Maus I & II Paperback Box Set

I am going to preface this review by saying that I have a general disdain for graphic novels. There was a time that I would never elect to read one of my own volition. That all changed when I was assigned Maus for an English class. Upon hearing that our syllabus included a graphic novel, I groaned in tacit protest. I read both volumes of Maus cover to cover before the assigned completion date, and was very moved by the story, which is about a son trying to understand his Holocaust-survivor father. There are no images of humans in this book--the Jews are portrayed as mice, the Nazis as cats, and the Poles as pigs. The protagonist has always felt a void between he and his father, but develops some understanding and compassion as he begins interviewing him about his experiences in the Holocaust. In terms of Holocaust literature, I would deem this a "must-read".

I am reviewing the paperback set, which includes both volumes I and II. That's important. You really need to read both volumes. While they were published separately and years apart, only by reading both will you read the entire story. First, shame on me for not having read this years ago. I recall having heard the words, "You have to read Maus!" but I never acted on it. Perhaps that was during my "contempt for graphic novels" phase, before I understood that there is some information that can best be conveyed using a graphic novel format. (The book that converted me was a graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 commission's report.) These two books are a must read for any educated person. You will come away from the reading experience not so much with new insights on the Holocaust but with a deeper understanding. What more is there to say about the Holocaust? Plenty. Personalizing it, putting a face on it, always drives home what happened a good deal more than just hearing the numbers; that's the reason The Diary of Anne Frank remains so widely read. And the images, disturbing yet "graphic", will expand your understanding. This is the first place I have encountered a diagram of the infamous gas chambers and how they operated. There are actually two stories in Maus, The first story is the tale of the author's father Vladek as he navigates the years before, during, and immediately after WWII. The second story is the tale of the author's challenging relationship with his father, who is a manipulative hustler. The very quality which enabled him to survive WWII also makes him a somewhat contemptible human being. At one point, the author's wife suggests that perhaps not all of Vladek survived the war, but I rather think that Vladek's character was very much in existence from the start. For example, early on when Vladek decides to get married, he callously throws aside his girlfriend of 4 years, blaming her for the relationship's very existence because she threw herself at him in the beginning. But his reason for not marrying her is simple: she has no money. Instead, he marries Anja, the author's mother, whose father is a millionaire. This works out for him immediately, when his new father-in-law asks about his career plans. Vladek says he will go back to selling textiles, but his father-in-law gives him a textile factory instead. As the war begins and Jews start to find themselves increasingly ostracized and bereft of jobs and professions, Vladek takes to the black market. Over and over throughout the two books, we see him find a way, less resourceful than hustler, no doubt frequently at the expense of others, even of others' lives. For example, in a cattle car in which he has physically found a way to elevate himself above the others (enabling him to become one of the only survivors), he is able to reach snow (read: water). When others ask him for some, he tells them that he can only reach enough for himself. Even towards the end of his life, Vladek retains his hustler personality. He sneaks into the local hotel to make use of their spa and workout facilities. He plays bingo there for free. He seeks to return half-eaten food to the local grocery store and when the manager understandably refuses, plays the Holocaust card and earns himself a $5 credit. He even fakes heart problems TWICE, both times to get the author to drop everything and travel miles to come to his side; the second time involves a plane ride to an ambulance to a hospital - where tests are run and Vladek is then sent home! No wonder the author's relationship with his father was difficult. Vladek himself was a difficult man. And yet, he was his father. At first I wondered at the inclusion of the modern-day events in Maus, but they do add a great deal to the story and enable us to really get a handle on who Vladek is. The same man who tries to game the system by getting something for nothing at the nearby hotel is the man who gamed the system and survived the Holocaust, repeatedly skirting death.

Very clever way to present the tragedy not only of Auschwitz but the impact on survivors and the author, a son of survivors. Especially poignant is the section in Volume 1 called, "Prisoner on the Hell Planet." As I understand it, this product was the genesis for the later books. I found some new details that I haven't read before in other Holocaust literature. Troubling, always, the depravity of man and the insensibility of the Holocaust. We may never understand the psychologies of hate and destruction and the forces that led to Germans (and Poles) of that time in history to act out with such disregard for others. I hope we never can "understand" this incomprehensibility but successfully evolve away from cultural, political, religious, economic hegemonic leadership and ideologies.

Maus is a holocaust survival story, a biography, and an autobiography. Written as a graphic novel (and winner of a Pulitzer Prize), Art Spiegelman captures the process of interviewing his father while simultaneously telling his father's story. In that sense, the text is very self-reflexive - there are parts in it showing Spiegelman working to create the very page you read, as previous parts of the his father's story are reintroduced from previous portions of the text. The story is complex. It not only details the horrors of the holocaust and the extreme lengths to which people went to survive, but it also captures the harrowing guilt survivors faced, and the lifelong aftereffects of the war. It also shows the struggle between father and son, both through the lens of a typical familial challenge, and of those unique between a survivor and child born afterwards. Spiegelman clearly suffers guilt from not being able to completely empathize with his father, as well as suffering from uncertainty over how publicly to criticize his father via this biography despite everything he went through. In sum, unsurprisingly, is a powerful work that is strengthened by the graphic medium.

It lives up to the hype. A masterpiece worth owning. Few graphic novels are capable of achieving what Maus does, especially at the time this was written. It was a risk to put it into this format, but I think that's what has given it staying power. A must-read. I really wish this was used in history classes, but I also think it was enjoyable to read. I experienced a broad range of emotions throughout the volumes and cannot impress enough how excellent it is.

The Complete Maus is a graphic novel that tells two stories, one set in 1930s and 1940s Europe, and the other in roughly present day 1980s America, when and where the book was being written. The first story is one that breaks the fourth wall in that it’s the story of the author, Art Spiegelman, and his father, the elderly Vladek Spiegelman. Art is a cartoonist interviewing his father about what it was like to be a Polish Jew during the buildup to WWII. He tells the story of his (as well as his wife Anja’s) trials and ultimate survival of the war and the Holocaust. As the story progresses, we discover that Vladek has remarried to another survivor named Mala in the years since Anja passed away in 1968. But that relationship is a complicated one (to say the least) as Vladek is a deeply flawed man in his old age. These flaws cause rifts between Art and Vladek as well. This first story zeroes in on these complications between Vladek, Art, and Mala. The second story is a love story between Vladek and Anja as a young couple facing the dangerous and genocidal landscape of WWII Europe. Throughout the late 1930s until the war ended in 1945, the two relied on each other for the strength to survive. Even when things were at their most bleak, while both were imprisoned in Auschwitz, they managed to get messages back-and-forth to each other, and Vladek even managed to get his wife some food here and there. Once the war ended and they both escaped with their lives, Vladek found Anja again back in their hometown and they made a life together, eventually having a son named Art in 1950. The book is full of details about what many Jewish people experienced during the war. Anja came from a wealthy family, and Vladek was a successful business owner himself. But they all started losing their businesses and money as the landscape started to change. Vladek and Anja survived being sent to the ghettos in large part due to Vladek’s determined, clever, resourceful fortitude. They hid in bunkers with dirt and mice. In Auschwitz, Anja nearly died of starvation, and Vladek nearly of typhus. They were both tortured and beaten by Nazis, and Vladek was nearly murdered by Nazis on several occasions. They both lost nearly their entire families to the Nazis, including their first son Richieu, their parents, siblings, cousins and friends. The two stories come together near the end as the timelines merge. That’s when the point is really driven home about how Vladek’s experiences in the war affected his psychology in later years. Although Vladek is a sympathetic character in his youth (smart, clever, resourceful and someone the reader really roots for), he is not depicted that way as an elderly man. This is a big part of the struggle for Art, attempting to reconcile the cheap, stubborn, argumentative (and sometimes racist) elderly man with the man he was in his youth. Vladek wasn’t the only one who suffered as a result of the trauma experienced during the war. Anja had suffered from some sort of affliction that saw her hospitalized before the war, but she committed suicide in 1968. And Art battled the ghost of his dead brother Richieu, whom he had never met. When it seemed that a being sent to a work or death camp was imminent, Anja’s sister thought she could get her kids to safety in the countryside, so Anja and Vladek sent their very young son Richieu with her, hoping he’d have a better chance of surviving. Ultimately when she and the kids were hunted by the Nazis, she killed herself and all the kids to prevent them from suffering a more painful death upon capture. And even though Richieu was dead before Art was ever born, he lived with his dead brother’s ghost ever-present as he grew up in Richieu’s shadow. In the book, people are drawn as animals. For example, Jews are drawn as mice and the Nazis are cats. I don’t know whether it makes the work more or less impressive as a result, but I almost completely forgot that they were mice and cats within a couple of pages. What makes this book great for me is the storytelling, not the metaphor. This is the story of two lovers who survived one of the most terrible times in human history. They relied on each other, and even under the worst of circumstances, they persevered together. And it was also the story of the aftermath, the damage done and the trauma inflicted upon those who did manage to survive and the generations that followed. I’ve never been a big graphic novel fan, but this is a fine piece of work. This book made me think of a poem written by Leonard Cohen poem from his book “Let Us Compare Mythologies” – 'Lovers' During the first pogrom they Met behind the ruins of their homes – Sweet merchants trading: her love For a history full of poems. And at the hot ovens they Cunningly managed a brief Kiss before the soldier came To knock out her golden teeth. And in the furnace itself As the flames flamed higher. He tried to kiss her burning breasts As she burned in the fire. Later he often wondered: Was their barter completed? While men around him plundered. And knew he had been cheated.

