Skaman
07-04-2005, 01:31 AM
http://www.iath.virginia.edu/holocaust/mauscover.gif
I recently finished reading both volumes of Maus, an illustrated narrative detailing the horrors of the holocaust by Art Spiegelman, who in his work interviewed his father Vladek, a survivor of the persecution and genocide. Maus is written in a post modern Orwellian style, reminiscent of Animal Farm, where the author had replaced human participants with animal counterparts, evocative off their human qualities within the animal symbolism. Spiegelman plays with this idea and the notion of animalistic qualities by portraying the victimized Jewish peoples as mice, while the Nazi’s are the Cats. Immediately, Maus has differentiated itself from other contemporary works detailing the holocaust by using the medium of both the graphic novel, and animal symbolism. However, the work is to be appreciated on a much more creative and compelling level than on its artistic flair, as foremost, its narrative style is unusually humanistic and emotional, shedding the cliché and overused Hollywood stereotypes. The book is undeniably moving, offering a rare insight into personal accounts seeing that the story develops around the relationship of Vladek and his son Art, the author of Maus. Spiegelman’s work is disturbing, yet rich, gripping but uncomfortable. The post war relationship dynamics of the family are explored in one arc of the story, while the other is dedicated to the Jewish persecution. Together, these complimentary works create a more comprehensive and fulfilling story that like no other holocaust literature has affected me. Maus is brutally honest, and thoroughly interesting, a fine piece of work that has not received greater credit than it deserves. Pick up a copy of Maus.
I recently finished reading both volumes of Maus, an illustrated narrative detailing the horrors of the holocaust by Art Spiegelman, who in his work interviewed his father Vladek, a survivor of the persecution and genocide. Maus is written in a post modern Orwellian style, reminiscent of Animal Farm, where the author had replaced human participants with animal counterparts, evocative off their human qualities within the animal symbolism. Spiegelman plays with this idea and the notion of animalistic qualities by portraying the victimized Jewish peoples as mice, while the Nazi’s are the Cats. Immediately, Maus has differentiated itself from other contemporary works detailing the holocaust by using the medium of both the graphic novel, and animal symbolism. However, the work is to be appreciated on a much more creative and compelling level than on its artistic flair, as foremost, its narrative style is unusually humanistic and emotional, shedding the cliché and overused Hollywood stereotypes. The book is undeniably moving, offering a rare insight into personal accounts seeing that the story develops around the relationship of Vladek and his son Art, the author of Maus. Spiegelman’s work is disturbing, yet rich, gripping but uncomfortable. The post war relationship dynamics of the family are explored in one arc of the story, while the other is dedicated to the Jewish persecution. Together, these complimentary works create a more comprehensive and fulfilling story that like no other holocaust literature has affected me. Maus is brutally honest, and thoroughly interesting, a fine piece of work that has not received greater credit than it deserves. Pick up a copy of Maus.