Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis: The story of a childhood. New York: Pantheon, 2003. Satrapi, Marjane.
A break from classes has done wonders for my reading life... After hearing only high praise for this graphic novel for years, I finally had the opportunity to read it and I was not disappointed.
With equal attention to the big-picture of political landscape and the intimate details of personal narrative, Satrapi weaves a compelling and readable story of growing up in Iran in the 70s and 80s. Against a backdrop of the overthrow of the Shah's regime, the Islamic revolution and the war with Iraq, the first of the two autobiographical novels tells the story of a girl coming of age and discovering her own individuality and identity in the face of social and political pressure. It is hard not to find this spunky, intellectually curious, courageous and sometimes reckless girl absolutely engaging as she defies school rules, talks to god in secret and .
Marjane's Marxist parents are politically active but also aware of the very real risks of their choices. They may risk arrest to smuggle Iron Maiden posters and Nikes home from Europe for their daughter, but they worry when she bgins to openly defy authority at school.
These stories are told with what feels like a remarkable level off honesty, both in the text and the illustrations. The deceptively simple high contrast black-and-white drawings are by turns whimsical, funnny, descriptive, horrifying, and deeply moving - but they are always expressive and convey a sense of immediacy that comes partly from the child's perspective. This is a book that will appeal to children and adults alike. The young narrator's perspective and the accessibility provided by the format make it an excellent choice for younger readers, but the emotional and political complexity of the story are combined with a tone that is never condescending and, as such, the the appeal is not limited by the age of the narrator.
A must must must read. I can't wait to see what they make of the movie...
