Friday 9 July 2010

Persepolis


Persepolis is not a novel in the traditional sense of the word. It is a biographical 'graphic novel' following the true events of the tumultuous life of a young Iranian girl as she struggles to survive in a country where oppression is part of daily life.

Ironically the style of the book is very true to the personality of the artist; rebellious and non-conforming. The illustrations are basic but very effective and I feel they benefited the story immensely and made it easier to visualise what she was saying (as I suppose any good graphic novel should)

Persepolis is actually two books in one, the first being 'The Story of a Childhood' which follows the author's life from a very young age growing up in an Iran controlled by a ruthless self-imposed Shah. Halfway through this story a revolution takes place replacing the Shah with an extremist regime who arrest Iranian citizens at the drop of a hat for such heinous crimes as listening to western music, throwing parties, wearing fashionable clothes or talking to someone of the opposite gender who you aren't married to. Of course anyone who spoke out against the regime was arrested, tortured and often murdered. As if this wasn't bad enough the author lives with her mother and father both of whom are very outspoken against the regime and have Communist sympathies. By the end of the story the author is sent to Europe by her family to start a new life and escape the oppression of the Islamic government.

The book is powerful, there is no denying that, it was hard to put down and you care about what happens to the people in it. The book is also funny and tragic at points. I couldn't help get the feeling that a lot of what happened was glazed over, although I definitely got the strong impression these people suffered immensely I did feel the author sugar-coated some of it. Whether this was because it was too painful to recall or some other reason I do not know.

This book has left a lasting impression with me and it was really worth a read, I hope people don't let the unusual format put them off. It certainly makes you appreciate what you have!


The second book is 'The Story of a Return' and it is a sequel to the first book. It covers the period of the author's life when she leaves Iran to start a new life in Europe. As you would imagine she finds it very hard to adjust, one cannot go from living in a country like Iran and just fit right in with a secular Western society. The author tries to figure out who she is and in her confusion and frustration she goes off the rails, she begins to immerse herself in a darker side to western culture; casual sex and drugs. At this stage the character becomes less likeable and her story less interesting, whether this is because her transition into western life marks the loss of her innocence or the identity I grew to love in the first book I'm not sure but I found the second book less interesting and meaningful. There is an incident where she behaves with unbelievable cruelty to a stranger and I was left wondering if this was in her nature to begin with or if it is a symptom of the place she lives. Who knows? Eventually, after four years living abroad, our heroine (now 19 years old) returns to Iran which is much the same as she remembers it. Sadly instead of helping her find her true identity it only confuses her further.

There were thought provoking points during the story such as the shocking racism she encounters whilst living in Austria and the fickle relationships she forms. There is also a good amount of humour as in the first book but I didn't find it as enjoyable as the first instalment.

Overall 'The Story of a Childhood' gets 4/5 'The Story of a Return' gets 3/5

By Chris

12 comments:

  1. This was the first graphic memoir I had read and I was reluctant at first, but it quickly became one of my favorite books. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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  2. This is one of my favorite books, too. If found the second book to be much more serious than the first but I still loved it. I cried buckets for Marji. I think any sugarcoating might be because this is often considered a young adult book. I'm not sure if Satrapi wrote her story with a YA audience in mind but it's still a great book regardless. Nice review!

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  3. this kind of sounds great - I love the simplistic look of the illustrations. From your review, it seems like they must go great with the story itself.

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  4. I haven't really read that many graphic novels/memoirs/books/whatevers, but this one definitely sounds like it would be worth a go. I love the black and white illustrations...sometimes simplicity is all that's needed.

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  5. I also liked book 1 better than book 2. They are great novels though aren't they, and the format makes them awesome!

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  6. @ Brenna: I must admit I thought the premise sounded very odd but once I picked it up I found it hard to put down!!

    @ Chelle: Its interesting that the book may have been aimed at young adults, perhaps this is for the best anyway, to highlight what these people go through every day. I feel both books are equally serious but perhaps the second is darker, there is less hope and more misery and oppression. Maybe thats another reason I didn't like it as much.

    @ Brizmus: If you haven't read it yet I suggest you find a copy in a bookstore and just flick through it, I bet you find it difficult to put down again!

    @ Zara: The simplicity of the illustrations definately adds to the story and makes it much easier to digest. It was the first Graphic Memoir i've ever read and I really recommend it highly.

    @ Amy: They are wonderful little books and I am certain I will read them again soon

    Chris

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  7. Never having read a graphic novel, to be honest this one doesn't inspire me to do so - perhaps I'll give book one a try or do you have any better suggestions?

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  8. I actually just read this book a couple of weeks ago and loved it. It's the first graphic novel I've ever read and I really enjoyed it. The illustrations added such a lot to the story - and I thought the simplistic black and white style was perfect. I will definitely look out for more graphic memoirs in the future!

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  9. @ Petty: I'm sorry to hear you don't like the sound of this book. I'm afraid since this is the first book of its kind I've read I can't recommend any others

    @ Helen: I'm glad you liked it, it was my first too. Majane has actually written two other books in a similar style if you are interested in reading more :o)

    Chris

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  10. This has been on my TBR list for a long time and I still haven't read it. I've been on kind of a graphic novels kick lately so hopefully I'll read it before the summer's out.

    Nice review!

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  11. @ everybookandcranny: Glad you liked the review!

    Chris

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  12. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like the second part as much as the first - I read the first part awhile back and am still trying to get my hands on a copy of the second.

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