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Persepolis #1-2
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.
Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.
Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.
153 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2003
2838 people are currently reading
155717 people want to read
About the author
Marjane Satrapi
31 books6,402 followersMarjane Satrapi (Persian: مرجان ساتراپی) is an Iranian-born French contemporary graphic novellist, illustrator, animated film director, and children's book author. Apart from her native tongue Persian, she speaks English, Swedish, German, French and Italian.
Satrapi grew up in Tehran in a family which was involved with communist and socialist movements in Iran prior to the Iranian Revolution. She attended the Lycée Français there and witnessed, as a child, the growing suppression of civil liberties and the everyday-life consequences of Iranian politics, including the fall of the Shah, the early regime of Ruhollah Khomeini, and the first years of the Iran-Iraq War. She experienced an Iraqi air raid and Scud missile attacks on Tehran. According to Persepolis, one Scud hit the house next to hers, killing her friend and entire family.
Satrapi's family are of distant Iranian Azeri ancestry and are descendants of Nasser al-Din Shah, Shah of Persia from 1848 until 1896. Satrapi said that "But you have to know the kings of the Qajar dynasty, they had hundreds of wives. They made thousands of kids. If you multiply these kids by generation you have, I don't know, 10-15,000 princes [and princesses]. There's nothing extremely special about that." She added that due to this detail, most Iranian families would be, in the words of Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian, "blue blooded."
In 1983, at the age of 14 Satrapi was sent to Vienna, Austria by her parents in order to flee the Iranian regime. There she attended the Lycée Français de Vienne. According to her autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis, she stayed in Vienna through her high school years, staying in friends' homes, but spent three months living on the streets. After an almost deadly bout of pneumonia, she returned to Iran. She studied Visual Communication, eventually obtaining a Master's Degree from Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
During this time, Satrapi went to numerous illegal parties hosted by her friends, where she met a man named Reza, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. She married him at the age of 21, but divorced roughly three years later. Satrapi then moved to Strasbourg, France.
Satrapi grew up in Tehran in a family which was involved with communist and socialist movements in Iran prior to the Iranian Revolution. She attended the Lycée Français there and witnessed, as a child, the growing suppression of civil liberties and the everyday-life consequences of Iranian politics, including the fall of the Shah, the early regime of Ruhollah Khomeini, and the first years of the Iran-Iraq War. She experienced an Iraqi air raid and Scud missile attacks on Tehran. According to Persepolis, one Scud hit the house next to hers, killing her friend and entire family.
Satrapi's family are of distant Iranian Azeri ancestry and are descendants of Nasser al-Din Shah, Shah of Persia from 1848 until 1896. Satrapi said that "But you have to know the kings of the Qajar dynasty, they had hundreds of wives. They made thousands of kids. If you multiply these kids by generation you have, I don't know, 10-15,000 princes [and princesses]. There's nothing extremely special about that." She added that due to this detail, most Iranian families would be, in the words of Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian, "blue blooded."
In 1983, at the age of 14 Satrapi was sent to Vienna, Austria by her parents in order to flee the Iranian regime. There she attended the Lycée Français de Vienne. According to her autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis, she stayed in Vienna through her high school years, staying in friends' homes, but spent three months living on the streets. After an almost deadly bout of pneumonia, she returned to Iran. She studied Visual Communication, eventually obtaining a Master's Degree from Islamic Azad University in Tehran.
During this time, Satrapi went to numerous illegal parties hosted by her friends, where she met a man named Reza, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. She married him at the age of 21, but divorced roughly three years later. Satrapi then moved to Strasbourg, France.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 13,296 reviews
November 8, 2015
I knew a little about Iran. Not much, but a little. I knew it had been through a lot of changes, and that most of those changes had been steps backward when it came to personal freedom.
Here's a cool little 1 minute video that gives you a visual look at some of the changes in style, if you're interested.
Alright. What I didn't know was the hows and whys. And to be honest, it never occurred to me to delve much deeper.
There was a revolution, some religious nutters took over, and then everyone started dressing like they were back in the stone ages.
People in my country choose to wear burkas, so I just assumed most of the people in Iran thought it was a good thing.
Now, maybe my original views sound sort of stupid, but in my defense, I honestly don't understand why anyone does anything when it comes to religion. So covering yourself head to toe doesn't sounds any weirder than not using birth control, avoiding certain foods, or refusing medical treatment. And don't get me started on that My Husband is the Head of the House shit...
My point is, if people willing do those things because of religious beliefs, why not clothing stuff?
Hello? Amish, much?
But really this story is about much more than just clothes. It's about the slow and methodical war waged on freedom of any kind in Iran, and it's told through the eyes of a woman who lived through it as a child.
Since she comes from a wealthy and educated household, you get a different perspective than maybe you would otherwise. Her parents are actively protesting the changes, while also trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in their home.
Growing up in a home like that made an impression on her, and you can see how she bucks and rebels as she approaches her teenage years. She wasn't raised to be quiet and docile, so she chafes under her country's regime.
My son and I read this one right around the same time, and he thought it was an incredibly enlightening story, as well.
Actually, he said something like this:
Hey, that was pretty cool. I didn't know any of that stuff happened in Iran.
High praise from the teenager!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the second part of this story, because...That Ending!
Here's a cool little 1 minute video that gives you a visual look at some of the changes in style, if you're interested.
Alright. What I didn't know was the hows and whys. And to be honest, it never occurred to me to delve much deeper.
There was a revolution, some religious nutters took over, and then everyone started dressing like they were back in the stone ages.
People in my country choose to wear burkas, so I just assumed most of the people in Iran thought it was a good thing.
Now, maybe my original views sound sort of stupid, but in my defense, I honestly don't understand why anyone does anything when it comes to religion. So covering yourself head to toe doesn't sounds any weirder than not using birth control, avoiding certain foods, or refusing medical treatment. And don't get me started on that My Husband is the Head of the House shit...
My point is, if people willing do those things because of religious beliefs, why not clothing stuff?
Hello? Amish, much?
But really this story is about much more than just clothes. It's about the slow and methodical war waged on freedom of any kind in Iran, and it's told through the eyes of a woman who lived through it as a child.
Since she comes from a wealthy and educated household, you get a different perspective than maybe you would otherwise. Her parents are actively protesting the changes, while also trying to maintain a sense of normalcy in their home.
Growing up in a home like that made an impression on her, and you can see how she bucks and rebels as she approaches her teenage years. She wasn't raised to be quiet and docile, so she chafes under her country's regime.
My son and I read this one right around the same time, and he thought it was an incredibly enlightening story, as well.
Actually, he said something like this:
Hey, that was pretty cool. I didn't know any of that stuff happened in Iran.
High praise from the teenager!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading the second part of this story, because...That Ending!
December 12, 2021
An epic tale of sociocultural evolutions, silent revolutions, and never losing hope and trust in progressive, new solutions although backlashes and setbacks are omnipresent and daunting.
Each country has its big, subtle, and socially critical work that is right in the face of the shoals, bigotry, and cognitive dissonances of an established form of government and this is one of the best ones from the lands of One Thousand and One Nights. As always in these cases, the authors´ risk everything by using creativity and art to point the finger at the abysses, malfunctions, and dark sides of systems.
Unique because of the special, cultural background
In other cases and countries, especially democratic Western ones, this would be an average coming of age novel, forced reading if it´s a possibly bad, patriotically idealized writer from this nation, free reading if it´s a really good one with the target audience and style necessities considered, and thereby not acceptable for boring school reading, but Persepolis is different. Rebellion, emancipation, and freedom aren´t just some quarrels with parents, teachers, and conservative uncles and aunts, this is all against the system so that the courage and risk of everyone daring to speak out can´t be compared with Western emo teenage dirtbag goth problems, where there is nothing at stake except possible future psychiatric couch time fun regarding why mummy and daddy didn´t love, understand, and support ones individuality and creativity enough. Compare that to torture prisons and dictatorships, to totalitarianism, and discrimination of all females, and one gets a picture of what first world teenage problems really mean.
POV and authenticity.
Just as the unique, cultural background, the female perspective in this, again, misogynist society makes it extra impressive, irritating, and bizarre, because backlashes come with a special taste of bitterness. Never having something is a different and maybe even worse thing than losing everything that was in range again. Difficult to say if a male, not discriminated author, could or would (have wanted) to write a similar work, or if he would have had the talent to create the same, authentic, emotional masterpiece, but subjectively I don´t think so, because there are (don´t lapidate me, no matter if Western do gooders or jihadists) natural differences in male and female writing, strongly based on interests, audience (show me all the female hard sci-i readers and writers and the male romance equivalents), and yes, of course too, epigenetic conditioning to conform to gender roles and stereotypes. That´s the potentially bad part with discrimination, gender wars, and political correctness gone ultra bonkers. But this would go a bit too far, so let´s expand and get hyper meta towards
Global, political, religious, and, most important, economic reasons.
I tried to read a bit about the geopolitical background, especially regarding resources such as oil
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-P...
the US and UK playing with manipulative coup god mode in world history, again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Ir...
the endless beef with Saudi Arabia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2...
, comparable to how different Christian faith´ battle until the end times about how the read holy books, the open or secret influence of other big players such as Russia, China, India, etc., but it´s far too complicated and controversial to get a clear picture and I simply haven´t enough background knowledge to give any competent comment or opinion. Although I assume that I´m not the only one, because to say that this is tricky would be an extreme understatement, especially including all the other US, Russian, Israeli, etc. war and proxy war "humanitarian interventions“ in the whole Middle East over the last decades. Now that´s a messed up constellation one shouldn´t touch with a ten foot pole.
Great transition, let´s faith enter the stage
As so often, it boils down to ideology, no matter if political, economic, or, in this case, religious, but instead of endless agnostic, atheistic, nihilistic, or whatever istic, or philosophical, ethical, sociological, etc. argumentation (and thereby endless debate full of logical fallacies, cognitive dissonance, bias, etc.), one should just compare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_...
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_...
Not much to add to that.
Except that I might now, again, be on some more watchlists and blacklists, and the number of countries I could safely visit without being considered a dissident demagogue reduced. Again. Good that I´m a homebody without any need to see the world.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
Each country has its big, subtle, and socially critical work that is right in the face of the shoals, bigotry, and cognitive dissonances of an established form of government and this is one of the best ones from the lands of One Thousand and One Nights. As always in these cases, the authors´ risk everything by using creativity and art to point the finger at the abysses, malfunctions, and dark sides of systems.