Great book filled with powerful visuals and great story telling. This hardcover edition is well made and looks great. It was packaged well and arrived quickly. Maus presents the horrors of the holocaust in an accessible way by portraying the characters as animals, but don’t let that fool you, the book doesn’t pull any punches. The book also describes the fallout of trauma and the ways in which it can alter people’s lives and impact their relationships. The author tracks his own life as the child of holocaust survivors, and the impact that their trauma—then decades in the past—had on him. This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Browsing through the reviews and comments about Maus, I saw that there was some question as to whether the hardcover edition comprised Parts I and II. This is understandable because the product is listed in Amazon as "The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale (No 1)," which seems contradictory. When I was considering purchasing it, I looked at the number of pages that were listed for the edition and guessed that it included both parts of the story. So I bought it, it arrived fine, and I am now writing to confirm that yes, this edition includes I and II. Amazon should look into this and remove the "(No 1)" from the listing's title.

Growing up I did not find comics interesting at all as so many of my friends did. After coming across this book and with the source material presented I thought I would give this a shot. What an interesting approach in dealing with the subject matter being addressed, and after completing it I was sold on the graphic novel. It’s so unique and rather than doing a deep dive in reviewing, I rather suggest to give this one a read. I loved it, and after reading I set out to find other graphic novels.

I have been meaning to get this book and its sequel for many years. I bought it recently for my grandson and read both books before giving it to him. This is a very personal account of the holocaust. The members of my family who survived all left in the mid thirties. None of the rest survived, so this description of what it was like inside the area of German control was a first for me. As a graphic novel, this is a complex art form combining visual and verbal components. I'm not a comic book fan, nor did I read many when I was a child. But I found this format intriguing. I learned a lot and the format stimulated a lot of thinking.

I am going to preface this review by saying that I have a general disdain for graphic novels. There was a time that I would never elect to read one of my own volition. That all changed when I was assigned Maus for an English class. Upon hearing that our syllabus included a graphic novel, I groaned in tacit protest. I read both volumes of Maus cover to cover before the assigned completion date, and was very moved by the story, which is about a son trying to understand his Holocaust-survivor father. There are no images of humans in this book--the Jews are portrayed as mice, the Nazis as cats, and the Poles as pigs. The protagonist has always felt a void between he and his father, but develops some understanding and compassion as he begins interviewing him about his experiences in the Holocaust. In terms of Holocaust literature, I would deem this a "must-read".

I am reviewing the paperback set, which includes both volumes I and II. That's important. You really need to read both volumes. While they were published separately and years apart, only by reading both will you read the entire story. First, shame on me for not having read this years ago. I recall having heard the words, "You have to read Maus!" but I never acted on it. Perhaps that was during my "contempt for graphic novels" phase, before I understood that there is some information that can best be conveyed using a graphic novel format. (The book that converted me was a graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 commission's report.) These two books are a must read for any educated person. You will come away from the reading experience not so much with new insights on the Holocaust but with a deeper understanding. What more is there to say about the Holocaust? Plenty. Personalizing it, putting a face on it, always drives home what happened a good deal more than just hearing the numbers; that's the reason The Diary of Anne Frank remains so widely read. And the images, disturbing yet "graphic", will expand your understanding. This is the first place I have encountered a diagram of the infamous gas chambers and how they operated. There are actually two stories in Maus, The first story is the tale of the author's father Vladek as he navigates the years before, during, and immediately after WWII. The second story is the tale of the author's challenging relationship with his father, who is a manipulative hustler. The very quality which enabled him to survive WWII also makes him a somewhat contemptible human being. At one point, the author's wife suggests that perhaps not all of Vladek survived the war, but I rather think that Vladek's character was very much in existence from the start. For example, early on when Vladek decides to get married, he callously throws aside his girlfriend of 4 years, blaming her for the relationship's very existence because she threw herself at him in the beginning. But his reason for not marrying her is simple: she has no money. Instead, he marries Anja, the author's mother, whose father is a millionaire. This works out for him immediately, when his new father-in-law asks about his career plans. Vladek says he will go back to selling textiles, but his father-in-law gives him a textile factory instead. As the war begins and Jews start to find themselves increasingly ostracized and bereft of jobs and professions, Vladek takes to the black market. Over and over throughout the two books, we see him find a way, less resourceful than hustler, no doubt frequently at the expense of others, even of others' lives. For example, in a cattle car in which he has physically found a way to elevate himself above the others (enabling him to become one of the only survivors), he is able to reach snow (read: water). When others ask him for some, he tells them that he can only reach enough for himself. Even towards the end of his life, Vladek retains his hustler personality. He sneaks into the local hotel to make use of their spa and workout facilities. He plays bingo there for free. He seeks to return half-eaten food to the local grocery store and when the manager understandably refuses, plays the Holocaust card and earns himself a $5 credit. He even fakes heart problems TWICE, both times to get the author to drop everything and travel miles to come to his side; the second time involves a plane ride to an ambulance to a hospital - where tests are run and Vladek is then sent home! No wonder the author's relationship with his father was difficult. Vladek himself was a difficult man. And yet, he was his father. At first I wondered at the inclusion of the modern-day events in Maus, but they do add a great deal to the story and enable us to really get a handle on who Vladek is. The same man who tries to game the system by getting something for nothing at the nearby hotel is the man who gamed the system and survived the Holocaust, repeatedly skirting death.

Very clever way to present the tragedy not only of Auschwitz but the impact on survivors and the author, a son of survivors. Especially poignant is the section in Volume 1 called, "Prisoner on the Hell Planet." As I understand it, this product was the genesis for the later books. I found some new details that I haven't read before in other Holocaust literature. Troubling, always, the depravity of man and the insensibility of the Holocaust. We may never understand the psychologies of hate and destruction and the forces that led to Germans (and Poles) of that time in history to act out with such disregard for others. I hope we never can "understand" this incomprehensibility but successfully evolve away from cultural, political, religious, economic hegemonic leadership and ideologies.

Maus is a holocaust survival story, a biography, and an autobiography. Written as a graphic novel (and winner of a Pulitzer Prize), Art Spiegelman captures the process of interviewing his father while simultaneously telling his father's story. In that sense, the text is very self-reflexive - there are parts in it showing Spiegelman working to create the very page you read, as previous parts of the his father's story are reintroduced from previous portions of the text. The story is complex. It not only details the horrors of the holocaust and the extreme lengths to which people went to survive, but it also captures the harrowing guilt survivors faced, and the lifelong aftereffects of the war. It also shows the struggle between father and son, both through the lens of a typical familial challenge, and of those unique between a survivor and child born afterwards. Spiegelman clearly suffers guilt from not being able to completely empathize with his father, as well as suffering from uncertainty over how publicly to criticize his father via this biography despite everything he went through. In sum, unsurprisingly, is a powerful work that is strengthened by the graphic medium.

It lives up to the hype. A masterpiece worth owning. Few graphic novels are capable of achieving what Maus does, especially at the time this was written. It was a risk to put it into this format, but I think that's what has given it staying power. A must-read. I really wish this was used in history classes, but I also think it was enjoyable to read. I experienced a broad range of emotions throughout the volumes and cannot impress enough how excellent it is.

