Review: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Review: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi

Posted by Liesl at 12:54 PM

Reviewed by Liesl

Published: 2004

It's about: (Hi, Amazon - thanks, Amazon) Marji tells of her life in Iran from the age of 10, when the Islamic revolution of 1979 reintroduced a religious state, through the age of 14 when the Iran-Iraq war forced her parents to send her to Europe for safety. This story, told in graphic format with simple, but expressive, black-and-white illustrations, combines the normal rebelliousness of an intelligent adolescent with the horrors of war and totalitarianism. Marji's parents, especially her freethinking mother, modeled a strong belief in freedom and equality, while her French education gave her a strong faith in God. Her Marxist-inclined family initially favored the overthrow of the Shah, but soon realized that the new regime was more restrictive and unfair than the last. The girl's independence, which made her parents both proud and fearful, caused them to send her to Austria. With bold lines and deceptively uncomplicated scenes, Satrapi conveys her story.

I thought: If you want to learn about a different culture - and I mean REALLY learn, not just look at the highlights of history - don't read something written by someone who has studied it but never lived it. Read something by someone who knows exactly what they're talking about and why things are the way they are. Persepolis is the perfect type of book for that. It is able to portray both the good and the bad, to show more about Iran than just what is shown on the news.

I loved reading about Marji. Her character was lively and interesting: sometimes rebellious, other times religious, sometimes acting on blind faith, but always full of love for her parents and friends. I liked watching her be rebellious and I liked all the conversations she had with God when she was about 10. Marji had a very unique perspective of life, and Satrapi was able to capture the childlike perspective very well without weighing it down with sentimentality.

The art style is a very simple style, which sometimes had me confusing the characters. Still, it was told very effectively and Satrapi inserted some humor into the illustrations as well.

This book was not easy for me to read. There were several times where I had to put the book down and just sit and try not to be to distraught, or maybe get up and do something else. It was a sad and horrifying book, what with her depictions of torture and violence, but I was determined to read about the Islamic revolution in Iran and because of Marjane's statement at the beginning of the book, I wanted to read it for her. So despite the difficulty of it, I was able to finish the book and I don't regret it for a minute.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf.

Reading Recommendations: I think it is beneficial for anyone to read this, but I also caution the highly sensitive, being sensitive myself.

Warnings: Disturbing depictions of torture, swearing, violence, mentions of rape

Favorite excerpts:

What I'm reading next: Still The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse - almost done

Comments (28)

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talyawren 13p · 706 weeks ago

wonderful review of this important book. I hear there was an animation done of this story but have yet to see it.
If you haven't read Embroideries, I would recommend it; although it has sensitive moments, as well, just the same I don't recall them as being strongly depicted. Embroideries has been hit or miss with fans of Persepolis, but I found the glimpse into Satrapi's world/past fascinating--especially this female world.

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1 reply · active 706 weeks ago

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Hooked on Books · 706 weeks ago

I remember reading this book in a history class in university and being absolutely engrossed with it. It made me realize just how much I don't know about Iran/Iraq history. I think it's an excellent introduction to an important piece of history and it definitely influenced me to find out more.

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1 reply · active 706 weeks ago

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stinavw 80p · 706 weeks ago

Yes! Great review of one of my favorites. The pages you posted were some of my favorite parts, too. And I agree that Persepolis a great way to learn about the history of Iran. Do you think you'll read the second part? I liked it almost as much as the first. And I'd definitely recommend seeing the movie, too, if you haven't already.

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2 replies · active 705 weeks ago

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Sam @ Tiny Library · 706 weeks ago

I'm glad you enjoyed it because it's one of my favourites. The second part is just as good, if you get the chance to read it.

And like Stina, I recommend the film. It's very true to the style and heart of the book.

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1 reply · active 706 weeks ago

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Man of la Book · 706 weeks ago

Wonderful review to a wonderful book. By the way, there is a movie by the same name and in the same style as the book - fantastic also.

http://www.ManOfLaBook.com

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1 reply · active 706 weeks ago

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everybookandcranny 27p · 705 weeks ago

Thanks for reminding me that I really need to read this. I've been so absorbed in my classics reading that I've almost totally neglected graphic novels - I haven't read any yet this year. I need to remedy that.

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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parrishlantern 39p · 705 weeks ago

I read this book due to a review of the film, I saw the BBC program The Culture Show. It was my first graphic novel & despite the subject matter I loved this book & I think I said that I sprinted through it like an Olympic athlete on banned substances. Great post thanks.

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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Jack · 705 weeks ago

After reading this book for my college class I would first like to say i thought it was a very good read. Secondly I disagree with the OP in saying that to view another country during a time of conflict and really learn about it, it must be a first had account. Yes, Satrapi has a very strong perspective in the revolution, it is by no means the correct view. I do not mean to bash the book by any means, but there are just as many supporters for the regime as those apposed to it. Some people in the conflict were torn between the two causes just like many Americans face issues between Dems and Reps. Each side may hold something of value to you but you need to decide what issues are the most important. Many people backed the regime not for the Fundamentalist views, but for the idea of an Iran free of foreign control. So while i do believe this book is a great sample of a girl who grew up during a time of turmoil, she also grew up with different values than other families.