Unique because of the special, cultural background
In other cases and countries, especially democratic Western ones, this would be an average coming of age novel, forced reading if it´s a possibly bad, patriotically idealized writer from this nation, free reading if it´s a really good one with the target audience and style necessities considered, and thereby not acceptable for boring school reading, but Persepolis is different. Rebellion, emancipation, and freedom aren´t just some quarrels with parents, teachers, and conservative uncles and aunts, this is all against the system so that the courage and risk of everyone daring to speak out can´t be compared with Western emo teenage dirtbag goth problems, where there is nothing at stake except possible future psychiatric couch time fun regarding why mummy and daddy didn´t love, understand, and support ones individuality and creativity enough. Compare that to torture prisons and dictatorships, to totalitarianism, and discrimination of all females, and one gets a picture of what first world teenage problems really mean.
POV and authenticity.
Just as the unique, cultural background, the female perspective in this, again, misogynist society makes it extra impressive, irritating, and bizarre, because backlashes come with a special taste of bitterness. Never having something is a different and maybe even worse thing than losing everything that was in range again. Difficult to say if a male, not discriminated author, could or would (have wanted) to write a similar work, or if he would have had the talent to create the same, authentic, emotional masterpiece, but subjectively I don´t think so, because there are (don´t lapidate me, no matter if Western do gooders or jihadists) natural differences in male and female writing, strongly based on interests, audience (show me all the female hard sci-i readers and writers and the male romance equivalents), and yes, of course too, epigenetic conditioning to conform to gender roles and stereotypes. That´s the potentially bad part with discrimination, gender wars, and political correctness gone ultra bonkers. But this would go a bit too far, so let´s expand and get hyper meta towards
Global, political, religious, and, most important, economic reasons.
I tried to read a bit about the geopolitical background, especially regarding resources such as oil
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-P...
the US and UK playing with manipulative coup god mode in world history, again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Ir...
the endless beef with Saudi Arabia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2...
, comparable to how different Christian faith´ battle until the end times about how the read holy books, the open or secret influence of other big players such as Russia, China, India, etc., but it´s far too complicated and controversial to get a clear picture and I simply haven´t enough background knowledge to give any competent comment or opinion. Although I assume that I´m not the only one, because to say that this is tricky would be an extreme understatement, especially including all the other US, Russian, Israeli, etc. war and proxy war "humanitarian interventions“ in the whole Middle East over the last decades. Now that´s a messed up constellation one shouldn´t touch with a ten foot pole.
Great transition, let´s faith enter the stage
As so often, it boils down to ideology, no matter if political, economic, or, in this case, religious, but instead of endless agnostic, atheistic, nihilistic, or whatever istic, or philosophical, ethical, sociological, etc. argumentation (and thereby endless debate full of logical fallacies, cognitive dissonance, bias, etc.), one should just compare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_...
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_...
Not much to add to that.
Except that I might now, again, be on some more watchlists and blacklists, and the number of countries I could safely visit without being considered a dissident demagogue reduced. Again. Good that I´m a homebody without any need to see the world.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
June 5, 2020
Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It was an eye-opening, heartbreaking and thought provoking book— I had many thoughts and feelings while reading, so much so that I had to put it down multiple times to take a breather.
I was in a haze for a very long time after finishing it— and I kept questioning everything in my surroundings.
Here are some instances that made me put down the book and think for a while (they contain *spoilers*):
(Those final moments broke my heart.)
"He never got to see his son" resonated with me deeply.
The relationships between the families, especially between Marji and her mother, also hit home for me.
There was one instance in particular that stayed with me— when her mother was willing to sew posters into her own coat just to bring them back to her daughter without marks.
(It actually hurt when she thanked her father first.)
And the feelings of fear and terror and bravery Marji felt during the war were captured in such an honest way that I couldn't help but feel them with her.
The incredibly supportive women and men in Marji’s life were inspiring. They all held a significant part in her journey, and it just made me tear up towards the end, especially when Marji left for Vienna.
(I just... I keep looking at that last frame and tearing up.)
All in all, this graphic novel was a complete game-changer for me, and I seriously cannot believe it took me so long to pick up.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Persepolis, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
July 16, 2019
Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's autobiography in graphic novel form. The first volume covers her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution until she left to study high-school in Austria in order to get away from the war. What can I say, it was original, sometime funny, sometimes heartbreaking. One thing is certain, it won't leave you indifferent. Recommended.
June 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this.
Marjane Satrapi and I are the same age. But while I was playing baseball and going to the library and enjoying an otherwise uneventful life in suburban America in the 70s and early 80s, Marjane was – doing a lot of the same kid stuff in Tehran.
There was also a social and political revolution in Iran that caused cultural upheavals and made her childhood a sad, dangerous time.
But it’s the normality of her childhood memoirs juxtaposed with the political revolution that made this work so well.
Many of us recall the Islamic revolution as our TV sets showed bearded men, angry and burning flags, taking over the country and imprisoning American diplomats for months.
What Satrapi shows us is that her country was and is still made up of more than just angry bearded men. The black and white graphic novel also shows us scenes of children playing with the religious veils they were instructed to wear, and having fun with laws they neither understood or cared for, and meeting the calamitous events with humanity, and loyalty to family and even humor. The image I am left with is a girl, growing to be a young woman, who was not an extremist, but rather a survivor within a revolutionary nightmare.
The author does not sugarcoat the ugly realties that she and her family endured, and there is much sadness and even horror described here – friends and relatives died or had their lives torn apart by the revolution and the resulting Islamic extremist theocracy. What stands out, though, was Marjane’s steadfast refusal to change who she was in spite of the dangerous times she lived in.
This book also explains the complexity of the times. Too frequently media presents an overly simplified version of events, all too often a binary depiction of a complicated reality that does not adequately portray the nuances and complexities of a situation. Iran had a monarchy taken over by another form of monarchy, that was in need of reform. Marjane’s parents were Marxists who wanted a change but did not agree with the religious revolution they got and so were forced to learn to accept the harsh realities they faced with the oppressive religious regime.
Funny, heartwarming, disturbing, scary and thought provoking, this was a very pleasant surprise and an enjoyable book.
Marjane Satrapi and I are the same age. But while I was playing baseball and going to the library and enjoying an otherwise uneventful life in suburban America in the 70s and early 80s, Marjane was – doing a lot of the same kid stuff in Tehran.
There was also a social and political revolution in Iran that caused cultural upheavals and made her childhood a sad, dangerous time.
But it’s the normality of her childhood memoirs juxtaposed with the political revolution that made this work so well.
Many of us recall the Islamic revolution as our TV sets showed bearded men, angry and burning flags, taking over the country and imprisoning American diplomats for months.
What Satrapi shows us is that her country was and is still made up of more than just angry bearded men. The black and white graphic novel also shows us scenes of children playing with the religious veils they were instructed to wear, and having fun with laws they neither understood or cared for, and meeting the calamitous events with humanity, and loyalty to family and even humor. The image I am left with is a girl, growing to be a young woman, who was not an extremist, but rather a survivor within a revolutionary nightmare.
The author does not sugarcoat the ugly realties that she and her family endured, and there is much sadness and even horror described here – friends and relatives died or had their lives torn apart by the revolution and the resulting Islamic extremist theocracy. What stands out, though, was Marjane’s steadfast refusal to change who she was in spite of the dangerous times she lived in.
This book also explains the complexity of the times. Too frequently media presents an overly simplified version of events, all too often a binary depiction of a complicated reality that does not adequately portray the nuances and complexities of a situation. Iran had a monarchy taken over by another form of monarchy, that was in need of reform. Marjane’s parents were Marxists who wanted a change but did not agree with the religious revolution they got and so were forced to learn to accept the harsh realities they faced with the oppressive religious regime.
Funny, heartwarming, disturbing, scary and thought provoking, this was a very pleasant surprise and an enjoyable book.
July 29, 2007
They are among the rare books that I give a 5 which means:
a. they will come with me wherever I go
b. I will read them again and again until I remember every single sentence
c. I will not lend them to people :p.
Tita introduced me to these books. I have been very interested on Iran and was even contemplating to read the autobiography of Farah Pahlavi, the Empress of Iran. After repeated visits to the bookshop to flip the pages of this autobiography, I wasn't sure if I wanted to part with my money for the typical self-indulgent autobiography.
So Persepolis immediately caught my interest and I wasn't disappointed.
The books tell an honest and poignant story of a well-to-do family during the political turmoil in Iran from the perspective of the little and, in book II, adult Marjane Satrapi. The story is told thru' a stark black and white drawing. I marvel at her ability to present only relevant and interesting highlights of her life and Iran and meld them all to one solid, flowing story. They are sometimes tragic moments but told without self-pity. In between, there are generous doses of light, funny moments. I laugh and I cry reading this book.
One of the most powerful parts for me is when the parents, who love her so much, let her go to study in Austria. She talks about how horrible goodbyes are and how important it is not to look back after you say your goodbyes. You can be scarred with the image you see when looking back. How true...
I won't say more about these books. All I can suggest is read them. You won't regret it. They open mind to what hardship can be when freedom of self is not allowed. They are enganging. They are entertaining. They are sad. They are funny. They are everything I hope a book can be.
Thanks Tita.
a. they will come with me wherever I go
b. I will read them again and again until I remember every single sentence
c. I will not lend them to people :p.
Tita introduced me to these books. I have been very interested on Iran and was even contemplating to read the autobiography of Farah Pahlavi, the Empress of Iran. After repeated visits to the bookshop to flip the pages of this autobiography, I wasn't sure if I wanted to part with my money for the typical self-indulgent autobiography.
So Persepolis immediately caught my interest and I wasn't disappointed.
The books tell an honest and poignant story of a well-to-do family during the political turmoil in Iran from the perspective of the little and, in book II, adult Marjane Satrapi. The story is told thru' a stark black and white drawing. I marvel at her ability to present only relevant and interesting highlights of her life and Iran and meld them all to one solid, flowing story. They are sometimes tragic moments but told without self-pity. In between, there are generous doses of light, funny moments. I laugh and I cry reading this book.
One of the most powerful parts for me is when the parents, who love her so much, let her go to study in Austria. She talks about how horrible goodbyes are and how important it is not to look back after you say your goodbyes. You can be scarred with the image you see when looking back. How true...
I won't say more about these books. All I can suggest is read them. You won't regret it. They open mind to what hardship can be when freedom of self is not allowed. They are enganging. They are entertaining. They are sad. They are funny. They are everything I hope a book can be.
Thanks Tita.
August 7, 2018
The little red book cover to “Persepolis”, has been sketched in my mind for years...as clearly as a mental visual of the ‘Jack-in-the-box’ logo. ( I don’t eat there - but it’s pretty hard to not have an immediate visual memory of what their basic logo looks like).
I’ve no excuse for not reading this sooner. I don’t even have a resistance to worthy graphic memoirs. So - no excuse here! I never saw the film either.
I don’t think I need to share specifics about Marjane Satrapi’s autobiography in its artistic form....during the Islamic revolution when the Shah fled Iran in 1979 to escape. There are ‘thousands’ of reviews...
But I do have two things to share:
One is a personal experience. The other is a detail in this book I was curious about that sent me to google.
