Rating: 
Summary: Bring on the sequel!
Review: PERSEPOLIS is what has come to be known as a "graphic novel." In its purist form, a graphic novel is a story told through sequential art. A friend of mine, upon receiving a copy of THE ROAD TO PERDITION that I sent to him, called me and exclaimed in delight, "I didn't know they had these things! It's like a comic book!" And yes, it is. When it's well done, it's not as easy as it looks and not simply something for lazy readers. You must have an excellent writer, a sensitive illustrator, and empathy between them to make it work.Marjane Satrapi demonstrates her writing and artistic skills in PERSEPOLIS, which tells the story of Satrapi's early childhood, with the main focus being on her life from age ten through fourteen, from 1980 through 1984. Those were particularly turbulent years for Satrapi's native country of Iran, encompassing the overthrow of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran), the installation of the Islamic Republic, and the war with Iraq. The story is told entirely through the eyes of Satrapi, the child, and how these events affected her parents, her relatives, her friends, and herself. In her introduction to PERSEPOLIS, Satrapi notes that writing this book was so important to her since her native country is associated with fundamentalism, fanaticism and terrorism; she does not want the entire nation judged, in her words, upon the actions of a few extremists. She additionally does not want the victims of these actions to be forgotten. In this, she succeeds: Satrapi's stark black and white images cast an appropriate and memorable gloom over her story. PERSEPOLIS has been compared to MAUS, and certainly Satrapi's topic is somewhat similar, but her artistic style is closer to that of Los Bros Hernandez, whose brilliant LOVE AND ROCKETS is sadly missed. While Satrapi's artistic technique tends toward the spare, she wrings every possible emotion out of each drawing, communicating with a few strokes and shades what might otherwise take paragraphs, or even pages of words. When, for instance, she learns of the execution of her favorite uncle at the hands of the Islamic Republic, her reaction, her emotional devastation, is communicated ever so eloquently in a single, stark panel. It is almost anti-climactic when she rejects the personification of God afterward. Even the images of playtime and recreation --- those things that we here in the United States take for granted --- are subtlety infused with somber overtones. PERSEPOLIS ends with Satrapi's parents sending her to Austria to avoid the repercussions of the Islamic government. One is left wondering what became of Satrapi and her parents. Satrapi is reportedly working on a sequel to PERSEPOLIS, which undoubtedly will be most welcomed by readers of this volume. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating: 
Summary: An unusual childhood
Review: I read an interview with the author in the New York Times and decided to look for this book when it was published. I wasn't disappointed. Satrapi begins with a brief history of Iran from the last millenium up until 1969. Her life and historical events become very intertwined from that point on. As the book progresses, you get the feeling that the pictures she draws are the closest thing to what she remembers, and this book is as much for her as it is for the reader. There are a lot of political issues covered in the book, but again it is done in the perspective of how it affected this girl's home life. Nor are the issues clear cut, and some American readers might find this perplexing. Satrapi and her family were opposed to the Shah, to American and British imperialism, as well as to the Islamic Revolution. War is portrayed as a noisy, fear-inducing monster without a face that can mislead boys towards dismal fates and reduce a neighbor into a strip of flesh wrapped up with a turquoise bracelet. In the end what the reader is left with is a very creative woman's effort to record the memories of her childhood and share them with anyone who cares. I can't wait to read the sequel!
Rating:
Summary: A heroic book
Review: This book tells the story of a young girl growing up in Iran variously under the Shah and then the Ayatollah. Using cartoon drawings to convey the message of struggle and survival against persecution this book will open your eyes to the truth behind the Mullahs and the Islamic law that was forced upon the people of Iran in 1979 after the Shah and his regime was deposed. The story follows the young girl as she is forced to wear a viel and 'modest' full body black robes and then as se is barred from being educated with the boys and she witnesses the suppression of women as her mother, who had a good job and a college education, is forced to wear the same 'modest' clothing and forced to stay home. But this is a story of strength and perseverance against a tyrannical government. This is in the tradition of Maus, in that it incorporates cartoons to tell the story of struggle through through the eyes of a child. A must read for anyone interested in Iran or the affects of Sharia law upon society and for anyone interested in the status of women. Seth J. Frantzman
Rating:
Summary: Iran through the eyes of innocence
Review: This autobiography of a girl growing up in revolutionary Iran is at times heart-wrenching, and at times heart-warming. Satrapi presents her memories growing up during the revolutionary Iran in comic-book form, uniquely illustrating the powerful emotions that she felt. Satrapi was only 9 years old when the revolution began, and she tells the powerful story of her family's life as revolutionaries before the Shah, welcoming his ouster. They soon become concerned, realizing that the revolution was not one of freedom, but a revolution of a different kind of totalitarianism. The story continues with the patriotic feelings of her family during the Iraq-Iran War, as her society struggles to survive. That patriotism soon gives way to anger and fear, as her own life is threatened by the fundamentalist regime, when the rebellious values her parents instilled in her lead her to disobey the decrees issued by the government. Her book stays away from sensationalism, focusing on its presentation through the eyes of a 9-year-old girl. The innocence that Satrapi communicates through her memories allows one to take a fresh look at the current situation in Iran.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful book.