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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Katy · 705 weeks ago

When I was assigned to read this book for my first college class, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had never read a graphic novel before, and tended to equate the style with children's comic books. I wondered how this type of literature would portray such a serious topic. As soon as I began this book, however, all of my doubts vanished. I was immediately drawn in by Satrapi's "bold lines an deceptively uncomplicated scenes," as Liesel puts it. I feel that the illustrations Satrapi uses allows her to show, rather than tell, her story, as well as contributing to the childlike perspective present throughout most of the memoir. If I didn't before, I now realize the value that graphic novels have.

Regarding the content itself, I was blown away by the power of Satrapi's writing -- it is so simple and yet so moving. Persepolis showed me my own ignorance; I knew next to nothing about the Iranian revolution before reading this, and I agree with Liesel when she says this book is a useful way to learn about other cultures and perspectives. Jack, I also agree with you that Satrapi's viewpoint is only her perspective on the revolution; I'm sure that there are many more aspects to consider before we can claim to truly understand. Nonetheless, I definitely believe that Satrapi makes Iranian culture and knowledge about the Revolution more accessible to more people than it would have been before. Overall, I feel that Persepolis was an extremely valuable, enlightening read, and I would recommend it.

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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Sara · 705 weeks ago

I recently read this book in a college class and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it and how much it made me think about certain things. It specifically made me think about how being apart of two different societies affects a person, because in the book Marjane Satrapi is a part of her Iranian culture but she also immerses herself into the culture of Austria. Once she has lived in both societies she gained more of an understanding of each, but what bothers me, I suppose, is that once someone is a part of more than one society, they don't really belong anywhere...

On another note, I'm not one to enjoy reading history, but the way that this was presented helped me to learn about a subject that I probably never would have picked up a textbook to read about. I think the reason why I enjoyed it so much because there was so much to the book. One could just simply read the words for what they are but there is so much meaning behind the words that Marjane Satrapi chooses for us to read. Also, the pictures whether simple or complex also have an in depth meaning, and I enjoyed discovering these. The pictures definitely make the book for me.

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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Kayla · 705 weeks ago

After reading this book, my eyes were opened to a new and different style of writing. The first bit of praise I have to offer is that the idea of writing this as a graphic novel was a stroke of brilliance. The topic of the revolution in Iran is a depressing and gruesome one, but at many parts of the story, the pictures had me laughing out loud. I really appreciated her sense of humor and how she incorporated real human spirit into a subject that could so easily turn nasty. Another thing that I really loved about this book was how Satrapi used her words and the pictures to compliment each other. Overall, I think that she wanted the pictures to have the power and the words to only facilitate the plot. She did an excellent job of this. The pictures had the power, but the words were powerful in their own right simply because she chose to stray away from the pictures; if Satrapi used any words at all, it meant that they must be important. Indeed, I felt as though there was no insignificant word, picture, or page. The fact that Satrapi used the voice of a ten-year-old at the beginning of the novel made it that much better. It again added comic relief, but it also provided the audience with insight into how the constant presence of war affects children. By the end of the novel, it seemed as though Marji was almost desensitized to violence and that in and of itself is scary. I think it is important that this novel is exposed to high school students and is even brought into the classroom. I know that I learned a lot about not only the culture of Iran, but also how to read a different kind of writing and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Thank you, Persepolis!

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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Maren · 705 weeks ago

Like many others, I read this book for my college seminar class. I had read a graphic novel before, but was amazed once again by how powerful they can be. When reading a book, every word and feeling is spelled out for you. In this novel, the lack of words and pictures are the things that spark emotion. Kayla, I agree with you that Satrapi wanted the pictures to have the power. One of the most powerful pages in my mind was right after Marji found out Baba- Levy’s house had been destroyed. The captain reads, “No scream in the world could have relieved my suffering and my anger”. The box is pitch black. The solid color and concise words caused more emotion and sadness then I would have ever felt while reading a novel.

I agree with Lies! when he/she states that this book is an excellent account of the good and the bad from someone who has lived through the history. I agree with Jack and Katy when they say that there are more views then the one Satrapi describes. While you should consider many different accounts to understand history, this book is an excellent example of a young girl growing up in Tehran during this time and should be recommended to all.

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago

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IngridLola14 79p · 705 weeks ago

Did you guys get extra credit for commenting here or something? So many long comments!

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Jen · 705 weeks ago

When I first received the book I was a little excited by my misconception that this would be an easy read (due to the fact that it has pictures). As soon as I started reading it however I realized that the drawings aren't meant to be any easier to undertand than words, they just tell a story in a different way. For me, Satrapi's decision to turn her story into a graphic novel demonstrates the fact that she was a child throughout most of her story. The pictures add a certain dimension that sometimes words cannot account for. For example, there is a part in the book where Satrapi goes from describing a mass attack of some sort to describing herself at a party. The young Marjane was wearing "a sweater of holes". It's easy to look over those words and keep reading, but if you really analyze it you can infer that Satrapi was not only aware of her seemingly strange decision to parallel those two thoughts, but she makes a statement about the lives Iranian teenagers led by comparing her sweater to the bullet wounds of the soldiers (the message being that these children are so accustomed to war that they can party at the same time that their peers are losing their lives).

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1 reply · active 704 weeks ago