I was in Iran in 1974... “the good days” my local Iranian friends tell me. I actually ran into some trouble -( not an all out revolution), but it didn’t ‘feel’ good at the time in Tehran, - a couple of trouble incidents- but I often think about how lucky I was that I missed a bloody nightmare by 5 years. When I returned home and saw “Midnight Express”... I cant tell you how physically sick the movie made me. I was in a ‘close call’
situation in Iran, that could have landed me in one of those prisons ‘just’ by being with a guy who had drugs in his ‘pocket’ while crossing borders ( ‘while’ being searched). He quickly popped them in his mouth and swallowed them all. Being with him for the next 24 hours was another story!!!
The other - thing that interested me in this book ...
BESIDES ....the authors outstanding book achievement and her courage as a child....
is she mentioned an author she was obsessed with when she was 8 years old:
“Ali Ashraf Darvishian”. I had not heard of him. He was an Iranian story writer and Scholar. He also taught in poverty stricken villages. He studied Persian literature.
It looks like his books are out of print ( at least in America)... but he was an inspiring man who just died last year.
‘This’ book was first published in 2003.
The artwork is amazing —
The story more so!!! 📕
I’ve no excuse for not reading this sooner. I don’t even have a resistance to worthy graphic memoirs. So - no excuse here! I never saw the film either.
I don’t think I need to share specifics about Marjane Satrapi’s autobiography in its artistic form....during the Islamic revolution when the Shah fled Iran in 1979 to escape. There are ‘thousands’ of reviews...
But I do have two things to share:
One is a personal experience. The other is a detail in this book I was curious about that sent me to google.
I was in Iran in 1974... “the good days” my local Iranian friends tell me. I actually ran into some trouble -( not an all out revolution), but it didn’t ‘feel’ good at the time in Tehran, - a couple of trouble incidents- but I often think about how lucky I was that I missed a bloody nightmare by 5 years. When I returned home and saw “Midnight Express”... I cant tell you how physically sick the movie made me. I was in a ‘close call’
situation in Iran, that could have landed me in one of those prisons ‘just’ by being with a guy who had drugs in his ‘pocket’ while crossing borders ( ‘while’ being searched). He quickly popped them in his mouth and swallowed them all. Being with him for the next 24 hours was another story!!!
The other - thing that interested me in this book ...
BESIDES ....the authors outstanding book achievement and her courage as a child....
is she mentioned an author she was obsessed with when she was 8 years old:
“Ali Ashraf Darvishian”. I had not heard of him. He was an Iranian story writer and Scholar. He also taught in poverty stricken villages. He studied Persian literature.
It looks like his books are out of print ( at least in America)... but he was an inspiring man who just died last year.
‘This’ book was first published in 2003.
The artwork is amazing —
The story more so!!! 📕
September 7, 2025
Persepolis was a great city of the ancient world – a vital center of the Achaemenid Empire between 550 and 330 B.C. – and its Persian ruins can be seen today in contemporary Iran. And when Marjane Satrapi titled her 2000 graphic novel Persepolis, she seems to have been giving a nod to the greatness of her country’s past, even as she denounces the cruelties and horrors of its more recent present.
Satrapi, born in 1969, was 10 years old when the Iranian Revolution took place, and therefore she conveys the events set forth in Persepolis with a perspective similar to that of Harper Lee's narrator, Scout, in To Kill a Mockingbird (1960): an adult’s experience-based look back at a child’s movement from a state of naïveté to a state of awareness. No doubt it is with this emphasis in mind that Persepolis is subtitled The Story of a Childhood.
The early part of Persepolis sets forth the cruelty of pre-revolutionary Iran, where the Shah Reza Pahlavi maintained his control of absolute power through his feared SAVAK secret police. Young Marjane learns that her beloved grandfather was a prisoner of the shah’s regime – “Prison had destroyed his health. He had rheumatism. All his life he was in pain” (p. 25) – and it against that historical background that broad-based opposition to the regime begins.
Someone reading Persepolis for the first time may be surprised to learn that the revolutionary opposition to the Shah’s regime included not only Islamists but also well-educated socialists like Marjane’s parents. These socialist "allies" of the Islamists eventually find, to their sorrow, that the Islamists have long harboured a detailed plan for seizing full power, locking out the socialists, quashing any moves toward democracy, and implementing a regime every bit as cruel and oppressive as that of the Shah. For the Islamists, it turns out, the socialists were what V.I. Lenin, in revolutionary Russia, referred to as полезные идиоты -- poleznyye idioty, or "useful idiots."
The graphic-novel format of Persepolis is central to the book’s success; the relatively simple, thick lines of many of the illustrations give them a childlike quality, and reinforce the idea that these dramatic moments from Iranian history are being presented from a child’s perspective. When, for instance, the family receives a post-revolutionary visit from two friends, a husband and wife who have just been released from prison, the evening is given over to a recollection of the various tortures that the two ex-prisoners suffered and witnessed while in prison.
The tortures, because they are presented from the young Marjane’s perspective, and because they are depicted through childlike drawings, somehow take on a particular horror – more, perhaps, than if they were presented in “realistic” full color. Satrapi, looking back on how she learned of these atrocities, wryly remarks that “My parents were so shocked…that they forgot to spare me this experience” (p. 51).
The stark black-and-white illustrations emphasize the oppression involved in the Islamist government’s adoption of a policy compelling all Iranian women to wear the chador. As Satrapi chronicles, "morals police" roamed the streets of post-revolutionary Tehran, threatening with physical or sexual violence any woman who dared not to wear the veil. Once the work of the "morals police" is done, the women whose individuality once showed through in their clothing and hairstyle now are all made to look exactly alike – their blank, pale, carefully expressionless faces framed in a sea of black. Satrapi even archly points out how the “modern woman” of post-revolutionary Iran would “show [her] opposition to the regime by letting a few hairs show” (p. 75) under her chador.
The horrors of the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88 take center stage in the second half of the book – and we see devoutly religious Muslim characters start to question their faith, under a government that has ruthlessly exploited the Islamic religion for political purposes. A friend of Marjane’s mother, Mrs. Nasrine, describes how her 14-year-old son is being recruited as a soldier, offered a “key to paradise” to wear around his neck into battle, with promises “that in paradise, there will be plenty of food, women, and houses made of gold and diamonds” (p. 100). Mrs. Nasrine, anguished, says, “All my life, I’ve been faithful to the religion. If it’s come to this…well, I can’t believe in anything anymore…” (p. 99)
And a couple of pages later – because the graphic-novel format allows the artist to manipulate specifics like panel size for dramatic effect – Satrapi gives us a large panel that shows ten child soldiers, in silhouette, keys around their necks, being blown sky-high by an explosion. The caption sums up with laconic eloquence the cruel cynicism with which the Iranian revolutionary regime consigned children to a violent death: “The key to paradise was for poor people. Thousands of young kids, promised a better life, exploded on the minefields with keys around their necks. Mrs. Nasrine’s son managed to avoid that fate, but lots of other kids from his neighborhood didn’t” (p. 102).
Late in Persepolis, the reader learns that Marjane has a potential way out – a chance to leave Iran for Austria. Because she once went to summer camp in France, her parents posit that she will be prepared for life in the West – and they sense that this may be young Marjane’s last chance to get out from under the oppression of the Islamist regime. On the night before her departure from Tehran, young Marjane cuddles with her grandmother in bed; and the framing of the image – with grandmother and grand-daughter cuddled together in emotional warmth, against a backdrop of absolute blackness – reinforces how this is a brief moment of comfort in the face of an uncertain future. The grandmother’s advice to Marjane is eloquent and moving:
In life, you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than cruelty and vengeance…Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself. (p. 152)
On a note of mingled hope, sorrow, and apprehension, Marjane Satrapi leaves Iran for the last time.
In a 2002 afterword to Persepolis, Satrapi writes that since the 1979 revolution, “this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half my life in Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth. That is why writing Persepolis was so important to me. I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists.”
Composed in a spirit of mingled love and grief, Persepolis provides a powerful look back at a crucial time in history. Even more importantly, it tells the story of a brave little girl who sought a way to fight back against a regime that sought to deny her personhood – and found her way of fighting back, through artistic expression.
Satrapi, born in 1969, was 10 years old when the Iranian Revolution took place, and therefore she conveys the events set forth in Persepolis with a perspective similar to that of Harper Lee's narrator, Scout, in To Kill a Mockingbird (1960): an adult’s experience-based look back at a child’s movement from a state of naïveté to a state of awareness. No doubt it is with this emphasis in mind that Persepolis is subtitled The Story of a Childhood.
The early part of Persepolis sets forth the cruelty of pre-revolutionary Iran, where the Shah Reza Pahlavi maintained his control of absolute power through his feared SAVAK secret police. Young Marjane learns that her beloved grandfather was a prisoner of the shah’s regime – “Prison had destroyed his health. He had rheumatism. All his life he was in pain” (p. 25) – and it against that historical background that broad-based opposition to the regime begins.
Someone reading Persepolis for the first time may be surprised to learn that the revolutionary opposition to the Shah’s regime included not only Islamists but also well-educated socialists like Marjane’s parents. These socialist "allies" of the Islamists eventually find, to their sorrow, that the Islamists have long harboured a detailed plan for seizing full power, locking out the socialists, quashing any moves toward democracy, and implementing a regime every bit as cruel and oppressive as that of the Shah. For the Islamists, it turns out, the socialists were what V.I. Lenin, in revolutionary Russia, referred to as полезные идиоты -- poleznyye idioty, or "useful idiots."
The graphic-novel format of Persepolis is central to the book’s success; the relatively simple, thick lines of many of the illustrations give them a childlike quality, and reinforce the idea that these dramatic moments from Iranian history are being presented from a child’s perspective. When, for instance, the family receives a post-revolutionary visit from two friends, a husband and wife who have just been released from prison, the evening is given over to a recollection of the various tortures that the two ex-prisoners suffered and witnessed while in prison.
The tortures, because they are presented from the young Marjane’s perspective, and because they are depicted through childlike drawings, somehow take on a particular horror – more, perhaps, than if they were presented in “realistic” full color. Satrapi, looking back on how she learned of these atrocities, wryly remarks that “My parents were so shocked…that they forgot to spare me this experience” (p. 51).
The stark black-and-white illustrations emphasize the oppression involved in the Islamist government’s adoption of a policy compelling all Iranian women to wear the chador. As Satrapi chronicles, "morals police" roamed the streets of post-revolutionary Tehran, threatening with physical or sexual violence any woman who dared not to wear the veil. Once the work of the "morals police" is done, the women whose individuality once showed through in their clothing and hairstyle now are all made to look exactly alike – their blank, pale, carefully expressionless faces framed in a sea of black. Satrapi even archly points out how the “modern woman” of post-revolutionary Iran would “show [her] opposition to the regime by letting a few hairs show” (p. 75) under her chador.
