talking about one of my favorite books 📚

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:20]Hi guys, Julie here. Today I'm going to be talking about one of my all-time favorite books on this planet Earth. And honestly, this video is to convince that one person who hasn't read it or that one person who's thought about reading it and is on the fence just to convince them to read it because this completely shifted everything inside of me when I had first read it. And to this day, when I reread it, I still get those same emotions and feelings that I did when I had first read it. And I think that's so rare for me in a book. and incredible, amazing, impactful, educational, informative. It's all the things and it's more. Honestly, I can't give this book enough praise. It's going to be Mouse by Art Spiegelman.

[00:01:22]This is a story of Art Spiegelman's parents and their experience in the Holocaust. It was released in 1986 and it tells their story. It's an allegory that has the Jewish people depicted as mice as well as the German people as cats and the Polish people as pigs. And just because the artwork has these animals, we're very much aware that these are human atrocities that did take place and this is our history. And it's so heartbreaking to read because it's it's it's history. It's also told to us in a frame narrative. So, we actually do see Art Spiegelman's relationship with his father as he's gathering information to write this story.

[00:02:08]While Art Spiegelman does talk about how he does feel like he was able to access things, information from his father that his father had access to. So, he really did get a view a I don't want to say a full scope, but he got enough scope from what his father could remember.

[00:02:27]during the Holocaust. And yeah, it's it's incredibly heartbreaking. Unfortunately, his father did pass before the second part was released because this book is uh broken up into two parts. So, the first publication his father was around to see that and the second one, unfortunately, he wasn't. And I thought that was so sad to hear about because his father never got to read the completed uh like story of his experience, you know, that his son created. I don't want to say for him, but that his son created ship with Art and his father. We also see the guilt that Art Spiegelman has for not being a present enough son for his mother.

[00:03:11]And yeah, this book it's so impactful and I hear so many people always discussing so many things about it and I completely agree with all the praise that it gets because it just is something that has impacted me to want to find more stories that are similar to this. And yeah, it's it's everything. Uh yeah, the writing that Art Spiegelman has is so beautiful and everything that he poured into this um non-fiction book. Um it's incredible.

[00:03:49]I know it is referred to as a comic, but I think Art Spiegelman had beef with it referred to as a comic because New York Times had I believe said something along the lines of this epic story told in tiny pictures. And I think he thought that I I don't want to speak for him obviously, but um he felt offended or he felt some type of way. And as for a graphic novel, I know that's what the genre is, but for me, a novel implies that there are some parts in this that are fiction. And I just like calling it a creative nonfiction piece because it's his story, his parents' story, and it is essentially like their memoir. So, um, yeah, uh, it's the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and I believe it also won a couple of other awards. It's also this book that is constantly being challenged or banned, um, for some insane reasons that just don't make sense to me. It's also really ridiculous to have a book about history being banned. To me, that just seems really silly. And like, what are you so afraid of having something being read? Um, yeah. Um, incredible book, incredible story, uh, incredible author. I, yeah, I can't give it enough praise. I'm also um in the middle of reading MetaMouse and that's Art Spiegelman talking about how he created mouse and um I guess where he got his it's like a it's in an interview style so it's where he had pulled the information from like with his father and how sometimes his father had given him has given him stories that didn't really correlate to what he's read in history. So, he put it in there, but he made it be known that like I don't know.

[00:05:42]It's really It's really interesting to read because I wouldn't think about all this stuff that goes into interviewing a parent and getting their story and their words put out. Um, so yeah, I'm really having an interesting time reading that. I'm having a fantastic time reading it because of course, this is one of my all-time favorite books on this planet Earth as I have Did I mention that? I think I've mentioned that. So um yeah um if anybody has read this and has felt similar to emotions I have described uh please let me know because this is probably the only book on all my shelves that has made me that just like feels so a part of me if that makes sense because I love it that much. I care for it so deeply and I I I read it and I still get so heartbroken about everything that takes place in this story, but I I don't think I would have it any other way when reading this because it's just so it's something like I've never read before or have never seen before. And yeah, um yeah, that's going to be Mouse by Art Spiegelman. I I don't even think I could spoil it if I could. I mean, I I wouldn't want to try in case cuz the whole point of this video is to convince that one person to read this book. But, um, yeah, it it's just it's this incredible work that I think is always discussed, but I just wanted to go ahead and put it out there that I I can't give it enough praise. So, yeah.

[00:07:26]Um, that's going to be Mouse by Art Spiegelman.

[00:07:30]Yeah, if anybody has read this, please let me know your thoughts. And I'm always discovering new things about this uh work. So, um, yeah, you guys tell me things that I don't even know about like certain books I'm reading, and I'm always so fascinated to hear like your thoughts. So, please, please let me know. Um, yeah. Uh, uh, thank you guys for joining. I don't know why I felt the urge to like make this video and talk about mouse. I just did. Um, yeah. So, I hope you guys are having a good one and uh, see you.