The Complete Maus

8.5/10
Hard-hitting in all the right ways, Maus is as equally focused on the victims of the Holocaust as they suffered through it, as well on what happened after. Plus, I liked Spiegelman's depictions of humans from different races/nationalities being portrayed as various species of animals - because, after all, isn't that why the Second World War took place? I was also sold on the distinctions more or less breaking down near the end, which is what Spiegelman was going for - how arbitrary and fragile the differences we create are.
Truly one of the great graphic novels. An immensely readable and accessible account of the horrors of the 1930s and 40s, I'd highly recommend this.

Wow. Just wow. The author's tortured relationship with his father seems so petty in the face of all his father suffered. But his father's persecution during WWII informs many of his “quirks” and the reasons for strife between them. It's very sad but very important that people understand how horrific this time period was.

The characterization of the different races/ethnicities/religions as different animals helps the reader see at once which “side” a person is on—down to some nice wearing masks to pretend they're not Jewish.

Much of what we know about concentration camps comes from Auschwitz—it's one of the few camps where some people came out alive. Vladek's account of his time there confirms what we know and provides more depth and understanding.

A must-read for anyone and everyone.

-Why would you cry, Artie?
-I...I fell and my friends skated away without me
-Friends? Your friends? ... If you lock them together in a room with no food for a week, then you could see what it is, friends!

El diálogo entre padre e hijo que sirve de introducción a Maus advierte al lector sobre lo que se viene.

En un tema abordado de tantas formas y en tanta cantidad de obras como el holocausto es muy difícil ser original, pero Spiegelman lo logra con un talento inédito. El formato cómic, a priori de dudosa pertinencia para un tema tan sensible, es explotado por el autor al máximo: aplica las dosis justas de narrativa y de representación gráfica.

La intercalación del presente en el cual el autor escribe/dibuja y del pasado narrado por su padre es tan buena que la obra termina siendo, sin que el lector se de cuenta, también acerca de la relación de padre e hijo. Como necesariamente debe ser toda narración sobre el holocausto, la obra es cruda pero Spiegelman aplica un excelente criterio sobre qué mostrar y de qué forma hacerlo. Logra transmitir el horror y la tristeza, sin recurrir a lo explícito. En eso, la representación de las personas en animales ayuda bastante.

De lectura imprescindible.