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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
5.0
"Persepolis" is the autobiography of Marjane Satrapi, a young Iranian girl living in Tehran. She was a middle-class only child and had your typical childhood dramas. But she also had to deal with the oppressive Iranian Revolution and Islamic Regime. Eventually her parents sent her away to Europe - and then she had to figure out who she was, a foreigner in a foreign land.
Way back when I lost my job, I found myself going to my library (it was within walking distance) and checking out a lot of movies. A trailer for "Persepolis" made me interested, and I watched it - and REALLY liked it. That was when "Persepolis" first came on my radar.
More recently, a good Goodreads friend of mine read this book and wrote a wonderful review. After years of hemming and hawing to buy this book and read it, I IMMEDIATELY broke down, bought the graphic novel and read it. And enjoyed the hell out of it.
I can't really go far into discussing this amazing book without talking about another book about the Iranian turmoil, the recently released memoirs written by actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, [b:The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines|16248046|The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines|Shohreh Aghdashloo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362370603s/16248046.jpg|22276889]. My complaints about that book were many, but what it ultimately boiled down to was I felt the story was skimmed over and diluted, that I never felt the terror of the age and the drive to leave.
Everything that Ms. Aghdashloo's book wasn't, Ms. Satrapi's book IS. "Persepolis" is the most heartfelt, gut-wrenching, REAL book. Maybe this is going too far, but I liken it to this generation's "Diary of Anne Frank".
Marjane is a REAL character. She is a jerk, she is rude, she is broken apart, she loves her family and friends, and she is smart. Sometimes she is so mean and rude, you want to slap her silly; other times, you can feel her problems so well, you just ache for her and want to hug her to death. It's obvious why she had to leave Iran - and it's obvious why she had so much trouble in Europe AND when she returns. There is none of the guessing I had with "Yellow Jasmines". There is none of the longing to SEE the things the author is talking about (and I'm not talking about the image aspect of "Persepolis" over "Yellow Jasmines").
Each character in "Persepolis" is vibrant and unique, from her parents to her grandmother, to her uncles, to the prisoners her parents know, to her own friends, to her husband. There is no confusion about who is who. There is no wondering what this name is and what character belongs to it. The people are REAL.
As for the visual aspect of the medium, I think it's genius. It has a light-hearted appearance, but don't confuse this for a "kiddie" comic! It's got serious issues - oppression, torture, drugs, sex, alcohol (no graphic nudity or anything so no worries!).
I think most importantly, it was this book that made me realize how much of a stupid American I am. Maybe this is my shoddy world history coming out, but I naively thought that Iran was ALWAYS Muslim, that the women ALWAYS wore headscarves. This book finally whacked me in the face and made me realize that this is definitely NOT the case - that I was, yet again, being self-centered and uneducated. And made me realize that I need to do some serious brushing up on my world history (and to get a NON-American point of view!)
This book made me laugh, made me cry (or come as close as I get to crying!). Marjane Satrapi deserves every ounce of accolades and kudos for this graphic novel AND the movie. It was everything I was aching for from Ashdaghloo's memoirs and didn't get - and a bit more. I give this the highest recommendation I can.
Way back when I lost my job, I found myself going to my library (it was within walking distance) and checking out a lot of movies. A trailer for "Persepolis" made me interested, and I watched it - and REALLY liked it. That was when "Persepolis" first came on my radar.
More recently, a good Goodreads friend of mine read this book and wrote a wonderful review. After years of hemming and hawing to buy this book and read it, I IMMEDIATELY broke down, bought the graphic novel and read it. And enjoyed the hell out of it.
I can't really go far into discussing this amazing book without talking about another book about the Iranian turmoil, the recently released memoirs written by actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, [b:The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines|16248046|The Alley of Love and Yellow Jasmines|Shohreh Aghdashloo|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362370603s/16248046.jpg|22276889]. My complaints about that book were many, but what it ultimately boiled down to was I felt the story was skimmed over and diluted, that I never felt the terror of the age and the drive to leave.
Everything that Ms. Aghdashloo's book wasn't, Ms. Satrapi's book IS. "Persepolis" is the most heartfelt, gut-wrenching, REAL book. Maybe this is going too far, but I liken it to this generation's "Diary of Anne Frank".
Marjane is a REAL character. She is a jerk, she is rude, she is broken apart, she loves her family and friends, and she is smart. Sometimes she is so mean and rude, you want to slap her silly; other times, you can feel her problems so well, you just ache for her and want to hug her to death. It's obvious why she had to leave Iran - and it's obvious why she had so much trouble in Europe AND when she returns. There is none of the guessing I had with "Yellow Jasmines". There is none of the longing to SEE the things the author is talking about (and I'm not talking about the image aspect of "Persepolis" over "Yellow Jasmines").
Each character in "Persepolis" is vibrant and unique, from her parents to her grandmother, to her uncles, to the prisoners her parents know, to her own friends, to her husband. There is no confusion about who is who. There is no wondering what this name is and what character belongs to it. The people are REAL.
As for the visual aspect of the medium, I think it's genius. It has a light-hearted appearance, but don't confuse this for a "kiddie" comic! It's got serious issues - oppression, torture, drugs, sex, alcohol (no graphic nudity or anything so no worries!).
I think most importantly, it was this book that made me realize how much of a stupid American I am. Maybe this is my shoddy world history coming out, but I naively thought that Iran was ALWAYS Muslim, that the women ALWAYS wore headscarves. This book finally whacked me in the face and made me realize that this is definitely NOT the case - that I was, yet again, being self-centered and uneducated. And made me realize that I need to do some serious brushing up on my world history (and to get a NON-American point of view!)
This book made me laugh, made me cry (or come as close as I get to crying!). Marjane Satrapi deserves every ounce of accolades and kudos for this graphic novel AND the movie. It was everything I was aching for from Ashdaghloo's memoirs and didn't get - and a bit more. I give this the highest recommendation I can.
librarylandlisa's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic graphic novel set in another location and with a little bit of insight to another culture. This really is a good graphic novel but perhaps best left for teens/YA and older.
augustika13's review against another edition
1.0
Had to read for my exam tomorrow but couldn’t even tolerate the writing and illustrations of the novel to even finish it for exam sake. I literally dnfed it at 10% and mind u i love graphic novels a lot. Literally developed a migraine from trying to understand what was going on in it
manha10's review against another edition
5.0
This graphic novel was so interesting and great in so many ways..it depicted war in such a powerful way with martyrs and bombings and shootings that you forget its all real and it actually happened...respect to the author
erikariehigano22's review against another edition
5.0
The book starts off with a brief summary of the history of Iran and its background of constant colonisation from the Greeks, the Arabs, the Turks, to the Mongols, and the West in the Twentieth Century. This is essential as the book is set on the onset and duration of the Cultural Revolution that later instigated Islamic Fundamentalism in Iranian society, forcing the new generation to a lifetime experiences of war.
We read the life and perspective of the author Marjane during her childhood as the only child of her parents connected with her relatives and her local community. Her parents are radicals involved with communist and socialist school of thought in Tehran with their participations in demonstrations and the influence on Marjane's outlook in life and her beliefs that made her so outspoken and bold despite the growing restraint on women in her society.
There is something to be said when events of war and cruelty under a political dictatorship are presented through the perspective and narration of a child. It adds up to how profound and haunting the situation is in Iran and evokes the reader to feel horrified. And that's the goal of Persepolis, to tell the reader that this is the cruelty that's been forced to be normalised in the lives of people in Iran. They want to live their own lives with dignity and comfort, just like the rest of us. The early chapters are very enlightening to the reader to emphasise the social inequality in Iran, one of the societal issues during the reign of the Shah. Living to see family friends, families of classmates, neighbours, relatives persecuted and executed was the kind of trauma that Marjane had to live during the Iran-Iraqi war. There were times I did wanted to cry for how traumatic a young child had to endure this.
One scene that stuck me profound was how Marjane let go of her childhood when she tried that cigarette she stole from an uncle during a family party two weeks prior. Though it was not implied, I like to think that with the current circumstances and the turmoil in her society, she and the rest of her peers who were either forced to be recruited in the war or be subjected to the regime, they all had to mature early and abandon the innocence of their childhood for survival.
I think one of my most favourite part was the ending, funny enough as someone who hated endings. As a recent migrant who had to live her country for the sake of better opportunities and to improve my quality of life, I felt Marjane and I shared that same heartbreak even despite boarding that plane in different stages of our life and with different things happening in our countries. The last frame of her mother fainted in her father's arms as they watch Marjane leave towards a better life away from them, away from home.
"Don't ever forget who you are!"
"No. I won't ever forget."
For even the turmoil you have to endure at home even if it kills you, your home is still home.
I am very much looking forward to read the second book of the English edition.
We read the life and perspective of the author Marjane during her childhood as the only child of her parents connected with her relatives and her local community. Her parents are radicals involved with communist and socialist school of thought in Tehran with their participations in demonstrations and the influence on Marjane's outlook in life and her beliefs that made her so outspoken and bold despite the growing restraint on women in her society.
There is something to be said when events of war and cruelty under a political dictatorship are presented through the perspective and narration of a child. It adds up to how profound and haunting the situation is in Iran and evokes the reader to feel horrified. And that's the goal of Persepolis, to tell the reader that this is the cruelty that's been forced to be normalised in the lives of people in Iran. They want to live their own lives with dignity and comfort, just like the rest of us. The early chapters are very enlightening to the reader to emphasise the social inequality in Iran, one of the societal issues during the reign of the Shah. Living to see family friends, families of classmates, neighbours, relatives persecuted and executed was the kind of trauma that Marjane had to live during the Iran-Iraqi war. There were times I did wanted to cry for how traumatic a young child had to endure this.
One scene that stuck me profound was how Marjane let go of her childhood when she tried that cigarette she stole from an uncle during a family party two weeks prior. Though it was not implied, I like to think that with the current circumstances and the turmoil in her society, she and the rest of her peers who were either forced to be recruited in the war or be subjected to the regime, they all had to mature early and abandon the innocence of their childhood for survival.
I think one of my most favourite part was the ending, funny enough as someone who hated endings. As a recent migrant who had to live her country for the sake of better opportunities and to improve my quality of life, I felt Marjane and I shared that same heartbreak even despite boarding that plane in different stages of our life and with different things happening in our countries. The last frame of her mother fainted in her father's arms as they watch Marjane leave towards a better life away from them, away from home.
"Don't ever forget who you are!"
"No. I won't ever forget."
For even the turmoil you have to endure at home even if it kills you, your home is still home.
I am very much looking forward to read the second book of the English edition.