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A review by sirah
The Photographer of Mauthausen by Salva Rubio, Pedro Columbo
4.0
The first time I heard the term "graphic novel" I was worried that such novels included graphic violence. To date, this is the only graphic novel I have read that contains actual graphic violence. It just goes to show that first impressions aren't everything.
Nazi concentration camps have been the subject of a lot of documentaries, whether in film, nonfiction book, or in another medium. This one toes the line between being historic fiction and documentary, but I'm not sure which side it falls on. Naturally, due to the subject matter (namely Nazi death camps), some of the material is rather disturbing. The illustrator doesn't hesitate to create graphic renderings of the violence and cruelty that occurred in this camp, frequently referencing actual photos taken at the time (and which presumably had something to do with the inspiration for this book). Primarily because of this, the novel is sometimes brutally honest and hard to stomach. The main character himself, however, justifies this in the end, saying that if no one knows and the survivors aren't believed, then history is destined to repeat; a hard truth that has played out too many times in the decades since the Nazi war camp liberation.
Sirah, did you like this book? What a foolish question; how can one say that one enjoyed reading a book about cruelty, injustice and pain? However, this book skillfully works with the abominations that occurred in order to weave an inescapable picture of what should have been done and what still needs to be done to protect human rights everywhere. It was especially meaningful to me as a photographer to see that photographs really can make a difference if people have the eyes to see them for what they really are. I can't say I'll be recommending this book to my elementary students since it contains so much mature content, but I think this is a story worth being told.
Nazi concentration camps have been the subject of a lot of documentaries, whether in film, nonfiction book, or in another medium. This one toes the line between being historic fiction and documentary, but I'm not sure which side it falls on. Naturally, due to the subject matter (namely Nazi death camps), some of the material is rather disturbing. The illustrator doesn't hesitate to create graphic renderings of the violence and cruelty that occurred in this camp, frequently referencing actual photos taken at the time (and which presumably had something to do with the inspiration for this book). Primarily because of this, the novel is sometimes brutally honest and hard to stomach. The main character himself, however, justifies this in the end, saying that if no one knows and the survivors aren't believed, then history is destined to repeat; a hard truth that has played out too many times in the decades since the Nazi war camp liberation.
Sirah, did you like this book? What a foolish question; how can one say that one enjoyed reading a book about cruelty, injustice and pain? However, this book skillfully works with the abominations that occurred in order to weave an inescapable picture of what should have been done and what still needs to be done to protect human rights everywhere. It was especially meaningful to me as a photographer to see that photographs really can make a difference if people have the eyes to see them for what they really are. I can't say I'll be recommending this book to my elementary students since it contains so much mature content, but I think this is a story worth being told.