Review: Definitely one of the most unique and interesting books i've ever read. There are a lot of ways to tell a story, and this was actually one of the most touching perspectives on the iranian revolution I've ever read. As an iranian american, I always hear stories from my parents/relatives/acquaintances on what happened - events leading up to the revolution - and life in iran afterwards - but how often do you hear the story from that 12 yr old's voice? There were a lot of funny episodes that made me laugh out loud...and a lot of parts where you feel genuine empathy for her. There were some very sweet moments with marjane's uncle or grandmother where you actually feel that connection and can relate it to yourself. Marjane shows the effects of the revolution on her family and day to day life...seeing friends drafted or imprisoned - and witnessing many fleeing to America. It's a story that we've all seen and heard (and is not unique to Iranians) yet it's refreshing and bittersweet at the same time. She keeps the story alive and light with her mishaps at school, with friends, and with her childhood adventures. I loved this book. It's a quick read, but that comic-book format of it will actually make the story and images really stay in your mind.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and Touching Read
Review: I read this book recently and found it imposible to put it down, I finished reading the first time I picked it up. The author does an excellent job in telling and illustrating Iran's contemporary history, and she does so -I think- quite objectibly, squaring blame not only on the major powers for their share on Iran's internal repression, but also on Iranians themselves. This type of self-examination is a rare thing in Muslim countries, where local media is coerced by the local government or which panders to victimization of Muslims and/or demonization of the West. Ms. Satrapi paints herself, no doubt, in the best light; as a curious, precocious, insightful child, who sometimes sounds too irreverent and self-aware for a 10 year old. Yet this is perhaps the most compelling aspect of Persepolis, she looks at a complex political transition as a child, yet without sounding over-simplistic. It brought together several key ideas I had read in other more technical books about the Islamic Revolution. She weighs the conflicting messages (so harmful to a child's self-esteem) she received from her parents and society and finds a way to navigate through them. Her parents are middle class idealistic leftists who call for 'equality' but who nevertheless spend vacations in Europe and more or less spoil her. On one ocassion she gets advise from her mother about the need to forgive one's enemies, a few pages later she calls for death to those who tortured her brother in jail. The author, as a child, is besieged by these polarities. Her parents had also welcomed the Islamic Revolution, as secular Iranians did, for the unity they could provide while hoping/expecting their influence to dissipate after the Shah was deposed.
Ms. Satrapi lets the reader understand that she was far from under-priviledged in post-revolutionary Iran. She and her friends find ways to be 'cool' in spite of the vice control police that roamed the city. One understands then that no one, no matter how rich, was safe from the repression that ensued. Her father is harassed for drinking alcohol and she for wearing 'punk' (a.k.a Nike) tennis shoes. At some point her parents have to smuggle posters for her, which would have otherwise been confiscated at the airport by customs (how she thought that Iron Maiden only had four members is beyond me, but we'll let that one go!)
A complaint is that the storming of the American embassy only gets a cursory glance. Surely the tension that aroused from this would have been part of her everyday life, because of the international crisis it provoked, not to mention the failed American military Operation ('Eagleclaw') to rescue them. I also expected her to criticize the hostage takeover. She didn't. A minor glitch is the story of her uncle, a communist who was exiled to Russia, at some point in his story one is not sure whether he was detained by the police in Russia or in Iran (?).