The horrors of the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88 take center stage in the second half of the book – and we see devoutly religious Muslim characters start to question their faith, under a government that has ruthlessly exploited the Islamic religion for political purposes. A friend of Marjane’s mother, Mrs. Nasrine, describes how her 14-year-old son is being recruited as a soldier, offered a “key to paradise” to wear around his neck into battle, with promises “that in paradise, there will be plenty of food, women, and houses made of gold and diamonds” (p. 100). Mrs. Nasrine, anguished, says, “All my life, I’ve been faithful to the religion. If it’s come to this…well, I can’t believe in anything anymore…” (p. 99)
And a couple of pages later – because the graphic-novel format allows the artist to manipulate specifics like panel size for dramatic effect – Satrapi gives us a large panel that shows ten child soldiers, in silhouette, keys around their necks, being blown sky-high by an explosion. The caption sums up with laconic eloquence the cruel cynicism with which the Iranian revolutionary regime consigned children to a violent death: “The key to paradise was for poor people. Thousands of young kids, promised a better life, exploded on the minefields with keys around their necks. Mrs. Nasrine’s son managed to avoid that fate, but lots of other kids from his neighborhood didn’t” (p. 102).
Late in Persepolis, the reader learns that Marjane has a potential way out – a chance to leave Iran for Austria. Because she once went to summer camp in France, her parents posit that she will be prepared for life in the West – and they sense that this may be young Marjane’s last chance to get out from under the oppression of the Islamist regime. On the night before her departure from Tehran, young Marjane cuddles with her grandmother in bed; and the framing of the image – with grandmother and grand-daughter cuddled together in emotional warmth, against a backdrop of absolute blackness – reinforces how this is a brief moment of comfort in the face of an uncertain future. The grandmother’s advice to Marjane is eloquent and moving:
In life, you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than cruelty and vengeance…Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself. (p. 152)
On a note of mingled hope, sorrow, and apprehension, Marjane Satrapi leaves Iran for the last time.
In a 2002 afterword to Persepolis, Satrapi writes that since the 1979 revolution, “this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half my life in Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth. That is why writing Persepolis was so important to me. I believe that an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists.”
Composed in a spirit of mingled love and grief, Persepolis provides a powerful look back at a crucial time in history. Even more importantly, it tells the story of a brave little girl who sought a way to fight back against a regime that sought to deny her personhood – and found her way of fighting back, through artistic expression.
May 31, 2017
A story about a very sweet lovable rebellious young girl from Iran..
No, sorry..it's a story of a free family under tyrant rule..
A story of once great country,Kingdom that retreat 1000 years back.
Marjane has dreams..
Dreams of Good life, Good deed, equality, prospect, freedom.
Then came the revolution which call for all that. To down the coup tyrant government.
But alas, the revolution got its own coup, named after a way-better-than-this-religion..even more tyrant..
One thing I learned here..History has its means to keep repeating itself..Anywhere it wish
--------
The Story
In very simple comics, even childish, comes a very excellent heavy family life story, Country history, a very well done melodrama.
About coming of age that really touching.
I loved Marjane so much and her amazing parents.
It take place from 1979 to 1985, where the young girl witnessed all the depressive rules of the new “Islamic Government”
The good thing is the richness of her family both in money and culture...even their ancestors.
That makes a very helpful great insight into the history of Iran, and the major political turns. Most of these things I didn't know - or even if I read it once in text books I may never remember it as I will after reading this novel-
I loved her wanna be a prophet.. it's of course unspeakable in my religion but it comes in a childish nice way...that's okay since she wanted the good deeds as Zarathustra.
This first part is divided into 9,10 pages chapters, each with a title that may makes small appearance or bigger one but it has strong effect in the story. It's brilliant really I loved the naming of the chapters so much.
There was a good diversity of the characters' opinions and how the new government effects them, but I felt that adding a Jewish family into the story was just “inserted” for the purpose of showing diversity and how everyone been effected by the horrors of the war.. it really could have been presented better to not feel that “alien”.
I loved that nostalgic feel that everyone in the middle east must got with the passion about the western music and culture. And was hard to see how much trouble it get those who liked it in that time in Iran.
I really had teary eyes by the last scenes of book one, I really liked the parents so much, how much affection they gave Marjane that I believe what really saved her by the end.
I have to say I may have a minor refuse of some of the very liberal acts of the family, mostly for religious reasons.. yet Part one still very acceptable compared to part two which…
Well let that when it comes to talk about book two.
Mohammed Arabey
20 July 2016
No, sorry..it's a story of a free family under tyrant rule..
A story of once great country,Kingdom that retreat 1000 years back.
Marjane has dreams..
Dreams of Good life, Good deed, equality, prospect, freedom.
Then came the revolution which call for all that. To down the coup tyrant government.
But alas, the revolution got its own coup, named after a way-better-than-this-religion..even more tyrant..
Why - for me, as Egyptian- all this political events feels so familiar? Like having a Deja Vu?
One thing I learned here..History has its means to keep repeating itself..Anywhere it wish
Yeah, we felt so...25 Jan. 2011, 30 June 2013...and yet it was just for few day, And still it's from worse to worst..
--------
The Story
In very simple comics, even childish, comes a very excellent heavy family life story, Country history, a very well done melodrama.
About coming of age that really touching.
I loved Marjane so much and her amazing parents.
It take place from 1979 to 1985, where the young girl witnessed all the depressive rules of the new “Islamic Government”
The good thing is the richness of her family both in money and culture...even their ancestors.
That makes a very helpful great insight into the history of Iran, and the major political turns. Most of these things I didn't know - or even if I read it once in text books I may never remember it as I will after reading this novel-
I loved her wanna be a prophet.. it's of course unspeakable in my religion but it comes in a childish nice way...that's okay since she wanted the good deeds as Zarathustra.
This first part is divided into 9,10 pages chapters, each with a title that may makes small appearance or bigger one but it has strong effect in the story. It's brilliant really I loved the naming of the chapters so much.
There was a good diversity of the characters' opinions and how the new government effects them, but I felt that adding a Jewish family into the story was just “inserted” for the purpose of showing diversity and how everyone been effected by the horrors of the war.. it really could have been presented better to not feel that “alien”.
I loved that nostalgic feel that everyone in the middle east must got with the passion about the western music and culture. And was hard to see how much trouble it get those who liked it in that time in Iran.
I really had teary eyes by the last scenes of book one, I really liked the parents so much, how much affection they gave Marjane that I believe what really saved her by the end.
I have to say I may have a minor refuse of some of the very liberal acts of the family, mostly for religious reasons.. yet Part one still very acceptable compared to part two which…
Well let that when it comes to talk about book two.
Mohammed Arabey
20 July 2016
August 13, 2023
4.5 stars
I went into Persepolis with all the ignorance of an European girl born in the '90s. With all the ignorance of someone who sees war and conflict from afar, who is been used to being safe her whole life - because war just doesn't happen around here. Because we may send our soldiers to fight, but it's always somewhere else.
Things are changing. I don't feel that safe anymore. And in a time of fear and escalating paranoia, when people all around me murmur and whisper that they're all terrorists, they're all fundamentalists, they're all the same, blinded by ignorance and hatred, I feel the need to do something for my own ignorance. To educate myself on all the things I still don't know about the world.
I didn't know a lot about the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The history books I read at school and university do not seem to care about it very much; it's always about the West. Students barely have any idea of what the past was like in the rest of the world, because the general opinion is that they do not really care. The few things I knew about it were just from the news and the newspapers, a book here and there, a fleeting mention by my parents; but still, a very faraway reality. I am a fairly political person, if you can call it that, but I'm not trying to turn this into a political debate. Terrorism has always been real. Strangely enough, though, we hardly ever hear of all the people that are killed in the Middle East, because their lives seem somehow to be less important than ours. Because until something hurts us - the ones with the money, the power, the technology and the weapons - it remains invisible.
Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's autobiography, set in Iran in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The art style is simple, in black and white, almost childlike, and its simplicity manages to make the narrated events even more impactful. Satrapi tells the story of the Islamic Revolution with the innocent voice of a young girl and yet, it is immediately evident how easily her mind was influenced by the world around her - her school, her parents, the news, the things people told her. She did not know what to believe. Had the Shah truly been chosen by God? Did she really have to wear the hijab, if she didn't want to? Why did she have to go to an all-girls school? Why couldn't she wear tight jeans, or denim jackets, or go to parties?
My impression is that the Western world often wants us to think that it's us against them, the oh-so-civilized West against the Middle East, and to forget that the people who are not fundamentalists are, in fact, the vast majority. Satrapi doesn't try to make her childhood in Iran look better than it was, but she doesn't try to make Iranians look like pliant puppets either. They fight. They resist. Satrapi's parents are revolutionaries, and since childhood she experiences the fear of imprisonment and death, sees her classmates go to their fathers' funerals, the people around hear flee to Sweden, the United States, England. After a while, she starts to rebel, too. In the middle of Teheran, the fighter-bombers cross the sky and people are forced to hide because of the bombings, and still, Marjane speaks up at school, listens to Iron Maiden, and reads books she's not supposed to read. In her own way, just like her parents, she fights back too.
I can't recommend this graphic novel enough. It does not spare the reader the horrors of war, but it also shows things from the naive and yet extremely perceptive perspective of a child. It is not an history lesson - though it does give a lot of information about the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which I really appreciated - and it is both moving and educational.
(2016 read)
I went into Persepolis with all the ignorance of an European girl born in the '90s. With all the ignorance of someone who sees war and conflict from afar, who is been used to being safe her whole life - because war just doesn't happen around here. Because we may send our soldiers to fight, but it's always somewhere else.
Things are changing. I don't feel that safe anymore. And in a time of fear and escalating paranoia, when people all around me murmur and whisper that they're all terrorists, they're all fundamentalists, they're all the same, blinded by ignorance and hatred, I feel the need to do something for my own ignorance. To educate myself on all the things I still don't know about the world.
I didn't know a lot about the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The history books I read at school and university do not seem to care about it very much; it's always about the West. Students barely have any idea of what the past was like in the rest of the world, because the general opinion is that they do not really care. The few things I knew about it were just from the news and the newspapers, a book here and there, a fleeting mention by my parents; but still, a very faraway reality. I am a fairly political person, if you can call it that, but I'm not trying to turn this into a political debate. Terrorism has always been real. Strangely enough, though, we hardly ever hear of all the people that are killed in the Middle East, because their lives seem somehow to be less important than ours. Because until something hurts us - the ones with the money, the power, the technology and the weapons - it remains invisible.
Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's autobiography, set in Iran in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The art style is simple, in black and white, almost childlike, and its simplicity manages to make the narrated events even more impactful. Satrapi tells the story of the Islamic Revolution with the innocent voice of a young girl and yet, it is immediately evident how easily her mind was influenced by the world around her - her school, her parents, the news, the things people told her. She did not know what to believe. Had the Shah truly been chosen by God? Did she really have to wear the hijab, if she didn't want to? Why did she have to go to an all-girls school? Why couldn't she wear tight jeans, or denim jackets, or go to parties?
