Maus

 As odd as it may sound, if given the option to pick between reading a graphic novel or simply just a novel, I would choose the regular novel. I've always felt like comics are not for me. This is the exact mentality that kept me from reading Maus before. It's safe to say that I was wrong. One of the things about Maus that sets it apart from other comics is the necessity to pay close attention to the small details. As an artist myself, I seemed to notice things that I may not have caught had this been just a novel. I think a lot of the metaphors wouldn't have worked as well if it wasn't in a comic form also. For example, the animal metaphors as well as the masks wouldn't have made as much sense, as well as the few portions of the comic in which the metaphor was broken. Seeing the images added more than just reading about them and it makes it so much easier to draw parallels to real life. Some of the panels are based on real life images and the photographs embedded within the comic build ethos and remind the reader that all of this is real. I think it's a book that everyone should get the chance to read especially in this day and age. With the genocide going on in Gaza, many Holocaust survivors are begging people to intervene. It's scary how desensitized we are to all this unnecessary bloodshed, but I still have hope that one day there will be peace.