Maus by Art Spiegelman

I actually read Maus in two parts, My Father Bleeds History and And Here My Troubles Began both graphic novels by Art Spiegelman. I haven't read many graphic novels but it's a form I have really enjoyed, so when a friend lent me these books I was definitely intrigued. Although two separate books, this is another one of those year-late reviews so I'll be doing a short overall review of both.

Maus is the story of Vladek Spiegelman (the author's father) and his wife in Hitler's Europe. The form may be illustrated, but this is not a lighthearted read. It is an emotional, powerful story of grief, pain, and survival. Mostly, it is a story about love, but not an easy love. But a deep one. The book combines both Vladek's story and Art's, as the aftermath of the Holocaust still impacts his father decades later. It painfully shows how the scars are always left behind after such a horror.

I don't have much to add about Maus. This is a classic book, or at least it should be, and I'm not sure how I didn't discover it sooner but I am very grateful that my friend passed it onto me. It may have pictures, but it is not an easy read. However, it is most definitely a worthwhile one.