Weave

I have heard that this one of her best, I am reading 'Vanishing Acts' at the moment, might take a break between the books x

I felt the same way too, it was a lovely but I thought they were a pair of characters.

Will do x

Yeah me too, any vacancies? I saw this book in Fopp, I might give it a try x

I could just see you there Amy... It is a huge responsibility, imagining living like that, this is a different subject entirely, but my granda's family survivied the Irish famine, and the legacy they left went right through the family, and it was a good one, looking after each other x

May I suggest 'Howl's moving castle' and 'Castle in the sky' by Dianna Wynne Jones x

I find it easier not to judge than to judge, but I still do it, I think the world would be a better place if people learned from their mistakes, I hear the term 'we should never let holocaust happen again' and I think, but it has happened, not to the extreme of the holocaust, when you think about the amount of genocide which is happening, it is scary. I am naive to believe that the world would be a better place if we all just get along, but there is always hope. I think 'Maus' in a small way does project hope, hope for Art, that he learns from his father.

Of course and it worries me, I am very much a big believer in free thought but if you are part of a dynamic, you can be dragged in. It is ok for me to say now in this day and age, I would not have put up with it, but I don't know how I would react, it is the same sort of arguement as 'if you are walking down the street and you see someone get beaten up, would you intervene?', I probably would but back then, maybe not, it was all about survival and I think doing the right thing was a luxury, that not a lot of people had. Sorry, I am rambling x

Thanks PP, you too. I often find it frustrating that some people can't change or won't change, I know what I am like myself, I learn from my mistakes, but I have to do them first to learn from them, I think there is a lesson in 'Maus', its all about human nature and what humans can do to each other because they choose to do it. 'Maus' is a book all about choice, the choice to help other people, the choice to learn from mistakes.

Great post PP, I understand what you mean about Vladek, I always try to see the best in everyone, which is a flaw, thinking about it, you are right, his reaction after so many years was unacceptable, considering he was living in a country where a large majority of the population are multi-racial (I hope that is the right word), you think he would have learned from past mistakes.

I'm glad you liked it slywaka1, it is such a lovely book x

It is interesting about Vladek, I think he is very much set in his ways and he has kept what he felt was relevant from his experiences (how he is with money, etc), then you hear him talking about the coloured man and you are really appalled, but maybe for Vladek this is acceptable because he suffered this as well. And thanks Amy, they are not brilliant answers, I just thought about them - alot

I am also finished 'The Testament of Gideon Mack' by James Robertson, its easy to read but it is quite a bizarre book, I get what he is all about?, about where he is going?, but my main worry is, do I care?

Hello everyone:D This is not my first time reading a graphic novel but I would not say I was a experienced graphic novel reader. I found it easy and difficult to read because I like to visualise characters, story, theme, etc. I really liked Art Spiegelman's style of writing, it portrayed the characters personalities well, showed a good insight, especially Art's mother, Anja, her state of mind specifically. The illustration was quite harsh, very dark, but it works well, it was a dark time. I especially like the part with Art going to see Pavel, his psychiatrist (who also survived Auschwitz) who takes in stray animals, in one picture, you see Art sitting with a framed photograph of a cat beside him, it says beside it, 'framed photo of pet cat, really!', it highlighted a lot of things for me, Pavel taking in stray animals seem poignant to the story, another reminder of the war for Pavel, maybe the strays represented all the lost souls from that time that could not be helped. I did not see the animalisation as controversial but I can see why it was, no one of any race wants to be shown in a negative way, I think in some way the animalisation of humans was the author's way of dehumanising the situation. I liked the character of Vladek, as young man and old man (slightly irritating granted), but you understood why he acts the way he does, he lost everything, his first born son, his businesses, then eventually his wife. I felt that he wanted to protect Art but the same time he was pushing Art away. I was also quite surprised that he was racist but at the same time I was thinking, would he automatically change his views because of his experience in the camp, does surviving something like that make you a better person? or a different person? had Vladek always been this way? I have only read a few holocaust books, 'Auschwitz, the final solution' was a factual book but was very cleverly written, you got to hear from various people which made interesting reading. I read 'The Diary of Anne Frank' when I was 14, and I could not believe that it had really happened to Anne and her family, I was naive to believe then that people were not capable of such things, but as you get older, you realise you are so wrong. As you know I read 'The Boy in Striped Pyjamas' which I felt was brilliant, I wish I could describe it better but out of the holocaust books I have read, 'Maus' is the best, Art Spiegelman takes his father's experiences and uses them in a simplistic way to tell his father's story and his own story.

I would not be surprised, it was not a great episode, it was good, but like your good self, mrstrecool, I wish they would stop bickering!

I am glad you enjoyed it Amy, I loved it too, it was very heartfelt, how did you feel at the end? x

I bought 'If nobody speaks of remarkable things' by Jon McGregor x

You are welcome So what did you think of this week's episode? I thought it was good, a bit weird though, heck it is Supernatural, thought Dean was on great form this week.

I bought 'Lisey's Story' but it is still sitting on my book shelf x

And tonight's (25th February 2007) episode is... Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things Dean and Sam assist Neil Levine, a heartbroken college kid who consoles his long-time crush after her breakup and then loses her in a car accident. Determined to have his feelings returned, Neil uses necromancy to bring her back from the dead. His efforts backfire when she returns as an angry and vengeful spirit, forcing the brothers to stop her before she kills her boyfriend and the girl he cheated on her with. A bit random, but I have to say that Neil Levine does not sound like a keeper, ladies and gentleman beware! And for all you UK fans out there... http://supernatural.itv.com/ There is a interview with Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) this week. And for you US fans out there... http://supernatural.warnerbros.com/

I bought this about 2 weeks ago and I still haven't started it. I have not read 'Shadow of the wind', I keep meaning to buy it, sorry Lovesreading.

Interesting review Bagpuss, I enjoyed reading it. I found 1984 quite slow at the start too but once it got going it was a great story, I always felt sorry for Winston.

I have re-read: Little Big Man by Thomas Berger The Shining by Stephen King The Dead Zone by Stephen King Firestarter by Stephen King Weaveworld by Clive Barker The Damnation Game by Clive Barker The Books of Blood by Clive Barker

I finished 'My Sister's Keeper' this evening and I enjoyed it a lot than 'Keeping Faith'. It was a great story, the characters were brilliant, I loved the way it was written, I was half-way through before realising that Kate had not say anything, then of course you realised that not only Anna but Kate is not being listened to. In a lot of ways, I think every member of the family were not being listened to either, as in they weren't listening to each other anymore, everything had been lost due to Kate's illness, so it was sad to read. The end was heartbreaking but I think it was an appropriate ending.

I finished 'My sister's keeper' by Jodi Picoult, its has to be one of the most saddest books I have read since 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'