The Complete Maus is a graphic novel that tells two stories, one set in 1930s and 1940s Europe, and the other in roughly present day 1980s America, when and where the book was being written. The first story is one that breaks the fourth wall in that it’s the story of the author, Art Spiegelman, and his father, the elderly Vladek Spiegelman. Art is a cartoonist interviewing his father about what it was like to be a Polish Jew during the buildup to WWII. He tells the story of his (as well as his wife Anja’s) trials and ultimate survival of the war and the Holocaust. As the story progresses, we discover that Vladek has remarried to another survivor named Mala in the years since Anja passed away in 1968. But that relationship is a complicated one (to say the least) as Vladek is a deeply flawed man in his old age. These flaws cause rifts between Art and Vladek as well. This first story zeroes in on these complications between Vladek, Art, and Mala. The second story is a love story between Vladek and Anja as a young couple facing the dangerous and genocidal landscape of WWII Europe. Throughout the late 1930s until the war ended in 1945, the two relied on each other for the strength to survive. Even when things were at their most bleak, while both were imprisoned in Auschwitz, they managed to get messages back-and-forth to each other, and Vladek even managed to get his wife some food here and there. Once the war ended and they both escaped with their lives, Vladek found Anja again back in their hometown and they made a life together, eventually having a son named Art in 1950. The book is full of details about what many Jewish people experienced during the war. Anja came from a wealthy family, and Vladek was a successful business owner himself. But they all started losing their businesses and money as the landscape started to change. Vladek and Anja survived being sent to the ghettos in large part due to Vladek’s determined, clever, resourceful fortitude. They hid in bunkers with dirt and mice. In Auschwitz, Anja nearly died of starvation, and Vladek nearly of typhus. They were both tortured and beaten by Nazis, and Vladek was nearly murdered by Nazis on several occasions. They both lost nearly their entire families to the Nazis, including their first son Richieu, their parents, siblings, cousins and friends. The two stories come together near the end as the timelines merge. That’s when the point is really driven home about how Vladek’s experiences in the war affected his psychology in later years. Although Vladek is a sympathetic character in his youth (smart, clever, resourceful and someone the reader really roots for), he is not depicted that way as an elderly man. This is a big part of the struggle for Art, attempting to reconcile the cheap, stubborn, argumentative (and sometimes racist) elderly man with the man he was in his youth. Vladek wasn’t the only one who suffered as a result of the trauma experienced during the war. Anja had suffered from some sort of affliction that saw her hospitalized before the war, but she committed suicide in 1968. And Art battled the ghost of his dead brother Richieu, whom he had never met. When it seemed that a being sent to a work or death camp was imminent, Anja’s sister thought she could get her kids to safety in the countryside, so Anja and Vladek sent their very young son Richieu with her, hoping he’d have a better chance of surviving. Ultimately when she and the kids were hunted by the Nazis, she killed herself and all the kids to prevent them from suffering a more painful death upon capture. And even though Richieu was dead before Art was ever born, he lived with his dead brother’s ghost ever-present as he grew up in Richieu’s shadow. In the book, people are drawn as animals. For example, Jews are drawn as mice and the Nazis are cats. I don’t know whether it makes the work more or less impressive as a result, but I almost completely forgot that they were mice and cats within a couple of pages. What makes this book great for me is the storytelling, not the metaphor. This is the story of two lovers who survived one of the most terrible times in human history. They relied on each other, and even under the worst of circumstances, they persevered together. And it was also the story of the aftermath, the damage done and the trauma inflicted upon those who did manage to survive and the generations that followed. I’ve never been a big graphic novel fan, but this is a fine piece of work. This book made me think of a poem written by Leonard Cohen poem from his book “Let Us Compare Mythologies” – 'Lovers' During the first pogrom they Met behind the ruins of their homes – Sweet merchants trading: her love For a history full of poems. And at the hot ovens they Cunningly managed a brief Kiss before the soldier came To knock out her golden teeth. And in the furnace itself As the flames flamed higher. He tried to kiss her burning breasts As she burned in the fire. Later he often wondered: Was their barter completed? While men around him plundered. And knew he had been cheated.

Great book filled with powerful visuals and great story telling. This hardcover edition is well made and looks great. It was packaged well and arrived quickly. Maus presents the horrors of the holocaust in an accessible way by portraying the characters as animals, but don’t let that fool you, the book doesn’t pull any punches. The book also describes the fallout of trauma and the ways in which it can alter people’s lives and impact their relationships. The author tracks his own life as the child of holocaust survivors, and the impact that their trauma—then decades in the past—had on him. This is a great book and I highly recommend it.

Browsing through the reviews and comments about Maus, I saw that there was some question as to whether the hardcover edition comprised Parts I and II. This is understandable because the product is listed in Amazon as "The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale (No 1)," which seems contradictory. When I was considering purchasing it, I looked at the number of pages that were listed for the edition and guessed that it included both parts of the story. So I bought it, it arrived fine, and I am now writing to confirm that yes, this edition includes I and II. Amazon should look into this and remove the "(No 1)" from the listing's title.

Growing up I did not find comics interesting at all as so many of my friends did. After coming across this book and with the source material presented I thought I would give this a shot. What an interesting approach in dealing with the subject matter being addressed, and after completing it I was sold on the graphic novel. It’s so unique and rather than doing a deep dive in reviewing, I rather suggest to give this one a read. I loved it, and after reading I set out to find other graphic novels.

I have been meaning to get this book and its sequel for many years. I bought it recently for my grandson and read both books before giving it to him. This is a very personal account of the holocaust. The members of my family who survived all left in the mid thirties. None of the rest survived, so this description of what it was like inside the area of German control was a first for me. As a graphic novel, this is a complex art form combining visual and verbal components. I'm not a comic book fan, nor did I read many when I was a child. But I found this format intriguing. I learned a lot and the format stimulated a lot of thinking.

Great story of Art Spiegelman's attempt to get his father's story on how he and his mother survived the Nazi Holocaust, and to exorcise any demons Art has about being the son of survivors. This book is probably the most important graphic "novel" made (it's actually non-fiction), and it shows what the medium can do with the right story.

Maus is a story one can never forget. A non-fiction telling of the author's father's time in the Holocaust, the graphic novel is an absolute must for teens and up (it may be too detailed in horrific scenarios for younger audiences, but that does not mean they cannot comprehend the message). A must for any home library, reading list, and book club.

I was able to relate to the story because many of my friends growing up had family members that were in the concentration camps and this book really captured that time and the attitudes that go with it. Plus the relationship of parent and child was very interesting and quite real. Well worth reading.

Awesome book. My 3rd time ordering this to give to friends. However, the book was shipped in the box with zero packing material. Plenty of room for book to shift and move around and it resulted in a rip to the jacket. Amazon's packing process has gotten worse over time.

One of the most amazing stories I have ever read. I knew it wasn't going to be a happy loving tale but the way it captivated my attention and emotions I was not expecting from a story told in this format. I absolutely loved it and have recommended it as a must read to everyone and anyone I know!

This is not a book I would’ve picked out on my own, but was required to read for a class. I’m glad it was cheaper to purchase vs rent. This is wonderfully written. Several of my coworkers have passed it around and we all agree it is great. I cannot imagine going through what the author’s father did but I am glad his story was told.

I read parts of this book for school and I decided that I had to purchase it. The artwork is wonderful and the author's story really helps me to understand. There is one box that really hit home for me. It was when he wrote that the thought people need a bigger holocaust. I felt like I agreed, do we really need that to be able to understand the horrors that happened to all of those innocent people?

Read this brilliant, powerful, moving piece. Mr. Spiegelman, thank you for bringing into the world your testimonial as a survivor’s child. The hardcover is very nicely designed and has a high-quality cover and binding, highly recommended.

I have bought this for my world literature class, the book seemed interesting. This was a comic book so it was a different take on personal experiences during the Holocaust. Very glad my professor used this book because I really made you think and realize how awful the Holocaust was. Definitely one of my favorite books, not gonna lie. It made me cry

As the child of a Holocaust survivor, Art Spiegelman has grown up hearing the terrors of WWII and seen the effects buried deep in his parents’ everyday lives. Now, as a grown man, he decides to record the story of his father’s survival from Poland to Auschwitz and recreate it in graphic novel form. His father, Vladek, recounts his years in Poland, the meeting his wife, Anja, and the growing tension in his town until finally, all the Jews are removed from the city and into work camps. Art learns that often his father’s survival can be attributed to luck more than anything else. As he becomes more involved with his father’s story and thoughts of the Holocaust, Art finds it increasingly difficult to recreate such awful events and falls into depression. In this way, Maus tells two simultaneous stories: the survival of Vladek, and Art coming to terms with the horrors of what his father experienced. As simultaneously a memoir and an autobiography, Spiegelman covers two stories: his own and his father’s. He mixes the two wonderfully, and I was equally invested in both sides of the story. Since we see Art approaching his dad, years after the war, to collect his survival story, we already know the ending: Vladek survives. Because of this, the story is not concerned with fear for Vladek’s life; rather, we are more concerned with the journey he took to survive. Learning about the Holocaust from the view of a survivor is especially emotional, since most people today have only heard about that part of WWII through history class and documentaries. Actual survivor stories from people who saw many different sides of the war forces a reader to imagine themselves in the same situation. Overall Spiegelman did a wonderful job portraying the story of his father and all the characters involved. Using the image of mice instead of humans makes the graphic novel easier to digest, since otherwise the reality of what happened would be incredibly heavy. This is a wonderfully deep and simultaneously depressing read, but I think everyone should find the time to learn about our past and how human beings react in times of hardship.

I was completely enthralled with this biographical novelette. Using a deeply personalized approach, and presented in the manner and style of a cartoonist's comic book format, Mr. Spiegelman captures the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust era unlike any other treatise on the topic. This is a deeply moving experience that will touch your soul from the first to the last panel/page.

I’m a lazy reader so graphic novels are right up my alley. I don’t really care for super heroes and such so when I googled “top comics not about super heroes” this book made a lot of lists. It’s a pretty raw book in many ways and the story keeps you intrigued the whole way through. I even managed to learn some things I didn’t previously know about the concentration camps. Great read!

This is an extrapolation of the original Maus by the same author, Art Spiegelman. Excellent book , by this prize winning author about his father's experiences in nazi occupied Poland and in the concentration camps and about his reaction to learning about of of this. Very unique and well done.

I read Maus as a part of a colloquium I took in college that was based on the Holocaust. We looked at a lot of stories/writings based on the Holocaust, both fiction and non-fiction. This graphic novel was probably the reading I was most apprehensive of prior to reading it. It was a new genre for me, and I wasn't sure that what appeared to be a comic book could do justice to the Holocaust. I truly enjoyed reading it. I feel it was so easy to read the words and want to get going past the pictures, but there was a lot to get out of the images. I feel for people who may not enjoy reading novels, but can get into graphic novels/comic books, this is a GREAT way to learn about the Holocaust. I am happy to see new opportunities for people to learn about and learn from historical events. It is definitely becoming more accessible to people of varying interests.

