Paperback, 352 pages
English language
Published Oct. 30, 2007 by Pantheon Books.
From inside front cover: The story of Satrapi's unforgettable childhood and coming of age within a ... loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution; of the contradictions between private and public life in a coutnry plagued by political upheaval; of her high school years in Vienna facing the trails of adolescence far from her family; of her homecoming -- both sweet and terrible; and, finally, of her self-imposed exile from her beloved homeland.
It was ok. There were interesting parts. I like reading about other cultures and how they handle what seems like impossible circumstances. But I can't say I like Marjane as portrayed in the book.
I don't really have anything profound to say, it was just nice and necessary to get a glimpse of a life in some ways very different from my own, and in others, not so much. Made me want to read more biographies, so hit me up with good ones.
The Complete Persepolis is the autobiography of a girl growing up in Iran, during the Iranian revolution, 1979. Unlike other novels I've read, it's a graphic novel; this means it mostly exists out of illustrations and has some narration and/or speech bubbles. For the reader, this means there's little room for their own imagination and fantasy, as the scene is already drawn.
The illustrations are made by differences between black and white contrast, creating figures and objects. This limits the illustrator's options in colour, as the only two "colours" available are black and white. I think the illustrator has done a great job of portraying the life experiences of Marjane, by using contrast only.
Throughout Marjane's life and thus throughout this autobiography, various topics come to order. This includes the strict Islamic Sharia laws, the identity struggle between Western and the more conservative and Islamic life of Marjane, and some …
The Complete Persepolis is the autobiography of a girl growing up in Iran, during the Iranian revolution, 1979. Unlike other novels I've read, it's a graphic novel; this means it mostly exists out of illustrations and has some narration and/or speech bubbles. For the reader, this means there's little room for their own imagination and fantasy, as the scene is already drawn.
The illustrations are made by differences between black and white contrast, creating figures and objects. This limits the illustrator's options in colour, as the only two "colours" available are black and white. I think the illustrator has done a great job of portraying the life experiences of Marjane, by using contrast only.
Throughout Marjane's life and thus throughout this autobiography, various topics come to order. This includes the strict Islamic Sharia laws, the identity struggle between Western and the more conservative and Islamic life of Marjane, and some more sensitive topics, such as child soldiers, rape, torture, and (mass) murder are discussed in this novel. It's fascinating to see how a child processes and handles the possession of knowing these R-rated topics. Occasionally there are some swearing words, which surprised me . I didn't expect swear words to appear in this novel, but since there are some other adult topics being discussed, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at adult vocabulary being used.
The book follows a chronological order, meaning the protagonist is a child in the beginning, and an adult at the end. This also makes it a "coming of age" novel, where the main character grows up and comes of age. Normally I'm not into these kind of books, however Satrapi's life is exceptional, and she has experienced things no child should've experienced. Therefore I feel like this novel has a convoluted story with complicated characters and therefore an interesting read.
The novel heavily discusses the topics about the Islam, the revolution itself, the stereotypes about Iran, integration into the Western culture, and last but not least, the identity crisis.
Satrapi has written this book because she wanted to let people know that humans are the same. No matter what culture, what background, what origins someone has, they are still human and make human mistakes. I think she has successfully gotten this message across to the reader, as I (and other readers) have seen and read how Marjane and her (childhood) friends behave the same as any other people in the West. They play, they laugh, they fight, they do anything people do in the Western culture, and more. This contradicts the popular stereotypes about Iran, where people think Iran is "a terrible place to live in".
Additionally, the book discusses identity. When Marjane moves to Austria, to live with her parents' friend, she gets to know the Western culture and lifestyle. This causes her to slowly integrate into the Western society. During her stay in Austria, she discovers the ideas about Iran people have, and starts to feel ashamed of her origin. She starts telling people she's actually from France, and she tells her first boyfriend she's from France as well. By doing this, she renounces her identity. This leads to an interesting series of events, where she feels like she doesn't belong anywhere.
In my opinion, anyone who wants to know more about the Islam, Iran, identity, Iranian revolution, or Marjane Satrapi as a person, should read this book. It contains a lot of information and details about the daily life before and after the revolution in Iran, and it shows that people in Iran are just like the people in the West. To conclude, I would give this a 5/5, as I found it very interesting to read.
I was in a state of frenzy and anxiety, unable to decide on how to get started on numerous projects that were pending for a while. So naturally, I decided to procrastinate more and picked up the first book from my bedside table, thinking to calm my mind for a few minutes.
Those few minutes turned into 3 hours as I sat obsessively with this book, forgetting to eat, drink or do anything else. The brilliant prose and the ironic humor in the face of absurdities reminded me of Kurt Vonnegut. What makes this graphic novel stand out among others is the unabashedly self-critical and honest voice of Marjane Satrapi. Loved this book to the core!
I'd recommend [b:Hyperbole and a Half|17571564|Hyperbole and a Half Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened|Allie Brosh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1409522492l/17571564.SY75.jpg|24510592] if you're interested in reading something similar.
A very interesting book. I liked the art style and thought Marjane's story was funny and sad and incredibly relatable.
Loved this book! A great personal insight the history of Tehran
Loved this story! It's about a girl growing up in a turbulent time in Iran. There is revolution, war, and self-discovery. She grows up, returns to Iran, and leaves once more. I laughed out loud many times. Eventing the theme are dark, they are relatable. Many expats and immigrants will identify with Marjane's struggles for identity. Beautiful book!
A memoir of an Iranian woman who grew up during the Iranian Revolution. I found this particularly interesting because the author is the same age as me, and I can compare and contrast my own memories of the 70s, 80s, and 90s growing up in the US with hers growing up in Iran and Austria.
Overall, I enjoyed the book both as a story and for its insights into the 'other side' of one of the bigger international stories of my childhood.
[Some spoilers ahead]
I find it interesting that her life as a refugee in Austria mimics very closely the lives of runaways of a similar age in big cities in America. I actually felt as if I'd read that part of the story many times before, from the sex and drugs to a stint as a homeless person, the only difference was the frequent contact she had with …
A memoir of an Iranian woman who grew up during the Iranian Revolution. I found this particularly interesting because the author is the same age as me, and I can compare and contrast my own memories of the 70s, 80s, and 90s growing up in the US with hers growing up in Iran and Austria.
Overall, I enjoyed the book both as a story and for its insights into the 'other side' of one of the bigger international stories of my childhood.
[Some spoilers ahead]
I find it interesting that her life as a refugee in Austria mimics very closely the lives of runaways of a similar age in big cities in America. I actually felt as if I'd read that part of the story many times before, from the sex and drugs to a stint as a homeless person, the only difference was the frequent contact she had with her family back in Iran.
Excellent window into the life of someone much different from myself. I learned a lot about Iran I didn't know. This book is a must-read if you think Iran is nothing more than bearded despots and screaming fanatics.
Excellent insight into a culture many Americans know nothing about told in a fun and interesting formatted graphic novel. Having watched the movie shortly after it came out and now read the book I have come to love Marjane Satrapi's story telling and autobiographical narrative style. An excellent read for all who want to learn more about Iranian culture was well as women's views on the Middle East.
Charming.
Eye-opening graphic novel about growing up in Iran. The film based on this book is less graphic.
