Blog Entry #4: Reactions to Maus

For me, Maus turned out to be one of those books I just couldn’t put down. The story had all the essential features to keep my attention: it was funny, sad, and especially shocking. Although I have read other Holocaust survivor books, this one affected me in a deeper way because of its creative approach. I originally thought that Spiegelman’s choice to represent Jews with mice, Nazis with cats, and Poles with pigs would not allow me to take the story seriously. What I actually found was the opposite. I was able to feel sympathy each time Art’s dad recalled an especially painful memory and I laughed whenever Art made a snide comment about his father’s habits and beliefs.

I also liked how Spiegelman explored not only his father’s survival tale but also exposed complications in their current father-son relationship. He linked the two stories together by including outside discussions which occurred while he was at his father’s house interviewing him. Because of this, I learned not only about Art’s father (who he is and who he was) but also, in a small way, about Art himself.

To be honest, I am not completely sure why Spielgelman makes the choices he does in Maus. It seems as though he is not afraid to challenge his audience and his aim is to stand out as a graphic novelist. Perhaps he knew by presenting the Holocaust in a way which no one has before (i.e. in a graphic novel) he would grab the attention of readers who would not otherwise ever be interested in the story.

In terms of the layout, I found the pictures and talk bubbles in the novel helpful when trying to understand the complicated story and sort out all of the small details given. I have never read a graphic novel before but I hope to find others which could entertain me as much as Maus did. I would love to read Maus II in the near future.