Everyone should read Maus. Its a very inconvenient truth that its very easy for humans to do things like this, often in the name of being more progressive. When things like this happen, family and friend relationships dont mean anything. Spiegelman is an excellent and conflicted narrator, his own relative comfort in life makes it difficult emotionally for him to portray what his father Vladek went through, but i felt like i was there the whole time from Sosnowiec to New York.

After everything you've ever read or seen about the Holocaust, you still need to read this book. It's an experience unlike any other, because it's the only comic book (as a lifelong fan, I can't call them graphic novels, which I feel is only a term used to generate mainstream acceptance) ever created to specifically focus in on this issue and tell the story of a Holocaust survivor. And being a comic, Maus has advantages over just about every other medium of communication. The text allows Spiegelman to go into greater depth with his subject than film or television could. The pictures, and especially the sequential panel structure, allow Spiegelman to provide quick and dirty narratives at particular junctures, and allow the reader's imagination take care of the rest. And make no mistake, Spiegelman doesn't shy away from details of suffering in the book. Many such details are conveyed in matter-of-fact form, and somehow, that doesn't diminish their impact or the monstrous conditions the Jews lived in during the Holocaust. I'll never forget the one panel showing Spiegelman's young parents, hiding from the Nazis and starving, chewing on a piece of wood because "it feels like real food." Incredible. As an added treasure, Spiegelman often appears as a character in his own book and provides commentary on the book creation process and his relationship with his father. Incredibly honest and poignant, Spiegelman has created an unforgettable treasure. And if you're not going to read it for Vladek Spiegelman's moving story of survival and love for his wife, read it to find out that comics aren't just for kids anymore.

I just received this book. It came in perfect condition, no folds or tears. The story is a wonderful classic that everyone should consider reading. The drawings are beautiful and make this large book into a quick and interesting read.

The the quality of the story inside is worth more than five stars. Terribly moving and realistic and symbolic. But as a product, (and this may have been listed in description but I don't recall) but the binding is worn and the final chapter or two is detached from the rest of the book. It was disappointing but I guess if it was important for me to have a book like new I wouldn't have bought used. I will have to get another copy because I want my copy to keep for a long time.

I read this book in about 8 accumulated hours. I was sucked in, I couldn't put it down. I laughed, I reflected, and yes at one time I put it down, thought of my own kids and cried. This book should be part of school curriculum for younger students. I've read many Holocaust books including the heavy hitters (Levi) and this is definitely one of the very best and certainly the most unique. My children are 5 and <1, when they are a little older I will use this book to teach them about the Holocaust.

Please note, this is the complete Maus which means it includes Maus vol 1 & 2 in a beautiful hardcover book. If you love WWII historical fiction, then you’ll love this. This is a brilliant graphic novel that you should read even if you’re not that into graphic novels.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It's touching, it's honest and real. I was told to read this in a WWII class in high school, and now I'm in college and I bought my own copy because I loved it so much. The art is amazing, the pacing is well done. The style of narrative is intimate and personal as Speigelman offers insight into his own family life and how historical events have changed and challenged his parents, and his relationships with them. This story is an excellent example of how a trauma's effects are ongoing and carry a ripple effect, and how important historical tragedies like the holocaust need to be remembered and shared.

Boy, can I be a dope sometimes! I've resisted reading Art Spiegelman's Maus for years. There was something about the holocaust turned into a comic that set my teeth on edge. It wasn't that I didn't know that lots of people whom I respect thought Spiegelman's work a masterpiece, or that several of my fellow professors had actually used Maus as a text in various courses (much less that the book won a Pulitzer!). It was just that I couldn't bring myself to reconcile the theme (genocide) with the genre (comics). Well, I was a dope. I've learned a lot about the genre since then (although I wish we had more appropriate titles for it than "comics" or "graphic novel"), and I've discovered that the genre is perfectly capable of handling heavy themes (Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner's Our Cancer Year or Joe Sacco's books on Bosnia and Palestine are perfect examples). So I've spent the last week reading Spiegelman's Maus. Oh my. Who could've imagined that the unclassifiable tragedy of the holocaust could've been so poignantly, so thoughtfully, expressed? The story line and the drawings are incredible, succeeding in saying entire volumes in the abbreviated way characteristic of this genre. It astounds me that so much can be said in just a few words and "simple" drawings. No doubt years of thought and mountains of draft went into such craftsmanship. One is reminded of how much effort it takes to write good poetry. One of the best features of Maus is that Spiegelman, in telling the story of his parents' ordeal through the story of his troubled relationship with his survivor father, keeps the holocaust in the present instead of relegating it to a distant past. The father Vladek's memories of the horrific past bleed into the normalcy of the present. One of the most chilling examples of this temporal fluidity is found in Volume 2 (p. 79). Vladek, Art, and Art's wife Francoise are driving through some wooded areas on their way to a supermarket. Vladek is telling the story of four young girls who were hanged at Auschwitz. One of the panels comprising this segment is an overhead shot of the car containing Vladek, Art, and Francoise as they drive under a canopy of tree branches. From the branches we see four sets of legs and feet dangling. The legs have the characteristic striped pants of Auschwitz inmates. The power of Vladek's memory invades the present. And indeed this is one of the major themes of the book. Vladek, who infuriates Art with his stinginess, his continuous tension and nervousness, and his constant complaining about everything, is who he is because the horror of the past is always with him. He can't shake it, and neither can his son Art. Indeed, the theme of memory percolates throughout the book: unwanted present memories, yearned for lost memories (exemplified by Vladek's destruction of the diaries written by Art's mother, Anje). That's one of the reasons this book is the masterpiece it is. It isn't just a several-layered story. It's also an implicit archaeology of memory that, layer by layer, uncovers what it means to be a creature capable of both remembering and forgetting.

I've read it three times through. It's such a great story. A love story really and a artistic memorial and dedication to survival of a father and of a people and a great example of how to be prepared for anything and to have faith and luck doesn't hurt but mostly to be proactive and liked and engaged in your own survival. Always good to be good at the things you do.

I don't think I can add much that has not already been written in innumerable books, articles, journals, blogs, and anywhere that discusses literature and, specifically, graphic novels. This one may not appeal to the strictly comic book crowd seeking the Supermans, Avengers, etc., genre. This, of course, is nothing like those. This is a work of literature that (amazingly for a graphic novel) won the Pulitzer Prize. It's a must have for any serious graphic novel fan and I can recommend (and have recommended) it to my friends who aren't at all into comics, but are serious literature buffs. The social commentary and other aspects of this work must be read and seen to be appreciated, and I don't think my best efforts at providing an analysis here, in such a short space, would add anything of real value - I will leave that to the serious critics of literature and students of the graphic novel. What I can say is this: Maus left a permanent and valuable impression on me, even in the first reading many years ago. And it continues to do so today.

My son loved this book. He couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t put it down either. It’s not heavy in text due to the nature that it’s a graphic novel/comic but it excels in its delivery of the story between father and son. It’s an easy read that you can keeps you going and on your toes.

The Holocaust was the systematic mass murder of over six million Jewish human beings led by the Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party during World War II. At first glance you would be astonished at how it would be possible for someone to write a comic-like story on such an atrocity that has haunted and forever changed the lives of so many people since WWII. The very idea of Art Spiegelman writing such a thing offended me. That was of course until I read the book and realized how wrong my assumptions are. At the commence of the graphic novel Maus it is apparent that Art and his father, Vladek, do not carry a healthy relationship. The strain in the family plays a major role throughout the novel because of Art's little to none understanding of what his father has gone through and why he is the way that he is. Even though the main cause of the sour relationship between the two are due to the character that Vladek has retained from his time during WWII, there are times where you feel bad for Vladek because of Art's actions towards him. Unlike many other pieces of work depicting the Holocaust, Maus gives the reader a first-hand account of Vladek's experience and how he and his family managed to survive. The use of comics is definitely beneficial to the reader in this graphic novel. The images that go side by side with the text help us get a better understanding of what it is that is occurring during the explanation of Vladek's experiences. With the use of the images we are constantly reminded of the struggles that the Jews faced. In the initial pages of the novel, we are introduced to the idea of Jews being represented as mice while the Germans were depicted as cats as well as a couple of other groups of people being represented as other farm animals. We are often times presented with drawings of mice using masks which gave us a visual representation of the struggle of Jews trying to pass of as Polish individuals. The use of these metaphors in the drawings helps us achieve a better understanding of how people were seen at that time. We usually think of as cats superior to mice and that is exactly what the author wanted us to visualize when he portrayed human beings as different types of animals. One of the things that stood out to me most was how the author was able to have a balance throughout the novel that included not only what took place in his father's past but also what was occurring during the time of the novels writing. With Art doing this often during the novel we are able to visualize and understand how the decisions Vladek has made in the past for a family still have an impact on the decisions he makes in his everyday life.

This was one of the requirements for my sons summer reading and he hasn’t put it down! He’s not a big reader and I found graphic novels to be his interest.

