Persépolis

Persepolis #1-4

by Marjane Satrapi, Albert Agut Iglesias (Translator)

Marjane Satrapi, una de las artistas iraníes más aclamadas, galardonada con varios premios entre los que destacan el Premio al Autor Revelación 2001 y Mejor Guión 2002 en el Festival Internacional de Cómoc de Angoulème, nos ofrece un relato autobiográfico sobre su infancia en Irán, que es a su vez un excelente testimonio histórico de un pueblo y una época. Gracias a su gran carga emotiva, crítica e irónica, Persépolis se ha convertido en un cómic de referencia.
Persépolis es la autobiografía de Marjane Satrapi , una mujer iraní nacida en Teherán en 1969 en el seno de una familia progresista. Pero, además del retrato de la vida de la autora, también es el reflejo de la revolución iraní de 1979 que dio lugar a un gobierno islámico y de cómo lo vivieron las familias del país.

Desde el inicio, con la introducción del velo en la vida social y la separación por sexos en las escuelas, hasta la vida universitaria y las revueltas estudiantiles, Satrapi hace un repaso a su vida que se remonta a sus antepasados, ayudándonos a entender las motivaciones históricas de la revolución islámica, mostrándonos a la vez una opinión crítica con el gobierno.

Inicialmente publicado en cuatro volúmenes, la presente edición los recopila todos en un solo volumen, junto con nuevas páginas a color publicadas en la revista SZ-Magazin , nº 44, en el año 2003, y el El País Semanal, aquí en España.

Publicada en castellano y catalán.

Cómic adaptado al cine:
- Premio de la Crítica en Cannes 2007
- Premio César 2008 al mejor guión adaptado
- Nominada a Mejor Película de Animación en los Oscar 2008.

5 ediciones en castellano y 3 ediciones en catalán

Premios

- “Prix du Lion”, Bélgica 2000
- Premio Autor Revelación, Angoulême 2001
- Premio al Mejor Guión, Angoulême 2002
- Primer premio de la paz Fernando Buesa Blanco, Vitoria 2003
- Premio Harvey a la Mejor Obra Extranjera, EEUU 2004
- XIII Premio Internacional de Humor Gat Perich, Premià de Dalt 2008.

En palabras de la propia autora...

“Mi motivación no ha sido escribir sobre mi vida, es la historia de mi país, lo que pasó allí durante mi infancia, sobre la situación política que allí se vivió.”

“Tengo un fuerte sentido de la justicia. Y eso pasa desde intervenir en el súper porque una clienta le hable mal a la cajera, hasta reflejar en un libro la historia de mi país.”

Los medios dicen...

“Satrapi se ha convertido en un símbolo de la lucha contra las injusticias y las barbaries del integrismo islámico.” Qué leer

“Una joya iraní.” El Periódico

“Su espíritu atrevido e innovador es el motor de la actual renovación del cómic.” El País

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Comics, Memoir, Biography, History, Feminism

366 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Marjane Satrapi (Persian: مرجان ساتراپی) is an Iranian-born French contemporary graphic novellist, illustrator, animated film director, and children's book author. Apart from her native tongue Persian, she speaks English, Swedish, German, French and Italian.

Satrapi grew up in Tehran in a family which was involved with communist and socialist movements in Iran prior to the Iranian Revolution. She attended the Lycée Français there and witnessed, as a child, the growing suppression of civil liberties and the everyday-life consequences of Iranian politics, including the fall of the Shah, the early regime of Ruhollah Khomeini, and the first years of the Iran-Iraq War. She experienced an Iraqi air raid and Scud missile attacks on Tehran. According to Persepolis, one Scud hit the house next to hers, killing her friend and entire family.

Satrapi's family are of distant Iranian Azeri ancestry and are descendants of Nasser al-Din Shah, Shah of Persia from 1848 until 1896. Satrapi said that "But you have to know the kings of the Qajar dynasty, they had hundreds of wives. They made thousands of kids. If you multiply these kids by generation you have, I don't know, 10-15,000 princes [and princesses]. There's nothing extremely special about that." She added that due to this detail, most Iranian families would be, in the words of Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian, "blue blooded."

In 1983, at the age of 14 Satrapi was sent to Vienna, Austria by her parents in order to flee the Iranian regime. There she attended the Lycée Français de Vienne. According to her autobiographical graphic novel, Persepolis, she stayed in Vienna through her high school years, staying in friends' homes, but spent three months living on the streets. After an almost deadly bout of pneumonia, she returned to Iran. She studied Visual Communication, eventually obtaining a Master's Degree from Islamic Azad University in Tehran.

