The Complete Maus. Review by Sharon Myers.

The Complete Maus was an excellent and moving CD-ROM. It combines both books of Maus, two hours of the original audio interview between Art and Vladek Spiegelman (which were the basis for Maus, audio and video commentary by Art Spiegelman on the making of Maus, as well as, hundreds of sketches and family photos.

Both books of Maus document Art's father's experiences as a Jew in Poland during the Holocaust. At the same time, it explores Art's relationship with his father post WWII. The comic strip format for this documentary is unusual. The Nazis are portrayed as cats, the Jews are portrayed as mice, and the Poles are portrayed as pigs. However, the anthropomorphism is forgotten as you read about Vladek's experiences. The comic strip form does not make the reality any less powerful, but instead it makes it more accessible. Somehow the reality of what happened is "easier" to read and absorb in this form, although it is no less terrifying. The CD-ROM offers a comprehensive experience with the two books of Maus and all of the supplementary material included.

Educationally the CD-ROM offers much more than just reading the two books of Maus. A student can explore other facets of the work, from listening to excerpts of the original audio interviews between Art and his father to reading and viewing sketches that illustrate Art's creative process. In addition, the CD-ROM offers flexibility to a student who wants to go back and forth between the various components. The CD-ROM would be a good individual or small group activity. It would probably work best as an individual activity since the person using it could experience it at his or her own pace.

One of the underlying benefits of using CD-ROMs in the classroom is that the focus on individual student learning (read: student centered). CD-ROM activities can help foster independence, and control of one's own learning, since each student can delve in as deeply as he or she chooses. In addition, it teaches the students not only the content at hand but also computer literacy. The students will become familiar with certain aspects of using computers just by virtue of using them to review CD-ROMs. This may in turn stimulate more interest in various types of computer activities.

Back to introduction