My impression is that the Western world often wants us to think that it's us against them, the oh-so-civilized West against the Middle East, and to forget that the people who are not fundamentalists are, in fact, the vast majority. Satrapi doesn't try to make her childhood in Iran look better than it was, but she doesn't try to make Iranians look like pliant puppets either. They fight. They resist. Satrapi's parents are revolutionaries, and since childhood she experiences the fear of imprisonment and death, sees her classmates go to their fathers' funerals, the people around hear flee to Sweden, the United States, England. After a while, she starts to rebel, too. In the middle of Teheran, the fighter-bombers cross the sky and people are forced to hide because of the bombings, and still, Marjane speaks up at school, listens to Iron Maiden, and reads books she's not supposed to read. In her own way, just like her parents, she fights back too.
I can't recommend this graphic novel enough. It does not spare the reader the horrors of war, but it also shows things from the naive and yet extremely perceptive perspective of a child. It is not an history lesson - though it does give a lot of information about the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which I really appreciated - and it is both moving and educational.
(2016 read)
January 11, 2010
"Persepolis" is a widely acclaimed memoir/graphic novel, it was rated highly by several of my fellow readers and therefore I've had my eye on it for a while. Sadly, now, after reading this book, I am a little underwhelmed by it.
As a graphic novel, it is a notable work. The cartoonish style of the drawing is superb, the subject matter is very current, the combination of tragedy and humor is clever.
However, as a political memoir, "Persepolis" lacks. I don't know exactly why, but I never got a grip on what Satrapi's personal views on the politics within her country are. In fact, I am not even sure if she really knows what what was happening in her country. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this memoir ends when the author is 14 (although writing it as an adult, she should be able to present her views clearly). Or maybe it is because Satrapi herself never personally experiences any hardship in this book. I find it very interesting that in times of turmoil, during the civil war for democracy, during the rise of religious fundamentalism, during the war with Iraq, Satrapi's family never seems to experience any discomfort. Quite the opposite, when people die and suffer, the writer's most hardship is to hide the liquor at a party (which they are not supposed to have), or to wear a headscarf, or to get an "Iron Maiden" poster through customs. This narration from a perspective of a person in power is a little disheartening and has a bit of a fake tone to it, as if the author doesn't know what is really happening in her country and writes about from her million dollar mansion while being served by one of her maids.
It's not a bad book, especially for younger readers who want to know a little bit about Iran and its current political events. It is presented in a very appealing, easy format. But for me personally this book appears to be too superficial to leave any kind of lasting impression. I will however read the second part of the memoir. Maybe it will have some more insight.
Reading challenge: #5 - 1 of 2.
As a graphic novel, it is a notable work. The cartoonish style of the drawing is superb, the subject matter is very current, the combination of tragedy and humor is clever.
However, as a political memoir, "Persepolis" lacks. I don't know exactly why, but I never got a grip on what Satrapi's personal views on the politics within her country are. In fact, I am not even sure if she really knows what what was happening in her country. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this memoir ends when the author is 14 (although writing it as an adult, she should be able to present her views clearly). Or maybe it is because Satrapi herself never personally experiences any hardship in this book. I find it very interesting that in times of turmoil, during the civil war for democracy, during the rise of religious fundamentalism, during the war with Iraq, Satrapi's family never seems to experience any discomfort. Quite the opposite, when people die and suffer, the writer's most hardship is to hide the liquor at a party (which they are not supposed to have), or to wear a headscarf, or to get an "Iron Maiden" poster through customs. This narration from a perspective of a person in power is a little disheartening and has a bit of a fake tone to it, as if the author doesn't know what is really happening in her country and writes about from her million dollar mansion while being served by one of her maids.
It's not a bad book, especially for younger readers who want to know a little bit about Iran and its current political events. It is presented in a very appealing, easy format. But for me personally this book appears to be too superficial to leave any kind of lasting impression. I will however read the second part of the memoir. Maybe it will have some more insight.
Reading challenge: #5 - 1 of 2.
October 2, 2015
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Of all the banned books I’ve read over the years, THIS one might be the one that I really can’t figure out a reason for banning. There have been some selections that my children aren’t quite old enough to read or fully understand, but they are still tiny humans. In a couple of years I’ll gladly let them peruse my bookshelves and read whatever all of the nutters tell them not to. It was thinking of those nutters that left me shaking my head at the choice of banning Persepolis. I mean, there’s no sex, no drugs, no foul language – it’s simply a memoir of a girl who lived through the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Generally when the whackjobs take a break from their cultlike book burnings they are all about sharing anything that points out how horrible the Middle East is. I guess at some point they just decided to go all Oprah with respect to book bans . . . .
*shrug*
I, for one, am absolutely delighted that Banned Books Week led me to discover Persepolis. What a brilliant (and so very important) little book. Marjane Satrapi was able to detail the history of the Revolution and its lasting effects on not only her family but Iran as a whole with humor . . .
a lot of humor . . .
and compassion . . .
and the heartbreak of a nation combined with the reality of her own life . . .
It showed that no matter what might be broadcast on the evening news that people are people and even those of us who are separated by half a world have more similarities than differences. It also tackled how important it is to talk to your children about big issues . . .
and to open their mind even further by using the thing the banners continue to try (but fail) to take away . . . .
My friend Matthew was the first to express his love for Persepolis when he saw it on my “Currently Reading” list and he unleashed his rebellious side and read a banned book this week too. I hope my kids are half as awesome as he is when they grow up. And to any other “kids” out there reading this – just say damn the man . . .
Of all the banned books I’ve read over the years, THIS one might be the one that I really can’t figure out a reason for banning. There have been some selections that my children aren’t quite old enough to read or fully understand, but they are still tiny humans. In a couple of years I’ll gladly let them peruse my bookshelves and read whatever all of the nutters tell them not to. It was thinking of those nutters that left me shaking my head at the choice of banning Persepolis. I mean, there’s no sex, no drugs, no foul language – it’s simply a memoir of a girl who lived through the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Generally when the whackjobs take a break from their cultlike book burnings they are all about sharing anything that points out how horrible the Middle East is. I guess at some point they just decided to go all Oprah with respect to book bans . . . .
*shrug*
I, for one, am absolutely delighted that Banned Books Week led me to discover Persepolis. What a brilliant (and so very important) little book. Marjane Satrapi was able to detail the history of the Revolution and its lasting effects on not only her family but Iran as a whole with humor . . .
a lot of humor . . .
and compassion . . .
and the heartbreak of a nation combined with the reality of her own life . . .
It showed that no matter what might be broadcast on the evening news that people are people and even those of us who are separated by half a world have more similarities than differences. It also tackled how important it is to talk to your children about big issues . . .
and to open their mind even further by using the thing the banners continue to try (but fail) to take away . . . .
My friend Matthew was the first to express his love for Persepolis when he saw it on my “Currently Reading” list and he unleashed his rebellious side and read a banned book this week too. I hope my kids are half as awesome as he is when they grow up. And to any other “kids” out there reading this – just say damn the man . . .
October 7, 2020
A very bleak black & white tale of life in wartime Iran. Marjane's illustrations are dreary reminders that what you experienced in childhood will shape you forever--her story is one that is too damn real to possibly ignore. An extraordinary feat in the shape of lovable 2-D comics.
July 18, 2015
“In life you'll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it's because they're stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance... Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.” – Advice to Marjane’s from her grandmother.
‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’, the first volume, is the intimate memoir of a spirited young girl who had to grow up in the chaos of a society under a stiffly ruled regime which was going through phases of unrest in the form of oppression, revolution, horrors of war and religious rigidity. ‘Marjane Satrapi’ was born in 1969, in Rasht, Iran and the country was going through a momentous political transition during that time. Through bold and contrasting black and white inking and simple artwork the artist opens a window through which the reader can witness the daily life, it’s emotions, the history and terror from those days leading to and following the Islamic revolution as seen through Marjane’s own eyes.
‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’ brings some of the key moments of Iran’s history during the 70s and 80s – like the oust of Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution and subsequent morphing of the society towards orthodoxy through banning of secular education and imposing the veil, the devastating effects of war with Iraq, it's refugee situations – all beautifully intertwined with the personal moments from Marjane’s family with strong humor which makes the narrative more special for the reader.
Marjane was born into a well-to-do family and her parents were quite liberal in their outlook and this makes Marjene who is intelligent and outspoken as a child to have her own opinions and views on everything that is happening around her. At times her outspoken character and passion for freedom lands her in trouble at school and even with authorities. Being born into a well-to-do atmosphere helps her in bringing out the sharp contrast in her family’s life and the general life of the outside public in a vividness, a contrast which is contributed by the clever use of the black and white frames. Though each frame Marjane try to find an explanation and solution for the madness happening around her.
Some of the visuals – like those which show her having imaginary conversations with god about matters around her when she is nine; conversations with her uncle who was imprisoned in U.S.S.R; the way she shows her anger at God asking him to ‘get out’ from her room on the night of hearing her uncles death; her visual interpretation of the state fed recruitment campaign of ‘to die a martyr, is to inject blood into the veins of society’; she furtively smoking a cigarette in protest against the ‘dictatorship’ of her mother and then self declaring ‘with the first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye’; she glimpsing the horrors of war through victims of chemical warfare at a hospital facility - are quite powerful in their depiction.
In the scene where Marjane comes across the body of her friend from the neighborhood among the rubbles after a missile attack there is a single frame of illustration, which can be seen as one of the most brilliant uses of the visual format of storytelling. When she covers her face in horror with her hand, the total numbness and pain that Marjane feels over her friend’s death can be experienced in next cartoon panel, which is totally blank and black with a small subtext, “No scream in the world could have relieved my suffering & anger”.
This cleverness and creativity of the author as an illustrator can be further seen in the depictions of the young Marjane herself. The various emotions – surprise, anger, frustration, confusion, helplessness, terror - that the artist capture on the face of young Marji gives the character a soul which can make her feel like a long known friend for the reader. The narrative of the first volume ends when Marjane leaves for Austria when she is 15 to continue her studies at a more liberal and open European environment.
‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’, is a powerful and heartbreaking graphical rendering of the dark times of a society which was shrouded in the horrors of war and oppression from the viewpoints of a young girl who is confused and trying to understand what is happening around her. The tasteful humor and dominant insights that the author artfully infuses into her visual panels gives this book a freshness, which will invigorate reader rather than completely sliding him into the chasms of depression and sadness. This is one of those graphic novels, which can find audience even among those readers who are quite skeptical about the comic-book genre.
A note to the reader: Since ‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’ is told from the perspective of the young Marjane, the author intent seems to focus around expressing her confusions, her doubts and her attempts in trying to understand the world into which she was born. Understanding the fact that the author was not trying to create an accurate historical or political volume on Iran will help you in enjoying this book in a better way.
This can be read from the words of Marjane Satrapi herself in an interview from 2008.
"I use myself to talk about other things. I'm not a historian, not a sociologist. I'm a person born in a place where I've seen some stuff. That's why I put myself in as a character."
‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’, the first volume, is the intimate memoir of a spirited young girl who had to grow up in the chaos of a society under a stiffly ruled regime which was going through phases of unrest in the form of oppression, revolution, horrors of war and religious rigidity. ‘Marjane Satrapi’ was born in 1969, in Rasht, Iran and the country was going through a momentous political transition during that time. Through bold and contrasting black and white inking and simple artwork the artist opens a window through which the reader can witness the daily life, it’s emotions, the history and terror from those days leading to and following the Islamic revolution as seen through Marjane’s own eyes.
‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’ brings some of the key moments of Iran’s history during the 70s and 80s – like the oust of Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution and subsequent morphing of the society towards orthodoxy through banning of secular education and imposing the veil, the devastating effects of war with Iraq, it's refugee situations – all beautifully intertwined with the personal moments from Marjane’s family with strong humor which makes the narrative more special for the reader.
Marjane was born into a well-to-do family and her parents were quite liberal in their outlook and this makes Marjene who is intelligent and outspoken as a child to have her own opinions and views on everything that is happening around her. At times her outspoken character and passion for freedom lands her in trouble at school and even with authorities. Being born into a well-to-do atmosphere helps her in bringing out the sharp contrast in her family’s life and the general life of the outside public in a vividness, a contrast which is contributed by the clever use of the black and white frames. Though each frame Marjane try to find an explanation and solution for the madness happening around her.
Some of the visuals – like those which show her having imaginary conversations with god about matters around her when she is nine; conversations with her uncle who was imprisoned in U.S.S.R; the way she shows her anger at God asking him to ‘get out’ from her room on the night of hearing her uncles death; her visual interpretation of the state fed recruitment campaign of ‘to die a martyr, is to inject blood into the veins of society’; she furtively smoking a cigarette in protest against the ‘dictatorship’ of her mother and then self declaring ‘with the first cigarette, I kissed childhood goodbye’; she glimpsing the horrors of war through victims of chemical warfare at a hospital facility - are quite powerful in their depiction.
In the scene where Marjane comes across the body of her friend from the neighborhood among the rubbles after a missile attack there is a single frame of illustration, which can be seen as one of the most brilliant uses of the visual format of storytelling. When she covers her face in horror with her hand, the total numbness and pain that Marjane feels over her friend’s death can be experienced in next cartoon panel, which is totally blank and black with a small subtext, “No scream in the world could have relieved my suffering & anger”.
This cleverness and creativity of the author as an illustrator can be further seen in the depictions of the young Marjane herself. The various emotions – surprise, anger, frustration, confusion, helplessness, terror - that the artist capture on the face of young Marji gives the character a soul which can make her feel like a long known friend for the reader. The narrative of the first volume ends when Marjane leaves for Austria when she is 15 to continue her studies at a more liberal and open European environment.
‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’, is a powerful and heartbreaking graphical rendering of the dark times of a society which was shrouded in the horrors of war and oppression from the viewpoints of a young girl who is confused and trying to understand what is happening around her. The tasteful humor and dominant insights that the author artfully infuses into her visual panels gives this book a freshness, which will invigorate reader rather than completely sliding him into the chasms of depression and sadness. This is one of those graphic novels, which can find audience even among those readers who are quite skeptical about the comic-book genre.
A note to the reader: Since ‘Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood’ is told from the perspective of the young Marjane, the author intent seems to focus around expressing her confusions, her doubts and her attempts in trying to understand the world into which she was born. Understanding the fact that the author was not trying to create an accurate historical or political volume on Iran will help you in enjoying this book in a better way.
This can be read from the words of Marjane Satrapi herself in an interview from 2008.
"I use myself to talk about other things. I'm not a historian, not a sociologist. I'm a person born in a place where I've seen some stuff. That's why I put myself in as a character."
August 26, 2021
خیلی هنرمندانهس که همجین کمیکی بنویسی که غمانگیز بودنش خندهدار میشه:))
پرسپولیس، روایت انقلاب و بعد از انقلاب از دیدگاه مرجان ساتراپی، دختربچه صادق و بامزه. کامل نیست، ولی خوب و قشنگه. تفاوتهای فرهنگی، تعصبهای مذهبی و پروپاگاندای جمهوری اسلامی رو به وضوح میشه دید. کلیدها، اون کلیدهای کذایی... :)
پرسپولیس، روایت انقلاب و بعد از انقلاب از دیدگاه مرجان ساتراپی، دختربچه صادق و بامزه. کامل نیست، ولی خوب و قشنگه. تفاوتهای فرهنگی، تعصبهای مذهبی و پروپاگاندای جمهوری اسلامی رو به وضوح میشه دید. کلیدها، اون کلیدهای کذایی... :)
December 14, 2009
Well, having read the book, I went also to see the film last night. But I will probably not wish to go to see the musical or buy the soundtrack of the musical with specially commissioned songs by Sting and Bono and Madonna and Cher and several other rock stars who only have one name, all their other names having been given to their favourite charities to auction off.
I didn't read Persepolis Book Two so was interested that the film incorporates both books. However my joy turned to large bananas which have been left too long in the fruit bowl of life and are now blackened and soggy, as I came to realise that the perky sassy girl of Part One grew up to be the miserable pain in the ass shoegazing student of Part Two. So the movie demonstrated the curious fact that you can have the most exotic of backgrounds (Iran! revolution! fundamentalism! war!) and still be a dullard.
(I should interpose that the visual aspect of the movie is very pretty, and when one has determined that the political content is close to zero, one can transfer one's attention to the exhuberant cartooning without a qualm).
There are two very odd things about this two-book-one-movie : the word AYATOLLAH is never mentioned, not once. As neither is the other word ISLAM. But if I recall correctly, Iran experienced an ISLAMic revolution led by the AYATOLLAH Khomeini. So this is like "My Life in Germany 1930-1940" without mentioning Hitler or the Nazi Party. That's odd! Maybe she'd be on the receiving end of an icepick haircut if she named names, but still. Also odd is the apparent fact that the author's family could send the author out of Iran to Vienna for years at a time - not once, but twice! What implications does this have for our view of the intolerable oppression of the regime?
So in spite of all its trappings, Persepolis in the end is as political and insightful as Shopaholic, i.e. not political and not insightful, and gets away with it because the author can not unreasonably retort that political acumen was quite outside of her purview as she was growing up trying to score Iron Maiden cassettes and trying on lurid shades of lipstick; whence come all the cardboard cutouts which populate the movie, and whence all the unexplained actions and motivations. The dialogue from the adults in her early life is either "the regime tortured your uncle without mercy. He was a communist" or "I put jasmine leaves in my bra every day". It seems Persepolis has gained its popularity from sheer quaintness. I was looking for more.
I didn't read Persepolis Book Two so was interested that the film incorporates both books. However my joy turned to large bananas which have been left too long in the fruit bowl of life and are now blackened and soggy, as I came to realise that the perky sassy girl of Part One grew up to be the miserable pain in the ass shoegazing student of Part Two. So the movie demonstrated the curious fact that you can have the most exotic of backgrounds (Iran! revolution! fundamentalism! war!) and still be a dullard.
(I should interpose that the visual aspect of the movie is very pretty, and when one has determined that the political content is close to zero, one can transfer one's attention to the exhuberant cartooning without a qualm).
There are two very odd things about this two-book-one-movie : the word AYATOLLAH is never mentioned, not once. As neither is the other word ISLAM. But if I recall correctly, Iran experienced an ISLAMic revolution led by the AYATOLLAH Khomeini. So this is like "My Life in Germany 1930-1940" without mentioning Hitler or the Nazi Party. That's odd! Maybe she'd be on the receiving end of an icepick haircut if she named names, but still. Also odd is the apparent fact that the author's family could send the author out of Iran to Vienna for years at a time - not once, but twice! What implications does this have for our view of the intolerable oppression of the regime?
So in spite of all its trappings, Persepolis in the end is as political and insightful as Shopaholic, i.e. not political and not insightful, and gets away with it because the author can not unreasonably retort that political acumen was quite outside of her purview as she was growing up trying to score Iron Maiden cassettes and trying on lurid shades of lipstick; whence come all the cardboard cutouts which populate the movie, and whence all the unexplained actions and motivations. The dialogue from the adults in her early life is either "the regime tortured your uncle without mercy. He was a communist" or "I put jasmine leaves in my bra every day". It seems Persepolis has gained its popularity from sheer quaintness. I was looking for more.
May 15, 2019
“In life you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance… Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.”
What lovely words of wisdom told to a free spirited vivacious young Iranian woman, Marjane Satrapi, spoken to her by her Grandmother. Witnessing the triumph of the Islamic revolution and the overturning of the Shah, this free spirited young girl tells her amazing story through graphic novel. And what a talent she has, it was a fantastic book to read and to look at. I know nothing of this period in history, and only read this as my daughter is studying it in English for her International Baccalaureate. Now I know a lot more. I also realise how much I have to be grateful for.
A short and easy to read book, her story gives us an idea of the human side of war, how the families cope during these times that most of us have never had to face. It was so funny! In the end she was such a non-conformist and totally against the repression faced by so many, that she was sent away to live with relatives as she was just too passionate about the greater good. She refused to wear the veil, and her ideals stemmed from a very loving and educated family.
Marjane’s is a spirited and spritely young girl who you just can’t help but love. I have now requested my wonderful public library purchase the second volume and they have done so for me. I am number one on the list. My daughter and I will love to see what is next.
Wikipedia states that this courageous young girl turned into an accomplished woman who is an Iranian-born French graphic novelist, cartoonist, illustrator, film director, and children's book author. She is definitely a woman that knows her mind.
What lovely words of wisdom told to a free spirited vivacious young Iranian woman, Marjane Satrapi, spoken to her by her Grandmother. Witnessing the triumph of the Islamic revolution and the overturning of the Shah, this free spirited young girl tells her amazing story through graphic novel. And what a talent she has, it was a fantastic book to read and to look at. I know nothing of this period in history, and only read this as my daughter is studying it in English for her International Baccalaureate. Now I know a lot more. I also realise how much I have to be grateful for.
A short and easy to read book, her story gives us an idea of the human side of war, how the families cope during these times that most of us have never had to face. It was so funny! In the end she was such a non-conformist and totally against the repression faced by so many, that she was sent away to live with relatives as she was just too passionate about the greater good. She refused to wear the veil, and her ideals stemmed from a very loving and educated family.
