Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
- ISBN13: 9780375714573
- Condition: New
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Product DescriptionA New York Times Notable Booka Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year” A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times best seller Wise, funny and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran between the ages of 6-14, years, until the fall of the Shah regime, the triumph of the Isl. . . Read more>>
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I read tonight Press Policy.
I mean everything. I started it after dinner, and just finished 153rd on the page. For those of you who have read or should I say “experienced” this work would not be surprised. For those of you who do not, consider it a high-legend. I had other plans for my night. . .
. . I had my doubts about this work. Despite the rave reviews, I’ve never even read a comic. This, combined with the fact that at first glance, it worked great. . . Well, silly?
Oh shame! Marjane Satrapi has made an apology to convert out of me.
Persepolis is the story of one girls experience during the fall of the Shah of Iran, the ensuing Islamic Revolution (including Stalin as “cleansing”) and the war with Iraq. Only it is not told in clear text, but a picture in a cartoon style.
A history buff myself, I have an above average awareness of the historical goings in this period. However, told in this unorthodox style, with photos, through the creative and emotional eyes of a child, the “facts” was a liveliness and color for me as never before. The human side of the story had so much more sense and seemed to a deeper understanding and impression in my mind than most accounts.
When I was wondering what is so fascinating about this book I thought of Edward Tufte. He is a renowned professor and researcher on information graphically. I went to a seminar with him. He passionately explained the concept of neural bandwidth, and how most text and graphics clearly not benefit from the enormous power of our mind. The pictures in Persepolis, Marjane with rich historical account seemed to take advantage of that latent neural ability. For me, it strengthened and reached something of an emotional critical mass of understanding that few books.
So as I said, I am a convert. I just ordered her other work “The Story of a Return”. Only this time, I have a nice bottle of wine, and no plans for the night.
Enjoy,
Christian Hunter, Santa Barbara, California
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 7:31 am
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Persepolis is a graphic memoir of the author, who saw the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war as a child in the years 1970 and 1980. It is told in the beautiful black and white graphic language in a cartoon in which simple pictures to communicate strong feelings, much better than words can. But
Persepolis is the story of a whole generation of young Iranians who have left in search of better conditions during the post-revolutionary era. I belong to this generation, myself and I completely identified with the experience, continued Ms Satrapi’s childhood in post-revolutionary Iran, its description of the Iranian society at the time of her exile in Austria, also in the volumes 2 & , 3 (already existed in French).
Although intended as a comic, the book has messages that are not childish in nature: the child through naive ness of view, points out that many of the contradictions in Iranian society that adults are not prepared to face.
It is also one of the rare unbiased personal accounts of what happened in Iran at the time of evolution and as such is an interesting document about this period of Iranian history.
(It certainly contains more information about Iran and its people than the rubbish posted on most channels).
Some readers (including reviews posted here) criticized this book because it is not a realistic description of Iran. Although I totally disagree with these criticisms, the main point is that Persepolis is NOT a history book or a sociological study. It is a story that a history of childhood and the author has never claimed that it is different.
I definitely recommend this book, the first all Iranians who live abroad, especially those not raised in Iran and not
experience of the revolution and then to all the readers who are interested in a man insider’s view of what the Iranian society was like in the early 1980s.
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 8:06 am
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At last this gem comes to us in America, after raking in the prizes in Europe. Not only is it a very topical and revealing look at everyday life in Iran, it is also a very personal, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-rending part of the life of a remarkable woman. There is really nothing, it’s true. I gave a copy to all my friends, many of whom never read graphic novels or comics, but they all agree: this is something special. It is not suitable for children themselves, because the image of torture and violence and other adult themes, you can expect in a society under the yoke of Islamic fundamentalist regime de. But for everyone else, I highly recommend Persepolis.
It is an extraordinary childhood memories that ranks with Angela’s Ashes for its depth and authenticity. This will be an eternal life.
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 8:33 am
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In “Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi,” writes a fascinating and moving memoir of her childhood in Iran, a country plagued by insurrection, war and political and cultural upheaval. She has this graphic autobiography as a tribute to her beloved Iran and as a reminder to those who suffered, died or fled their homeland because of war and oppression. She says “you can forgive, but we must never forget.”
The story opens at Satrapi’s birth during the reign of the Shah, and follows her life through a revolution of Iran, his conversion to an Islamic regime and the war with Iraq. A precocious child of a progressive activist parents, she has witnessed the complexities and contradictions in the Iranian daily life, both private and public. She remembers the first day of the girls are forced to wear veils at school. Through innocent eyes of a child, she describes her fear of prison torture, and execution of friends, family and neighbors, like the bombing, repression and intimidation is a part of the fabric of her life. Despite the unrest, is a typical young writer who takes risks to be forbidden by rock star posters, participants, wearing jewelry and jeans, and arguing politics with her teachers. Above all, she is a spicy and sweet child who looks for Freedom, where they can show and manages to win over its restrictive environments.
The illustrations provide a simple but powerful statement of the events in the life of the author. Many of the drawings has a dream-like quality to the emotional power of joy, sorrow, violence and familial love that accentuates Satrapi experiences. This touching story reminds me of Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. “I would recommend both excellent coming-of age stories in the tumultuous foreign institutions.
Eileen Rieback
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 10:49 am
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Challenged by reading traditional memories that will only give you a vague idea of what it means to live in a foreign country? Please no more! Marjane Satrapi’s book about growing up during the Iranian revolution is charming, witty, well-designed and something you take in one sitting. Ms. Satrapi is a constant in everyone’s childhood (her memories would become a prophet is hilarious), but also his unique voice and identity as the daughter of the liberal Iranians whose views ultimately thwarted by the new regime was launched after the 1979 revolution. Even if you have an interest in Iranian history have not / politics, I guarantee you this book to enjoy!
Posted on July 27, 2010 at 12:23 pm