"Maus" confirms many of the personal stories I have been hearing for nearly 40 years, not from Polish Jews, but from surviving former French resistance fighters denounced, deported and imprisoned at one or another of the 27 different camps maintained by the Nazis. The cartoon animal heads/masks drive home added depths to the tale and ironically underline an aspect that does not cease to amaze me: the children of these men and women who sacrificed so much are largely indifferent to the experience of their parents, unlike Spigelman's alter-ego character, whose hunger to know is so sharply felt and communicated, equal only to the physical hunger of the prisoners themselves. As a member of an association seeking to perpetuate the memory of what happened during those years to the grandchildren--and great-grandchildren--of the former prisoners, I am most pleased to see the "Complete Maus" republished as a whole and am looking forward to "Meta Mouse," announced for publication in France in January. As an educator, I believe that the cartoon format speaks more to the younger generations than direct testimony from those in the front lines, most of whom have long since died or lost their will/capacity to communicate. And like the father in "Maus," few of these survivors ever spontaneously spoke much of their experience to their children except when pushed. For me, Art Spiegelman has captured the essence of the inhumanity inflicted upon the victims to the point they were reluctant to tell their tales. Self-censure, if you will. But those tales must be told and retold, lest we all forget and pay the supreme price for our negligence.

Better critics than I have said the important things about this text. So I'll keep it simple: reading this book will remind people like me (people born decades after the Holocaust) that yes, it really did happen; yes, it was as bad as you can imagine and worse; and no, it will never be possible to remove this stain from our species history. We can only acknowledge it. The fact that there are multiple ongoing genocides in the world today suggests that we still have a long way to go before we can truly say that nothing like the Holocaust will ever happen again.

you would never believe that a cartoon (sorry, graphic novel) about the holocaust could be acceptable, never mind fascinating, insightful, and full of humanity, especially when the Germans are pigs, the jews are mice, etc. But it works. And it is moving and terrible and truthful and somehow it makes the whole horror of the war more human and easier to feel on a personal level. I have one copy and I have given away over four copies, to friends, co-workers, (most of them NOT Jewish) because it makes history what it really is: frighteningly true, sickeningly possible, always capable of being repeated.

A great story about a man and his father...I enjoy this book and that story line. It was impactful and I sent it to my father whom did not like it...Read this book

I read these for a class and I found myself dying to read more. Maus really is a masterpiece, I highly recommend it.

This is, of course, Art Spiegelman's classic MAUS - all volumes, wonderfully bound in a dramatic new binding. It still has the feel, the intimacy, and the sting of the original. It is well worth for those studying, or even as a primer for those new to the subject matter surrounding the Holocaust. This is somewhat like Orwell's 'Animal Farm,' presented as a graphic novel, but it is not mere allegory - it is Spiegelman's family history... his stuggles with it... presented as painfully as it is beautiful, in its stark simplicity. A classic.

The comic book/graphic novel medium is filled to the brim with people wearing spandex, but Art Spiegelman's Maus is one of the finest examples of what the medium is truly capable of doing. Chances are if you're on this page, you already know the story details of Maus, so all that will be said here is that it is an incredibly compelling and heartbreaking tale that delivers everything you've heard about this critically acclaimed work. Spiegelman's artwork however is the true main attraction of Maus, as there are just slight little subtleties and moments of his winking at the reader that can go unnoticed at first glance. It is moments like these that help make Maus all the more special, and only help solidify it as being one of the finest works of the graphic narrative. All in all, if you've never read Maus, comic fan or not, you owe it to yourself to give it a look at the very least. No matter how many Holocaust or survivor tales your eyes have seen, very few will have the kind of impact and lasting impression that Maus manages to leave on the reader.

This book got me into graphic novels. I highly recommend it as a first purchase into the graphic novel rhelm. The story is amazing and you will definitely fly through reading it. This is a nice collector's edition, which is ideal for anyone, like myself, who enjoys rereading favorite books down the road. The subject matter does not pull any punches and isn't for everyone. It is a completely unique way of telling one of the hardest stories there is to tell. Highly recommended.

I had read this years ago and wanted my nephew to read it too. I gave it to him just after his Bar Mitzvah and was surprised to hear his mother and father tell that they had heard of the book and wanted to read it too. I told them that they were going to have to ask their son and see who got it first after him.

A great way to teach children about what the Nazis did in the 1930s and 1940s. All schools should have this in their libraries.

Very heart wrenching and necessary. The format is perfect. I'm so glad these type of stories are told. Why? People that have endured this hardship deserve a voice. Stories are what will keep humans connected to one another. A week or so after reading this I really processed it and wept so much. I have a loving and grateful heart for the life I live, even more so after reading this.

It's hard to believe how we human beings can treat each other. This is the first book that I've ever read about the Holocaust, and I wish that I've done so sooner. It was really hard to read this book. I thought I could sit down and finish it under two to three hours, but it was hard to take in and this is a graphic book.with every page, I just wanted the madness to end, but it kept going on. I just didn't think someone could go through so much and come out alive. Part of this book almost made me cry. I'm not afraid to say that.

When I first read this collection as a ten year old I could not fully grasp the full story being documented within these pages. Now after studying history in college and rereading the collection more than ten years later I can appreciate and fully grasp the message the book presents to every reader. I believe that every person must read this collection regardless of your knowledge of World War II or history in general.

really touching love story that overcomes the horrors of government gone crazy.

This is a very well written book and delivered in such a unique manner, which makes it very hard to put down after a reading session. It gives a very interesting perspective on World War II events and the relationship between a father and son. This is a great book!

My sister was the one who recommended the book. And I really enjoined it. The way that tragical part of human history is written is really amazing. The idea of telling the history by someone who lived that terrible moments and show the effects of that after years of the liberation was amazing. I really like to know things about the second world war but had never read something that got me so interested. I couldn't stop reading both books until the end! The conflict between the son and the father just made the comic better. You really should read it!

Love this book. We received it in excellent condition. I'm excited to share this with my children!!

Hard book to put down. It's easy to become lost in the world of Maus. The relationship between the author and his father is riveting in the midst of the retelling of the Holocaust.

One of my favorite Graphic Novels, I always loved reading this one and was happy to have a new hard covered copy of the book.

Excellent graphic novel, shows the inhumanity and brutality of the nazi regime, on a softer canvas, still transmitting the dark side of humanity to the reader.

Actual rating: 10 of 5 stars Wow. Captivating. Heartbreaking. Moving. This Holocaust memoir is in the form of a comic book. It is self-conscious, written clearly, palatable despite its subject matter, unique, and important. The reader relives the trials and horrors of the Holocaust and its present-day impact, a poignant and resonant narrative.

Using mice to represent the oppression of the Jews was an excellent device to make the subject matter less horrific in terms of being able to read such a nightmarish book.. I was entranced by the drawings and the story of the author's personal life. It gave me a chance to smile at the father/son relationship, interrupting the intense horror experienced in the camps. I have read this book about 5 times and there is always something new to observe. One of the most memorable books I have ever read. The author and I are of the same age......and I think that also helps in understanding how he and his father relate. It was really so soon after the war.

An incredibly moving and thought-provoking account of one man’s struggle to understand what his father endured during the Holocaust. At a time when more and more students have incomplete or inadequate information about the Nazi rise to power in Europe and the Holocaust, the one-volume edition of this two part graphic memoir proves indispensable as an educational tool that doubles as a compelling read.

purchased for a college course. received what was expected. good condition

Recommended? OF COURSE!! you need this book in your life, believe me is not the same in the computer that having the book in your hands :)

Very eye-opening experience and takes you back to when genocide was happening and Germany felt no sympathy and wanted to conquer and be feared by everyone.

He liked the book and rec'd 100% on all assignments on the book.

Amazing book, and an incredible story. It's also a beautiful edition- excellent printing and binding. Highly recommended.

Gave this book to my son. He said he likes it and it's one of the few books he actually enjoys to read.

I got this comic for my highschool art class. Sadly my principle didnt approve of history being talked about in a fine arts class so I didnt get to use it. BUT- I read it cover to cover to cover and loved every moment of it. It is a very powerful book.

First, the quality of the book itself was great. Solid feeling binding and smooth pages. Second, they story really is truly powerful and does a great job of showing how the trauma of the holocaust followed the survivors, and their children, for the rest of their lives, even if they didn't realize it at the time. I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys graphic novels or for youngsters studying the history of the Holocaust.

this book is a great telling of the Holocaust and Tails and away from a Survivor to his son and his son struggle of dealing with his dad and and the things that the Holocaust and still in his father and it's not a book to guilt-trip people either it's not us rubbing the Holocaust up anybody's knows this is just about survival and

Interesting, heartbreaking, and important. I highly recommend this graphic novel.

Such an amazingly interesting story. Coming from survivors myself it shows a very familiar way that the second generation grew up in. Highly recommend

Dealing with the awful wartime experiences of his father, Vladek, a Polish Jew and survivor of Auschwitz, and Spiegelman's troubled relationship with him, it's biography, autobiography and historical memoir, told in the comics medium. Spiegelman presents it in a straightforward cartoon way, with Jews represented as mice (the rodent metaphor taken straight from Hitler's own propaganda) and Nazis as cats. The cartoon style and characters allow the reader to approach otherwise horrific situations in a direct way, without the use of realistic images while still retaining the power of the experience. The style is deceptively simple. He tells the story dispassionately and honestly. Nor is he trying to tell a "worthy" story, but simply documenting his father's wartime experiences and depicting how he shared this information. The present-day sequences give us an unsentimental portrait of this survivor of the death camp. Spiegelman doesn't glamorize his father as some kind of hero. Vladek comes across as irritating, manipulative, and exasperating.

