I’m always amazed to read lists of banned books and reasons for their banning. I’ve read many books before knowing they were banned. Oh, I’ve also read some books that were on the banned list just to see what the book (and fuss) was about. I’ve come away from reading some of those books thinking I liked the book, disliked the book, or just kind of shrugged my shoulders about the book. Regardless of the book, I still feel there is a need to have the diversity of books for people to make up their own minds.
I’m a fan of graphic novels. When I was younger, graphic novels were primarily compilations of the monthly superhero titles. But over time, graphic novels have expanded as a visual storytelling medium across many book genres.
One graphic novel that I’ve reread a few times is Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman. The novel captures Art interviewing his father about his experience as a Polish Jew and as a survivor of the World War 2 Holocaust. The novel takes a unique approach to storytelling by depicting the characters as animals. In 1992, Maus became the 1st graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. While the book has received much praise, Maus has also been the object of book banning efforts.
Maus captures the father’s biography as a reflection from the current day. The story blends an important part of world history with the son’s attempt to understand his father. The details of the father’s life are powerful. Maus does present adult experiences and mature themes that, in a way, can be intense for the reader. But I never found any of the story to be more graphical than movies that address World War 2 or the Holocaust. When I first read Maus, and when I reread the graphic novel, the book is just another compelling source that complements all sorts of material about history of that time period. And the graphic novel does this in a way that makes it easy for the reader to understand and follow.
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