Persepolis : the story of a childhood

Good Book.!

One of the things I loved about this book was Marjane's very individual voice and how it transformed from the start of the book when she is 10 to the end, when she is 22. Ten-year-old Marjane, by the way, is about the most awesome kid I have encountered in print. She reminded me of Harper Lee's Scout, except Marjane was cuter and more hilarious. Also, more political.

Most readers are unlikely to be really conversant in 20th Iranian political history and it is absolutely fascinating to be introduced to the topic through the eyes of an impressionable child, an emotional teenager and a jaded young adult. Marjane tells her story in an intense, honest, funny and heartbreaking fashion.

The style of art is beautiful and everything is drawn in a kind of a kooky way. I though that the style reinforced that this whole story comes from one young person's distinct point of view. As in all graphic novels, the images are just as potent, if not more, than the plot itself and this is no exception.

"Persepolis" is the best book I can think of to introduce the uninitiated to the world of graphic novels. The subject matter is the polar opposite of the superhero comic stereotype and the intense, skillful storytelling will captivate even the mots doubting reader.

I adored it.

Using only black and white (no gray scale) and childlike depictions, Satrapi crafts a memoir that, on a number of levels, reflects Iranian culture in the 70s and 80s. She tackles touchy subjects like martyrdom with the candor of a child and the humor of a writer who remains unjaded by her experiences living in a repressive society. Poignant and heartfelt, it's an excellent introduction to graphic novels.

A very moving account of a young woman's growing up in Revolutionary Iran.