During this time, Satrapi went to numerous illegal parties hosted by her friends, where she met a man named Reza, a veteran of the Iran-Iraq War. She married him at the age of 21, but divorced roughly three years later. Satrapi then moved to Strasbourg, France.

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down to read a little of this during lunch, and ended up sitting in the restaurant for an hour after I was done eating. Eventually I felt guilty and left, but my plans were shot for the afternoon, as all I could think about was finishing this book.

I wish there were some mechanism on Goodreads to occasionally give a book more than five stars. Something to indicate when you think a book is more than merely excellent. Like for every 100 books you review, you earn the right to give one six-star review.

If such a mechanism were in place, I'd use my six-star review on this graphic novel. It was lovely and clear. It had a strong emotional impact, without being sugary or uncomfortable. It was eye-opening without being preachy or didactic. I read the whole thing in less than three hours, and I can honestly say I am better for the experience.

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be required reading, I want to pass out copies of this book on street corners. Easily one of the best graphic novels--and books in general--I have ever read and I have just finished it for a second time after making my book club read it this month. Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis is an important look at modern Iranian history, the people caught in the political struggles, and an empowering look at feminism and finding yourself amidst the bombs, oppression, and cultural clashes of the world. The historical events become the landscape for Satrapi’s coming of age story, witnessing the Iranian Revolution and war as a child, then spending her teenage years abroad only to return to Iran and struggle to thrive where women are kept down and the secret police are always lurking. Seriously, get this right now. I openly wept at a bar while reading this (while only on my first drink). I love Marjane Satrapi's work so much and I wish I would have come to it much sooner.


The graphic novel format for this story is very engaging, able to fluidly move between internal and external observations and depictions from frame to frame. The narration is quite extraordinary as well, with the language matching Marjane’s age as the novel progresses. Late in the book, as an adult, she even breaks the fourth wall, clearly addressing the reader while her cartoon image stares directly at you from the page. Like The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman, the graphic novel format makes for a wonderfully accessible look at history while delivering an incredible amount of emotion, empathy while also being a direct, first-person account of atrocities, violence and oppression from the perspective of someone facing it all themselves. Also like Maus, Satrapi’s Persepolis has faced a large amount of book challenges and bannings in the United States. Which is a real shame for many reasons, but a large one is that it puts Iranian history and society in a perspective that differs from the typical Western propaganda, such as showing Western influence in the regime change, countries like the US providing weapons for both Iran and Iraq during the war to weaken both as well as showing that most people living there are not the Fundamentalists and are trying to live a full life full of friendships and freedom.

The second half of the book deals with Marjane living abroad and the perceptions of others about Iran from the outside as well as seeing that oppressive beliefs and racism exist everywhere is a key detail. A favorite scene of mine is when Marjane is invited to hang out with anarchists only to find them playing capture the flag. There is a bit of rib-poking at college aged intelligentsia having heads full of theory but no experience, saying things to her like her having seen war and bodies in the street is “cool”, etc. The disconnect is quite interesting.

Though not everything in this book is about violence, and the coming-of-age aspects are really quite endearing. We see Marjane getting Western music from guys in trenchcoats on the street (her dad smuggling a Kim Wilde poster through airport security is a wonderful scene), witness disasterous relationships and breakups, watch her try to reinvent herself and grow up into who she is. Her story is quite moving and we see her challenge societal norms, such as pushing for better dresscodes for the art school she attends. Along the way we get the idea that she is lucky to have escaped many of the scenarios involving authorities.


The biggest heart of the story, however, is the family dynamic. The emotional connection and love for her grandmother, the tragic scenes of her Uncle being detained, and the love and care from her parents make for a very moving read. I love the father and his honesty with his daughter and often try to keep him in mind when raising my own daughters. I certainly thought of him when my oldest wanted to know about the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol or when explaining what was happening as Covid began in 2020 and opted to be open and talk to her like an adult when explaining what it meant instead of avoiding it. Satrapi paints a very captivating family story here that is sure to touch anyone’s heart.

But don’t just listen to me rave about this book, pick up a copy as soon as possible. I love it, my whole book club loved it, and I’m guessing you will too.

5/5

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and Maus are the best graphic novels ever and both among the first I read in the genre, and they ruined all the rest of them for me forever.

In short: I recommend!

Bottom line: Not really reviewing this because how much more is there to say!

---------------
pre-review

how am i slumped so hard i can't read a graphic novel...

i give up. i don't know how to read.

update: nevertheless we persist

update to the update: and we succeed.

review to come / 4 stars

---------------
currently-reading updates

i love to reread books i haven't reviewed yet. it's the closest i can possibly get to assigning myself homework

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece of graphic novels


This edition as the name indicates, collects the complete run of “Persepolis”.


