Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

26 reviews

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

4.0

The type of book I don't think I can adequately review in a meaningful way. But here are some thoughts...

The intertwining of the survival story and the author's relationship with his father was well done and added levels to the emotion of the book. I think I would've preferred just the survival story, but I'd probably be wrong.

It's important that this book be read, especially by school age kids, I think. But it's best as a piece of the collage of education and not the entire education. i.e. I first read parts of Maus because parts were included in the back of the copy of Night by Elie Wiesel we were given as sophomores. Reading about the Holocaust from a variety of angles is the best way to absorb the tragedy and appreciate the horror.

Maus doesn't hold punches or soften edges. Terrible things happened and they were conveyed to the best of the author's ability and his father's memory. I think a crucial bit is when Spiegelman is talking with his therapist and his therapist says something along the lines of 'survival was random.' Maus shows that Vladek was incredibly lucky. Opportunities were presented that he was able to take advantage of. He had a terrible experience, and it's gutting to see how easily <i>worse</i> it was for others.

4 stars because it's well done and deserved its Pulitzer but I don't want to read it again.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Murder, Violence, War, Body horror, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Death, Antisemitism, Genocide, and Police brutality

atalea's review

dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, War, Violence, Slavery, Deportation, Antisemitism, Death, Xenophobia, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Hate crime

Moderate: Medical trauma, Grief, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Death of parent, Child abuse, Medical content, Child death, Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, and Excrement

Minor: Racism, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, and Stalking

notthatcosta's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

I have not read many graphic novels but this has convinced me that I ought to. It's difficult to truly comprehend how horrifying the Holocaust was, but Art Spiegelman is able to capture the visceral horror of his father's experience, albeit often delivered with the nonchalance of someone who had no choice but to cope.

The 'present day' flashes of Art and Vladek's relationship are both charming and grounding, allowing readers to view his father in totality and not just in the context of his experience in Auschwitz. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Abandonment, Murder, Racism, Suicide, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Religious bigotry, Slavery, War, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Ableism, Blood, Violence, Antisemitism, Hate crime, and Self harm

kemrick19's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Grief, Child death, Confinement, Genocide, War, Violence, Racism, Self harm, Hate crime, Mental illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Murder, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Death of parent

bi_n_large's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, Antisemitism, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Moderate: Suicide, Blood, and Racism

Minor: Sexual violence

chambre1055's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

How come for social animals, we can only recognise social evils when it hits us but never when it hurts others?
😞
🙏🏽

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Violence, Suicide, War, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Slavery, Torture, Body horror, Death of parent, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

teh_niarr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Murder, Child death, Antisemitism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, War, Violence, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Death, and Grief

beaingleby's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, War, Physical abuse, Genocide, Murder, Hate crime, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Confinement, Child death, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide

ninahuynh's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

3.5

Overall, interesting biography. I thought it was unique to use mice as the character avatar, and using other animals to depict the different nationalities. The story itself was slow to medium-paced, I would say, with pages filled with words. I understand that the author may have tried to depict the familial interactions as true to life as possible, but boy do I get annoyed by how Art treats his dad.

Also, the font of the text makes it difficult to discern some words throughout the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Hate crime, Death of parent, Suicide, Body horror, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, War, Antisemitism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Genocide, and Gun violence

kaimetcalfe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Suicide, Violence, War, Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt