A New York Times Notable Book
A Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year”
A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times Best-seller
Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. 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 … 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.
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I feel like Persepolis is a learning experience for everyone. Learning about what’s going on around the world and what is affecting children is important. I can see why this book is banned in Chicago and Iran, but I don’t think it should have a ban. The truth hurts and this book is full of truth.
What an incredibly informative and enlightening story. This revolution and what Iranians went through during it was heartbreaking to read about, but I’m so glad that Marjane Satrapi shared her experiences. Having this told in a graphic novel format was very smart. We get to experience what the author went through and see everything she saw.
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is a heart-felt autobiography of young Marji’s childhood in the Iranian Revolution. It begins with Marji at a very young age, trying to understand what is happening around her. As she gets older, she gains more understanding and begins to be more outspoken. It’s obvious that throughout her childhood, Marji always wanted to be politically involved and have others hear her opinion. Satrapi recalls many experiences and tells them in a childish manner, as she would have if she were still that young. Marji endures rough spots in her faith, loses friends and family members, and forms a trusting bond with their parents as they learn to handle their lives in the midst of war. People are forced to go back to the traditional ways of living and women lose their equality with men. Homes are bombed, parties are forbidden, and police are around every corner waiting to find someone slip up as many citizens flee the country. Through all the chaos, Marji remains strong headed and searches for ways to express her individuality.
The entire novel is in the format of black and white comic strips. Even through the simplistic drawings and lack of color, the images show great depth and tell the story well. The comics express the story better than words could and they provide glimpses of what Marji sees and understands in her young mind.
I personally enjoyed the book and I think that Persepolis covers many sensitive topics in a manner that’s easier and more appropriate for young adults to comprehend. The novel is well written and each sentence complements the images. I would recommend this book to both boys and girls age 12 and older.
Set in revolutionary Iran, Persepolis explores the life of a young girl named Marjie. The Graphic narrative is a memoir of Marjie’s experience before, during, and after the war. Marjie lives in, the capital of Iran, Tehran with her upper-class family. Around the time of the revolution Marjie was 10, she was still young and had a naive perception of the immense changes happening at the time. In the first chapter Marjie and her classmates had to begin wearing a veil to school, but instead the students used the veils as jump ropes and as “dark monster” heads. Marjie created Persepolis because she wanted to disrupt the stereotype of all Iranians being crazed militants. Persepolis uncovers what life was like for your average Joe during the Iranian revolution. In addition, Satrapi lets the reader in on the Iranian culture and its many nuances, like the class system, schools, clothing, and religion. We see her parents, teachers, classmates, and friends. Persepolis does what it was intended to do, satrapi elegantly writes of her own experiences, and personal turmoil throughout the revolution. For me, the most interesting aspect of the graphic novel is marjie’s perspective of her parents. The reader notes that her parents try to hold their grim reality back from marjie, but this doesn’t work. We see the effects of parenting technique in Marjie’s friends, they don’t Marjie matures throughout the book, she learns that the world isn’t the happy wonderland depicted in her children’s books. But, it’s ok because it’s how you deal with tragedy and turmoil that makes the difference. Persepolis is a must-read for those looking for a new perspective on life, love, and relationships. Persepolis may be written from the perspective of a young girl, but in some ways the reader learns much more.
Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic memoir covering her childhood growing up in Iran in the midst of the Islamic revolution. The reader looks through her innocent eyes as she experiences the changes happening all around her. It is clear that she wishes to be politically involved, even at a young age, but her childlike mind is easily molded by everything around her. It is a constant question of what to believe- the news? Her parents? Her teachers? She is constantly left questioning why things are the way the are- why she can’t do some things but absolutely must do some others.
Satrapi is quite honest in her storytelling- she neither tries to paint her childhood in a golden hue and make it seem better than it was or act like everything was horrible all the time. She tells her story as it went, with no unnecessary details. She had fun and played like a typical child, but also watched classmates mourn their parents and flee out of the country. The reader views the horrors of war through her childish eyes, and is reminded that childhood experiences shape you forever.
This book had me interested the whole time- I read it all in one sitting, and found it impossible to put down. As someone born in America well past these events occurred, I was only familiar with the vague American side of things that I had heard, pretty much only about the hostage crisis. I went into this book blind and came out with knowledge of events I had never heard of before, much less in the perspective presented to me in Persepolis. It is unique, enlightening, and makes the reader rethink every opinion they previously had.
For anyone looking for a quick yet unforgettable read, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it- you will never read your history book the same.
In this graphic novel, the author tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages 6-14 where she saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime. She lived through the Iraq war. The whole story is her view as a child of what happened in Iran. She learns a lot about the revolution and how her own family was involved. Through stories and first hand accounts, she walks us through the human cost of war.
This was pretty good. It was very short, and because it is a graphic novel, I read it within about 2 hours. It is the author’s own take on her own struggles and what she learned from her own family. It is thought provoking and head shaking, and unbelievable that this happens to people in some of these countries under dictator regime.
I suggest to give it a read. It is a two part story (there is a second book) and I think I will read it as well. This book is showing up on summer reading list all over the US, and I think that is a great idea.
The best graphic memoir I have ever read. I felt every emotion while reading this. Marjane Satrapi did a phenomenal job realistically showing major events she has faced in her life. I loved that she showed that unfortunately not everything will have a happy ending. However, even as she went through her struggles there will still bits of happiness. There is just the right amount of emotional depth in this.
Interesting and a little eye-opening from a young girl’s perspective growing up in a changing Iran. Wish for a better ending that wrapped up the story.
#diversebooks A glimpse into a different world. A must read for those trying to understand others and he struggles they’ve gone through.
Read this when I was in high school and it left an incredible impression on me. Worth the read for any age.