Creative Team:

Creator, Writer & Illustrator: Marjane Satrapi


REVOLUTIONARY WORK

I remember the days when we traveled around Europe, it was enough to carry an Iranian passport. They rolled out the red carpet. We were rich before. Now as soon as they learn our nationality, they go through everything, as though we were all terrorists. They treat us as though we have the plague.

Persepolis is the masterpiece by Marjane Satrapi, a pseudo-biographical work, illustrating her life since 10 years old (1980) until 24 years old (1994), where she experienced her coming-to-life, in her native Iran, during the Islamic Revolution and the war with Iraq, along with four years in Europe, and her return to Iran again.

In this graphic novel you will witness many of the convoluted events happening during the decade of the 80s in the Middle East, from the point of view of a brave girl that was living at the heart of the incidents.

Marjane is able to present each topic that she wants to expose in titled parts where you learn about relevant facts of Iranian’s society, its past, its present and its future.

However, what makes unique Persepolis is the brilliant approach by Marjane Satrapi of those events, since while she is fearless to show the brutal side, she is also honest in showing her failures and doubts during growing up, and even she goes to the funny side of life.

Since it’s impossible for any human being to live in constant stressed status, people need to breath, to liberate the weight of their risky existence in many different ways.

People needs to smile, not matter where they live. They need to live.

And Marjane knows that.

Therefore, she masterfully is able to tell her lifestory, full of political episodes and social chapters, but always adding humoristic elements with taste and without ridiculing the seriousness and gravity of the situations.

Anybody can tell a tragedy but…

…a dramedy requires talent, tact and wit.

Brace yourself and meet Persepolis.

[Mario the lone bookwolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real life Middle East Handmaids´tale

Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood

An epic tale of sociocultural evolutions, silent revolutions, and never losing hope and trust in progressive, new solutions although backlashes and setbacks are omnipresent and daunting.

Each country has its big, subtle, and socially critical work that is right in the face of the shoals, bigotry, and cognitive dissonances of an established form of government and this is one of the best ones from the lands of One Thousand and One Nights. As always in these cases, the authors´ risk everything by using creativity and art to point the finger at the abysses, malfunctions, and dark sides of systems.

Unique because of the special, cultural background
In other cases and countries, especially democratic Western ones, this would be an average coming of age novel, forced reading if it´s a possibly bad, patriotically idealized writer from this nation, free reading if it´s a really good one with the target audience and style necessities considered, and thereby not acceptable for boring school reading, but Persepolis is different. Rebellion, emancipation, and freedom aren´t just some quarrels with parents, teachers, and conservative uncles and aunts, this is all against the system so that the courage and risk of everyone daring to speak out can´t be compared with Western emo teenage dirtbag goth problems, where there is nothing at stake except possible future psychiatric couch time fun regarding why mummy and daddy didn´t love, understand, and support ones individuality and creativity enough. Compare that to torture prisons and dictatorships, to totalitarianism, and discrimination of all females, and one gets a picture of what first world teenage problems really mean.

POV and authenticity.
Just as the unique, cultural background, the female perspective in this, again, misogynist society makes it extra impressive, irritating, and bizarre, because backlashes come with a special taste of bitterness. Never having something is a different and maybe even worse thing than losing everything that was in range again. Difficult to say if a male, not discriminated author, could or would (have wanted) to write a similar work, or if he would have had the talent to create the same, authentic, emotional masterpiece, but subjectively I don´t think so, because there are (don´t lapidate me, no matter if Western do gooders or jihadists) natural differences in male and female writing, strongly based on interests, audience (show me all the female hard sci-i readers and writers and the male romance equivalents), and yes, of course too, epigenetic conditioning to conform to gender roles and stereotypes. That´s the potentially bad part with discrimination, gender wars, and political correctness gone ultra bonkers. But this would go a bit too far, so let´s expand and get hyper meta towards

Global, political, religious, and, most important, economic reasons.
I tried to read a bit about the geopolitical background, especially regarding resources such as oil
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-P...
the US and UK playing with manipulative coup god mode in world history, again
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Ir...
the endless beef with Saudi Arabia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2...
, comparable to how different Christian faith´ battle until the end times about how the read holy books, the open or secret influence of other big players such as Russia, China, India, etc., but it´s far too complicated and controversial to get a clear picture and I simply haven´t enough background knowledge to give any competent comment or opinion. Although I assume that I´m not the only one, because to say that this is tricky would be an extreme understatement, especially including all the other US, Russian, Israeli, etc. war and proxy war "humanitarian interventions“ in the whole Middle East over the last decades. Now that´s a messed up constellation one shouldn´t touch with a ten foot pole.