Marjane’s is a spirited and spritely young girl who you just can’t help but love. I have now requested my wonderful public library purchase the second volume and they have done so for me. I am number one on the list. My daughter and I will love to see what is next.
Wikipedia states that this courageous young girl turned into an accomplished woman who is an Iranian-born French graphic novelist, cartoonist, illustrator, film director, and children's book author. She is definitely a woman that knows her mind.
June 5, 2017
4 stars!
So in an effort to diversify my reading (aka read something other than romance for once) I joined the Goodreads group Our Shared Shelf, a feminist book club run by Emma Watson. With the recent political climate in the US, I wanted a way to expand my mind and find other readers to relate to. I highly recommend this group, and while I am more of a lurker than a discusser, it’s a lot of fun and great to be surrounded by intelligent, like-minded people.
Persepolis is a book this group read about a year ago, but when I saw it amongst the material the group read I knew immediately I wanted to read it. When I was in college my World Literature class watched the movie (I know, the movie and not the book? *sigh*) and I have been meaning to read it ever since. On top of that I live in Los Angeles, a heavily Persian community and many of my real life friends are from Iran, so I was interested in learning more about the history of this country.
This book is an autobiographical memoir by Marjane Satrapi, mostly of her childhood living in Iran in turbulent times. It takes place mostly during the late seventies and early eighties, and depicts what life was like for her in a changing country. Marjane and her parents are rebels against the new regime, seeing that what the government is telling them isn’t always true. This book shows how Marjane adjusts to a new restrictive lifestyle as well as a history of the country told by her. It was very personal, you feel what Marjane feels. I fell in love with her as a character, you cannot help it while reading this book.
I highly recommend this to anyone who is willing to read something outside the box, and anyone eager to gain perspective on events in other countries that you may have not known before.
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So in an effort to diversify my reading (aka read something other than romance for once) I joined the Goodreads group Our Shared Shelf, a feminist book club run by Emma Watson. With the recent political climate in the US, I wanted a way to expand my mind and find other readers to relate to. I highly recommend this group, and while I am more of a lurker than a discusser, it’s a lot of fun and great to be surrounded by intelligent, like-minded people.
Persepolis is a book this group read about a year ago, but when I saw it amongst the material the group read I knew immediately I wanted to read it. When I was in college my World Literature class watched the movie (I know, the movie and not the book? *sigh*) and I have been meaning to read it ever since. On top of that I live in Los Angeles, a heavily Persian community and many of my real life friends are from Iran, so I was interested in learning more about the history of this country.
This book is an autobiographical memoir by Marjane Satrapi, mostly of her childhood living in Iran in turbulent times. It takes place mostly during the late seventies and early eighties, and depicts what life was like for her in a changing country. Marjane and her parents are rebels against the new regime, seeing that what the government is telling them isn’t always true. This book shows how Marjane adjusts to a new restrictive lifestyle as well as a history of the country told by her. It was very personal, you feel what Marjane feels. I fell in love with her as a character, you cannot help it while reading this book.
I highly recommend this to anyone who is willing to read something outside the box, and anyone eager to gain perspective on events in other countries that you may have not known before.
Follow me on ♥ Facebook ♥ Blog ♥ Instagram ♥ Twitter ♥
May 10, 2023
A wonderfully-told coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. Satrapi retells her childhood with a surprising amount of humor and wit. I am excited to dive into the 2nd part!
March 20, 2015
I HATE ALL OF THESE DEPRESSING IRANIAN ENDINGS. Ugh. So irritating. Review to come.
EDIT:
Two points that should be made.
1. This book will make you sad.
2. That's okay.
Persepolis is the first book in a graphic novel series about the childhood of Marjane Satrapi, the author of this book.
In this book, Satrapi reminisces her life in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War - a time of oppression and dejection. Of course, with the Islamic Revolution came the arrival of the high and mighty chador.
As I continued reading, you could strongly feel the push and pull between a rebellious culture and it's new dictatorial government. Satrapi did a marvelous job of graphically making this a reality.
And as the revolution continued, Satrapi got older.
And the more she was restricted, the more she rebelled.
Being an Iranian myself and having heard many tragic stories such as this, this is a topic I can genuinely say I was able to sympathise with. Persepolis isn't perfect, but I'm willing to read the others in the series. Overall, it's a unique memoir that will forever be a reminder of my heritage.
EDIT:
Two points that should be made.
1. This book will make you sad.
2. That's okay.
Persepolis is the first book in a graphic novel series about the childhood of Marjane Satrapi, the author of this book.
In this book, Satrapi reminisces her life in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War - a time of oppression and dejection. Of course, with the Islamic Revolution came the arrival of the high and mighty chador.
As I continued reading, you could strongly feel the push and pull between a rebellious culture and it's new dictatorial government. Satrapi did a marvelous job of graphically making this a reality.
And as the revolution continued, Satrapi got older.
And the more she was restricted, the more she rebelled.
Being an Iranian myself and having heard many tragic stories such as this, this is a topic I can genuinely say I was able to sympathise with. Persepolis isn't perfect, but I'm willing to read the others in the series. Overall, it's a unique memoir that will forever be a reminder of my heritage.
December 15, 2012
I intentionally avoided the movie version of this book. I wanted my reading experience to be unspoiled, even by trailers. Now, having read the book, I shall have to go see the movie.
I am the same age as Marjane Satrapi. As I reflect the events of this book, I remember my perception of events in Iran: the revolution, the hostage crisis, the war with Iraq. Having lived in Italy from 1977-79, I feel a little closer to these events than I would have, had I been "buried" in American concerns at the time. My father was a military man, and we were living in a foreign country. While I never will know how Satrapi felt about the events in her own country (nor would I want to know), I can at least more closely approximate the emotions she must have felt at the time than if I had been born under other circumstances, in a different place, in a different time.
Persopolis has faint echoes of Maus. Satrapi's voice even sounds similar to Spiegelman's. If you liked Maus you will probably like Persepolis.
I was amazed by how much I didn't know about events in Iran at that time. I consider myself a pretty well-informed person, when it comes to history (flashes MA in History from UW-Madison), but I was unaware of the sheer complexity of the Iranian situation in the late '70 and early '80s. This book doesn't just outline these issues, but goes into some depth regarding how difficult it was for one girl and her family to navigate the fluid and quickly-changing political and social landscape of Iran at the time. There are lots of lessons to be learned here. Satrapi fancied that she would grow up to be a prophet when she was younger, and I think she might well have succeeded with this work. Not a prophet who foretells doom, but a prophet who recounts the errors of the past and puts them up as a warning to the world.
I am the same age as Marjane Satrapi. As I reflect the events of this book, I remember my perception of events in Iran: the revolution, the hostage crisis, the war with Iraq. Having lived in Italy from 1977-79, I feel a little closer to these events than I would have, had I been "buried" in American concerns at the time. My father was a military man, and we were living in a foreign country. While I never will know how Satrapi felt about the events in her own country (nor would I want to know), I can at least more closely approximate the emotions she must have felt at the time than if I had been born under other circumstances, in a different place, in a different time.
Persopolis has faint echoes of Maus. Satrapi's voice even sounds similar to Spiegelman's. If you liked Maus you will probably like Persepolis.
I was amazed by how much I didn't know about events in Iran at that time. I consider myself a pretty well-informed person, when it comes to history (flashes MA in History from UW-Madison), but I was unaware of the sheer complexity of the Iranian situation in the late '70 and early '80s. This book doesn't just outline these issues, but goes into some depth regarding how difficult it was for one girl and her family to navigate the fluid and quickly-changing political and social landscape of Iran at the time. There are lots of lessons to be learned here. Satrapi fancied that she would grow up to be a prophet when she was younger, and I think she might well have succeeded with this work. Not a prophet who foretells doom, but a prophet who recounts the errors of the past and puts them up as a warning to the world.
December 6, 2015
I thought this book was very sad, I felt sorry how Marjane had to grow up.
I'm going to link this to a friends review that can tell it better :)
Anne's Review
I'm going to link this to a friends review that can tell it better :)
Anne's Review
Read
November 2, 2016I always feel a little silly and, well, superfluous adding my voice to years of praise for a well-loved work like Persepolis but in this case I can hardly help it. I absolutely adored this insightful, enchanting book. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi tells the story of her girlhood and adolescence in revolutionary Iran in a way that is immediately accessible and recognizable, even if you grew up in a totally different decade and on a different continent. There’s a warmth and frankness to her way of turning a phrase or expressing an idea that is totally unique. Her artwork is at the same time simple and deeply evocative: straightforward and expressive. It’s a rich, captivating novel and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good coming-of-age story.
–Maddie Rodriguez
from The Best Books We Read In September 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/03/riot-r...
–Maddie Rodriguez
from The Best Books We Read In September 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/10/03/riot-r...
March 2, 2022
One of the best comic books I've ever read. Third time reading it, still loved it more than life itself! Marjane is charming, witty, funny ... her memoir is educational and emotional at the same time. A true feat of graphic storytelling!
***
Persepolis 1 begins by introducing Marji, the ten-year-old protagonist. Set in 1980, the novel focuses on her experiences of growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Her story details the impact of war and religious extremism on Iranians, especially women.
Belonging to an upper-middle class family, Marji has access to various educational materials, such as books and a radio, which expose her to Western political thought at a very young age. By discovering the ideas of numerous philosophers, Marji reflects on her class privilege and is eager to learn about her family's political background. This inquiry inspires her to participate in popular demonstrations against the Shah's regime in which people are asking for his exile as a way to safeguard their rights.
Unfortunately, after the Shah's departure, Marji notices the rise of religious extremism in her society and is unhappy about it. Her uncle Anoosh's visit deepens her interest in politics when he tells her stories of being imprisoned as a communist revolutionary. His stories cause her to value ideas of equality and resistance. The new government then begins to reform Iranian society, especially having women cover themselves while out in public and putting restrictions on social freedoms. Marji's family begins to fear for their lives since many of their friends and thousands of Iranians had fled the new regime to Europe or the USA, but they resolve to stay. Anoosh is arrested again and accused of being a spy. He is executed for his political beliefs. Marji is upset that God didn't do anything to help her uncle and rejects her faith.
After an abrupt family vacation to Europe, Marji returns to Iran where she learns from her grandmother that the government has declared war against Iraq. As her hometown of Tehran comes under attack, she finds safety in her basement, which doubles as a bomb shelter.
One night, the family hears the Iranian National Anthem play on the TV, moving them to tears. It is later revealed that the government released the soldiers and air pilots from prison who were in jail for protesting. The soldiers agreed to fight on the condition that the country's National Anthem be played on the public broadcasting.
Amidst the chaos of an ongoing war, her family secretly revolts against the new regime by having parties and consuming alcohol, which is prohibited in the country. Two years of war force Marji to explore her rebellious side by skipping classes, obsessing over boys, and visiting the black market that has grown as a result of the shortages caused by war and repression.
