Maus

Maus was intense. The battle between this man, his guilt, his father, and history is an epic and gut-wrenching tale. The Holocaust rarely seems so real and poignant as when you get to experience it, albeit it from another man's eyes. The betrayal and vileness of the people in the books is sickening, and though there was kindness, it sad and painful to think about how the human race is so quick to hate. Vladek himself is a strange character. Being so saddened about the history he survived and yet still so caught up in it. A racist, a penny-pincher, but also, so ready to do what he needed for his family.

The writer in the book is just as much a bi-polar character as his father. He forces his father to relive these tales of the war, yet is harsh, belittling, and even aggressive towards his father. He may have become like this from years of interacting with the man, but it still was strange to see. Mala was perhaps the most conflicted character of the modern day. She seemed like such a nice person whenever Artie was speaking with her, but at some point, it really did become all about the money, and then she had a heart and moved back in with Vladek.

Of all the main characters of the story, Anja was perhaps the most flat character, which was strange, given her importance to the writer and to the father. She was a beacon of hope but really, had little to describe herself. The change from memory to modern day and the second person narration gives a buffer for the horrors of Vladek's memories, and makes them perceivable from a more objective view, allowing you to understand and view the horrors, without having to immerse yourself in them.

I think I'd have to say that I both loved and hated to read Maus. It was a powerful experience, reveling in the grit of humanities history, and the effect it has had, but also dealing with the healing power of love and forgiveness.