Great transition, let´s faith enter the stage
As so often, it boils down to ideology, no matter if political, economic, or, in this case, religious, but instead of endless agnostic, atheistic, nihilistic, or whatever istic, or philosophical, ethical, sociological, etc. argumentation (and thereby endless debate full of logical fallacies, cognitive dissonance, bias, etc.), one should just compare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_...
and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_...

Not much to add to that.
Except that I might now, again, be on some more watchlists and blacklists, and the number of countries I could safely visit without being considered a dissident demagogue reduced. Again. Good that I´m a homebody without any need to see the world.

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

As if the Iranian Revolution hadn´t already been bad enough, growing up in a Western country has its flaws too

Because in both worlds, she´s an outsider
But at least she has a group of friends that aren´t integrated too that help her to settle down in a very strange, foreign place (I´m from Austria and have f world privileges). The problem is, it would take much more than just good friends to deal with such a traumatizing past she can´t leave behind alone in a foreign country. So she decides to

Give it another try
This could be seen as a second attempt of fighting the system but, as the first time, it just can´t work. One human against a system mostly just wins in fairytales. Still, this novel is one of the

Most important works showing women suffering under fundamentalism
Because no matter under which flag, symbol, or ideology, discrimination, exploitation, torture, and killing is always the same. Maybe a bit more sophisticated to give it a civilized touch, but the totalitarian approach always stays the same. While other books dealing with certain issues are interesting for relatively small groups of people of a certain age, sexual orientation, political ideology, etc., this one is written for hundreds of millions of women that are suffering. It´s the

Real life Handmaid's tale
If states in Africa and the Middle East were democratized, they would look in shock at a description of a possible, dystopic alternative future, a uchronia of theocratic hardliners smashing progressive emancipation.

Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. I am deeply ambivalent. First, I found the political side fascinating. If you're interested in Iran's history, the graphic novel format is really accessible. However, I really disliked Marjane. I feel a little guilty about this, as she's a real person. While she and her family were proud that she was outspoken, I found her rude and obnoxious. They believed she was raised to be "free." I certainly appreciate their hugely liberal views in such a repressive environment, but their version of "free" felt more like "offensive" and "disrespectful" and "tactless." There are so many instances in this book where Marjane faces conflict, and instead of sticking up for herself in a decent manner, she resorts to calling people prostitutes or bitches or whatever. I never thought I'd be one to criticize profanity or being up-front, but I found that they made Marjane very unsavory.

[El Librero de Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una joya de libro. Primera novela gráfica que leo y se me fue como agua.
La historia se narra desde el punto de vista de una niña iraní de 10 años a quien vemos crecer, vivir la represión, la imposición del velo, la pérdida de la libertad.
Persépolis es la lectura ideal para entender lo que se vive en medio de una guerra y la búsqueda de oportunidades.
Háganse un favor y léanla.

[Manny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visiting Spain for a conference earlier this month, I impulsively decided to do something about my almost non-existent Spanish. I began by reading the Spanish edition of Le petit prince, which got me started nicely. Now I wanted to try something harder. I had in fact read Persepolis in French not long after it came out, but I remembered very little of it; this would be a proper test of whether I had actually learned anything. I was pleased to find that I could read it! I'm still having to guess a lot of words, and every now and then I found a sentence that made no sense at all, but I could follow the story without difficulties.

The thing which surprised me most was that I found I liked the book better in Spanish than I had in French. After a while, I figured out why: my very uncertain language skills forced me to look carefully at all the pictures, and I realized that I hadn't properly appreciated them first time round. I'd read the book pretty much in one sitting, which didn't do it justice. This time, I gave the graphical aspects the attention they deserved.

But dammit, forget the Spanish and the artwork: it's still the story that wins. Her horror and indignation over the dreadful Iranian republic are so powerfully expressed. There's one episode in particular that I can't get out of my head. She's been characteristically loudmouthed at school. The teachers call her parents, and they tell her very seriously that she must be more careful. Does she know what had happened to the teenage daughter of the man they knew who made false passports?

Marji looks at them.

Well, say her parents, they arrested her. And they sentenced her to death. But, according to Iranian law, one may not put a virgin to death. So she was forcibly married to one of the revolutionary guards, and he deflowered her. And then they could shoot her. But, again according to Iranian law, the groom must give the bride a dowry, and if she is dead he must give it to her parents. So the next day, a representative of the revolutionary guard called on them. And he gave them fifty tumanes - about five dollars. That was the price for her virginity and her life.

