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Una metamorfosi iraniana
L’incubo di Mana Neyestani inizia nel 2006.
Un giorno disegna una conversazione tra un bambino e uno scarafaggio sulle pagine del supplemento per l’infanzia di un settimanale iraniano. Il problema è che nel dialogo lo scarafaggio disegnato da Mana usa una parola azera. Gli Azeri, una popolazione di origine turca che vive nel nord dell’Iran, sono da lungo tempo perseguitati dal regime di Teheran.
Per alcuni il disegno di Mana è la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso e rappresenta un eccellente pretesto per scatenare una sommossa.
Il regime di Teheran ha bisogno di un capro espiatorio: sarà Mana. Lui e l’editore della rivista vengono rinchiusi nel Carcere 209, una sezione non ufficiale della prigione di Evin, sotto il controllo del Vevak, il ministero dell’Informazione e della Sicurezza nazionale.
Mentre i due uomini subiscono settimane di isolamento e di interrogatori, gli Azeri organizzano diverse manifestazioni anti-governative. Le autorità ordinano di sparare sui manifestanti, causando numerose vittime.
Dopo due mesi di detenzione, Mana riesce a ottenere un permesso temporaneo di scarcerazione. Decide allora di fuggire con sua moglie.
Dopo lunghe peripezie che li vedranno passare per gli Emirati arabi uniti, la Turchia e la Cina, riusciranno a raggiungere la Malaysia e a stabilirsi lì prima di arrivare a Parigi nel 2010.
Un giorno disegna una conversazione tra un bambino e uno scarafaggio sulle pagine del supplemento per l’infanzia di un settimanale iraniano. Il problema è che nel dialogo lo scarafaggio disegnato da Mana usa una parola azera. Gli Azeri, una popolazione di origine turca che vive nel nord dell’Iran, sono da lungo tempo perseguitati dal regime di Teheran.
Per alcuni il disegno di Mana è la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso e rappresenta un eccellente pretesto per scatenare una sommossa.
Il regime di Teheran ha bisogno di un capro espiatorio: sarà Mana. Lui e l’editore della rivista vengono rinchiusi nel Carcere 209, una sezione non ufficiale della prigione di Evin, sotto il controllo del Vevak, il ministero dell’Informazione e della Sicurezza nazionale.
Mentre i due uomini subiscono settimane di isolamento e di interrogatori, gli Azeri organizzano diverse manifestazioni anti-governative. Le autorità ordinano di sparare sui manifestanti, causando numerose vittime.
Dopo due mesi di detenzione, Mana riesce a ottenere un permesso temporaneo di scarcerazione. Decide allora di fuggire con sua moglie.
Dopo lunghe peripezie che li vedranno passare per gli Emirati arabi uniti, la Turchia e la Cina, riusciranno a raggiungere la Malaysia e a stabilirsi lì prima di arrivare a Parigi nel 2010.
197 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
October 26, 2023
Mais um livro que nos mostra a não democracia que é o Irão, e a forma como algo mal interpretado pode gerar uma comoção tão grande com consequências graves para os intervenientes.
A história desta BD não é nada que já não saibamos. Quem puser um pé em falso pode ser detido, interrogado, torturado e enviado para a prisão sem que os seus direitos sejam respeitados, pois a democracia/liberdade, mais ou menos perfeita, terminou em 1979.
O autor conta a sua história, desde a publicação do cartoon mal interpretado, a passagem pela prisão, a fuga e o pedido de asilo. Consegue até trazer alguns apontamentos de humor, que devem ser mais fáceis de ver, agora à distância e na segurança de um país da Europa.
Achei curioso nenhum país, dos contactos que o autor tinha, querer/conseguir ajudar Mana e a mulher a saírem do Irão, todos colocavam entraves à empreitada, mas conseguiram.
A história desta BD não é nada que já não saibamos. Quem puser um pé em falso pode ser detido, interrogado, torturado e enviado para a prisão sem que os seus direitos sejam respeitados, pois a democracia/liberdade, mais ou menos perfeita, terminou em 1979.
O autor conta a sua história, desde a publicação do cartoon mal interpretado, a passagem pela prisão, a fuga e o pedido de asilo. Consegue até trazer alguns apontamentos de humor, que devem ser mais fáceis de ver, agora à distância e na segurança de um país da Europa.
Achei curioso nenhum país, dos contactos que o autor tinha, querer/conseguir ajudar Mana e a mulher a saírem do Irão, todos colocavam entraves à empreitada, mas conseguiram.
December 30, 2024
“Tutto iniziò con uno scarafaggio”
Questo era l’Iran nei primi anni del Duemila, questo era il carcere di Evin nel racconto del fumettista Mana Neyestani e della sua odissea per riconquistare la libertà perduta a causa dell’innocuo disegno di uno scarafaggio che diceva una parola turca, delle manifestazioni degli azeri offesi dall’insulto (…), dalle repressioni del regime e dalle tensioni con il governo dell’Azerbaigian e… verrebbe da ridere se non fosse tutto tragicamente vero.
Ieri come oggi, questo è l’Iran ancora oggi, al momento nessuna altra metamorfosi è stata registrata.