This is an amazing story, so much more than just a graphic novel or a simple book. Spiegelman ties his and his father’s narratives together in a way that is both wrenching and touching. It gives a unique insight not only into what it means to be Holocaust survivor, but how the rest of the world can deal with the tragedy.

I love these graphic novels. It is truly one of a kind. If you're intrested in reading a true story about a holocaust survivor, then you're in for a treat. Both of these books hold greater meaning, so I suggest a second reading when finshed. Books came in perfect condition, fast shipping.

What an amazing story, Maus makes such a strong statement without slapping you in the face with it. The story it tells is enough to make it worth the read, if you’re into comics this is a must read.

I read Maus I and II back in junior high and thought it was really cool that I was reading a book while also reading a comic. I purchased and re-read the boxed set recently when I stumbled upon it on Amazon. It's excellent. Truly a one-of-a-kind story, told in a way that gets the reader engaged in the details of what went on back in World War II. I love the cleverness of the Jews being portrayed as mice and the Nazi soldiers as cats. The only qualm I have with this series is that Maus II (the second and last book) ends rather abruptly, which is sort of understandable if you read the books. Honestly, I wanted more from the author and the storyline. Either way, it was a good read back when I was age 12 and still a good read at age 25.

Very cool concept and why to introduce younger readers with visuals from than realize what was going on

This is a true story as told by the survivor to his son. It is a wonderful story.

Absolutely one of the most gripping books I ever read. Probably the first book I ever read and immediately started reading it again. Recommended to anyone.

"Maus" is a well-written and poignant story. It manages to seamlessly weave a family's terrible journey through the Holocaust together with its modern struggle with mental health and aging, but it does so without feeling burdensome on the reader.

I've been hunting for a complete collection hardcover for years. Extremely happy to have found it.

Had to read this for a class, and wasn't sure if I would like it. It ended up being the most interesting read of the class.

Maus this and Maus that I had been Reading rave reviews for this book and a lot of complaints for it being overhyped Now I have had the chance of Reading the whole piece and I can tell you that this is a very honest work, very personal, not an oversimplification of the holocaust, it is part of the life of the author's family. The format allows for a quick read, but you might misss details if you fly over the pages.

Needed for school

This graphic novel of the Holocaust still retains its powerful impact even 25 years after publication. However, maybe the newer “Meta Maus,” annotated by the author, would be a better purchase now (unless you really need both to get the full story).

This is required reading for what it has to say about history, humanity, making art and survival. The artwork is barren, the story brutal, and yet by focussing on Art Spiegelman's father, brings the Holocaust back from historical enormity to an intensely personal story. Deeply moving.

This is such a great book! Tells the fantastic story of Vladek and Anya Spiegelmann, a pair of Jewish Poles, who were imprisoned at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. Their survival was due to the innovation and networking of Vladek in a time when you were lucky if you lived.

Maus was an excellent portrayal of how Jewish people suffered under Nazi advancement. I am not Jewish, but you can really see what heinous things Jewish (and many non-Jews) went through, and it really gets all the way down to the core of what makes us human. People are occasionally giving this book bad reviews saying that it provides a very narrow view of Nazi atrocities, and that it is racist. I cannot see that at all. You have to come into this book knowing that it is going to be focused on the Jewish people... for God's sake, the titles of the book tell you that within themselves "My Father Bleeds History", and "Here My Troubles Began". Notice the use of "My" in both of those titles. Plus, he is simply sharing the story that his father is telling him... It doesn't mean he is trying to mold people's minds to think a certain way, or trying to pass some kind of propoganda. It simply shows a very first person view of how someone perceived everything that happened... and since the man telling the story (his father) suffered through it all, I think we can easily afford him that view. Just understand that because he shows the Poles as pigs, he isn't trying to tell you that the Polish people didn't suffer. His father apparently just encountered Poles who were loyal to the Nazi regime (and there were some that did) - and he tells it like he saw it. Don't pass up on reading this one because a couple of people take offense to it by trying to find hidden meaning. It is a shocking personal account, and will open your eyes so wide, you'll think you just drank a triple-shot of whiskey.

I love this book. It is essential reading for anyone remotely interested in comics, history, and/or father-son relationships. Heartbreaking and hilarious.

It's an awesome edition which includes a cardboard box to keep both volumes safe. The story is just legendary. Must read.

The story was very well crafted. The book is a story told by the author's father to the author. The author is creating this very story at the time he is taking notes on the story his father is telling him. An ingenious method for passing on these details. By telling the story in this method the author is able to relay to the reader more details than those just in the father's story. He is able to also give details about how life was for his father after the war - this is seen in their interactions and conversations. I'm not a big fan of the comic concept of relaying the story and I don't think it added any value to the story, but I also must admit it did not subtract from the story or prove a distraction. This book is a quick read - this physical book contains both Maus I & II. Each part is further divided into chapters. The book is not written in flawless English; it is written in broken English in some parts however this did not subtract from the story either. The book is detailed in how it describes the events of the Holocaust and those leading up to it, but it does not seem to attempt to be extra gory for the purpose of making a point. The details were presented in a very unbiased and mater of fact fashion. Owing to the graphic novel style of this text however there are some accompanying images to the detailed stories that some may find disturbing - though the images are not photographs for the most part and are not too detailed in their depiction of gruesome events. The book may have been more powerful with real images, since so many exist. All in all a good read for educational purposes. The book encompasses before, during, and after the war and is a good introduction to a study of the Holocaust. Enough terms and names of people and places are mentioned so you could look up additional information after wards or suspend your reading here.

I remember reading this story when I was in high school from a friend who was big into comics. I thought it was very compelling and rereading it again recently I am not surprised by the awards it won. The presentation of both books in one in this collection is quite good and a good serious read for any comic enthusiast.

Excellent for adults and kids.

Amazing book. The hardcover of both novels was great, highly recommend picking this up if you loved the book or haven't read it yet.

Fascinating book! I ordered this for my 14 year old grandson, who was thrilled later to find that he would be studying it this year in school. I also read it and so did my daughter. I know a lot about Hitler's concentration camps, but it was interesting to read about it from a first hand perspective. Because of it's format, it was, for the most part, light reading; but if you have any kind of a brain, you found yourself sitting back and absorbing the consequences and what was really going on. Then, it became much more personal. Survival, at any cost, became the goal for most people, and people who were there seemed to forgive a lot, because they realized, the consequences of not doing everything you could to survive. It's quite a profound piece of work, done in a very unconventional manner!

I purchased a box set with Maus #1 and Maus #2. ALL I GOT WAS #1!!!!!!! NO BIX, NO SET, NO TWO BOOKS!!!!!!! The description says set of book 1 and book 2, and I only received 1.. let alone coming in any box!!!!!

Gift

I've been wanting this for my bookshelf for a long time. A chilling, haunting read that shows a garish look into the personal life of the author's father during the holocaust. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Amazing, groundbreaking work. Can't wait until my kids are old enough to read it.

Serious read.

My daughter needed both Maus 1 and 2 and this book has both in one book!

Excellent! I lost my copy! I'll have to order another one.

This book does a great job showing what people a generation removed from the Holocaust felt as a result of it. The imagery does a great job helping to further convey not only the father's experiences, but the resulting feelings and ideas the son faces as well.

10/10 would recommend.

I've read many Holocaust books. This is certainly one of the best...

Arrived safe and sound on time. Thank you!!!

This book is the reason I started reading graphic novels. This is one of the most powerful WWII narratives I've ever read. It's visually poetic, poignant, shockingly witty, and emotionally powerful.

Maus is a graphic novel - that is, a novel done in cartoons, written by the son of a Holocaust survivor. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. My husband and I had never read this book - never even known about it. It was quite a discovery! We bought the two book set, which proved to be a fine one. If I could afford to do so, I would send a free copy to every denier of the Holocaust. Amazon, please advertise this book more widely. There is an old and a new generation out there who need to read it!

I had never read a graphic novel and was somewhat skeptical when book club chose it. I am a complete convert! This novel is extremely well-written and the illustrations are superb! I really got into the true story of Spiegelman's interview of his father and the recounting of his parents capture by the Nazi's and their stay in the concentration camps and the profound effect it had on their lives and who they became. Everyone's story is unique and this one is worth reading.

This covers both versions of Maus. did not need to buy the two separate books.