I'm sorry, says Marji, stunned. I didn't know.

The truly terrifying thing is that the tone, throughout most of the book, is one of amused irony. As she says in another very powerful passage, when she meets a friend who's been horribly mutilated after serving in the war with Iraq, you can only complain up to a certain point, when the pain is still bearable. After that it makes no sense any more. All you can do is laugh.

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The famous auto-biographical tale of an Iranian woman growing up during the fall of the Shah and the actualisation of the Islamic and cultural revolution. A terrific book, managing to capture the voices of childhood and youth whilst telling the story of living under the Shah and then the fundamentalist regime.

Please note that the author grew up in an upper middle class neighbourhood in a community of Marxist leanings and I would suggest that some of the Iranian history depicted should be taken with a pinch of salt, but ultimately this book is about Marjane, living in a permissive and liberal household and trying to find her identity during some of the most change-ridden times of modern Persian history. The sequences of her student days in Austria were also gripping. Superb book, recommended. 9 out of 12 Four Star read.

2011 read

[Mohammed Arabey · Rating 4 out of 5]

ألا يسقط يسقط الانقلابات العسكرية التي تنقلب لفاشية ديكتاتورية؟
ألا يسقط يسقط الأنقلابات الملزقة بالأسلام "الأديان" التي تنقلب لفاشية ديكتاتورية؟
ألا تسقط تسقط الفاشية الديكتاتورية؟

هذا كان حال مرجان سترابي، فتاة صغيرة من أيران في 1979 وقصة عائلتها

وهي تتعلم تاريخ انقلاب الخمسينات..صعود الشاه..ثم ثورة الحرية العدالة الاجتماعية التي تحولت الي ثورة"إسلامية" ثم حكم فاشي ديكتاتوري
"الثـورة الإيرانيـة"

لماذا كل هذا يبدو متشابها؟ لماذا اشعر بكل هذا الديجا فو؟
التاريخ فعلا له وسائله المعقدة ليعيد نفسه...في اي مكان


هو كتاب جبته صدفة رمضان الماضي..شدني غلافه واعلم انه شهيرا..لأكتشف انه كوميكس بعد ان اشتريته
ولأكتشف انه كوميكس بسيط للغاية..ايراني الاصل ..ايراني القصة..ايراني الطابع والتاريخ
لا ترفع توقعاتك عاليا..فهي أبسط أشكال الكوميكس، ومع ذلك الحكاية كأقوي اشكال الروايات الميلودرامية
هل تعلم لماذا؟
لأنه قصة حياة حقيقية

ذكرتني كثيرا بمسلسل "ذات" -المسلسل نفسه اكثر من الرواية المبني عليها- والذي يحكي حكاية بنت من مصر من ميلادها بثورة يوليو 1952 وحتي ثورة 25 يناير2011 -والتي لم يعلم أحد وقتها إلي ما ستؤول عليه
ريفيو رواية ومسلسل ذات

والكتاب علي جزئين
قصة طفولة، حكاية مورجان سترابي، فتاة إيرانية من عائلة كبيرة لم تتم العاشرة عندما اشتعلت الثورة الإيرانية الشهيرة في 1979 وحتي 1984.. تشهد ثورة بلادها ضد الظلم والحكم الاستبدادي الذي بدأ بانقلاب في الخمسينات، ليتم سرقتها و إلصاق إسم الدين عليها ليبدأ عهد جديد اكثر استبدادا،تطرفا وقسوة

وقصة عودة، من الثمانيانت وحتي أوائل التسعينات إبان حرب العراق والكويت.. حيث نتابع تحول الفتاة اثناء دراستها بالخارج إلى مراهقة ثم شابة في رحلة ذهاب للبحث عن النفس...وعودة مرة أخري الي ايران في التسعينات..وقت حرب الخليج

بالرغم من قوة الجزء الأول رغم إنتقال احداثه من الماضي"قبل الثورة" للحاضر"بعد الثورة" في أوله، إلا أن انخفض تقييمي بنقطة لتداعيات الجزء الثاني، فجزء العودة كان متخبطا الي حد كبير-سواء الحبكة او الحياة عاما ولكن لنر كل جزء علي حدة
----------

الجزء الأول: قصة طفولة

مورجان سترابي من عائلة متحررة الي حد كبير، ليس الأمر شاذا هنا… ففي إيران الستينات والسبعينات رغم القمع العسكري من شاه إيران إلا ان التشدد لم يبلغ ماحدث بعد الثورة ال-استغفر الله العظيم-الاسلامية

