Maus

[beatlewho01-02]

I just finished reading the first book. What a tragic story so far. But I wonder, why did Art Spiegelmen use mice to portray the Jews?

[Paolo Meccano]

Hello Beatlewho01-02, graemlins/wave2.gif *

I read both volumes of 'Maus' years ago and they're hugely powerful and affecting. I think Art Speigelman used animals in a 'Tom and Jerry' manner (Jerry=mouse, Tom=cat, Spike=dog) as an ironic juxtaposition against the horror of the tale he was telling, and to show that the comicbook could be used to tell stories of literary worth and merit. There's an equivalent Japanese comic series by Keiji Nakazawa entitled 'Barefoot Gen' which is an account of the author's childhood experience of the Hiroshima bombing.

[BrazilianFlag]

Both series ("Maus" and "Barefoot Gen") are great. They show how you can tell real tragedies on comic strips. I could also reccomend Joe Sacco's "Safe Area Gorazde", about the Bosnia war (92-95).

"Maus", to me, means a lot, not only because of the story, but because of the person who introduced me to Art Spiegelmen - and whose grandparents and great-grandparents were there in Europe, at the "scene of the crime". It still scares me.

(One funny - sort of - story about "Maus" happened when the editors of The NY Times didn't know where to place the book at the best sellers list - fiction or non fiction? The final word was that, whenever they called up at Mr. Spiegelman's house and a mouse picked up the phone, the book would go to the non-fiction list...)