Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a clever book. As well as giving a feel for life in an Iranian family it somehow manages to condense 30 years of Iranian historical events into one paperback, without seeming heavy or educational.
The story is told using stylish cartoon images and narrated by the main character Marjane, who grows up amid the political turmoil of the last days of The Shah and the Islamic Revolution.
The second theme explored by the book is the struggle faced by immigrants to make their way in a new country.
At 14 years old Marjane is sent by her parents to Austria to escape the Iran – Iraq war. The story of her difficulties in reconciling her background with the strange customs of her new home is heart breaking.
Persepolis was also made into a film. Personally I found the book more gripping, but the film is also good if you’re not a big reader.
Read More:
Iran as you don’t see it on the news: journalist Rageh Omar explores a seldom seen side of Iran in his documentary Inside Iran
Iranian blogs in Blogs of the World
Iranian author Firoozeh Dumas writes about what happened when her husband met the parents in an extract from her book Funny in Farsi
I LOVED this book. I just read it last month for a book club I belong to. I was not originally attracted to the idea of reading a graphic novel, but it is indeed “gripping” as you note above. A great read for anyone with an interest in women and international affairs.
I had exactly the same reservations as you I definitely didn’t expect to be gripped by a graphic novel. Glad you enjoyed it too!