I really thought that in this point in my life I had learned all there was to know about the Holocaust. I've been to the museums, seen the movies, heard survivors speak, and studied the awful events in school. I didn't expect to gain a new sense of understanding from this survivors tale.

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History was a shocking, at times truly disturbing account of a family trying to survive day to day during the Holocaust. This is not a cut and dried tale, it is artfully told through a graphic novel.

I went into this novel wondering "why mice?". As you can see from the cover, the center of the swastika is a cat face. Art Spiegelman has used symbolism to portray a cat and mouse game. The jews are all mice, forever foraging for food and shelter, trying to outsmart the cats that want nothing more than to destroy them. The use of this idea in his artwork makes the novel that much more interesting.

I imagine that I could learn something new each time I read this book. There is so much depth, and raw descriptions of what occurred to the authors father and his family. It goes one step deeper in showing how it has affected their lives beyond their time struggling to survive the Holocaust.

A powerful and deeply affecting graphic novel that is an absolute must read.