Yet it is the Islamic Revolution who gets the block of her criticism. She tells examples of how the revolution killed the same revolutionaries who midwifed it to life, her uncle included. How even early on, it had become more repressive than the Shah had been. This book will benefit those whose only image of Iran (as another reviewer eloquently remarked) is that of terrosists and hostage takers. This book gives a human face to a struggle and repression that most Americans cannot fathom, and in the end, shows us that we are not all that different. Most of all, it paints a picture of life in a regime that stiffles the very air out of its people. A regime this reader hopes is on its last leg, and one whose repression has -contrary to what many believe- made Iran a country where popular support for the West is unparalled.
Don't let the less than perfect score discourage you, this is a funny, uplifting and touching work, truly from the heart. What a wonderful book.
Rating:
Summary: Bring on the sequel!
Review: PERSEPOLIS is what has come to be known as a "graphic novel." In its purist form, a graphic novel is a story told through sequential art. A friend of mine, upon receiving a copy of THE ROAD TO PERDITION that I sent to him, called me and exclaimed in delight, "I didn't know they had these things! It's like a comic book!" And yes, it is. When it's well done, it's not as easy as it looks and not simply something for lazy readers. You must have an excellent writer, a sensitive illustrator, and empathy between them to make it work. Marjane Satrapi demonstrates her writing and artistic skills in PERSEPOLIS, which tells the story of Satrapi's early childhood, with the main focus being on her life from age ten through fourteen, from 1980 through 1984. Those were particularly turbulent years for Satrapi's native country of Iran, encompassing the overthrow of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran), the installation of the Islamic Republic, and the war with Iraq. The story is told entirely through the eyes of Satrapi, the child, and how these events affected her parents, her relatives, her friends, and herself. In her introduction to PERSEPOLIS, Satrapi notes that writing this book was so important to her since her native country is associated with fundamentalism, fanaticism and terrorism; she does not want the entire nation judged, in her words, upon the actions of a few extremists. She additionally does not want the victims of these actions to be forgotten. In this, she succeeds: Satrapi's stark black and white images cast an appropriate and memorable gloom over her story. PERSEPOLIS has been compared to MAUS, and certainly Satrapi's topic is somewhat similar, but her artistic style is closer to that of Los Bros Hernandez, whose brilliant LOVE AND ROCKETS is sadly missed. While Satrapi's artistic technique tends toward the spare, she wrings every possible emotion out of each drawing, communicating with a few strokes and shades what might otherwise take paragraphs, or even pages of words. When, for instance, she learns of the execution of her favorite uncle at the hands of the Islamic Republic, her reaction, her emotional devastation, is communicated ever so eloquently in a single, stark panel. It is almost anti-climactic when she rejects the personification of God afterward. Even the images of playtime and recreation --- those things that we here in the United States take for granted --- are subtlety infused with somber overtones. PERSEPOLIS ends with Satrapi's parents sending her to Austria to avoid the repercussions of the Islamic government. One is left wondering what became of Satrapi and her parents. Satrapi is reportedly working on a sequel to PERSEPOLIS, which undoubtedly will be most welcomed by readers of this volume. --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Rating:
Summary: A view of Iran's revolution with the wisdom of a child
Review: This graphic novel is a masterpiece along the lines of Maus. The medium helps convey the naive views of a child living through the Iranian revolution. The outcome is a brillaintly subjective telling of a period of history and people that frequently gets oversimplified in a black and white world. There are moral questions that do not fit so easily into clear right or wrong. Is the corrupt government supported by the West really that much better than what was promissed by the revolution? And what went wrong with the revolution? Why is Iran the one middle eastern country besides Israel that has a pro-US street despite everthing? Tough questions, but the book provides good clues. The book is a very easy read, but delivers a stirring impact. You'll find yourself finishing it in a matter of days, loaning it to a friend, and receiving it back within a week.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book! How could anyone not read it ?!
Review: How truthful and delicate! I wish we could read history and political views from a child's point of view more often. Though the author's charm made me laugh at times, I cried wholeheartedly at the human tragedies. It was a cleansing experience. The author was looking back at a life millions of people were forced to live. The author was living a life I used to live. The author was me with a different name and face.
Rating:
Summary: un capolavoro
Review: Leggete Persepolis non soltanto per conoscere la storia degli ultimi 50 anni dell'Iran, ma anche per abbandonare ogni pregiudizio su un medium che non serve a raccontare solo storie per bambini!!!
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