#freececilia
Questo era l’Iran nei primi anni del Duemila, questo era il carcere di Evin nel racconto del fumettista Mana Neyestani e della sua odissea per riconquistare la libertà perduta a causa dell’innocuo disegno di uno scarafaggio che diceva una parola turca, delle manifestazioni degli azeri offesi dall’insulto (…), dalle repressioni del regime e dalle tensioni con il governo dell’Azerbaigian e… verrebbe da ridere se non fosse tutto tragicamente vero.
Ieri come oggi, questo è l’Iran ancora oggi, al momento nessuna altra metamorfosi è stata registrata.
#freececilia
March 13, 2024
İran üzerine okuduğum ikinci çizgi romandı İran Usulü Metamorfoz. İran’da sanatçı olmanın zorluklarını ve bir çizimin bu ülkede nelere sebep olabileceğini anlatmış yazar bu kitapta. İran hakkında okuma yapmak isteyenlere mutlaka öneririm.
May 31, 2016
Could a cartoon spark riots? One published in the children's section of the paper at that? Well, the modern reader is all too aware of how badly things can go for the artists and their publisher when some people take offense.
This is a wonderfully illustrated graphic memoir with a strong narrative arc, and the black and white art captures well the bleakness of the story. The author is an Iranian cartoonist, and when his cartoons do in fact start a demonstration, his life takes a Kafkaesque turn. One does not need to be turned into an insect for life to become horrifying and unrecognizable after all. This memoir is the story of what happened to the author, and is a stark portrayal of life under a totalitarian regime, especially for those who criticize it. The news often tells stories from a foreigners point of view, and I loved that this one is told from an insider perspective.
This is a wonderfully illustrated graphic memoir with a strong narrative arc, and the black and white art captures well the bleakness of the story. The author is an Iranian cartoonist, and when his cartoons do in fact start a demonstration, his life takes a Kafkaesque turn. One does not need to be turned into an insect for life to become horrifying and unrecognizable after all. This memoir is the story of what happened to the author, and is a stark portrayal of life under a totalitarian regime, especially for those who criticize it. The news often tells stories from a foreigners point of view, and I loved that this one is told from an insider perspective.
September 14, 2015
while working on his next cartoon for the children's pages of Iran Jomeh, Mana Neyestani was inspired by the lowly cockroach. little did he know at that time that drawing this common household pest would turn his world upside down and forever change his life.
riots ensue in the Azeri provinces due to the "innocuous" cartoon and the Iranian government's miltiia is mobilized to curtail the spreading violence. as a result, Mana, together with his editor-in-chief Mehrad Ghasemfar, is sent to the notorious Evin prison. as the days wore on, they are subjected to solitary confinement and interrogations. Mana's sleep is punctuated with lucid nightmares and he experiences auditory hallucinations. both men also meet other inmates whose crimes far outweigh that which Mana and Mehrad have been charged with.
one day, the cartoonist and his editor are surprised when they are temporarily released. reunited with his wife Mansoureh and the rest of his family, Mana makes good use of his time to plan an escape.
Mana's unpretentious illustrations are rendered in black and white. they leap at the reader, conveying Mana's harrowing experiences in all its stark details. some have the appearance of an editorial cartoon to depict Iran's judicial and prison systems. some are glimpses into a husband and wife's private moments. some are quite disturbing but i have seen worse. a few show humor as if to mask the horror behind the truth. yet the overall message is still clear - that of a desperate man forced to take steps to ensure his freedom and that of his loved one.
today, Mana is free albeit living in exile with his wife in France. he still continues to draw and master his craft and to inform the world about his birth country's political situation.
true stories like that of Mana's, though hard for me to take in, are close to my heart. his version takes place in Iran and beyond its borders but it is no different from those stories i have read about or heard first-hand when i worked for a non-profit organization that helped process and prepare thousands of Indo-Chinese refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos for permanent resettlement in the United States and Europe.
looking back then and after reading Mana's story now, i continue to pay homage to all the men, women and children who made it to freedom and lived to tell their tales. i grieve for those who did not.
*i received a copy for review from Edelweiss
riots ensue in the Azeri provinces due to the "innocuous" cartoon and the Iranian government's miltiia is mobilized to curtail the spreading violence. as a result, Mana, together with his editor-in-chief Mehrad Ghasemfar, is sent to the notorious Evin prison. as the days wore on, they are subjected to solitary confinement and interrogations. Mana's sleep is punctuated with lucid nightmares and he experiences auditory hallucinations. both men also meet other inmates whose crimes far outweigh that which Mana and Mehrad have been charged with.
one day, the cartoonist and his editor are surprised when they are temporarily released. reunited with his wife Mansoureh and the rest of his family, Mana makes good use of his time to plan an escape.
