Rating: 
Summary: "Too much!" :)
Review: I don't give 5 stars easily. But I just loved this book too much. And what's weird is that I don't exactly know why. Maybe it's because it's funny in an unexpected sort of a way-- so the impact is stronger. Or perhaps it's because it tells a story that has become "taboo" because of the stupid games our political establishments play. It's also the way it honors the real heroes of the Iranian revolution: The Communists who never stopped believing in "The Revolution" even when it was so clearly hijacked by the religious right; the women who refused to wear the veil; the lost generation of poor child-soldiers sent to the killing fields of the Iran-Iraq war; and so many others. Some critics have been comparing this to Maus. I think from an artistic standpoint Maus is clearly superior, but nothing else. Overall Persepolis is a much more significant accomplishment-- more fluid, more dynamic, more heart-felt. (The last frame still makes me cry.)
Rating:
Summary: Graphic Magic
Review: Read Satrapi's "Persepolis." Graphic novels like Satrapi have raised the standard for a genre formerly reserved for lighter, pulpier subjects. In recent years, we have seen -and hopefully read- "Palestine" by Joe Sacco, and "Safe Area Gorazde," by the same author (about the war in Bosnia); "Berlin" by Jason Lutes, and of course the masterful "Maus" by Art Spiegelman.
What is it about the cartoon art employed by these writers/illustrators that makes their subjects approachable and meaningful at the same time? Perhaps the genre has to go under another name, a new one, especially since the subject matter by each artist is linked to the other by its gravity: the Holocaust, the Iranian Revolution, the Palestinian Situation, the Bosnian War. Poignant scenes have been etched in ink; families torn away within the confines of a comic book panel; victims' screams emitted through dialogue balloons. The subjects are far from being trivialized.
Rating:
Summary: The Iranian revolution viewed by a little girl: touching!
Review: PERSEPOLIS is a graphical autobiography of the author, who experienced the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war as a child in the 1970s and 1980s. It is told in the beatiful black and white graphical language of a comic strip where simple pictures communicate strong feelings, much better than words could. But PERSEPOLIS is also the story or a whole generation of young Iranians, who left their land in the quest of better conditions during the post-revolutionary era. I belong to this generation myself and I totally identified with the experiences Ms SATRAPI went through- her childhood in post revolutionary Iran, her description of Iranian society at the time, her exile in Austria- also in the volumes 2 & 3 (which already appeared in French). Though conceived as a comic book, the book has messages which are not childish in nature: the child, through the naiveness of her views, points out to many of the contradictions of Iranian society that adults are unwilling to face. It is also one of the rare unbiased personal accounts of what happened in Iran at the time of ther evolution and as such, is an interesting document on this period of Iranian history.
(It certainly contains more information on Iran and its people than the junk broadcasted on most TV channels). Some readers (including reviews posted here) criticize this book for not being a realistic description of Iran. Though I totally disagree with this criticism, the main point is that PERSEPOLIS is NOT a history book nor a sociological study. It is a story, the story of a childhood and the author has never claimed it to be otherwise. I definitely recommend this book, first to all Iranians who live abroad, especially those who did not grow up in Iran and did not
experience the revolution, and then to all readers interested in getting a human, insider view of what Iranian society was like in the early 1980s.
Rating:
Summary: An easy read, yet gripping
Review: Persepolis is a fast read, due to the comic strip style. However, it is gripping, and for those who see Iranis in a 2-dimensional fashion: ayatollahs and hostage takers, because of recent history, this book will prove if need be that people are varied everywhere, and any type of dictatorship will bring out the worst in some. There is humor, but the story is certainly far from funny.
Rating:
Summary: Very nostolgic
Review: This story is nicely depicting the true events happening in Iran after revolution. I, as a person who grew up with the same situation, totally enjoyed reading this book.
I strongly recommended to every Iranian who has left Iran, and been through the bloody war.
Rating:
Summary: Smart, Funny, and Tragic
Review: Persepolis is strong medicine. Its artwork affected my emotions with an intensity that belied its simplicity. Perhaps it's the careful way the characters' eyes are shown to be looking in exactly the right place. Persepolis is soaked in tragedy, as one might expect of any memoir of this time and place. It is also very funny, in spite of the frequent human anguish. My favorite panel: "Punk was in, I was looking sharp." What makes Persepolis more than a dreary history lesson is little Marjane and her brave, humane family. Marjane confronts an increasingly oppressive society and bleak future with an irrepressible spirit. I hope the sequel is translated soon, so we can find out what happened after she went to Austria.
Rating:
Summary: History, Humour and Heartache
Review: Never before have I read a graphic novel that moved me through so many emotions in such a short amount of time. Satrapi writes about and draws her adolescence in Iran during the country's periods of the revolution and war. She also allows us to see how she was feeling at those times (mostly, it seems, she was feeling rebellious). She tells us what it's like for females to suddenly be forced to wear a veil when outside their homes. She covers some of her own amazing family history (her great-grandfather was Iran's last emperor). She also talks of Iran's war with Iraq in the early 80's and it's only too relevant to our current events. What's more, she's funny. Watching "Marji" as a little girl in the book, re-acting to situations as only a little girl would, you're able to sympathize, if not empathize. I saw Satrapi speak at this year's Book Expo America and I walked away with a with a feeling that this woman is part artist, part rebel, part humanitarian and part historian. She's also very very funny. When asked whether or not she's want a movie based on her memoir, she said [heavy French accent], "No, I don't think so. I think they would make it too much like 'Never Without my Daughter'." Right now, she's working on a sequel to Persepolis. You should read this.
Rating:
Summary: A So True Storey of a Nation
Review: This book is an amazing memoir that very simply even narrates the most delicate points. I personally do not agree with the revolution part . It has bee totally her personal experience and understanding that all the people in Iran were happy the time that Shah left and revolution succeeded and I do not agree. But after the revolution took place . Oof .. I go so well with the book. I can imagine each single moment of it . The most touching part was the last page when the book fell off my hands as I was crying bitterly! It was the storey of me in Mehrabad airport, You in Mehrabad airport , any body who had to leave the country, home and the warmth of the kindest parents in the world for the sake of a brighter, more optimitic future as a youngster .. which in turn is the destiny of a generation in Iran.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping memoir
Review: Satrapi's story of her childhood during the Islamic revolution is an engaging tale of teenage rebellion and precocious moral awareness that forms the backbone of a larger history Iran. Satrapi does an excellent job of providing a historical timeline that highlights the key events leading up to the revolution and, in the opinion of this reviewer, accurately criticizes virtually all the major players for the wrongs they committed. Persepolis is in some ways a fusion of Joe Sacco's "Palestine" and Sattareh Farman Farmaian's "Daughter of Persia." Satrapi's woodcut-style illustrations fit the simplified narrative. The graphic novel format makes Persepolis an easy read - something you can pass off to a friend that won't take more than a couple of hours of their time.
Rating:
Summary: More than a personal memoir
Review: The fundamental flaw of most comic books is the writing. While the art is often stunning, the stories are not as compelling and leave me disappointed. Persepolis does not suffer from this flaw in the least. The art is reminiscent of Maus inasmuch as it is minimally drawn, reminding one of hieratics at times. Intensifying the impact of the simple images is writing that is profoundly touching. Marjane Satrapi's writing is minimalistic but moving, like her drawings. The story reads with an authenticity that is undeniably the voice of someone who is testifying, not hypothesizing. This is the only comic/illustrated book that ever made me want to cry. It is worth your time.
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