Maus - Book Review

[jasonsteel1002]

this book is on my summer reading list for school so I will probably read it but during the summer im going to visit my grand ma in germany so that will be awkward also before you ask no one in the german side of my family never was or supported the nazis

[gwain30]

You good man are a Retard why diddnt you know about Aushwits before omg there are french, and you pronounced it wrong Aush vitz is how itsd pronounced

[92Gibbons]

@gwain30 If you're going to insult someone, insult them with the correct grammar. Jeesh.

[cthulhugeek]

I just read this the other day. It was fantastic

[bleachrules103]

I was so shocked when that one guy yelled, "I don't deserve to be with all these yids and pollacks! I'm a german just like you!" and they laugh and beat him.

[sweenkingandwow2]

the swedes are raindeers you forgot that

[sweenkingandwow2]

i have read this book twice exuse my bad english

[rap33r100]

great book!

[Hell6125]

Art Spiegelman wasn't intended on the race of the characters. The only reasons why he potray the Poles as pigs is because he did this in good faith as he claims that they resembles some famous characters like Miss Piggy and Porky Pig. The potrayal of Jews as mice is also simple as the Nazis always refer the Jews as vermins but they are resourceful in the holocaust like Vladek Spiegelman and the entire population cannot be exterminated. End of discusion

[robtolmex]

Hay una escena en el segundo libro de MAUS en donde Vladek se encoleriza porque su nuera se detiene para llevar a un negro. Francoise le increpa, mencionándole que también él es racista y se comporta de la misma manera que los nazis con los judíos. Desde el momento en que ponemos barreras a un extraño, ya sea por el color de piel, nacionalidad, religión, etc., somos racistas. De hecho, algunos de ustedes ya me están discriminando porque estoy escribiendo en español y no en inglés.

[conjon11]

The first mass execution of World War II took place in Wawer, a town near Warsaw, Poland on December 27, 1939 when 107 Polish non-Jewish men were taken from their homes in the middle of the night and shot.

This was just the beginning of the street roundups and mass executions that continued throughout the war. 

Just like in H.S. reading this.. I had enough. I forfeit this discussion over racism fighting racism.. Peace.

[conjon11]

Yes, delete delete delete my comment. racist.

[Davesghola]

@conjon11 I haven't deleted any comments. It's not what I do, I prefer to let an open dialogue about books remain, it looks like you or someone else removed your comment. If you are calling me a racist, then I think you need to dial it back a bit, and maybe get to know someone before attaching labels to them. And I am part polish, I think you are looking at this book from a very simplistic viewpoint, but you are entitled to your opinion.

[conjon11]

@Davesghola the author should of "Dial it back a bit?". being part" polish means what, nothing.. I'm "part" jewish. and Its still offensive to be compared to a pig, a nasty ruthless pig. its so fitting that people only care about themselves and their heritage. as long your culture isn't a filthy rat or an ugly pig.. yours is a cute innocent looking maus. this book is racist and its as simple as that.

[Davesghola]

@conjon11 whatever you say, because you obviously were there when he made the book. I think people can see racism in anything. Standardized tests are racist, the NBA is racist, Star Wars is racist, everything is racist if you look at it a certain way. It's time people stop focusing so much on race, and start making a world worth living it, TOGETHER! Maybe he was trying to make a point showing certain people a certain way. And by no means is a mouse innocent, mouse=rat=vermin.

[conjon11]

@Davesghola The polish people are represented as pigs because of their selfish and pigheaded nature. "The mothers always told so: 'Be careful! A Jew will catch you to a bag and eat you!' (Pg 149) This shows how selfish most of the Polish people were and how they acted toward the Jews. Although some tried to help hide them mostly when bribed to do so. -This was taken from an online essay. Now, I say.. Be careful! A Polish Pig will catch you to a bag and eat you! People get the wrong idea

[butcherkid9000]

@conjon11 i think the jewish people being jews and the cats being nazis isnt because people think jews are dirty rats, its cause its like the cats hunting and killing the mice...

[aceofclubskid]

@Davesghola could i get away with just reading the second one, or would it not make sense? thanks

[Davesghola]

@aceofclubskid I wouldn't just read the second one. I think it can stand on it's own, but it won't make as much sense as if you read the first.

[aceofclubskid]

@Davesghola thanks, i got the first one today! :)

[conjon11]

if you want your kid to read.. buy them " Rich Dad's Escape from the Rat Race: How to Become a Rich Kid by Following Rich Dad's Advice ".

To be honest, I never knew what a "Jew" was growing up. Jews made me realize they were to be treated different. why? who knows.. forget this one sided book about innocent mice, predatory cats, and ugly fat pigs who want nothing but to destroy them. complex city...

[brewt1mer]

im reading this for the first time now...its a great work...its made me think about the evils of man and the struggles that our fathers and grandfathers had to endure....

[RpattzMyPapiChulo]

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH , i hope when i read this book that i love it as much as it seems to be great. I love catcher in the rye i have it, and i will get to this book eventually, do you have any other books you would suggest?

[Davesghola]

To kill a mockingbird is another one of my favorite books. Anything by Kafka is good. The Tao of Pooh is another good one. Recently I have only been reading books on art theory and physics, so I don't know of anything good that has come out recently.

If you are looking for another graphic novel, Ghost World is good, as well as new adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.

[RpattzMyPapiChulo]

thank you very much for your review

[charreva]

I was recommended this book, found it moving, powerful, ful of 'real people', (some kind people). I still have to read Maus 2. I think it should be in the kids section .. and adults, I wouldn't have known about it until my friend who likes graphic novels told me about it. Extremely good.

[onikjohn3]

I like the Cartoon-y seriousness it has.

