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

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

Review: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Reviewed by Liesl

Published: 2010

It's about: An autobiographical graphic memoir detailing Raina Telgemeier's life from 6th grade to 9th grade. When she was in 6th grade, Telgemeier tripped while chasing a friend and knocked out her two front teeth. Ouch. The following years she had to go through torturous dental procedures in order to fix her teeth, what with braces, headgear, gum problems, false teeth, root canals, realignment of her upper teeth, and that's just the teeth. She also deals with social problems with her friends and encounters with crushes and earthquakes, but Raina survives and lives to tell the tale.

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Review: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Reviewed by Liesl

Published: 2011

It's about: (Stolen from the jacket cover) Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend wasn't one of them. Especially not a new friend who's been dead for a century. Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend - even a dead one - is just what she needs. But Anya's new B.F.F. isn't kidding about the "forever" part...

I thought: Being a lover of all things comics and graphic novels, I've decided it's my sole duty to tell the rest of the world about it. Anya's Ghost, written and drawn by Vera Brosgol, is an entertaining book with minimal creepiness.

Something I love about this book is the character design. Having read a lot of comics all my life, I've ached for more variety in characters and their looks. Sometimes I have trouble identifying which characters are which because they all look the same. Brosgol succeeds here in creating characters that all look distinctly different with varying features. Some characters are dorkily endearing, and Anya's little brother has the most adorable Disney eyes I've ever seen.

Brosgol also creates excellent scenes. On her blog, she details the comic-making process (which you can read here) and says that she wants to show rather than tell, and it works. When illustrating Anya's character, she adds details such as the types of posters Anya has up in her room and the music she listens to, and it's not just limited to Anya, but to other characters. I love the pictures because it's perfect for my attention span and I'm able to notice things about characters I never would have noticed if it was written in novel format. The beauty of comics is how you can combine art with words and play around with them to really convey your message. Those were the parts where the novel really shined.

Some of the story elements felt a little cliche, like a girl trying so hard to fit in and what happens when a geeky girl brands herself into the conventional norm, but Brosgol is able to bring Anya to life and all the other characters are refreshing. Anya's Ghost is definitely worth a read.

Verdict: Stick it on the shelf.

Reading Recommendations:While this book is probably targeted more for teenagers, that never stopped me. In fact, most of the books I review on here are targeted for teenagers.

Warnings: Some swearing and questionable situations. Also, slightly scary at some parts?

Favorite excerpts:

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