#maus i

[arinewman7]

“Reading is fundamental”

[desidesidesi]

Was at the library this afternoon for a little Queer Book Meet and Greet type situation and decided to pick up books I've been meaning to read. It was the first time in forever I saw Maus I and II there so I grabbed them. They're so important and gods I just finished the first one and. Like. (Spoilers ig)

It ends in 1944??? When the Spiegelmans just hardly get to Auschwitz??? The camp fucking CLOSED in 1945. Like. The first book was so fucking gripping that I couldn't stop reading once I started. I can't even fathom what the next one will be like.

[wademywatts-blog]

“Signed, Your Secret Friend, L”

Here’s the other monologue I was trying to write while unintentionally writing “Someone Finally Said It”. Some background information: This monologue was actually written for my literature class at school. It is based on Art Spiegelman’s Maus I, a story about how his father, Vladek Spiegelman survived World War II. In this graphic novel, the Nazis are portrayed as cats and Jews portrayed by mice. The title makes sense now, right? Lol. The specific idea for this monologue came from the very first chapter, before the war. Vladek’s female friend, Lucia, really only wants him for his body. A couple months pass and Vladek meets his future wife, Anja (who doesn’t survive the war) and Lucia gets very jealous. How can we tell she’s jealous? She writes a deception letter to Anja about Vladek, listing out all these bad qualities he has. Proven later in the book and even early on we can tell, none of these characteristics she’s using to describe Vladek are true. Not a single one. In the pages of Maus I, Anja only vaguely describes the letter, and that left me wondering what Lucia actually put in that letter. This is my vision of her letter. WORTH MENTIONING: This monologue does not spoil anything in Maus I. Just in case anyone is reading it or plans on reading it. Also, pardon the mouse pun. Had to! LUCIA: Dear friend Anja, (pause) Your husband is a filthy rat. I’ll have you know that he has touched every woman in his hometown, and that’s a fact. (pause, to audience) You want to know how I know? Well he would... TALK, to me about it! (to notepad) He trusted me a whole bunch, and you don’t hear HIM talking to you like so. What do you think of that? (pause) Rrrreally, if you do not know about how many girlfriends he had! Why, that’d be a shame. (pause) If you ask me, I recall him having as many to say it is too numerous to count on my fingers and toes. Isn’t it awful? (pause) And haven’t you noticed his character? At home he was… A bit less than a monster. It was hard to even believe someone like VLADEK could be that cruel. Honestly, you could ask tons of people who’d known him! (quietly) If you’re not satisfied enough with MY recollection of him. (pauses) Well, at least I got this all across to you, dear. Remember not to forget any of this, alright? (pauses) Signed, (pauses, to herself) Well, what should we put--Oh, I know! (to notepad) Your secret friend, L. (nods, to audience) That will do just fine, if I do say so myself.

[bobthebobking]

who wants to give me a copy of Maus I

[themisterlent]

An update! How rare!

X-Men: Read the first two Chapters of Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by the time I see you next Monday.

Justice League: Read chapter two, "The Honeymoon," and answer the rest of the questions on #5.

We need to speed through Maus I and II, but I hope you're stopping to smell the roses.  That is to say--I hope you're appreciating what you're reading!

[baysidebooks]

REVIEW: Maus

In 1978, American cartoonist Art Spiegelman sat down with his father Vladek to chronicle the 72-year-old’s memories of the Holocaust. Out of many long, weary conversations came Maus, I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus, II: And Here My Troubles Began, a set of graphic novels about World War II that depicts Jews as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs, and Americans as dogs.

Much has been written about the creativity of Spiegelman’s artwork, and the symbolism of the mice and cat interactions was not lost on me. While it is an arresting way to frame the story, it is hardly the most unorthodox or stirring component of the series.

Spiegelman structures his novels in a very casual way, alternating between scenes in 1937 Poland and present-day interactions with his wife Francoise, his father, and his father’s second wife, Mala. He holds little back from the audience, venting his frustrations when his father tries to exchange a box of half-eaten cereal at the grocery store, or when he refuses to buy his wife new clothes, insisting that she make good use of his dead wife's wardrobe. The misunderstandings between the two are constant. Art cannot comprehend his father’s miserly attitudes, while Vladek has trouble relating to a son who wants to preserve his parents' painful legacy. At the heart of the story is this observation by Art:

“No matter what I accomplish, it doesn’t seem like much compared to surviving Auschwitz.”

Although the novels primarily center around Vladek’s story, they also pull two other survivors into focus: Vladek’s first wife, Anja, and his second wife, Mala. Anja was by Vladek’s side during much of the war and suffered through harrowing experiences in hiding and in the concentration camps. In 1968, she committed suicide.

Mala, by contrast, is the most well-adjusted of the three survivors, but even she cannot withstand the force of Vladek’s suffering. As she attempts to build a safe and happy life for herself after the horrors of the war, Vladek’s constant insensitivity tears at her. It is to Art’s detriment that while he mourns the loss of his mother’s journals about the Holocaust, he does not bother engaging Mala and listening to the stories that she carries within her.

What struck me most in this book, though, was how far-reaching the tentacles of Nazi brutality were. It becomes clear that Vladek is a shell of the buoyant, hard-working man he used to be, and is often shown to be stubborn, illogical, insensitive, passive-aggressive, and racist in his post-war interactions. Despite the clever schemes that helped him evade the grasp of Nazi Germany, he has not managed to escape the toll it took on his physical and mental health. The strength of his memory is called into question several times, leaving me wondering just how much of his tale is true. In equal measure, it is important to remember that these books are written from Art’s perspective and come with a significant amount of unresolved hurt and emotional baggage. It is impossible for us as readers to know the whole truth.

With all of the caveats listed above, Spiegelman’s story is still a very important one. Take it for what it is: an imperfect yet powerful testimony to the resilient and courageous spirit of a survivor.

---

You can purchase a copy of Maus, I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History and Maus, II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman at the Book Depository. Seattle Books is a proud affiliate of the Book Depository and has committed 100% of proceeds from book sales to blog giveaways and site maintenance. All thoughts expressed above are the blogger’s and are not endorsed or solicited by the Book Depository.

[baysidebooks]

To die, it’s easy. But you have to struggle for life.

Maus, I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

[booksmagicandfantasies]

Maus I

I'm not a fan of comic books (thanks stupid history prof for assigning comic books). But I had to read this for class. It's not particularly long. I knocked it out in one sitting. And I'm not going to lie. It's incredibly interesting how he relates the story of his parents' experiences during the Holocaust. And, even though I don't like comic books, I will be the first to admit the detailing in the drawings is fascinating to think about. It's well crafted, and I like how it goes back and forth between present-day, as he's talking to his father, and back to the 1930s and 1940s, as his father tells his story. It's quick, it's easy, and there's a lot of information crammed into it. We have to read the second one too, and I should probably get on that. But for now, if you're interested in World War II and want a quick read, this is a great place to start.