فتاة بأحلام الطفولة البريئة ظنت انها عندما تكبر يمكنها ان تكون "رسولة" تنشر رسالة الخير والمساواة والعدالة الإجتماعية لمن حولها، مبنية علي ثقافات بلدها وفلسفة رازدشت

كونها من عائلة مثقفة وواعية وميسورة الحال جعلها تعرف الكثير عن تاريخ إيران وحروبها مع العرب والمغول، انقلاب الخمسينات وطغيان الشاه...ظنت عندما وجدت ثورة 79 إنه قد يتحقق فعلا المساواة والعدالة الإجتماعية لتكتشف مدي خداع احلامها الطفولية

من خلال حوالي 20 فصلا ستري قصص أسرية، ثورية، أجزاء كبيرة من شكل الحياة الايرانية قبل وبعد الثورة.. إقحام الدين في الاستبداد والحروب وقتل القاصرين في الصفوف الأمامية في الحروب...لمحات من تاريخ إيران ونقاط التحول السياسية بها
وكيف تم تشويه الدين عن طريق السياسة والأطماع


ستري أيضا الانبهار المعتاد بالثقافة الغربية والأغاني الأجنبية، مايكل جاكسون وفرقة آبا بطريقة أعتقد شبيهة جدا لفترة السبعينات في مصر..فمن من اهلنا لا يعرف خوليو اجلاسياس أو ديميس روسوس او حتي فيلم جون ترافولتا الراقص وبروس لي ملك الترسو الاجنبي؟
ولكنك ستجد كيف صار الحصول علي أشياء كهذه في ايران جريمة عقابها الجلد


اعجبني جدا البراءة، لم يعجبني بعض التصرفات -كبدء التدخين مثلا- ولكنها كانت واقعية بالطبع
هناك جزء شعرت إنه مقحم عن عائلة يهودية بمجرد ظهورهما وانت تدرك انه لغرض -التنوع- فحسب...وأن الجميع يعاني في حالة الحكم الاستبدادي وويلات الحروب
لكني لم أمانع وجوده كثيرا بعكس تنوع ما بالجزء الثاني

الجميل في الأمر هو اسماء الفصول التي احيانا ما تكون شيئا عابرا في الفصل ولكن له رمز ما..أعجبني جدا استخدام الاسماء وبالطبع لا تنس ان اهمه الفصل الاول "الخمار" والذي سيتكرر في الجزء الثاني

ولعل أكثر ما جعلني أمنح هذا الجزء 5 نجوم كاملة هو جمال علاقة الوالدين مع مورجان، وحكاياتها مع جدتها
ولحظة سفرها للنمسا وتوديعها لوالديها أكثر ما أثر بي بشدة

----------

الجزء الثاني : قصة عودة

عند نشر الكتاب لاول مرة تم نشره علي 4 اجزاء، قصة عودة مكونة من جزئين ايضا ولنر
النصف الأول مورجان وتحولها من فتاة في الرابعة عشر الي السادسة عشر...عامان في الخارج تحاول تحقيق نفسها،استكمال تعليمها في بلد يتيح لها التنفس
ورغم طبيعتها المتمردة إلا انها ستحاول رغم صعوبات أخري قد تكون مختلفة شكلا ولكنها تكاد تكون متشابهة مضمونا

اجمل ما بهذا "النصف" هو محاولاتها التأقلم وطبيعة مورجان التي ستصير محببة بسبب معايشتك لها بالجزء الاول
زيارة الأم هي اجمل ما بالجزء الثاني بأكمله، شعور -مرور الزمن، التحول من الطفولة لعالم البالغين

وإن كنت هنا ستجد ان إصرار المؤلفة علي تقديم شخصيات متنوعة بالرواية تحول الي اقحام حقيقي ، فقد استفحل لدرجة تقديم شخصيات مثلية الجنس بلا اي مبرر وان تتقبلهم الام ايضا بسهولة

أصعب ما بهذا الجزء هو ما بعد السادسة عشر، المراهقة والتخبط وانعدام الهوية...وإن كان مؤلما في متابعته إلا انني اري انه مازال واقعيا جدا

فعلا
أن أكتشافك لذاتك هو ماقد يحررك...ان تفهم نفسك وتتقبلها هو ما سيساعدك علي النجاح

وقد استغرقت تلك المعرفة وقتا طويلا لمورجان لمعرفتها

اما النصف الثاني فهو أواخر شهور مورجان في الخارج إنتهاءا بفصل مسمي بعبقرية "الخمار"، متبوعا بفصول عودتها الي إيران في سن الشباب لتشهد التغيرات -للاصعب- ببلدها
لتكمل دراستها الأكاديمية بالفن...والبحث عن الذات والهوية...في ظل هرمونات الارتباط في مجتمع متشدد لا يخلو من الحياة الماجنة السرية

