Maus

          I had never herd of Spiegelmans Maus before this class. I was really interested in reading something that had to do with the Holocaust since I am currently in that class this semester. I'm a little sad to say I was expecting more with the illustrated side of this novel because it just did not seem up to par with the story that was given. The fact that the cats were the Nazi's and the mice were depicted as Jews was very clever in my opinion. It gave it an almost familiar ground in an unfamiliar story line, and I only say this because none of us have experienced the Holocaust personally. It almost seemed as though it was illustrated in an almost childrens book style, with simple and easy to understand panel to panel display. Although I was not too interested in the illustrations, but more with the story line.
          For the most part I thought this story was going to be about his fathers experiences within the different countries he travels to and then when he ends up at Auschwitz death camp. Which is said to be one of the worst death camps that had arisen in that time. Before I took the Holocaust class here I always thought of Auschwitz as a concentration camp, where it is actually a death camp. I think that Spiegelman writing and illustrating this novel depicts the Holocaust in a different and almost easier way to understand the undertaking and happenings of what was going on. It also seemed like he wanted to immortalize his father in this biography. I think he did the most perfect job in immortalizing his father and his fathers story. It was an absolutely beautiful and horrifying story all intertwined into one beautiful novel. Even though I did not care so much for the illustrations, the story caught my interest without a doubt and I will be telling friends to check it out.