Maus

I read Maus by Art Spiegelman last week for my survey of American Literature class.  When I bought the book I was unsure about whether I would like it, mostly because of what I saw when I opened it up:

It's essentially a comic book.  I've never really been into comic books, and the Holocaust seems like it would be a little too intense for that medium.  At first I felt that it might take the events of the story too lightly (which is partly Spiegelman's point), but as I read I forgot I was reading about mice in a comic book.  I think that the medium makes it a little easier to read about some of the horrific experiences of Spiegelman's father.  

It is difficult to define the exact medium that Spiegelman is using.  The common name for a book of this style is graphic novel.  Unfortunately, this is not a novel.  It is the true story of what happened to Spiegelman's father. Thus, it's more of a "graphic memoir."  

The thing that makes this book so interesting is the narrative style.  Spiegelman uses what is called meta-narration.  The author and the narrator are both aware of the fact that they are writing and narrating.  The narrator, which is the writer, constantly refers to the book itself as well as the conversations he has with his dad.  The dynamic between Art and his father makes the story very real (which is almost a direct quote from Art in the book).  The narration is spun in circles, and Spiegelman humorously takes advantage of it.

This was an incredible book.  It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992.  Maus has influenced me to want to read more of the recent Pulitzer winners from the past few years.  I am picking up Tinkers by Paul Harding today, winner of the Pulitzer of Fiction in 2010.  I am hoping to get a book or two in by the beginning of next semester, so stay tuned!

This is Spiegelman's picture inside the back cover in the About the Author blurb.