[IronLion27]

It wasn't the American that was a dog. It was because he was black that they made him a dog. If you notice Spiegelman's father calls the dog a schwatza which is a derogatory yiddish word for black people.

[ThumbWarDestroyer]

@IronLion27 all americans are dogs. The american soldiers that liberate the survivors are dogs in part II. But he did draw the african american as a black dog. The u.s. soldiers are white dogs...because back then there were no integrated units.

[IronLion27]

The polish are pigs. XD

[makinawdandy6699]

I was wondering if any school teachers had made unit plans using MAUS. If so, would you please write me. I am interested in using this in my class.

[punkstar14ful]

@makinawdandy6699 yeah, my teacher did he teaches english (i am in eighth grade) and the book is soooooo good. i want to buy it and i think u should though he had us read both, and the 2nd one is just awesome

[kj222222]

LOVED them! Read it for my popular literature course. Amazing.

[InkRaven13]

I'm about to read this book.....Thanks for the review.

[n00bP4WnZ0r1233]

i get to do a language arts report on this book im sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooooooooooooooooooo happpy

[ronoc9]

yeah, it won

[zombiewoofN]

you didn't critique anything

[Altoguy1995]

I saw this review of Maus, and a few months later, I went to Barnes&Noble and I wanted to find it. It was in the documentary section. The paperback versions of both volumes together costed $30. My dad didn't want me to get it, saying that it was by a guy who doesn't know how to draw and didn't like that it was about WWII. I told him that people reviewed it (like you) online, and he said, "are these people even sane?" He reluctantly let me get it, and it took me eight days to read it.

[ModelbuildingTANKS]

I'm sorry your dad thinks that. Apparently it's a good read according to many reviews.

[n00bP4WnZ0r1233]

tell ur dad "Da fuck?" and WW2 is apart of history so once again "Da fuck?" and he cant draw? "Da fuck?"

[OnlyAPawn1970]

Maus is a masterpiece,gut-wrenching,bril­liantly written and drawn.A must own.

[englishfrenchgerman]

We have this book in my school library and i was the first person to read it. so glad i was as well. its wierd though to see the pages that i have read on my computer screen.

[7Row7enn7]

I loved, absolutely loved this book.

[nera789]

I'm in 8th grade and we're reading it. Its true story but Art uses the metaphor as Jewish people being "mice" and Germans as "cats" Most of it is for people to understand it better. He uses the mouse metaphor because the germans had called them "vermin" and they used rat poison in gas chambers. And if you use the mouse metaphor, the obvious pick for the germans would be cats because obviously they're natural enemies. But I'm sure what Daves said below was true to keep his families privacy.

[Punkout16]

i read that book last yr. in 10th grade i'm a 11th grader rite now only read pt1 but i luv 2 read pt 2 bcuz u r so rite on da mark this book is so great especially with the symbolization that's 1 of my fav things about this book how he set up the whole game of cat n mouse theme it was brilliant

[crystalkiedis]

is maus fiction or no fiction cause its bout the holocaust but its also talking animals?

[crystalkiedis]

non*

[Davesghola]

It is kind of a mix of both. Most of it is non-fiction, but there are a few things he changed mostly I think for the sake of privacy for his family, but most of it is a true story. He just used the animals to illustrate his feelings about what happened, the jews mice, the germans cats and so forth...

[crystalkiedis]

thanks:)

[kishmoru]

non fiction it's real

[7Row7enn7]

Historical fiction. Realy a memoir.

[MagicalMangoes]

Im probably going to buy this, my teacher recommends it, she says its the best book she has ever read.

[Davesghola]

It is one of the best graphic novels ever made and one of the best books ever written. I won't say it is the best book ever, because there are so many good books and all are different, but I gave this book to my 13 yr. old niece because I think it is an important story. It makes one appreciate your family more and it talks about an important part of history that we should never forget.

[MagicalMangoes]

Thanks for the review! I'll be sure to read it.

[LifeInTheGutteR]

read that book when i was 8, snuck it out of the young adult section in the library lol fully traumatised me at the time lol but a moving read.

[bitzeepapa]

when the big companies like DC and Marvel see that alternative comics are so great and so deep, they inevitably unload their meaningless bullshit movies to the mainstream to make sure that the mass populace still can't differentiate comic books from superheroes.

[cheeseleader09]

LOL, im 14, im just getting into serious books, and I love comics, so Ir ead this book and its great!!

[ap0calypt1ca]

The best and most touching book I have ever read...

[speegz11]

art spiegelman is my cousin:)

[speegz11]

...and mark spigelman in it is my uncle and gutcha and majloch spigelman were my grandparents never met them but.

[Richardtheincredible]

uh huh

[ap0calypt1ca]

NO WAY!!! tell him I love his books :) would love to meet him and listen to the Vladek tapes XD

[punkstar14ful]

@ap0calypt1ca yeah right me too!!!!

[punkstar14ful]

@speegz11 u serious!?? tell him i said he's awesome and that he draws great and i wanna meet him:)

[koronr]

yah this book is awesome man i really learnes alot with thi book awesome =D

[ltkdog]

I love the book.I am reading the complete MAUS.You did a very good reveiw.If you never read the book you have to.I say no one is complete without reading the series or the complete book.

[BeWaTer99]

I fell to pieces with the end of the book.. " I just don't want to talk anymore..." I cried a lot... :(

[knifesedge]

I read Maus over ten years ago and felt the same way about it

[DutchKat]

Good review, read both books more than ten years ago and I still do that from time to time. Probably one of the most powerful graphic novels I have ever laid my eyes upon, felt brokenhearted when I was finished.

Just as you said, go out and buy them or take them from the library, you will not be disappointed.