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REREAD (2022): I decided to reread this graphic memoir last month because I was sick and therefore in the mood for a quick comic book. I enjoyed the first half as much as the first time around, but the second part was lacking in comparison. Check out my individual reviews for more in-depth thoughts: review for book 1 (5 stars) and book 2 (3 stars).

ORIGINAL REVIEW (2018): Persepolis is a graphic autobiography by Marjane Satrapi that depicts her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. The first part (The Story of a Childhood) depicts the first fourteen years of her life spent in Iran, while the second part (The Story of a Return) focuses on her high school years in Vienna, Austria, including her subsequent return to Iran where she attends college, marries, and later divorces before moving to France.

My mother left me. I’m sure that she understood the misery of my isolation. Even if she kept a straight face and gave nothing away. She left me with a bag of affection that sustained me for several months.

Marjane Satrapi has repeatedly highlighted, through talks about Persepolis, how significant it is for her audience to perceive her tale as relatable. She seeks sympathy, not for herself, but for the Iranian people and those who suffer. The ambiguous and simplistic style of her comic panels reflects this desire, much contrary to the more traditional style of twentieth century comics.

Any reader could be any of these characters, could sympathize with their personal history, could easily find any one or all of Satrapi’s experiences relatable on some level. The very artistic rendering of Satrapi’s graphic memoir permits a creative license on the readers� behalf to visualize as extravagantly as they’d choose.

I read The Second Sex. Simone explained that if women peed standing up, their perception of life would change. So I tried. It ran lightly down my left leg. It was a little disgusting. Seated, it was much simpler. And, as an Iranian woman, before learning to urinate like a man, I needed to learn to become a liberated and emancipated woman.

Satrapi’s account of the Iranian revolution is told from a unique perspective. She narrates the story from her perspective as a child. She pairs her story with a hand-drawn visual supplement that is reminiscent of a children’s book.  Satrapi doesn’t avoid subjects, but her use of words and image are simplified the way a child would view events. When Satrapi explains the horrific torture that the prisoners of war experience she inserts a childlike perspective: One man was burnt with an iron, and Marjane is pictured looking at the iron her mom is using. The effect of this humanizes horrific events. Also it highlights the unnaturalness of torture by paralleling the intended function of an iron, with its domestic use. This child perspective appeals more to the emotions than political or logistic readers.

I was deeply moved by Marji’s tale. I picked up Persepolis on a whim at my local bookstore (started reading it in the store actually and then finished it late at night in bed because I couldn’t put it out down). I genuinely think that I read this memoir at the perfect time in my life. Usually, I would’ve probably had some issues with the art style due to its overly simplicist nature but it didn’t bother me at all. It fit her narrative so well and was easy on the eyes. The only reason why Persepolis wasn’t a 5-stars-read for me, is the fact that the last quarter fell completely flat. 3/4 of the book are absolutely charming, witty, humorous and relatable. Marji really got under my skin. However, the last quarter didn’t pack a punch at all. Her tone got overly preachy at times and the whole narrative was wrapped up way too quickly.

All in all, Persepolis is a hautingly beautiful and personal story about life in Iran (but also about the reality refugees face in Western countries.) I loved Marji’s honest exploration of timely themes and the insight she gave me into her culture and beliefs.

Favorite Quote: "He sought in me a lost lightheartedness. And I sought in him a war which I had escaped."