Maus by Art Spiegelman

[katekintailbc]

Maus I & Maus II aka The Complete Maus
by Art Spiegelman

I put off reviewing this for about a week after I finished it because I wanted to make sure it had sunk in. Now that it's been a week and a half... I still can't find words powerful enough to describe how amazing this book (The Complete Maus) is.

Art Spiegelman is going to be the keynote speaker at my conference this year and so I wanted to read his most well-known work before February. I knew it had won a Pulitzer. I knew it was intense. I knew the subject matter was startling. But nothing could have prepared me for the impact it had on me. I've read other stories about the Holocaust before- The Diary of Anne Frank, Night, etc. But there was something about SEEING it and reading it at the same time that really hit me. All of the story-telling devices were amazing, as well. I loved the use of different species of animals because it showed me how different everyone was. When I think about that time period, I see them through eyes of today, where everyone is equal to me. But then, they really were seen as completely different kinds of people and the animals showed that to me. I also loved how it's Artie's POV, telling about his father telling about the war. He doesn't try to just tell his father's story- he makes sure we know it's what his father's saying. We want desperately to believe every word, but it's just one man's account and he's old and jumps around so there are gaps and things he's unsure about and it's SO realistic. Not only that, but we get bits of today- Artie & his life, what his father is going through now, everything that influences the author during his journey- including his reflections in II about writing I. Fascinating perspective and subject matter.

Writing aside... the subject matter is amazing. It covers such a long time period in detail and showed me things I guess I knew (like the length of time this went on) but didn't really know. It hit me hard how people didn't actually know what was happening until it was too late because it was SUCH a slow thing and for the "good of the world" or whatever. I used to wonder "how did they not know what the gas chambers were?" and now I understand fully because how can you possibly believe people could do that to other people? There's just no way. And, yet, it happened. And it went on for SO long, little by little, until it got so bad it actually made me sick. But you know going in that Art's parents make it through, so at least that's something to hold onto the whole time. All the little ways they dodged this or that, all the suffering they couldn't avoid, all the clever moves and incredibly lucky moments. It's amazing how much had to come together to allow them to survive when so many didn't. Their story is full of extraordinary moments, yet it could have easily have been them dead and someone else's story now.

This was a powerful, amazing read. I won't soon forget the experience that was reading this book. And I really look forward to hearing Art speak at the conference coming up in early 2009.

Comments

[florafloraflora.livejournal.com]

Sounds amazing. I've been meaning for a long time to read this.