Mana's unpretentious illustrations are rendered in black and white. they leap at the reader, conveying Mana's harrowing experiences in all its stark details. some have the appearance of an editorial cartoon to depict Iran's judicial and prison systems. some are glimpses into a husband and wife's private moments. some are quite disturbing but i have seen worse. a few show humor as if to mask the horror behind the truth. yet the overall message is still clear - that of a desperate man forced to take steps to ensure his freedom and that of his loved one.
today, Mana is free albeit living in exile with his wife in France. he still continues to draw and master his craft and to inform the world about his birth country's political situation.
true stories like that of Mana's, though hard for me to take in, are close to my heart. his version takes place in Iran and beyond its borders but it is no different from those stories i have read about or heard first-hand when i worked for a non-profit organization that helped process and prepare thousands of Indo-Chinese refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos for permanent resettlement in the United States and Europe.
looking back then and after reading Mana's story now, i continue to pay homage to all the men, women and children who made it to freedom and lived to tell their tales. i grieve for those who did not.
*i received a copy for review from Edelweiss
October 26, 2023
The lack of free speech in countries like Iran is nothing new. We all know how freedom is conditioned in those countries and what happens to people that get out of line. From imprisement, physical violence or even death.
Here we get a first hand experience of that.
To be honest, I found the political and diplomatic puzzle that was trying to find a way out of Iran much more interesting that the first part of the story.
Still a good experience to read and learn about, because our world is very different from the one presented here.
Here we get a first hand experience of that.
To be honest, I found the political and diplomatic puzzle that was trying to find a way out of Iran much more interesting that the first part of the story.
Still a good experience to read and learn about, because our world is very different from the one presented here.
July 10, 2023
Es la historia de un dibujante que se fue a la cárcel por culpa de una cucaracha (desgarrador)
August 25, 2021
Güzel bir çizgi roman ancak beni çok etkilemedi. Etkilememesinin sebebi zaten benzer bir otoriter yapının absürt keyfiliğini yaşayıp kanıksamaktan kaynaklanabilir.
Yazar Kafka'nın Dava, Metamorfoz paralelliğini oldukça sanatsal biçimde kullanmış. Ancak bunu kurgunun içine başarılı yerleştiremediği kanısındayım. Bunun nedeni de sanırım, yazarın bu paralelliği aşırı zorlamak istememesinden ve elindeki hikayenin gerçekliğine fazlaca sadık kalma arzusundan kaynaklanıyor (İkincisi için yazarı suçlamak zor çünkü çok ciddi kişisel bir mesele. Gerçekleri kendi perspektifinden anlatmak istiyor).
Yazar Kafka'nın Dava, Metamorfoz paralelliğini oldukça sanatsal biçimde kullanmış. Ancak bunu kurgunun içine başarılı yerleştiremediği kanısındayım. Bunun nedeni de sanırım, yazarın bu paralelliği aşırı zorlamak istememesinden ve elindeki hikayenin gerçekliğine fazlaca sadık kalma arzusundan kaynaklanıyor (İkincisi için yazarı suçlamak zor çünkü çok ciddi kişisel bir mesele. Gerçekleri kendi perspektifinden anlatmak istiyor).
October 25, 2025
Dar um passo em falso é algo que todos já fizemos. Mas e se dar um passo em falso levasse a interrogatórios, cadeia, exílio. É essa a história que Mana Neyestani - um ilustrador que cometeu um erro sem pensar - nos conta nesta história autobiográfica sobre a sua prisão e fuga do Irão. Um relato interessante, que pode não trazer nada de muito surpreendente, mas que ainda assim nos faz pensar sobre o que outras pessoas consideram como algo a censurar e as consequências que isso pode ter.
September 16, 2018
Not so much like the Metamorphosis than “the Trial.” I was very interested in the story & the tension was always high. I’m not very much into his drawing style, but I’m glad I got to read this for class.
October 30, 2022
3.75*
Read in French but feeling lazy today...
I think every culture navel gazes and thinks its own problems are so f*ing special, but these societal/cultural problems tend to be universal.
People get offended by language and imagery even when their intent isn't offensive. In this case: Cartoon cockroach using an expression which originated from an ethnic minority but had come into common use without people being aware of its origins. A recent example in the US with Lizzo and Beyonce using the term spaz.z which had a completely different meaning for their culture (partying/going wild) than the insult for cerebral palsy.
Someone calls attention to the "offense" and people jump on the bandwagon. Ok so maybe in the US or France you wouldn't be thrown in prison or feel you had to flee the country afterwards, but then again, being cancelled is a kind of prison for people in the culture industry. But just like in Iran, the severity of your punishment depends on so many factors. Some that make sense, even if unfair, like your level of popularity/fame and connections. Others that are just absurd and random.
Anywhooo...
Something about the style just grabbed me, pulled me in. The cross hatching and the juxtaposition of his graphic novel style with the children's cartoon at the root of the story. I wanted to know where the story was going to go next even when it was unbelievable. I personally liked the parallels to Kafka. I think if you were a true fan of his work you'd find the connection a bit forced or pulled in the wrong direction, but when the average person thinks of Kafka, they think of the absurdity of administration and so it helps the reader step into unknown territory (politics in Iran) using a known framework.
Read in French but feeling lazy today...
I think every culture navel gazes and thinks its own problems are so f*ing special, but these societal/cultural problems tend to be universal.
People get offended by language and imagery even when their intent isn't offensive. In this case: Cartoon cockroach using an expression which originated from an ethnic minority but had come into common use without people being aware of its origins. A recent example in the US with Lizzo and Beyonce using the term spaz.z which had a completely different meaning for their culture (partying/going wild) than the insult for cerebral palsy.
Someone calls attention to the "offense" and people jump on the bandwagon. Ok so maybe in the US or France you wouldn't be thrown in prison or feel you had to flee the country afterwards, but then again, being cancelled is a kind of prison for people in the culture industry. But just like in Iran, the severity of your punishment depends on so many factors. Some that make sense, even if unfair, like your level of popularity/fame and connections. Others that are just absurd and random.
Anywhooo...
Something about the style just grabbed me, pulled me in. The cross hatching and the juxtaposition of his graphic novel style with the children's cartoon at the root of the story. I wanted to know where the story was going to go next even when it was unbelievable. I personally liked the parallels to Kafka. I think if you were a true fan of his work you'd find the connection a bit forced or pulled in the wrong direction, but when the average person thinks of Kafka, they think of the absurdity of administration and so it helps the reader step into unknown territory (politics in Iran) using a known framework.
January 7, 2022
Çizimlerini beğenmediğim İranlı çizerden çıkan, İran'ın baskıcı rejimini ve kendi yaşadıklarını güya! gerçekçi olarak aktaran Mana Neyestani grafik romanı.. Aslında grafik romanın hiçbir şeyini beğenmedim, aşırı basit karikatürvari çizimleri ne konunun derinliğini ne de gerilimini yansıtıyor. Renkli ama kasvetli koyu karanlık renklerle anlatılsaydı belki bir şansı olabilirdi ama belki.
Kafka'nın adını ve kitabının ismini tamamen saçma sapan kullanıyor tamamen ticari olduğunu düşünüyorum. Kafka'nın hamamböceği Dönüşüm hikayesi ile kendi böceğini ilişkilendirmesi aşırı zorlama! Ayrıca başına gelenlerin de hiçbir kısmına inanmadım göz göre göre yalan söylüyor ve tamamen çarpıtıryor resmen yer yer demagoji yapıyor. Krizin ''namana'' demesiyle çıkması falan hiç inandırıcı değil. Mana Neyestani bana hiçbir şekilde sıradan bir karikatürist sadece mualif bir çizer imajı vermedi.
February 15, 2024
Tomando como ponto de partida algumas histórias da autoria de Franz Kafka (começando logo pela Metamorfose do título e passando pelo Processo), Neyestani dá-nos a conhecer uma história, lá está, kafkiana do que pode acontecer num determinado tipo de governo com alguns traços de totalitarismo e que em vez de pacificar e unificar as etnias que as vicissitudes históricas encerraram dentro das suas fronteiras, apenas parece saber alimentar ódios.
O livro pode gerar uma boa reflexão, .
Gosto de ler este tipo de novelas gráficas, nas quais podemos ler histórias pessoais de artistas-autores que usam os meios à sua disposição para darem a conhecer as injustiças que sofreram e, até certo ponto, talvez, formarem uma espécie de resistência à distância relativamente a sistemas políticos autocráticos que governam as suas pátrias de origem.
O livro pode gerar uma boa reflexão, .
Gosto de ler este tipo de novelas gráficas, nas quais podemos ler histórias pessoais de artistas-autores que usam os meios à sua disposição para darem a conhecer as injustiças que sofreram e, até certo ponto, talvez, formarem uma espécie de resistência à distância relativamente a sistemas políticos autocráticos que governam as suas pátrias de origem.
September 26, 2014
4.5 stars - An exceptional graphic memoir by Neyestani, an Iranian cartoonist whose cartoons featured in a children's publication landed him in a prison nightmare worthy of Kafka. While Kafka's Metamorphosis is a clear inspiration for this graphic novel, it is in not heavily derivative of that work. Neyestani instead creates something with a hint of the bizarre, yet very personal, unique and moving. Seek this out! (This is the English translation from Uncivilized Books.)
March 16, 2024
Reconozco el mérito en la denuncia de la represión de la República Islámica y la odisea burocrática que sufren los refugiados, pero la narración me parece floja e inconexa.
July 15, 2012
This read was for the 2012 Around the World in 12 Books Reading Challenge hosted by Shannon at Giraffe Days (July: Iran)
One note on the French edition though: the copyright page says that it was translated from the English translation produced by Ghasal Mosadecq. That being said, I've searched on line for an English translation of this amazing and enlightening graphic novel and couldn't find one so perhaps it was never actually published in English. If so, that's a real shame and I really do hope that an English language publisher is going to pick this up very soon.
Mana Neyestani's graphic novel is autobiographic. Neyestani was born in Tehran in 1973. He started his career as a cartoonist working in different cultural and political magazines. He soon became cataloged as a political cartoonist and had to turn to drawing for children in order not to draw to much unwanted attention from governmental authorities. He thought he was safe. He was unfortunately wrong.
In 2006, Neyestani drew a cockroach in one of his cartoons. The drawing was unfortunately taken out of its context and interpreted as being an insult to the Azeri ethnic group which occupies the northern part of Iran and consist of people of Turkish descent. This group is often the target of insults from Iranians and so the government was only to happy to blame the subsequent riots, material damage and deaths on Neyestani's drawing. Neyestani and his editor-in-chief were soon arrested and taken to the Evin prison, even though they hadn't actually broken any law. An Iranian Metamorphosis is the tale of the events that lead to this arrest, as well as Neyestani's time in jail and his attempts at clearing his name, ending up with him and his wife seeking political refuge in a Western country. Neyestani and his wife, Mansoureh, now live in France but this took some time and the French government (as well as other European and Western governments) didn't initially help them get out of Iran despite the threat of more time in prison for Neyestani, death threats and the implication of Iranian secret services.
It is frustrating of course to see how slow Western bureaucracy is and how in the end, it made it impossible for Neyestani and his wife to get out of the country through legal means. They had to resort to dealing with a smuggler who was meant to guarantee them and other Iranians safe passage to a European country because no embassy accepted to grant them the status of political refugees in time! In the end, nothing goes smoothly and it's a long, difficult and stressful process that finally led them to France. But imagine the pain of never being able to go back to your country, the pain of not really being able to say goodbye to your loved ones because they had to keep their escape secret.
What's beautiful is that Neyestani and his wife stayed together and united throughout the whole ordeal. While they did contemplate splitting up for a moment because they didn't have enough money for them to both make their way to Canada, they decided to go as far as Europe instead if that meant they could stay together.
Neyestani's wife, Mansoureh, helps him every step of the way. She's portrayed making phone calls, chasing embassies and political organizations, dealing with the smuggler among other things. Neyestani makes Mansoureh a central character to his story and there are a few scenes where the stress of the situation gets to them and they snap at one another but then quickly apologize. I thought it was brilliant to have included these short domestic scenes in the tale. They helped ground the story in reality and make it clear that this is something happening to real people, to a real couple that behaves like any couple.
An Iranian Metamorphosis is not a dry account of autobiographical events. In fact, there are quite a few humorous scenes and the recurrence of the cockroach and references to Kafka is both tragic and comic, rendering the entire work sarcastic. This is after all the story of a man being forced into exile because he drew a cockroach in a children's cartoon!
This was a fascinating and enlightening read on so many levels. As an outsider, there's a great deal to learn about Iran in this graphic novel. First of, while it seems pretty obvious that it would be the case, I didn't know that there were different ethnic groups and that some were regarded as lesser than others. Also, while this is only brushed on, there are quite a few allusions to brutal and violent "interrogation techniques" shall we call them. It's fortunate for Neyestani that he didn't have to go experience any, but honestly the solitary confinement he and his editor-in-chief had to go through seemed horrible enough as it was. You also get a nice insight of Iranian legal procedures and processes. It doesn't inspire much trust to be quite honest and it definitely gives the impression that this is a country best not to be arrested in.
I would really recommend this graphic novel, not just to graphic novel readers. I think this is one of those reads that worth getting out of your comfort zone to experience.
One note on the French edition though: the copyright page says that it was translated from the English translation produced by Ghasal Mosadecq. That being said, I've searched on line for an English translation of this amazing and enlightening graphic novel and couldn't find one so perhaps it was never actually published in English. If so, that's a real shame and I really do hope that an English language publisher is going to pick this up very soon.
Mana Neyestani's graphic novel is autobiographic. Neyestani was born in Tehran in 1973. He started his career as a cartoonist working in different cultural and political magazines. He soon became cataloged as a political cartoonist and had to turn to drawing for children in order not to draw to much unwanted attention from governmental authorities. He thought he was safe. He was unfortunately wrong.
In 2006, Neyestani drew a cockroach in one of his cartoons. The drawing was unfortunately taken out of its context and interpreted as being an insult to the Azeri ethnic group which occupies the northern part of Iran and consist of people of Turkish descent. This group is often the target of insults from Iranians and so the government was only to happy to blame the subsequent riots, material damage and deaths on Neyestani's drawing. Neyestani and his editor-in-chief were soon arrested and taken to the Evin prison, even though they hadn't actually broken any law. An Iranian Metamorphosis is the tale of the events that lead to this arrest, as well as Neyestani's time in jail and his attempts at clearing his name, ending up with him and his wife seeking political refuge in a Western country. Neyestani and his wife, Mansoureh, now live in France but this took some time and the French government (as well as other European and Western governments) didn't initially help them get out of Iran despite the threat of more time in prison for Neyestani, death threats and the implication of Iranian secret services.
It is frustrating of course to see how slow Western bureaucracy is and how in the end, it made it impossible for Neyestani and his wife to get out of the country through legal means. They had to resort to dealing with a smuggler who was meant to guarantee them and other Iranians safe passage to a European country because no embassy accepted to grant them the status of political refugees in time! In the end, nothing goes smoothly and it's a long, difficult and stressful process that finally led them to France. But imagine the pain of never being able to go back to your country, the pain of not really being able to say goodbye to your loved ones because they had to keep their escape secret.
What's beautiful is that Neyestani and his wife stayed together and united throughout the whole ordeal. While they did contemplate splitting up for a moment because they didn't have enough money for them to both make their way to Canada, they decided to go as far as Europe instead if that meant they could stay together.
Neyestani's wife, Mansoureh, helps him every step of the way. She's portrayed making phone calls, chasing embassies and political organizations, dealing with the smuggler among other things. Neyestani makes Mansoureh a central character to his story and there are a few scenes where the stress of the situation gets to them and they snap at one another but then quickly apologize. I thought it was brilliant to have included these short domestic scenes in the tale. They helped ground the story in reality and make it clear that this is something happening to real people, to a real couple that behaves like any couple.
An Iranian Metamorphosis is not a dry account of autobiographical events. In fact, there are quite a few humorous scenes and the recurrence of the cockroach and references to Kafka is both tragic and comic, rendering the entire work sarcastic. This is after all the story of a man being forced into exile because he drew a cockroach in a children's cartoon!
This was a fascinating and enlightening read on so many levels. As an outsider, there's a great deal to learn about Iran in this graphic novel. First of, while it seems pretty obvious that it would be the case, I didn't know that there were different ethnic groups and that some were regarded as lesser than others. Also, while this is only brushed on, there are quite a few allusions to brutal and violent "interrogation techniques" shall we call them. It's fortunate for Neyestani that he didn't have to go experience any, but honestly the solitary confinement he and his editor-in-chief had to go through seemed horrible enough as it was. You also get a nice insight of Iranian legal procedures and processes. It doesn't inspire much trust to be quite honest and it definitely gives the impression that this is a country best not to be arrested in.
I would really recommend this graphic novel, not just to graphic novel readers. I think this is one of those reads that worth getting out of your comfort zone to experience.
February 2, 2024
Top top top, si seulement ce n’était pas une histoire vraie 😥
October 21, 2023
Graficamente pobre mas bem contada narrativa da censura e opressao exercidas pelo estado islâmico iraniano. O sufoco do arbitrio dos poderosos e a asfixia dos simples sao outras formas de sumariar esta novela.
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January 29, 2022All totalitarian regimes have the same system. How bizarre to blame the chaos they made on a single person, or cartoon!
October 14, 2025
Novela Gráfica autobiográfica que se foca nas desventuras kafkianas (trocadilho do título) de um ilustrador iraniano que por causa de um desenho absolutamente inofensivo (num sumplemento de um jornal) que é mal interpretado, é detido para averiguações e entra no “carrossel” do sistema judiciário e prisional iraniano onde fica detido durante vários meses sem culpa formada. Numa saída precária consegue fugir e depois entra em novo processo muito atribulado para conseguir asilo num (qualquer) país ocidental que, pelos vistos, mais facilmente aceitam refugiados económicos do que refugiados políticos o que IMO deturpa completamente essa faculdade de que os estados dispõem.
Enfim, um livro que nos faz pensar e refletir sobre o mundo que estamos a construir.
A arte gráfica adequa-se ao relato pesado e opressivo que prepassa pela narrativa. Onde considero que a obra está um pouco menos conseguida é na construção e desenvolvimento do relato com algumas partes um pouco confusas.
Avaliação: 7 / 10
Enfim, um livro que nos faz pensar e refletir sobre o mundo que estamos a construir.
A arte gráfica adequa-se ao relato pesado e opressivo que prepassa pela narrativa. Onde considero que a obra está um pouco menos conseguida é na construção e desenvolvimento do relato com algumas partes um pouco confusas.
Avaliação: 7 / 10
June 12, 2022
Kafkaesk totaliter yönetimler altında insanların başına gelen en büyük belaların nasıl tam da en saçma nedenlerle ortaya çıktığına dair sürükleyici bir grafik roman. Kitabın merkezinde olan bu sürekli güvensizlik hali zaten meselenin nirengi noktası. Neyestani'nin hayatı bir çocuk dergisi için çizdiği bir kare yüzünden değişiyor. Başka bir nedenle de olabilirdi bu. Kırmızı ışıkta yanlış kişiye yol vermemek mesela... Kitap karanlık, komik ve gerilimli. Farklı duyguları iç içe yaşatıyor. Çizimler orta, ama hikaye iyi.
November 3, 2020
Uma releitura razoável da obra do Kafka, não apenas de A metamorfose, mas também O processo. Neyestani se aproveita da figura emblemática da barata e dos labirintos burocráticos kafkianos para ilustrar sua própria história como preso político e refugiado. Tudo causado por um mal entendido, cujas repercussões geram os melhores momentos reflexivos da história. Apesar de, por acidente, ofender um grupo social minoritário no Irã, o autor em nenhum momento culpa os cidadãos pertencentes a esse grupo por se sentirem humilhados com a representação de uma barata usando uma expressão idiomática deles. As acusações, ou ainda as aflições de Neyestani voltam-se todas para o governo que se aproveita desse caos para silenciar ainda mais todos os opositores, usando a prisão do cartunista como estratégia política.
Assim como para Gregor Samsa, a história do autor se passa num cenário de pesadelo, no qual ele se vê limitado às condições que os outros tem a oferecer a ele, sempre sem explicação e nunca com sequer um vislumbre de resolução. Neyestani representa bem o desespero kafkiano com o prazo indefinido de um julgamento do qual ele não é culpado, assim como sua transferência de cela para cela, de país para país, sem mudança alguma para sua tormenta.
O estilo de desenho é nitidamente obra de um cartunista e os governantes, juízes e advogados são caricatos até mesmo no comportamento. Neyestani também reduz a si mesmo no quadrinho a uma vítima das circunstâncias, sempre na condição de sujeito passivo que é submetido à espera sem fim. Sua resolução com a barata resgatada repetidas vezes durante todo o enredo é bastante previsível, além de meio ridícula. Ridículo também é o humor fora de lugar na maior parte dos momentos, como as tentativas de metaficção que destoam muito do restante da narrativa no qual esse tipo de experimentação não tem lugar. Também senti falta de uma contextualização maior, ao final pouco sabemos sobre as particularidades daquele momento histórico; poderiam ser inseridas nesses momentos de humor mais leve, em vez da utilização de referências genéricas e ocidentalizadas.
Mas o saldo final é positivo e Uma metamorfose iraniana é um quadrinho satisfatório.
Assim como para Gregor Samsa, a história do autor se passa num cenário de pesadelo, no qual ele se vê limitado às condições que os outros tem a oferecer a ele, sempre sem explicação e nunca com sequer um vislumbre de resolução. Neyestani representa bem o desespero kafkiano com o prazo indefinido de um julgamento do qual ele não é culpado, assim como sua transferência de cela para cela, de país para país, sem mudança alguma para sua tormenta.
O estilo de desenho é nitidamente obra de um cartunista e os governantes, juízes e advogados são caricatos até mesmo no comportamento. Neyestani também reduz a si mesmo no quadrinho a uma vítima das circunstâncias, sempre na condição de sujeito passivo que é submetido à espera sem fim. Sua resolução com a barata resgatada repetidas vezes durante todo o enredo é bastante previsível, além de meio ridícula. Ridículo também é o humor fora de lugar na maior parte dos momentos, como as tentativas de metaficção que destoam muito do restante da narrativa no qual esse tipo de experimentação não tem lugar. Também senti falta de uma contextualização maior, ao final pouco sabemos sobre as particularidades daquele momento histórico; poderiam ser inseridas nesses momentos de humor mais leve, em vez da utilização de referências genéricas e ocidentalizadas.
Mas o saldo final é positivo e Uma metamorfose iraniana é um quadrinho satisfatório.
November 21, 2017
Se lembram daquele cartunista dinamarquês que foi perseguido por muçulmanos por ter feito uma caricatura do profeta Maomé? Bem, essa HQ conta uma história por outro ponto de vista. A de um cartunista iraniano que fez uma charge que acabou envolvendo a minoria curda (turcos, mas não bem turcos) no irã. Por causa dessa controvérsia, Mana Neyestani acabou indo para uma cadeia secreta no Irã. Como a charge envolvia uma barata, Mana compara a si mesmo com Gregor Samsa, o personagem do celebrado livro A Metamorfose, de Franz Kafka. A barata acaba perseguindo Mana por todas as partes em suas tentativas de fuga do Irã, da cadeia e da perseguição política, como uma metáfora daquela pessoa que não é bem-vinda, nem bem quista e muito menos aceita entre seus iguais. Mana era tão indesejado quanto Samsa quando virou o "terrível inseto". Uma história autobiográfica na melhor tradição de celebradas graphic novels como Persépolis, Retalhos e tantas outras, que usa da linguagem gráfica para acentuar as sensações na cabeça dos leitores.
January 2, 2022
Mana Neyestani shows in his depiction of government as a method to crush the individual in his graphic work "An Iranian Metamorphosis". It is apt that he uses Kafka to bring the chilling incidents in his life a greater understanding of how a triggering event can impact not just himself and his family but event national and international repercussions due to religious and cultural conflicts within a nation.
But the last half of the work deals with sheer bureaucratic process to confuse and frustrate individuals who desperately are seeking help from their home countries by other nations governments and NGOs (non governmental organizations). the is a very powerful indictment as to why many people want to leave their home countries and be safe but are facing a arbitrary set of government officials and predatory "go-betweens" who prey upon refugees.
His writing is direct and art work harkens back to R. Crumb's clean Rapidio pen style of line work. This is a work well worth reading.
But the last half of the work deals with sheer bureaucratic process to confuse and frustrate individuals who desperately are seeking help from their home countries by other nations governments and NGOs (non governmental organizations). the is a very powerful indictment as to why many people want to leave their home countries and be safe but are facing a arbitrary set of government officials and predatory "go-betweens" who prey upon refugees.
His writing is direct and art work harkens back to R. Crumb's clean Rapidio pen style of line work. This is a work well worth reading.
October 15, 2023
In Iran, one mistake can cost you your life. Neither Mana nor anyone else could have fathomed that an innocent drawing would've led him down this absurd path.
I can only imagine how Mana must've had to accept the strange consequences of his innocent intentions in order to be at peace with the life he was forced into. It is this twist of fate that is perhaps the biggest metamorphosis: one where 'Mana the illustrator' became 'Mana the political cartoonist'. First through chance (a misinterpretation of his drawing) and later because he was left no other choice (since there is no luxury to be 'apolitical' in a country without freedom in which everyone's life is constantly at stake).
The selfish part in me is glad he ended up in France, where he can express his talent without reservation and where his penstrokes tranform into a fierce weapon that resonates with the emotions of all Iranians he had to leave behind.
I can only imagine how Mana must've had to accept the strange consequences of his innocent intentions in order to be at peace with the life he was forced into. It is this twist of fate that is perhaps the biggest metamorphosis: one where 'Mana the illustrator' became 'Mana the political cartoonist'. First through chance (a misinterpretation of his drawing) and later because he was left no other choice (since there is no luxury to be 'apolitical' in a country without freedom in which everyone's life is constantly at stake).
The selfish part in me is glad he ended up in France, where he can express his talent without reservation and where his penstrokes tranform into a fierce weapon that resonates with the emotions of all Iranians he had to leave behind.
February 19, 2021
To be honest, I am not a fan of Kafka. That said, this story took tropes based on Kafka and turned them into something modern and relevant, in a story that really did involve a cockroach, or at least a cartoon of one.
The author is a cartoonist, and his work on a simple cartoon, on the children's pages of a newspaper, was blamed for causing riots and violence in his native Iran. He was temporarily imprisoned for this, even though the violence had other roots and causes, and eventually had to flee his country.
This graphic work tells the story of what and why this happened, and gives readers insights into the odd workings of Iranian "justice" and politics. It is well worth reading, and tells a powerful story.
The author is a cartoonist, and his work on a simple cartoon, on the children's pages of a newspaper, was blamed for causing riots and violence in his native Iran. He was temporarily imprisoned for this, even though the violence had other roots and causes, and eventually had to flee his country.
This graphic work tells the story of what and why this happened, and gives readers insights into the odd workings of Iranian "justice" and politics. It is well worth reading, and tells a powerful story.
November 30, 2025
Baskı altında yaşamanın, bürokrasinin, kimlik bunalımının ve sistemin insanı nasıl başka bir şeye dönüştürdüğünün İran’a özgü ama evrensel yankıları olan gerçek bir hikaye. Mana Neyestani’nin bu grafik romanı, Kafka’nın Dönüşümünü İran gerçekliğinin içine yerleştirmiş. Sansür, paranoya, devlet baskısı, kimlik sıkışması gibi konuları ele alırken Kafkaesk atmosferi Ortadoğu bürokrasisinin soğuk duvarlarına çarptırıyor. Modern İran toplumunun bireyi nasıl şekillendirdiğinden ziyade nasıl erittiğini gözler önüne seriyor. Hızlı okunabilen ama hafızada uzun süre yer alabilecek bir kitap. Neyestani’nin İran halkının devlet mekanizması karşısındaki çaresizliğini hem mizahi hem ürpertici bir dille anlattığı bu kitabı mutlaka okuyun.
September 28, 2017
Neyestani racconta l'incredibile storia autobiografica della sua fuga dall'Iran, dove è stato arrestato e sarebbe finito in carcere a tempo indeterminato per un disegno. Un solo disegno che è comparso nella rubrica per ragazzi di un giornale. Un disegno in cui compare uno scarafaggio che pronuncia, per leggerezza da parte dello stesso autore, una parola in azero. Un singolo disegno, un banalissimo disguido, che innesca una protesta sfociata nel sangue e un'odissea degna del miglior romanzo di Kafka. I disegni fanno il loro dovere, anche se ricordano un Crumb con molta meno personalità e spesso sono un filo troppo didascalici.
December 27, 2017
Stumbled across this book in the library and I'm very glad I did. This is a graphic memoir by an Iranian cartoonist, Mana Neyestani. He used to publish cartoons in the children's section of an Iranian newspaper until 2006, when he published a cartoon with a cockroach in it. In the cartoon, he used an Azerbaijani word in the cartoon. Because of this one work in the cartoon with a cockroach, there was rioting, because the Azerbaijani's thought he was implying that they were cockroaches. This lead to his imprisonment. This book is a memoir of what lead up to his imprisonment, his time and prison and what happened after. Very interesting book. It is well written and drawings are great!
April 29, 2019
This memoir of how unintentionality can lead to civil unrest, imprisonment, and the perpetrator to seek asylum is an entertaining, quick read.
However, while it is not best practice to fault someone for past wrongs if they come to terms with them in a critical manner, Neyestani cast a lot of stereotypes upon a multitude of groups, which bothered me. The most fleeting and powerful was his African refugee imagery. Neyestani featured the refugees on only two separate pages, but they were the only people in the entire novel who didn't have a named country of origin, and he drew them in caricature.
However, while it is not best practice to fault someone for past wrongs if they come to terms with them in a critical manner, Neyestani cast a lot of stereotypes upon a multitude of groups, which bothered me. The most fleeting and powerful was his African refugee imagery. Neyestani featured the refugees on only two separate pages, but they were the only people in the entire novel who didn't have a named country of origin, and he drew them in caricature.
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