner of the 1992 Pulitzer Prise, is the tale of the author's father's experiences as a Polish Jew during World War II, as well as the continuing ramifications of those experiences on the survivors of Auschwitz, and their progeny. (Initially classified as "fiction", it was later re-classified, by the New York Times as "non-fiction" at the author's request). Almost defying description, this work in cartoon style shows characters as animals; Jews are mice; Germans are cats; Poles are pigs. The elder Mr. Spiegelman is pursuaded to tell his son about the almost unendurable experiences he had as a Polish Jew at the beginning of World II, and the ensuing horrors he, his young wife, and (now deceased) first child experienced during those years. Interspersed with the father's memories are the recent past events (Spiegelman Jr. had had a "nervous breakdown" as a young man), memories of his mother's suicide, as well as the odd and neurotic relationship between the younger Spiegelman and his father. The old man is portrayed almost as a negative stereotypical Jew - in being "cheap" and strangely compulsive. However, the father's extreme cleverness in survival skills is well chronicled. The book ends with past recollections of the father and mother entering Auschwitz, after trying to elude the Nazis for years. (This book is followed up in the next Maus book). The very final part of this book shows Art's anger at his father for destroying his mother's diaries of those times.
Geographical Setting: New York state, and World War II Poland.
Time Period: " the present" and 1930's and 1940's.
Series: first of two Maus books
Appeal Characteristics:
Whether you love graphic novels, or you haven't read one before, this is an engaging read and an excellent introduction to the genre. The black and white illustrations are stimulating, and Spiegelman's depictions of Jews as mice, Nazis as cats, and Poles as pigs makes you pause and reflect on how easily stereotypes are created and groups of people are classified. The characters, particularly Vladek, are colorful, flawed and human, and fairly well outlined with an obvious history. Their frequent disagreements and squabbles, and level of reflection makes them relatable. The rough, yet abstract artwork, coupled with the conversational tone and written accented English of Vladek makes this a fast paced read. Also contributing to the compelling pace is the constant struggle of the Spiegelman family to survive, the several close calls they endure, and the reader's ultimate knowledge that they will all eventually end up in Auschwitz. You continue to read to see how it will all happen, and how the relationship between Art and Vladek will progress. The tone of the piece is relatively dark, with themes like genocide, suicide, and troubled relationships, but it is not overly depressing or traumatic, perhaps due to the fact that the reader receives constant breaks between an intense verbal and visual picture of wartime Poland, and contemporary New York. The illustrations contribute to the frame and setting, and although they are not thoroughly discussed, the time period in particular is never far from the mind as the panels and depictions don't allow it.
Read-alikes: It would be safe to say there are no very similar authors. Spiegelman and his style are completely unique. However, one should suggest the next Maus book, Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began as well as the recent book In the Shadow of No Towers, which is Spiegelman's recounting of the New YOrk disaster of the destruction of the Twin Towers from his viewpoint - living around the corner from them at the time. This book is different in subject and format, but still includes Siegelman's unique take on life, and graphics of a different sort. Jason Lutes' graphic novel Berlin: City of Stones (2001) takes place in Berlin during the time period between the two World Wars. This fiction novel tells the tale of several characters lives. It uses black and white art and it is not gentle in nature at all. This novel shows some of the political changes that were occuring including the rise of the Nazi party and the increasing discrimination of the Jews. Readers should be aware that this book involves scenes that depict breasts and the sexual organs of both of the sexes. It also touches on the sexual orientation of one character. Another possible read-alike is Martin Lemelman's Mendel's Daughter: A Memoir (2006). This graphic novel memoir is centered around a Jewish family's struggle to stay together and survive during the holocaust of World War II. Like Maus (1986), this novel's artwork is presented in black and white. The fourth read-alike that I have to offer is the first graphic novel in Vittorio Giardino's series A Jew in Communist Prague entitled Loss of Innocence (1994). This graphic novel focuses on one family's struggle with ethnic discrimination in Prague. First the Jewish father is imprisoned on trumped up charges, the mother loses her income, and the boy is refused admittance to college. The main difference between this title and the previous titles is that this novel uses color pictures. The reader should be aware that there are depictions of breasts shown. The final read-alike that I would suggest is Elie Wiesel's Night (1958). This novel contains the author's memoirs about what he and his family went through during the Holocaust. This isn't a graphic novel, but if the reader wants to read more holocaust memoirs, they might want to try this book. For those who are interested in the survivors of Auschwitz and their progeny, there are a few novels (not graphic) which do address this: A Generation of Wrath, by Elio Romano, is an actual true story of his years in Nazi prison camps, even though classified as fiction. Survival skills are prominently portrayed. White Lies by Julie Salamon, again a "novel" which closely parallels the author's actual experiences. The protagonist struggles to deal with the continuing effects on her parents, and herself, of their time in Auschwitz. Book is enhanced with its own graphics, in the form of photos. Sophies Choice by William Styron, also portrays the challenges for survival of an Auschwitz prisoner, and the effects on this mother during and after the Holocaust. Those interested in more information on the Holocaust, should also be directed to non-ficion titles on this subject, of which there are many. For a fictional account of World War Two Poland in graphic novel format try Yossel: April 19, 1943, which is an account of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising on April 19, 1943. For those that liked the World War II European setting, and the graphic novel genre, they should try The Bloody Streets of Paris, which depicts a Nestor Burma, a recently released POW, trying to solve a mystery in the midst of the occupation of Paris. Another flawed protaganist dealing with the everyday and the extraordinary in wartime will be a familiar theme. Persepolis is another title that will satisfy reader's needs if they liked the family drama and confessional atmosphere of the Spiegelman. Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical masterpiece is set in the backdrop of the Iranian revolution, and again deals with the themes of death and loss, amid normal problems of growing up. The black and white drawings are done in a similar, although somewhat more detailed fashion, and will attract attention as throughouly as Maus did. For another award-winning graphic novel that deals with troubled family relationships and self discovery, give Fun Homeby Alison Bechdel a whirl. Fun Home deals with the the author's realization that her father was gay in the middle of her own sexual discovery and subsequent identification as a lesbian. It also has the same themes of suicide, feuding parents and children, and an the same almost angsty admittal of betrayal in the author's relation of the story to the audience. Finally, for a newer take on contemporary New York and one woman's journey after 9/11, try American Widow. Widow follows the drama of young woman who meets her future husband, falls in love, and loses him in the attacks on the World Trade Center on his second day of work at Cantor Fitzgerald. Readers will witness the similar parallels in Maus,loving and hating that the characthers in the idyllic story will soon meet with unspeakable tragedy, compelling them to read at the same breakneck speed
Red Flags: Almost unspeakable descriptions of brutality and deprivation.
Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began (1991)
Author: Art Spiegelman
Genre: Graphic Novel (Nonfiction/Memoir)
Plot Summary:
Maus II continues the quest of Art Spiegelman to record and depict his father's experiences during WWII. Vladek, Art's father, is a cantankerous old man in the 1970s, manipulating everyone around him, especially Art. The ingenuity, tenacity, and thrift that helped him survive the concentration camps, is now pushing Vladek's second wife and son away from him. Art's struggle to help his father and record his father's history are mixed with his personal struggle of dealing with his feelings of annoyance and aggravation with his father. This book picks up when Vladek and his wife, Anja, first enter Auschwitz. Through the help of others, they are able to maintain contact until Vladek is sent away to Dachau. All the time Vladek is hungry and struggling to hang onto life. He gets sick with typhus and is afraid he will be sent to the gas chambers. But miraculously he manages to survive, mostly through sheer determination. This story is about not only Vladek's physical struggles to survive the Holocaust, but also his son's struggle to come to terms with the fact that he did not live through the Holocaust.
Geographical Setting: Auschwitz, Germany, and New York.
Time Period: 1944-1946 and 1979
Series: Sequel to Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
Appeal Characteristics:
Spiegelman's stunning drawings are one of this graphic novel's main appeals. There is a masterful use of shading and a facileness with character expressions and postures which make the reader linger over the the drawings until the full import of each scene has been fully absorbed. Above all, the author's decision to depict his human characters as various types of animal is extremely effective. Beyond the obviously appropriate symbolism of the cat/mouse juxtaposition, the animal substitutions (ironically) enable readers to more fully confront and accept the disturbing realities of human behavior. The novel's strong central character is another main appeal. In part, the author achieves his convincing characterization through a careful use of language. For instance, Vladek's narrative is told in a thick, Polish accent and is marked by an unorthodox use of English grammar. These qualities both endear him to the reader and serve to emphasize his isolatedness as a holocaust survivor. The reader is left feeling that Vladek's tragic experiences have made him permanently a "foreigner" to the everyday pleasures and enjoyments that most people take for granted. The alternating of past and present scenes also serves to enrich this characterization. The story of Vladek's past illustrates how his shrewdness and keen instincts enabled him to survive, while the present day scenes, consisting of dialogue between father and son, demonstrate how Vladek's past experiences have permanently altered his orientation to the world.
Read-alikes: Another Graphic Novel dealing with the Holocaust is Auschwitz by Pascal Croci. This book tells the story a couple as they return to Auschwitz many years after having been prisoners there. The story follows the same pattern of present day and flash-backs that Maus does. Another Holocaust read, but not a graphic novel, although it does include some illustrations, is Dear God, Have You Ever Gone Hungry? by Yosef Ba'u. Which relates his and his wife's experiences during the Holocaust. While he and his wife managed to survive the rest of his family is killed, similar to Vladek and Anja managing to survive while their first son and the rest of their family dies. Another book dealing with Auschwitz is Night by Eli Wiesel. In a very stark and moving way, he relates his experience as a teen-ager sent to Auschwitz. For those seeking other graphic novels concerned with survival in WWII, Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima (1987) is especially recommended--and offers a Japanese perspective. For more nonfiction Graphic Novels dealing with the horrors of war and the author's struggle to come to terms with it, you might try Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story of Childhood and Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return. These books follow Marjane's struggles growing up in war torn Iran. Her distinctive black and white illustrations along with powerful written words draw the reader into the despair and hope that also permeate Maus. Another moving Graphic Novel about the horrors of war is Fax From Sarajevo by Joe Kubert. Also done in black and white, this book shows the suffering and trials that people trapped in Sarajevo during the war experienced.
Red Flags: This story deals with the Holocaust and concentration camps; dead and emaciated bodies are depicted. And there is some strong language. Also, the mice seem always to be smoking.
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