Book Cover
ANNOTATION
Vladek share his story of survival during the Holocaust in Poland to his so, Art.
SUMMARY
This graphic novel is the biography of Vladek Spiegelman which was written by his son, Art Spiegelman. Art brings the story to life through illustration and metaphors using animals to portray those in the story. Jews are mice, German Nazis are cats, and Poles are pigs.
There are two stories going on at the same time. Present day, which follows the relationship of Vladek with his son, Art. The two are still reeling and trying to recover from the suicide of Anna, Vladek's wife and Art's mother. They are trying to figure out how it has affected their own relationship. The Holocaust and the Nazi Germany occupation of Poland. The story begins when Vladek was a young man before the war began.
Vladek and Anja (Anna) were young Jews living in Poland. He was a poor man living alone, and she came from a rich Jewish family. When they married Anja's father helped Vladek start a manufacturing business. It was very successful. They had a son named Richiev. Their lives were going very well and they were comfortable. All this changed when Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
Vladek was enlisted into the Polish army to fight invading Germany. He was quickly taken as a POW, and since he was a Jew he was treated harshly. He eventually made it out and returned home to Anja and Richeiv. However, it was not long before the Nazis began forcing rules such as curfew and making Jews sell their business to Ayran people. They were not allowed to own business. Vladek witnesses pogroms and the deportations of many Jews. Eventually, They were all moved to a ghetto. There they learned to survive and they created a secret hiding place to avoid the Nazis and deportation. However, it did not last forever. Anja's grandparents were found and sent immediately to the gas chambers at Auschwitz. Then they sent their son, Richiev, to live with an aunt in another ghetto that was deemed safer. However, after soon arriving that ghetto was cleared out to be sent to Auschwitz, but Anja's sister refused to have her and her children sent, because she knew they would be sent to the gas chambers right away. So, she administered poison to her two children, Richiev, and finally herself.
Vladek and Anja, along with the remaining members of Anja's family, were able to hide for a long time before they were found and reported to the Nazis by a fellow Jew. A cousin of Vladek was able to get him and Anja and her brother out, but Anja's parents were deported and gassed at Auschwitz. Vladek and Anja did not have any place to go, but eventually they found a kind Polish woman who let them hide in her barn. They then found another kind Polish woman who let them stay hidden in her home, and would have them hide in the cellar when her husband came home every 3 months form work for 10 days. After a long time in this situation, Vladek met some men who said they could get them smuggled into Hungary where Jews were safe for the time being. Anja was against this plan as was the Polish woman they were staying with, but Vladek said they should try. Unfortunately, they were betrayed by the smugglers and handed over to the Nazis. Vladek and Anja were sent to Auschwitz. They saw each other one last time at the entrance gate before they were separated-not knowing of they would ever see each other again.
In present day Art remembers that his mother, Anna (Anja), kept a diary. He asks his father where they are, and Vladek confesses that he threw them out, because in his grief-stricken state after Anna's death he got rid of many of her things. This enrages Art, but he is also sympathetic to his father's grief. This is where the first book in the Maus series ends.
MY REVIEW
This graphic novel was right up my alley. I loved the way the author was able to weave illustration, dialogue, history, and storytelling into this riveting and piece of work. It is artistry that covers many forums and it is spectacular. I read this graphic novel in an hour, and I was immediately craving for the second volume.
The pictures added a level of involvement into the story that I had never experience before. However, the sting of the pain and terror of this story was somewhat blunted by the use of animals and cartoonist illustrations. However, I will add that this in no way took away from the story. Using this medium was creative and wonderful. This has definitely opened me up to being willing to read more graphic novels. I do think that there are many who do not read this book because it is a graphic novel, and that doesn't appeal to many. I myself would probably have passed it up in the past, which makes me sad and embarrassed.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Ruby
Vladek share his story of survival during the Holocaust in Poland to his so, Art.
SUMMARY
This graphic novel is the biography of Vladek Spiegelman which was written by his son, Art Spiegelman. Art brings the story to life through illustration and metaphors using animals to portray those in the story. Jews are mice, German Nazis are cats, and Poles are pigs.
There are two stories going on at the same time. Present day, which follows the relationship of Vladek with his son, Art. The two are still reeling and trying to recover from the suicide of Anna, Vladek's wife and Art's mother. They are trying to figure out how it has affected their own relationship. The Holocaust and the Nazi Germany occupation of Poland. The story begins when Vladek was a young man before the war began.
