Title: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Published: Pantheon Books, New York
Pages: 153
Yearly Count: 28
The beginning of a story, a story of one little girl and what surrounds her. She is an Iranian, a Persian growing up in time of political unrest, societal insecurities and confusion of religion and law. Marjane conveys through the eyes of a child, what she felt, what she had to hold in and what happened when she didn't. To see all the horrors through the eyes of a little girl make them more real, more vivid and even more horrible.
This graphic novel was amazing to read, this was my first graphic novel experience and I loved the drawings to go along with the writing. Both the storyline and the art tied together to make the work a complete whole, and completely a five star read. I highly recommend it, and enjoyed learning more of the nation of Iran and its struggles. Not only is it about the nation, but it is mostly about one family and their interactions and how each political and religious decision affects them. Immediately when I finished the first book I grabbed up the sequel: Persepolis 2: The Story of Return.
Author: Marjane Satrapi
Publisher: Pantheon Books, New York
Pages: 187
Yearly Count: 29
Persepolis 2 shows the confusion of a child-now-teen who had to live in complete strictness and severity. Marjane heads to Germany and is on her own. She will live through such solitude and a sense of abandonment. Because of these feelings she turns to fillers, things and activities that will take the place, but fillers never work. She finds herself alone, embarrassed and someone she doesn't even know or recognize anymore, life must improve. This second half to me was a search for herself, Marjane had lived in order and control in Iran, and then moved to Germany where she was free to make choices...what she became made her fearful.
I enjoyed the second of the Persepolis books, but it seemed a little too introspective to me. I liked the first better because I loved learning about what was going on in Iran and how it affected Marjane, in Persepolis 2 Marjane takes the priority and her sufferings and depressions. It was good, because I cared about her and what became of her, but I would have enjoyed more about the situation when she returned to Iran. At the end of the book, it almost seemed like there would be another book after it. I looked everywhere and I don't think that there is, but it ended in a strange spot to me. I would definitely recommend it, but not as hard-core whole-heartedly as the first.
Links to other Bloggers reviews:
Marg from ReadingAdventures: Persepolis and Persepolis 2
Raidergirl3 from an adventure in reading: Persepolis and Persepolis 2
tinylittlelibrarian from tiny little reading room: Persepolis
If you have read either of these books let me know and I will include a link to your review at the end of this review.