هذا النصف كان الأسوأ بالنسبة لي، وأعتقد انه يتطلب شجاعة بحق للاعتراف به من جانب المؤلفة
هل تذكر وصفي لعائلة مورجان بالمتحررة، لم أقصد إساءة قدر ما اري ان وصف مورجان بالمنفلتة المتخبطة هو الأصلح لكل هذا النصف والذي بدأ بمنتصف هذا الجزء
قد يكون وصفي هذا بسبب انني قاريء من دولة شرقية ولكن فعلا التحرر فاق الحد بالربع الاخير من الكتاب ثم بدأ التخبط والزواج و و و
قلل هذا كثيرا من تعاطفي مع مورجان وإن زاد من تعاطفي مع الوالدين وتقديرهما رغم تساهلهما الشديد ولكن لا تنكر ان ظروف البلد قادرة فعلا علي تحويل التقي الي فاجر بسبب كل هذا التشدد

----------

النهاية

هي قصة مورجان ساترابي
والتي بنجاح الرواية وتحويلها لفيلم سينمائي ونجاحها كمؤلفة ومخرجة بالتأكيد تعتبر نهاية جميلة للرواية
فهي قصة حياتها
هي نفسها

رسالة الرواية ربما إنك قد تكون ضحية مجتمع فاشي متناقض مستبد
ولكن أيضاً انت مسؤول عن إختياراتك...فأحسن الأختيار

سعدت بالنهاية وان كنت مازلت مشفقا علي حال الوالدين...أشفقت عليهم وعلي الكثير من اهل ايران من نيران التعنت والفاشية والقمع
ولكنه الوطن

نهاية بها أمل بالتغيير الذي قد يبدأ بالنفس
بالأخص عندما تعرف -من بعد أن تغلق الرواية- أنها نجحت..بدليل ان الرواية بين يديك..والفيلم نجح في حصد الجوائز من 2007
شجاعة حقيقية بالتأكيد لتكتب كل هذا
بكل هذه الصراحة والوضوح وعدم التكلف..والاعتراف بالعيوب..والتغيير الحقيقي الذي يبدأ كما قلت بالنفس

قد يكون الحرية لها عامل ولكن سوء استخدامها مدمرا بحق

ولكن يصعب عليك ان المجتمعات المستبد حاكمها، المتطرفة فعلا لا تصلح للإبداع، تحقيق الذات
لا تصلح للرخاء
لا تصلح للعيش
لا تصلح للكرامة
لا تصلح للعدالة الإجتماعية

ألا يسقط يسقط….؟

أبدأ بنفسك


محمد العربي
من 20 يوليو 2016
الي 22 يوليو 2016

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

~Full review ~ 4.5 stars

Things I didn't know before : The Complete Persepolis was originally written in French. Way to feel dumb as shit in the (French) bookstore, I assure you.

Things I know now : Marjane Satrapi, as a French-Iranian, can't enter the US now. But hey, it's for your "security", all that shit.***

*** I just learned that French-Iranian had been authorized to go to the US with a Visa.

Favorite quote from the whole collection : "As time passed, I grew increasingly aware of the contrast between the official representation of my country and people's real lives, what happened behind doors" (approximate translation by me, I don't own the English version to check)



... because we're at the core of what makes The Complete Persepolis so interesting and, I'll say it, indispensable. For me, the strength of Marjane Satrapi's graphic-novel relies on the insight it offers the reader : where more classic nonfiction books can easily end up as mere juxtapositions of historical events (which is often boring, okay?), The Complete Persepolis successfully breaks the codes by combining Iran's History with Marjane Satrapi's experience. I, for one, believe that we need this kind of insight just as much as history books, because as I said in my review of Rooftops of Tehran, it's way too easy to dehumanize people we know nothing about, to forget the much real people living in the countries that our leaders target.

This is what I mean when I say that there's nothing political anymore in strongly disagreeing with Trump's decisions, especially when it comes to Muslims. At this point, it's not about agreeing on reducing taxes for the rich in order to avoid flight of capital, it's about acknowledging that everything in Western culture participates in feeding our prejudices. Really it's about acknowledging that these prejudices are real and that it's an everyday, conscious work to fight against them.

What fighting prejudices does not mean : It doesn't mean agreeing with everything. It doesn't mean, oh my god, erasing western culture** - and that concept, loved and spread by so many of far right voters is so fucking ridiculous given the fact that we have controlled the narrative for so long, it's not even funny. The "great replacement" so dearly loved by FN voters is merely another way for them to express their islamophobia and show their lack of basic education. Forget me with this shit.

