Before last year I would have said that I don't *do* graphic novels. Luckily, I encountered two series which completely altered my opinions. One is a well known classic,
Maus by Art Spiegelman. I'd even say it helped define and legitimize the genre. The other is a more recent addition to the genre -
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Both are thought provoking, controversial and very touching memoirs. Today I'm focusing on
Maus, but I hope to talk about
Persepolis soon.
I had no idea that a 'cartoon' about Nazi cats and Jewish mice could be so profound, so gut wrenching. You'd think the Pulitzer Prize might have clued me in, but I can be pretty dense about these kinds of things. The way that Art Spiegelman intersperses his father's gripping survivor story with their present day uneasy, bickering relationship is pure genius. His honest portrayal of his miserly, broken father and his mother's suicide is what really brings this story home - showing both the short and long term affects of the atrocities of the holocaust.
And this is one of those rare instances where the sequel is even better than the first! The first installment describes how Art's parents (Vladek and Anja) struggled to survive nazi occupation and evade capture. Their luck eventually runs out and that story ends at the gates of Auschwitz. We know, of course, that Anja and Vladek will survive, but we have no idea what horrors are in store for both of them - they are split up and have little idea about the others whereabouts. Quite simply and inadequately put, it's a nightmare. There is added poignancy as Art tries to reconcile the intelligent and resourceful man that his father was in the camp with the present day broken and bigoted miser. We also see Art struggle with the weight of telling this story - a story that isn't really his to tell, but that has affected his entire life in profound ways.
I had no idea that a 'cartoon' about Nazi cats and Jewish mice could be so profound, so gut wrenching. You'd think the Pulitzer Prize might have clued me in, but I can be pretty dense about these kinds of things. The way that Art Spiegelman intersperses his father's gripping survivor story with their present day uneasy, bickering relationship is pure genius. His honest portrayal of his miserly, broken father and his mother's suicide is what really brings this story home - showing both the short and long term affects of the atrocities of the holocaust.
And this is one of those rare instances where the sequel is even better than the first! The first installment describes how Art's parents (Vladek and Anja) struggled to survive nazi occupation and evade capture. Their luck eventually runs out and that story ends at the gates of Auschwitz. We know, of course, that Anja and Vladek will survive, but we have no idea what horrors are in store for both of them - they are split up and have little idea about the others whereabouts. Quite simply and inadequately put, it's a nightmare. There is added poignancy as Art tries to reconcile the intelligent and resourceful man that his father was in the camp with the present day broken and bigoted miser. We also see Art struggle with the weight of telling this story - a story that isn't really his to tell, but that has affected his entire life in profound ways.
2 comments:
I don't really 'do' graphic novels either, but I read this in college when an art teacher raved about it. I was struck at how emotional and powerful the story was, even conveyed in a format I usually don't pay much attention to (comics)
Yes Jeane! Me too! I cried more than once and I almost never cry when reading anymore! I also really enjoyed Persepolis!
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