Way before I had ever heard the term graphic novel I was a comics fan, raised by comics fans in a wider family of comics fans. I had graduated from Asterix, to Mad Magazine, to Marvel/DC and then 2000AD, which blew my young mind.
In 1991 I caught a documentary on Art Spiegelman and Maus, which floored me. It was the first time I realised that comics could address even the most serious issues, just like a novel, but graphically – they should coin a term for that. I bought it as soon as I got to university, big city = proper bookshops.
The idea was so simple it was breath-taking, as the best ideas invariably are. Dealing with his father’s survival of the holocaust, Spiegelman drew the Jews as mice, the Nazis as cats, the Americans as dogs and the Poles as pigs. The simplicity of it hits hard.
The story of Maus is every bit as much the story of Spiegelman and his father’s difficult relationship as it is of Auschwitz. This gives the story so much resonance and context, more than a straight-forward retelling of the atrocities. Spiegelman shows us his intense frustration with as well as his love and respect for his father (his mother committed suicide 20 years after the war) and I love the generational story that plays out between them. It feels very real, as does Spiegelman’s agonising over the creation and success of Maus at times.
You don’t need me to show you what happens in Auschwitz, the sheer industrial-scale cruelty and inhumanity; Spiegelman’s whole point, look what happens when you stop seeing races as humans. Maus is very good at breaking events of such enormity down to the trivial, banal things that, in conjunction with raw chance, you needed and had to do to survive, as well as the guilt that attends that very survival. Of everything I have read on the subject, only Primo Levi’s work is more vivid and matter-of-fact about the necessities for, and of, surviving.
Maus is drawn deliberately in a simplified fashion, playing with that contrast between our ideas of comics as children’s fun and what they are depicting. That cognitive dissonance heightens the emotional impact considerably.
In these times when the ‘anti-fascists’ are labelled as the bad guys we need art to tell these stories, to bear cultural witness to the worst. I only have a tangential link to these events but it is one I treasure, an anchor point to history that should never be forgotten.
Read this graphic novel.
No flippant titles or countdowns today folks. It should also be noted that Maus has been criticised for its methods and its own monolithic racial depictions, especially of the Poles.
Yes to all of this a few years post-post. Maus sits on our shelves alongside Sandman, Strangers In Paradise, Calvin & Hobbes and Bloom County. Made a big impression on me too. I also remember being lent a couple of issues of Donna Barr’s The Desert Peach which tackled the Holocaust in a pretty hard-hitting way too.
Cheers Tim, this was purchased in Waterstones In Leeds (in its old site), a bookshop that blew my provincial rural mind.
Kevin bought this for our collection. Thank you for the review!
No problem, it’s a great one. I’ve just bought a big Will Eisner one too, serious and funny too.
Love this! Our set of Vol 1 & 2 has a special place on our book self that it will always own.
I have read both bind ups of this so many times. Truly brilliant work. Boundary smashing comic
I’m aware of this, but I have to admit to never having read any of it (I never really got into graphic novels and such, so that’s my excuse). However, I was tempted by the box set that came out fairly recently (2019 or 2020). I guess I should revisit that temptation…
It’s great. A tough read at times but utterly worthwhile and really interesting too. If you can handle the subject matter then you really should give it a go.
An example of art managing to hold the mirror up to society. Relevant for all time. This and Ellie Weisels books are truly great.
Hear hear.
Blows my mind every time I read it. Such an important book! My copy is both volumes in one.
I think so too Aaron.
Great comic book. I remember it being the gold standard for us working in comics – look, comics can be novels!!!
I seem to remember that comics in the 80’s split clearly into two camps, superheroes and everything else… alternative. Not being a great fan of people in spandex (sorry, even if, or especially if you’re Ozzy) I started to veer away from Marvel/DC (and I’m sure they were glad of it).
I almost got a book away at this time with Fleetway ((2000AD)) about a friend in South London born into a criminal family. His dad was an armed robber, his mum a fence and his sister a heroin addict pimped out by her boyfriend. My friend and ALL of his mates were car thieves- my book, Clever Trevor, still might see the light of day, but I use it as an example of how comics were changing with the advent of graphic novels, especially Maus.
I think Maus should be on school reading lists along with Groo the Wanderer and Calvin & Hobbes.
Nuff said.
I couldn’t agree more Mr C.
I have just bought a Will Eisner one too, I’ve never explored his stuff and feel that I should have. There’s always more! Do you like Harvey Pekar’s stuff?
Yeah, I like his work. I guess I would’ve headed that way if I’d stayed in comics. Have you read The Spiral Cage by Al Davidson?
That’s a worthwhile read. I think he’s still going.(not spoken to him for a while)
Nope not read, but I have added to the list – thanks Mr Comiconcarne.
All the themes, observations and reflections in this deserve space and engaged discussion.
Those who forget history…
Maus made a great impression on me when I first read it. Along with the writings of Primo Levi it deserves to be on every school curriculum lest we forget.
Absolutely Paul. We like to think we’ve learned and evolved away from the capacity to repeat these events, I’m a touch more pessimistic.
Well, the last few years certainly haven’t supported optimism. Still, at least Trump’s gone.