Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

I’d been meaning to read this graphic biography for some time now — finally picked it up yesterday and am really glad that I did, as it’s fantastic. It’s the story of a girl who’s about my age — born in 1969, I guess — who lived in Iran through the Islamic Revolution before eventually moving away. In a way that’s deceptively simple, she illustrates and illuminates some of what it must be like to see one set of personal political wishes get completely overtaken by someone else’s interests. She seems to really remember what it felt like to be a kid in that situation, and her writing is thought-provoking, to say the least. I also learned some history that I hadn’t known before.

A very quick read — took a few hours — and highly recommended. Like Pyongyang,which I read a few years ago, the graphic novel quality of this memoir gives it a life and immediacy that’s wonderful, even if (or maybe because) the subject matter is so tragic.

8 comments

  1. I didn’t realize that this was a graphic novel. I just watched the animated movie last night… absolutely beautiful!

  2. I didn’t realize that this was a graphic novel. I just watched the animated movie last night… absolutely beautiful!

  3. it is an excellent book; i gave my wife the book as a gift a few years back. hopefully you’ll make it on to the second installment which is pretty good too. i really enjoy getting the “other perspective” on iran (and iraq for that matter); political climates change but hearing ms. satrapi tell it, i don’t see a lot of love between iran and iraq, despite what our government in saying. maybe we should take it with a grain of salt…this is the “smoking gun” administration. ha! what a crock of BS.

  4. it is an excellent book; i gave my wife the book as a gift a few years back. hopefully you’ll make it on to the second installment which is pretty good too. i really enjoy getting the “other perspective” on iran (and iraq for that matter); political climates change but hearing ms. satrapi tell it, i don’t see a lot of love between iran and iraq, despite what our government in saying. maybe we should take it with a grain of salt…this is the “smoking gun” administration. ha! what a crock of BS.

  5. As we were working I was perusing various blogs and saw this entry from you… well, one of my editors, Joel (Hirsch) is sitting next to me and I told him you loved the “book”… He is fanatical about the film…”There was a book?!” …haha…He is leaving the office now and going to pick it up…haha
    …and says “thanks.”

  6. As we were working I was perusing various blogs and saw this entry from you… well, one of my editors, Joel (Hirsch) is sitting next to me and I told him you loved the “book”… He is fanatical about the film…”There was a book?!” …haha…He is leaving the office now and going to pick it up…haha
    …and says “thanks.”

  7. amazing Movie it just showed what the Islamic revolution like.

  8. amazing Movie it just showed what the Islamic revolution like.