Taking a class and this is the first comic I have ever read. I can say now that it is definitely a must-read. Historically motivated and artistically compelling. Spiegelman is fantastic

When they say this is one of the best comic books ever, they really mean it's one of the best. I happen to agree putting this right up there with Watchmen and Sandman. Maus provokes you to think differently about things. Everyone who reads comics needs to read this comic at some point or at least have proper knowledge of the tale. One of the biggest reason I loved this is because I normally don't like reading Holocaust stories. It's not because they are too depressing or terrifying to read, but more on the line of how they are told. Usually they are all told the same way. This one is different though. There is a happy conclusion to tragic tale and with a normal outcome. In addition, this doesn't just focus on the Jewish in the camps either. If feel, at least, that so many people often forget the Nazi's locked up the French and Polish Catholics as well. This comic book shows that several time making them both allies and enemies to the Jewish. Another strong point to the comic and what it's most famous for is the usage of anthropomorphic animals to tell the story of the Holocaust. Having some Polish bod myself, I can see there is some predigest of having them depicted as pigs in this comic book. However, that's the point of the book and why the Polish are pigs. The Jewish are mice because they were small and meek. The Germans are cats because they toy and eat mice. The Americans are dogs, the French are fogs, the Swedish are reindeer, and the Gypsies are moths. We may be humans, but we're all animals deep inside. My only complaint to this book was it took me longer to read then most comic books. Most of the time I can finish them in two days with five to six issue trades. Even ten issue thing I can finish with in three days. This just took me long because it’s so rich in text and information it a lot to grasp. The father is hard to understand at times too. However, don’t let this be a bad thing. In fact, I really liked the fact I’m finding more challenging comics to read. Modern day stuff has really dumbed down compared to the 80s stuff. I should have read this comic before. It was recommend by a tutor I had at college because of a short story I wrote about a bulldog and previous stories I wrote using animals to tell my "human" story. I’m glad I read this one though. It will defiantly change your view on what a good comic actually means.

More than a graphic novel. Rather a powerful moving tale of a son's recovery of a father's experience of the years of the holocaust and how this trickled down into contemporary family life. Reflective and immense in scope. I would recommend this book genuinely to anyone interested in what makes life worth living. The vignettes of Spiegelman's father are harrowing and inspiring, accentuated by a matter of fact story telling style. Spiegelman's insertion of his own family into the narrative serves to contrast the relatively normal travails of a modern family with those of families on the edge of survival and extinction.

such an amazing book!!!! perfect for Holocaust education too!!!

Thought provoking.

Perfect condition; no damage!

12 year old had to read for school. Very good for school aged kids who are very visual to learn about the holocaust.

Awesome!

Maus conveys the negative feelings of the holocaust (and its lasting side effects) powerfully. Using mice and a comic strip avenue is perfect. This is real. This postmodern. This should be read in schools.

A must read for everyone. A bought this aa a gift. I read the books when they first came out as my dad was a survivor of Auschwitz and Dachau. also grew up right next to Rego Park, in Forest Hills, Queens, NY, where the author is from. So I was able to relate to the story even more. The fact that the writer has the Jews as mice and the Nazi's as rats are brilliant and that it is in cartoon style makes it even more clever. You do not think it would be serious, but it is and you get captured into the story right away. It will give you a very clear insight as to what went on in nazi Germany right when Hitler came into power and what happened during his rise and what happened to the Jews in Germany. so many younger people have no idea of the holocaust because it is not taught in the schools. And there has been a huge rise of anti-semitism on college campuses in recent years. So instead of reading lengthy history books, or seeing sentimental movies on the holocaust, these books will give you a much better insight as to what it was like living in those horrible times. Of course it tells the story of the relationship of the author and his dad and how telling his son his story brings them closer. I highly recommend reading these books. You will not waste your time....

I had ordered it for a class. I thought it was a strange story, but I realize father-son relationships are not always the best. After all this book was a Pulitzer Prize winner. Considering that the author's father was an Auschwitz survivor, I felt the author was rather harsh on his father. I did like the imagery of the Jews as mice.

As someone who is far to young to have lived through the history or most of the fallout directly from it I found this an eminently relatable work. The story of a son working through his father's past as someone who went through the holocaust in Wartime Poland. This is a touchstone work that deserves all the acclaim it has received and more.

The books were ordered for a creative writing curriculum and were to be purchased by students. Because the course starts next week, we can't return them, but we also can't expect students to pay for damaged books.

This is an excellent graphic novel. I had to read it for a visual communications course in college. It's difficult to get into a graphic novel for me, but it's a good book with lots of symbolism.

Although this is not by any means a definitive look at the Holocaust, I found it the most effective presentation of its horrific effects on its victims (both direct and indirect). It's amazing how well the comic book format works. Rather than trivialize the Holocaust, it personalizes the impact of persecution and the camps. I felt like I was drawn into the Spiegelman family. While I'd recommend "Maus" to anyone, I think it would be particularly useful in providing students an understanding of what the Holocaust was like on a personal level.

I've read "All quiet at the Western Front" a very impressive book about the 1st world war. This book, "Maus", gives me a similar impression about a part of what happened in the 2nd world war.

cover page almost torn apart

Unique interpretation of WW2 holocaust.

This book is not just a tale about the Holocaust but also a story of a father and son's relationship. I was truly affected by this book and I want to lend it to some of my friends. Art's detail of his father's flashbacks and the different conflicts he and his father are very true to life.

This is a must read.

This book, albeit set in comic book fashion, delivers a powerful message. The message that is delivered is not one that is easily picked out. Maus teaches valuable lessons of toleration, respect, love in fellow man, and preservation of the soul. After reading this for my research and thesis class, I can safely say that my percieved knowledge and familiarity with the Holocaust was redefined. This book should be required reading for anyone who is interested in History, but definitely a must for anyone in general. The subject matter is dark and heavy, but something of this nature shoud be treated in a dark and serious manner. Kudos to Mr. Spiegelman. He is an excellant writer/artist and is very deserving of the Pulitzer. I do ask that you the future reader read this book carefully and slowly, otherwise, the lessons of History could fall upon deaf ears, and we will be doomed to repeat these heinous crimes and sins yet again.

Great book I'm proud to finally own

Loved the book, different perspective on something we all learn about.

Everyone needs to know this history so that it’s not repeated. Presented well, and well-written and illustrated. The companion book is also excellent.

REQUIRED READING FOR EVERY HUMAN ON EARTH.

A great book. The story is compelling and the illustrations are very thoughtfully composed. I am not a frequent reader of graphic novels, but I think this is a great way of introducing the topic to a younger generation through an exciting and relatable medium.

This is simply one of the best personal stories about the Holocaust I've read. The creativity behind the concept is stunning. Highly recommended. The seller did have an issue with packaging, but very promptly dealt with it in a professional manner. I'd go back to them.

I can't say enough about how great Spiegelman is at creating this story. It's a graphic novel (historical autobiographical comic book) that depicts not only his parents' struggles before and after the Holocaust, but it's a phenomenal sketch of his own efforts to make sense of it all. He struggles to find the right images and words to tell his father's story and...his own. The reader is drawn into Art's struggle to understand his own fears, anger and apprehension about being the son that didn't die in the Holocaust (he would've had an older brother). I don't wanna give clues away if you haven't read it but it's great. I read it myself in college and use it with my 10th grade humanities students that are weary of Anne Frank being the only story. It goes great with other books (I've used Friedrich, Night and Number the Stars as precursors), documentaries (like, "the Genocide Factor" or the MTV special about youth diaries of the holocaust), films (I use Schindler's list) and of course, field trips to your area holocaust museum. As a special treat for students, when students write him...he writes back!

This was intended as a Christmas gift so it was too late to return it. The book was damaged on the dust jacket and packed by someone with sticky goo on their hands. Pretty disappointed.

Does what it's designed to do

Nice hardcover copy, very superior replacement for my old paperback volumes. Story is as gripping and haunting as always.

Great read IMO. Im glad I bought it. Usually when I read a book I might read a chapter or two every couple of days but with this book I felt I couldn't put it down.

I am a huge fan of WWII. Not of what happened, but of the history. I must say that I am not a fan of comics (Graphic novels). I have never been a fan of them, but this book...both of the stories are phenomenal. I read them both in one day and would highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys history.

I am not really into graphic novels, but I thought this book was amazing. There are so many emotions and experiences conveyed through both the writing and the drawings. Fantastic read for anyone into WWII or the human experience as a whole.

Front cover had a rip and multiple pages within had large tears, punctures, and other damage. Very disappointed in the “new” condition.

Very nice product and it came as expected

Great book

A MASTERPIECE!!!

It seems like a quick read, but don't be fooled. The story is unforgettable and the journey it takes you through will leave your heart wrenching each step of the way. It was a mandatory read for my college literature class, but I feel everyone should experience this book at least once.

This was a very cute telling of Art Spiegelman's father telling about his memories of World War II. It is a book you can get immersed in and read quickly. The comic strips that tell the story really help add to the book, I would recommend to read this to anyone wanting to read about the Holocaust- as well as the book 'Night'.

This was required reading in a college class. I though oh no, yet another holocaust book and a comic version at that! The approach was fresh and compelling. No matter how much you think you know about the holocaust this book set will provide new insights and somehow renders a depressing subject into a hard to put down reading experience. +

Art’s relationship with his father suffered due to his father’s experiences in the camps. After reading what he went through, I can see how he would act the way he did. Highly recommended.

The art in this book is just simply amazing. The ink in the full copy is a little darker than the copies that are divided into two, so you miss a few small details but other than that it was simply fantastic!

