Maus:

• Spiegelman, Art. (1991). Maus. New York: Pantheon Books a division of Random House, 296 pp.
• Genre: Graphic Novel; Autobiography
• Awards: 1990 Max & Moritz Prize, 1992 Pulitzer Prize, 1992 Eisner Award, 1992 Harvey Award, 1993 Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Fiction

Maus is simultaneously Art Spiegelman's autobiography which emphasizes his quest to reconcile with his elderly father, Vladek, and the story of his elderly father's experiences during the Holocaust. Vladek and his wife Anja lived in Poland until the Nazis forced them and their extended family into ghettos and eventually into Aushuwitz. Through skill and luck, both Vladek and Anja come out of the Holocaust alive. The couple then immigrates to New York, where they have Art. Art's childhood is fraught with stresses of living with two Holocaust survivors, both experiencing post traumatic stress. In 1968, Art's mother kills herself and leaves no note. Art and Vladek are emotionally destroyed by the event. Art begins to blame his father for pushing his mother to suicide. Though Art knows his father is not guilty, it takes Vladek explaining his experiences in the Holocaust for Art to understand and forgive his father.

With the use of flashbacks, the setting of the story is constantly in flux between 1970's New York and 1940's Poland/Germany. These flashbacks are the central plot structure of the novel in that they allow Spiegelman to compare his experiences with his elderly father's recollections of his struggles as a young man trying to survive genocide. Spiegelman oscillates between his personal reflections on his father and the stories his father told him in order to understand Vladek as a whole person rather than just a father.

By illustrating the father-son relationship on such a complex level, Spiegelman creates a work that is effective in allowing adolescent readers to more clearly understand their interactions with their parents. Additionally, Spiegelman addresses many ethnic and cultural issues, which expand the book beyond his immediate family. Maus contains invaluable lessons on the destructive nature of bigotry and what it means to survive such persecution. By writing about real events, Spiegelman has created a device for adolescents to vicariously experience emotional contempt for parental figures, the horrific nature of ethnic biases, and the importance of reconciling with the past in order to live a healthy life. Additionally, the first person voice of the story adds a certain intensity in that it creates realistic strife. The narration is too honest and sincere to be taken lightly. It seems that this sincerity will be compelling for adolescents searching for reality in literature.

• Classroom Use: This book could easily be used as a whole group reading. Its historical significance makes it easily defensible. As well, the graphic novel component alleviates much of the tension which novels may create for nervous readers. The content of the work is also perfect for any small group discussion. This work is of such high quality that it could be worked into the classroom at any level and still have a beneficial effect for all students.
• Appropriate Age Range: 14 and above. The graphic nature of this book, though being directed at mice not humans, should be approached by readers capable of understanding the significance of the violence in the story. Additionally, many of the English/German linguistic colloquial merges would be difficult for younger readers to maneuver.

Maus was an extremely moving read for me. Its reflections on themes such as guilt, survival, family, and desperation were thought provoking and inspiring. The confessional style of Spiegelman's narration made the words and illustrations soul wrenching. He was successful in making the reader feel what he and his father felt.

Brian Lee