As the war intensifies, Marji rushes home one day to find that a long-range ballistic missile has hit her street. Her family escapes the missile as it hit the neighboring building, which housed their (very rare) Jewish neighbors the Baba Levy's. Traumatized by the sight of her friend's dead body, she expresses her anger against the Iranian political system. Her family begins to worry about her safety and decides to send her off to Austria for further study and to escape the war. The novel ends with her departure to Europe.
***
Persepolis 1 begins by introducing Marji, the ten-year-old protagonist. Set in 1980, the novel focuses on her experiences of growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Her story details the impact of war and religious extremism on Iranians, especially women.
Belonging to an upper-middle class family, Marji has access to various educational materials, such as books and a radio, which expose her to Western political thought at a very young age. By discovering the ideas of numerous philosophers, Marji reflects on her class privilege and is eager to learn about her family's political background. This inquiry inspires her to participate in popular demonstrations against the Shah's regime in which people are asking for his exile as a way to safeguard their rights.
Unfortunately, after the Shah's departure, Marji notices the rise of religious extremism in her society and is unhappy about it. Her uncle Anoosh's visit deepens her interest in politics when he tells her stories of being imprisoned as a communist revolutionary. His stories cause her to value ideas of equality and resistance. The new government then begins to reform Iranian society, especially having women cover themselves while out in public and putting restrictions on social freedoms. Marji's family begins to fear for their lives since many of their friends and thousands of Iranians had fled the new regime to Europe or the USA, but they resolve to stay. Anoosh is arrested again and accused of being a spy. He is executed for his political beliefs. Marji is upset that God didn't do anything to help her uncle and rejects her faith.
After an abrupt family vacation to Europe, Marji returns to Iran where she learns from her grandmother that the government has declared war against Iraq. As her hometown of Tehran comes under attack, she finds safety in her basement, which doubles as a bomb shelter.
One night, the family hears the Iranian National Anthem play on the TV, moving them to tears. It is later revealed that the government released the soldiers and air pilots from prison who were in jail for protesting. The soldiers agreed to fight on the condition that the country's National Anthem be played on the public broadcasting.
Amidst the chaos of an ongoing war, her family secretly revolts against the new regime by having parties and consuming alcohol, which is prohibited in the country. Two years of war force Marji to explore her rebellious side by skipping classes, obsessing over boys, and visiting the black market that has grown as a result of the shortages caused by war and repression.
As the war intensifies, Marji rushes home one day to find that a long-range ballistic missile has hit her street. Her family escapes the missile as it hit the neighboring building, which housed their (very rare) Jewish neighbors the Baba Levy's. Traumatized by the sight of her friend's dead body, she expresses her anger against the Iranian political system. Her family begins to worry about her safety and decides to send her off to Austria for further study and to escape the war. The novel ends with her departure to Europe.
January 6, 2019
Personal interpretation:
Good God!
What have I just read?
Is it a political panorama which's covering a certain era of IRAN?
Is it a noir-graphic book?
Is it an autobiographical memories of the author?
Is it a memoir?
Is it a book on assuring the goodness in human souls?
Is it a message of freedom, rebellion, dignity and patriotism?
Is it a chronology of a country IRAN in the eyes of this little rebellious and hopeful girl?
Well, it's all of that!
It really has defeated me to the ground!
***
Some scenes that really have defeated me:
I suppose there is a weird attachment between being near geographically and culturally and being in enmity and hatred!
We see that the most fighting people are Arabs, Persians and Jews who are historically so close with their languages, culture, religions and traditions.
***
Oh! LOVE is impossible in countries that do not believe in the right of falling in love with whoever.
***
Her uncle was a soviet spy?!
How can media fake facts.
***
The real maternal both love and fear.
***
***
***
My heart skipped a beat.
***
The guardians of religion?
They are better to be named the guardians of spreading fear and disgust!
***
It was the best piece of advice for all of us, grandma!
***
I will miss you too, grandma!
***
To be continued in the 2nd volume...
Good God!
What have I just read?
Is it a political panorama which's covering a certain era of IRAN?
Is it a noir-graphic book?
Is it an autobiographical memories of the author?
Is it a memoir?
Is it a book on assuring the goodness in human souls?
Is it a message of freedom, rebellion, dignity and patriotism?
Is it a chronology of a country IRAN in the eyes of this little rebellious and hopeful girl?
Well, it's all of that!
It really has defeated me to the ground!
***
Some scenes that really have defeated me:
I suppose there is a weird attachment between being near geographically and culturally and being in enmity and hatred!
We see that the most fighting people are Arabs, Persians and Jews who are historically so close with their languages, culture, religions and traditions.
***
Oh! LOVE is impossible in countries that do not believe in the right of falling in love with whoever.
***
Her uncle was a soviet spy?!
How can media fake facts.
***
The real maternal both love and fear.
***
***
***
My heart skipped a beat.
***
The guardians of religion?
They are better to be named the guardians of spreading fear and disgust!
***
It was the best piece of advice for all of us, grandma!
***
I will miss you too, grandma!
***
To be continued in the 2nd volume...
March 29, 2016
This is a good book. Satrapi writes with a powerful voice. One can easily imagine her childhood and early life. Many times I do not enjoy graphic novels because I think they are weak and poorly-written, relying on pictures to tell a story and not utilizing good dialogue and text. That is not the case here. Satrapi's unique illustrations make the Iran of her youth come to life. Many difficult and painful issues are dealt with in this book: torture, death, martyrdom, etc. Instead of cheapening these concepts, the graphic novel Satrapi wrote makes them hit you harder. She knocks the wind out of you with her straight talk, her child self's views on what's happening and the stark brutality of humanity. A worthwhile read for anyone.
May 11, 2019
Δυο ώρες διαθέσιμες δίπλα στη δημοτική βιβλιοθήκη μπορούν να είναι άκρως δημιουργικές!
Σοκαριστικά αληθινό κόμικς που περιγράφει τα χρόνια της Ισλαμικής επανάστασης και την αλλαγή που αυτή επέβαλλε...
Δυστυχώς τέτοιες "αλλαγές" εξακολουθούν να είναι σύγχρονες...
Σοκαριστικά αληθινό κόμικς που περιγράφει τα χρόνια της Ισλαμικής επανάστασης και την αλλαγή που αυτή επέβαλλε...
Δυστυχώς τέτοιες "αλλαγές" εξακολουθούν να είναι σύγχρονες...
July 19, 2017
One can forgive but one should never forget.
Graphic novel that details the author's experiences during the Iranian Revolution. Quite an emotional read!
Graphic novel that details the author's experiences during the Iranian Revolution. Quite an emotional read!
February 26, 2024
En Persépolis: La historia de una niñez, Marjane nos cuenta episodios de su vida entre los once y catorce años. Forma parte de una familia de buena pasar económico, instruida y politizada. Y la historia transcurre en Teherán, Irán, durante la transición revolucionaria entre el gobierno autoritario del Shah y la instauración de la República Islámica.
La familia de Marjane, al igual que mucha gente progresista, participa con entusiasmo de las manifestaciones contra el Shah, con la aspiración de alcanzar un sistema democrático moderno; y posteriormente quedó profundamente defraudada cuando la Revolución fue cooptada por los fundamentalistas islámicos, y la instauración de un régimen más conservador y autoritario aún.
La elección del formato de historieta, o novela gráfica, permite mostrar de manera más sencilla y directa muchos aspectos de la vida cotidiana y las reacciones, a veces impulsivas o ingenuas de sus protagonistas.
Aunque fue diseñada para ser leída por breves episodios, la lectura continuada se me hizo muy ágil, e interesante, y me ha transmitido, creo que con gran fidelidad la experiencia vivida por al menos parte de la población urbana de Irán.
Muy bueno.
Para evitar la saturación, he preferido completar la primera parte, y continuar posteriormente con la continuación de la historia, La historia de un retorno.
La familia de Marjane, al igual que mucha gente progresista, participa con entusiasmo de las manifestaciones contra el Shah, con la aspiración de alcanzar un sistema democrático moderno; y posteriormente quedó profundamente defraudada cuando la Revolución fue cooptada por los fundamentalistas islámicos, y la instauración de un régimen más conservador y autoritario aún.
La elección del formato de historieta, o novela gráfica, permite mostrar de manera más sencilla y directa muchos aspectos de la vida cotidiana y las reacciones, a veces impulsivas o ingenuas de sus protagonistas.
Aunque fue diseñada para ser leída por breves episodios, la lectura continuada se me hizo muy ágil, e interesante, y me ha transmitido, creo que con gran fidelidad la experiencia vivida por al menos parte de la población urbana de Irán.
Muy bueno.
Para evitar la saturación, he preferido completar la primera parte, y continuar posteriormente con la continuación de la historia, La historia de un retorno.
May 15, 2007
I am as middle class (we call it affectionately, the "poor rich" where I live.) I am intellectual. I am like Richard Rodriquez and bellhooks because education took me away from my roots, but gave me who I am today.
So, how could Iranian middle class intellectuals and professionals in the late 1970s have been so different than me and my family? For the young, under the Shah, there was a strong and progressive, very Western group of middle class Iranians. Just like me and mine.
So, how could these people have allowed the "revolution" in Iran to become a "devolution?" The question bothered me all the time. Under the Raygun (Reagan)administration I entertained the possibility that I would have to emigrate for political reasons (ha, and let's just say the thought has cropped up again recently.)
How was America different from Iran -- no, that is too broad a way to state it. The question on my mind was how does your country become totalitarian, authoritarian, repressive -- and you still live there and didn't resist?
Read Persepolis to find out. Yes, it is a girl's growing up story. Yes, it isn't really about the parents. But when you read it, you can see that great evil can just sneak its way into your life because it comes just a babystep at a time.
No, the Iranian intellectuals and professionals were not very different from their American counterparts. There is a lesson there, and I hope we learn it before it is too late for us.
So, how could Iranian middle class intellectuals and professionals in the late 1970s have been so different than me and my family? For the young, under the Shah, there was a strong and progressive, very Western group of middle class Iranians. Just like me and mine.
So, how could these people have allowed the "revolution" in Iran to become a "devolution?" The question bothered me all the time. Under the Raygun (Reagan)administration I entertained the possibility that I would have to emigrate for political reasons (ha, and let's just say the thought has cropped up again recently.)
How was America different from Iran -- no, that is too broad a way to state it. The question on my mind was how does your country become totalitarian, authoritarian, repressive -- and you still live there and didn't resist?
Read Persepolis to find out. Yes, it is a girl's growing up story. Yes, it isn't really about the parents. But when you read it, you can see that great evil can just sneak its way into your life because it comes just a babystep at a time.
No, the Iranian intellectuals and professionals were not very different from their American counterparts. There is a lesson there, and I hope we learn it before it is too late for us.
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