Reflection

I found Maus to be an amazing book.  It's unique portrayal of World War II was genius, and it's illistrations paint a picture of what these "mice" went through.  I've never read a graphic Novel before, so I believe this was the perfect start and I would definitely read more based off this novel.

In my research of this novel, I was surprised to learn many things.   First of all, Maus I was the only graphic novel to ever win a Pulitzer Prize.  I wasn't really surprised by this, however, because it is an amazing book.  I was also surprised by to learn that this book took ten years to create.  Perhaps time is what makes a good book?

I would also like to reflect on the emotions this book stirs up.  We see Vladek trying to save his family and all his world from cumbling down.  You feel what he feels, and it puts you inside of the book.  The illistrations provide a perfect picture of what's happening and gives the book some depth.

Speaking of the illistrations, they themselves are also a genius idea.  The fact that he uses mice, cats, pigs, and dogs is so odd but it makes it easy to differentiate between the groups.  This book makes me want to read more about WWII and graphic novels.

One thing I want to touch base on is the fact that people are calling this book fiction  I think it is incredibly offensive for Artie's father, to call his story fiction.  Yes Vladek isn't a giant mouse, but that is just a visual aide.  Upon reading this I would completely call this non-fiction.

To conclude, this is the story of a loving family in the midst of horrible times, while paralleled by the story of a troubled relationship between a father and a son.  The book captivates you, and you feel what the characters feel. It's and awesome read and I would reccomend it to anyone interested in history or fiction.