Vladek and Anja (Anna) were young Jews living in Poland. He was a poor man living alone, and she came from a rich Jewish family. When they married Anja's father helped Vladek start a manufacturing business. It was very successful. They had a son named Richiev. Their lives were going very well and they were comfortable. All this changed when Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
Vladek was enlisted into the Polish army to fight invading Germany. He was quickly taken as a POW, and since he was a Jew he was treated harshly. He eventually made it out and returned home to Anja and Richeiv. However, it was not long before the Nazis began forcing rules such as curfew and making Jews sell their business to Ayran people. They were not allowed to own business. Vladek witnesses pogroms and the deportations of many Jews. Eventually, They were all moved to a ghetto. There they learned to survive and they created a secret hiding place to avoid the Nazis and deportation. However, it did not last forever. Anja's grandparents were found and sent immediately to the gas chambers at Auschwitz. Then they sent their son, Richiev, to live with an aunt in another ghetto that was deemed safer. However, after soon arriving that ghetto was cleared out to be sent to Auschwitz, but Anja's sister refused to have her and her children sent, because she knew they would be sent to the gas chambers right away. So, she administered poison to her two children, Richiev, and finally herself.
Vladek and Anja, along with the remaining members of Anja's family, were able to hide for a long time before they were found and reported to the Nazis by a fellow Jew. A cousin of Vladek was able to get him and Anja and her brother out, but Anja's parents were deported and gassed at Auschwitz. Vladek and Anja did not have any place to go, but eventually they found a kind Polish woman who let them hide in her barn. They then found another kind Polish woman who let them stay hidden in her home, and would have them hide in the cellar when her husband came home every 3 months form work for 10 days. After a long time in this situation, Vladek met some men who said they could get them smuggled into Hungary where Jews were safe for the time being. Anja was against this plan as was the Polish woman they were staying with, but Vladek said they should try. Unfortunately, they were betrayed by the smugglers and handed over to the Nazis. Vladek and Anja were sent to Auschwitz. They saw each other one last time at the entrance gate before they were separated-not knowing of they would ever see each other again.
In present day Art remembers that his mother, Anna (Anja), kept a diary. He asks his father where they are, and Vladek confesses that he threw them out, because in his grief-stricken state after Anna's death he got rid of many of her things. This enrages Art, but he is also sympathetic to his father's grief. This is where the first book in the Maus series ends.
MY REVIEW
This graphic novel was right up my alley. I loved the way the author was able to weave illustration, dialogue, history, and storytelling into this riveting and piece of work. It is artistry that covers many forums and it is spectacular. I read this graphic novel in an hour, and I was immediately craving for the second volume.
The pictures added a level of involvement into the story that I had never experience before. However, the sting of the pain and terror of this story was somewhat blunted by the use of animals and cartoonist illustrations. However, I will add that this in no way took away from the story. Using this medium was creative and wonderful. This has definitely opened me up to being willing to read more graphic novels. I do think that there are many who do not read this book because it is a graphic novel, and that doesn't appeal to many. I myself would probably have passed it up in the past, which makes me sad and embarrassed.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Ruby
GENRE & SUB GENRES
Sequential Art
Graphic Novels
Comics
History
Biography
Graphic Novels
Comics
History
Biography
APPEAL FACTORS
This graphic novel brings many variable together: illustrations, metaphor, history, and great story telling. The illustration are very well done and haunting. The history involved is factual information taken from the author's own father. The metaphorical use of animals is expertly rendered. The dialogue and story telling are very well done.
THE AUTHOR
Art Spiegelman
This graphic novel brings many variable together: illustrations, metaphor, history, and great story telling. The illustration are very well done and haunting. The history involved is factual information taken from the author's own father. The metaphorical use of animals is expertly rendered. The dialogue and story telling are very well done.
THE AUTHOR
Art Spiegelman
SIMILAR TITLES/AUTHORS
Epileptic by David B.
Maus 2 by Art Spiegelman
Pedro and Me by Judd Winick
AWARDS
Pulitzer Prize for Letters Award 1992
Prix du Festival d'Angouleme for Alfred du Meilleur Album Etrenger 1988
Urhunden Prize for Foreign Album 1988
National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Biography/Autobiography 1986
Epileptic by David B.
Maus 2 by Art Spiegelman
Pedro and Me by Judd Winick
AWARDS
Pulitzer Prize for Letters Award 1992
Prix du Festival d'Angouleme for Alfred du Meilleur Album Etrenger 1988
Urhunden Prize for Foreign Album 1988
National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Biography/Autobiography 1986
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