Reviews: Persepolis I & II (10)

I have two children, boys aged 9 and 11. All three of us enjoyed reading Persepolis so much, we even watched the film. We have all re-read the book as Marjane educated us about life in Iran, and basically life in general.

Amazing read! Through the narration of the author's spirited, likeable and slightly mad younger self growing up in Iran, the reader learns so much about life there from an insider's perspective, without ever feeling even remotely lectured to. The illustrations are original and witty, and draw you into the world Marjane Satrapi vividly evokes. The characters of her family, friends and neighbours are very well portrayed and there are definitely more than a few laughs despite (because of?) the serious subject matter. If you know French, I really recommend getting the original, because the graphic novel format makes it very easy and motivating to read and the conversational style will be a nice change from textbooks and newspapers! If not, the English translation is very good and was supervised by Marjane Satrapi herself, whose English is good enough to make sure the sense has been captured exactly by the translator (a friend of hers, I think I remember reading).

Anyone looking for a first person insight into life in Iran - both before and after the revolution - would be well served by reading this entertaining 'graphic autobiography'. Dealing with one woman's voyage from childhood to early adulthood, the book tells the story of the development of modern Iran from a very personal perspective. At times funny, at others horrifying, this is both a good and a satisfying read.

Marjane Satrapi’s child’s-eye-view comic-strip memoir of growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution is both funny and heartbreaking. Marji is outspoken, fearless and rebellious in her account of being forced to wear a veil, the eight-year war with Iraq, her flee from Iran, her return and her struggle for belonging. An absorbing and memorable achievement.

I have always had a preconceived notion of what a graphic novel is and have never considered this medium as being ‘my thing’. This book proved me wrong!

Persepolis Part 1 is Satrapi’s story of growing up in Iran and leaving at the age of 14 to escape the restrictions of life as a woman in a strict, Muslim society as well as to escape the horrific war conditions. We follow her trying to find her way as a refugee in Austria; searching desperately for a sense of belonging. Part 2 is the story of her return to Iran and in the end, her final goodbye to her country. The artwork and the words are her own – a striking combination.

As I’ve said many times before, the books I read for this book club really open my eyes to the world I live in. Though I had a general awareness of Iran, what I didn’t have, was the background knowledge for any deeper level of understanding. This book taught me so much about Iran’s social and political history. In fact, the sheer amount of information that was conveyed in relatively few words, was incredible. Satrapi’s simple, stark and sometimes shocking, artwork, made me think in a way a text book could never do. It never ceases to amaze me how powerful art can be.

Satrapi doesn’t shy away from the big themes: country identity, political and religious indoctrination and manipulation; the highs of revolution counteracted by severe reactionism; political persecution, torture and murder; the repression of women ( including the role women themselves play in this); the fundamental need to stand up for what you believe in if you want change to happen; being torn between two cultures; the extent a person will go to in order to fit in; the power of fear; drug addiction…and so the list goes on. Absolutely amazing.

At so many points when reading this book, I found myself struggling to get my head around the sheer amount of violence and death that Satrapi and many others like her, experienced on a day to day basis. This is the kind of book that needs to be read in schools, for opening young peoples’ eyes to what is happening in the world – there is so much relevant, valuable discussion material.

I am very aware that this book expresses a very honest, personal experience; I know it cannot be seen as a voice for all. I fully intend on following up with other texts focusing on countries with similar social and political and religious issues. The next book on my list is: The Morning They Came for Us: Dispatches from Syria. By Janine Di Giovanni. Giovanni, was drawn to the stories of the ordinary people caught up in the conflict when she herself was in Syria and uses this book to tell their stories.

Persepolis is a must read! Marjane Satrapi describes with great simplicity, humour but also frankly the events that have characterised Iran in the second half of the 20th century but still have an effect on the Country today. This novel is also about people: people who submit to the law, people who fight against it, people who struggle to find themselves, people who stay true to their values, people who survive. It's about family and longing. Satrapi's story is special but not uncommon: in our own way we all can fit in this book.

So my foray into graphic novels is proving to be a HUGE success! I've read 6 now and each one is special in its uniqueness. The combination of words and pictures really brings the stories they are telling to life in a new way. I think one thing that has struck me so far is the range of topics tackled in those stories- I previously had a very narrow-minded view of graphic novels (think sci-fi/superheroes) and I am delighted to have been proved wrong especially by Persepolis.

Marjane was born in Iran in the late 60’s and Persepolis spans her life from child to adult. With such depth and skill she charts her growth and self-discoveries amongst the many changes happening in her beloved homeland. It's ultimately a memoir but I came away with my eyes opened and a new set of knowledge about an area of political and cultural history I (ashamedly) knew absolutely nothing about.

It’s heavy and broke my heart in places but Marjane’s style also allowed for moments of humour and reprieve which meant it was actually rather easy to read given the subject matter.

Overall a real gem of a book, different to what I would usually pick up but one that I am really pleased I read. I am also very tempted to watch the film now too (it is a cartoon using the same illustrations as the novel) and I very rarely say that about movie adaptions!

Here’s to more graphic novels and the stories they tell.

I knew very little about the Iranian revolution before reading this book. This true story takes you on the journey of a country and a family. I have never read a graphic novel before but enjoyed the format -don’t let it put you off if you are not normally a graphic novel reader.

A poignant perspective of the Islamic revolution from a young girl growing up amongst the conflict. 

The stories impart so much knowlege and perspective on the country of Iran and the history of this and past Conflicts. Offering the unique point of view of Satrapi, who's small witty rebellions give the story hope. The book is full of stark honesty and a generous insight into moments of real sadness, and horror which altogether makes the story one I'll never forget. For me this is an incredibly important book which I would recommend to readers wanting to learn more about this conflict.

I used to think that graphic novels and comics weren't for me as I've never been into superheroes or high action storylines. However, in recent years I have discovered a whole new world of graphic novels that focus more on character development than on plot. Persepolis definitely falls into the category of literary, character-focused graphic novels and is a wonderful introduction to this format for anyone who thinks that traditional comics are not for them.
Persepolis is the autobiography of Marjane Satrapi who takes us through her life growing up in Iran during a period of change and revolution. We learn that her grandfather was connected to the coup that changed Iran forever, giving her family a unique stake and insight into the future of Iran. While some have said they didn't particularly like Marjane in this book or struggled to connect with her, I found her to be a normal teenager struggling to deal with circumstances that anyone would have found difficult. Her freedoms are taken away suddenly and she finds herself displaced. After all, she herself has not changed and yet she is expected to conform to strict rules without question - I would have become a brat too.
The first part of the book when Marjane is a young child and the revolution is just getting underway is very interesting and those pages flew by. As Marjane gets older and discovers herself as a woman, the story takes a different turn. It's more about her coming of age than the changes taking place in Iran. When she returns to Iran as an adult, she finds it much changed and while her former friends appear to modernised on the outside, she discovers they are just as judgmental as the older generation and realises how much she has changed as a person.
I really enjoyed following Marjane's journey - my only gripe with the book was the abrupt ending. I read the last page and thought to myself 'Woah, is that it?' I know the book had to end at some point but I think the ending was a bit rushed and could have been executed better. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this book and am pleased that I read it.