Maus (Spiegleman) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Maus: A Survivor's Tale is a Holocaust memoir with a remarkable difference.… Mr. Spiegelman brings considerable humor to the telling of his story.… Maus is a comic book! Yes, a comic book complete with word balloons, speed lines, exclamations such as "sob," "wah," "whew" and "?!," and dozens of techniques for which I simply lack the terminology.… The style is eclectic, echoing everything from "Krazy Kat" to "Gasoline Alley." Naturally, the effect of treating such a subject this way is shocking at first. But with a speed that is almost embarrassing to confess, this reader was transported back to the experience of reading World War II comics such as "Blackhawk" or "Captain Marvel."… But the impact of what Mr. Spiegelman has done here is so complex and self-contradictory that it nearly defies analysis.
Christopher Lehmann Haupt - New York Times