I do love books and graphic novels a lot, but if it wasn't for my English class i would have never thought to read this book. Mostly because its about WW2 and the holocaust and Blah blah blah, didn't care. But cause i had to read it, I automatically changed my mind about it. Its a really good story, the art is creative, I mean the Jewish are mice and the Germans are cats and the Polish are pigs! I was amazed by the story, because once you pick it up, you don't want to set it down. Its Very amazing, I really recommend this book to anyone. And I'm supper glad that I bought it. :)

I have wanted this book for a long time and it does not disappoint. It is heartbreakingly funny and poignant and so well written and illustrated. The author/artist is so very talented. I would call it a true "modern masterpiece" if that weren't such a cliche phrase.

This is a really amazing story. It tells the horrific memories of a holocaust survivor. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone interested in WWII. Whenever the son visits the father, the father tells pieces of the story and the son writes down and records them to make this book. In between these memories, his present story is also told. Even though the guy was clearly a difficult man to be around, i felt that his son (the author) treated him like a jerk. Refusing to help him with menial tasks and not caring about his troubles with his current wife. And refusing to take his father in when he was sick. I got the impression that he only wanted to get his story so he could make money off this book. I thought that was a bit cold but the holocaust story itself is worth 5 stars. Both books are needed to get the whole story. The first book ends right when things start to get really bad. The result is one of the best graphic novels ever.

Great anniversary edition and I have always loved this graphic comic from when it first came out in the early 90's as a 'morbid teen' to now as an adult...lovely art, factual account, and pulls at my heart strings...

I love this book. I read it as a kid by accident. I bought it for my 12 year old so he could learn about this dark time in history.

My daughter bought this book for her Composition class at school and enjoyed it.

its a book

My wife loves it.

Son wanted it for school.

Enjoy this book every time I read it

highly recommend

Never went in for the graphic novels, but this was really excellently done.

Pulitzer prize winning graphic novel. A must-read- the horrors of the Holocaust are presented in an entirely new and compelling way.

One of a few books my son will ready thank you

I read this book a while ago and it left such an impact on me that I had to buy it. It's amazing, even though it's a comic. I honestly hate comics, but this is written so well that I don't care. It is worth the money!

This is a great collection. I read this in college and enjoyed it and recently repurchased.

The best. I ran into a guy who used to teach this in his literature class. It's pretty amazing.

Couldn't stop reading....great work in any decade!!

Spiegelman really gets your attention the second you start reading. It's extremely creative and original. It's a biography of his father and the holocaust. What makes it better is that it's all factual! Really a good read. This was one of the comic books that moved graphic novels towards adults! A definite must-pick up!

A comic memoir, one of its kind. I am not Jew and felt very touched by this book. Hard to put down once you start reading it. I read it twice in a few hours.

All was great

This story moved me, a lot. It was both harrowing and horrifying. I had known about the Holocaust, but never thought about it in human terms like this. At some times this story is funny. But mostly it is just honest. Old Vladek's personality was fleshed out so well that you could easily see him as a real person. I'm going to recommend that my kids read this. When they get old enough, of course. To me, thinking about the awful things that happened is life-changing in a way. I never want to forget what happened. And I want to learn more. Mr. Spiegelman - If you are reading this, thank you for writing your heartfelt story. It meant a lot to me to read it. It's one of the best things I've ever read. Thanks again. Best wishes to you.

This is a good book

MAUS is an amazing work Spiegelman tells the all-too-common story of the Holocaust, starting with the victims' complete disbelief that such a thing could happen, through the horrors, and on into the distance and guilt felt by the descendants of the survivors. Of course this seems like a far too serious subject for a graphic novel. However, somehow the author manages to convey the grief, the desire for life, and the horrors in a completely believable way. I highly recommend this to anyone who thinks that the subject is just too heavy to learn about. While MAUS is hardly a painless read, it's a good introduction to the complex issues involved in Holocaust survivors' lives and families.

This hardbound version does include both of the Maus volumes. A quality, well bound book, good quality paper, and excellent reproductions. Well worth the price for something that everyone in the family should read.

Along with Watchmen and The Dark Knight, this is a graphic novel that changed the medium and elevated into serious literature. The recounting of Vladek Spiegelman's time in Nazi occupied Poland to his son Art Spiegelman, the artist and writer of Maus. The initial story is broken up by segments of interaction between father and son and depicts a family that is engulfed by resentment and regret. A heartbreaking tale about surviving the holocaust and trying to survival after the fact. This deserve 5 stars not only for what it is, but for what it has accomplished. For the people with issues about the Poles being portrayed as pigs, personally, I do not feel the artist did it with negative intentions. The Poles were not painted in a negative light anymore than the other races in the novel. Yes, some Polish characters were malicious but so were some Jews in Maus. Anti-Semitism was present during the war not only with Poles and Germans, but also within the Jewish community and I think this book does a good job of illustrating that. Polish characters repeatedly helped not only Vladek Spiegelman,but other Jews as well during the Nazi occupation. Also, if you look at another anthropomorphic piece of literature, Animal Farm; Snowball was the most endearing character and was also a pig. I'm also sure some people that have an issue with this have not read Maus. Please pick up this landmark graphic novel, read it for yourself and you'll realize the stigma of this will disappear.

excellent, though depressing, graphic comic/novel

I loved this book and it's new spin on the holocaust. It allowed an in depth look on a realistic effect of the Holocaust on not only the first generation but the second as well. It keeps you hooked the whole time with the drawings but the depth can make it hard to follow at times

This is one of the most important books you must read about the Holocaust. It is two stories in one: the story of the experience of surviving the camps and the long-term effects of having survived. The Jews are mice, the Nazis are cats, the Poles are pigs, the Americans are dogs, the French are frogs. The relationships formed were essential to immediate survival but the trauma of that intensity made the future incredibly difficult for the Spiegelmans and their son. These graphic novels were written in smaller books many years apart and it's amazing to read them all together. The quality of the actual physical book is pleasing. The pages are thick so you don't see any overlapping images through the other pages. I've bought this book a few times. I keep giving it to people to read and they don't give it back so I have to buy it again.

This is a great graphic novel for anyone that enjoys biographies, or just comic books in general.

What can one say about the premeditated murder of a whole group of people? The world has experienced several "holocausts" in its history, and every nation is guilty of the same thing, in one way or another. Spiegelman's tale is a stark reminder of the evil that exists and, just as powerfully, of the will to survive and find meaning that also exists.

Every student should read this graphic novel.

love this book

Having studied and read many books on the Holocaust I think that Maus is unique and it is a book that anyone who wishes to learn about this appalling period in twentieth century history should read. It is the story of Vladek Spiegelman's experiences in Nazi occupied Poland as told to his son Art who is an illustrator. What makes mouse stand out for me is the fact that it shows not only the after effects of the Holocaust on the survivors but also on their families born after the event. It is a brilliant insight into how people lived and survived this time in history and also how different survivors coped with it in different ways after the war's end. Mr Spieglman has dealt with what is without doubt the most heinous crime against humanity ever in a way that does it great service, the fact that he uses graphic art to tell his story actually enhances what he has to say, it is a book that you will return to again and again if only to ask yourself, "How was such a thing possible?". Do not hesitate, if you have not read Maus then now is the time to purchase a copy, I highly recommend it.

I loved everything about it, I was looking forward to have it.

Great product!

Though in black and white and far from the splashy way many comic books are now, I highly recommend this book as a seminal classic in the world of graphic novels. Had to read it for a course and enjoyed it thoroughly. A shining example of how books that sometimes seem simple are actually pretty complex and deep.

Classic graphic novel. Even better in hardback with both volumes.

Gorgeous and good quality book, an incredible read. Great for anyone interested in learning more about the Holocaust. An incredible graphic novel

This was purchased as a gift request, and recipient was very pleased.

Really interesting. Well done. That's all I have to say.

A masterpiece

Met my expectations

I really liked this comic, I learned all sorts of things I had never known or considered about the Holocaust, or WWII. Though the animal heads dim the impact of the events, I think they are absolutely necessary to get through some of the gruesomest parts.

Underrated, should be a literary classic

Art Spielgelman's piece about his father's experience during the Holocaust and his own experience dealing with his father is a masterful work about such a terrible period in history.

My bf LOVED receiving this. Came in great condition!

Amazing, moving tale of persecution, survival and redemption. The illustrations though simple and unpolished conmunicated the story incredibly well.

Excelente

A harrowing tale of survival, Art Spiegelman's Maus is as haunting and clever at critics have claimed for decades. The art is charming and realistic for the Jewish people are mice and the Germans are cats. It's a clever metaphor that will draw you in deep. I found Spiegelman's own conversations with his father to be the most engaging parts as he must struggle to accept his father for the man he is in all his charms and faults. Maus is sad, terrifying, historic, and charming all the way home.

This comic book/graphic novel telling of the holocaust is a must read. The story is not only a holocaust survival story, but a story of survival involving a father and son's relationship and the means to understand the dynamics between generations. It's not an "easy" book to read, and could quite possibly be one of the most honest pieces of writing ever bound.

thought-provoking

I typically am not a fan of the graphic novel genre; however, Maus is anything but traditional. This book is amazing in every way possible. Whether you are in it for the father/son storyline, the Holocaust storyline, or the entrancing artwork, you will find something in this book that speaks to you. Every time I read it, I notice something new that I didn't see before or make some new connection. This is definitely a book I'm proud to have in my library.

Item as described. My son loves the book!