Maus I : a survivor's tale : my father bleeds history

This is an amazing look at one of the darkest times in world history in a format that brings the story to a new level. Art Spiegelman tells the story of his father, a Holocaust survivor, in this graphic novel where the Jews are depicted as mice and the Nazis as, what else?, cats.

The cunning and guile that Spiegelman's father uses to get through his time in the camp is an intriguing story on its own. I wonder if I could have survived as he did. Probably not. Surprisingly, it was Spiegelman's business skills that were of the most use to him.

But that is not the only tale being told. The book transitions back and forth between the past and the present, which focuses on Spiegelman's rocky relationship with his father.

There is a reason that this book is often on college and high school reading lists. It is a breathtaking tale that brings history to a frightening reality.