** I'm using "western culture" as a generalization here - I don't believe that all western countries share the *same* culture, far from it.

What fighting prejudices means : it means accepting that different experiences are just as much valid. It means educating yourself, reading about and from people from different cultures. It means rejecting any attempt of categorizing cultures as being good or evil as a whole. It means a lot of listening and maybe less talking.

Trust me, I very much include myself when I say that we have to educate ourselves. The truth is, I have a shit tons of biases. I'm desperately secular, hopelessly Cartesian and very much on the Left spectrum. I've beneficed from my white privilege my whole life. I'm a straight, abled woman from Europe. I will never understand religion - I am interested in religions, but it's not the same thing and it never will. As far as I'm concerned, though, people can believe what they want as long as they don't try to convince me that I should believe and live my life according to thus beliefs. And just to be clear, right now the intolerant people who are being vocals about condemning abortion or LGBTQIA rights in my country are very much Christians.

Nobody asks you to change what you are, but to accept that others aren't the same.

Am I going to screw up and fail to notice hurtful contents in the books I read? Probably, unfortunately. Yet I think that in the end, what baffles me and makes me so sad and so angry is the fact that so many people genuinely do not want to listen, learn and do better.

Everything starts with education, and I'm not saying this because I'm a teacher. Nobody should ever forget that "[we] know one thing; that [we] know nothing".

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep promising to write a full review for this but never get around to it. Basically, I read Persepolis for my Gendered Communities course and I think it's one of those rare reads that actually gets better when you study it for the historical, cultural and political context. There are depressingly few Middle Eastern women whose books are read on a large scale so the insight which Persepolis offers into this part of Iran's history is very important. It offers a perspective we don't get to see too often.

[Guille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lo más impactante de este comic, en mi opinión, es como transmite la terrible posibilidad de que la vida puede cambiar radicalmente en un momento, algo que en el caso de Irán además se produjo mediante una revolución democrática llena de esperanza e ilusión. Para muchos, y muchas fundamentalmente, el cambio supuso vivir algo parecido al cuento de la criada en carne propia. Solo por esto, que se cuenta en los dos primeros cuadernos del comic, merece la pena su lectura.

El cuaderno tercero, en el que se narra el choque cultural de la protagonista al venir a estudiar a Europa, me aburrió un poco, y su vuelta a Irán en el cuarto cuaderno me interesó bastante menos que los dos primeros.

En cualquier caso, Persépolis es una lectura más que recomendable, principalmente para los jóvenes que no saben lo que es vivir bajo un régimen totalitario, e incluso pueden pensar que son la solución a los problemas que hoy en día presentan los regímenes democráticos. Yo pasé mi infancia y parte de mi adolescencia bajo el gobierno de un dictador y veo ahora con mucha pena y preocupación la deriva ultraderechista que se está viviendo en mi país, como en muchas otras partes del mundo, en la que los nietos de aquellos fascistas, que llevaron a mi país a una guerra cainita y que, tras la victoria, perpetraron una limpieza política, un verdadero genocidio, con el mismo lenguaje dogmático y demagógico de aquellos tiempos, arrastran ahora también a las masas ignorantes de lo que hay detrás de esas máscaras de salvadores de patrias. Están en peligro muchos derechos, algo que afectará con mucha más saña a las mujeres.

Compartan esta lectura, o Maus, otra lectura necesaria, con sus hijos o nietos, coméntenla con ellos, todos saldremos ganando.

[Mía Nauca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hace poco leí el cuento de la criada y me pareció un libro de distopía inconcebible en la actualidad. Sin embargo, leer Persépolis me ha abierto muchísimo la mente, para una mujer occidental es fácil olvidar la realidad que se vive en los países como Irán e Iraq que están sometidos a regímenes religiosos extremistas donde las mujeres no tienen ningún derecho. Ni siquiera pueden correr en público, maquillarse, enseñar los tobillos o las muñecas... es que es tan surreal para mi pensar que eso pasa en el 2017.
Pero hay muchas personas que se rebelan contra el sistema, mucha gente que no esta de acuerdo y que hace una diferencia. Que importante es leer este libro amigos que en forma de novela gráfica se pasa volando.

[B. A. Balfour · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.3 stars.

This is an exceptionally charming, funny and real account of the Iranian revolution and its aftermath, through the eyes of a young woman who lived through much of it.

I laughed, I cried, I learned things.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*****

I wanted to be Justice, Love and the Wrath of God all in one.

An incredibly funny, insightful and moving story told through the form of a graphic novel. This book serves as a memoir of the author, Marjane Satrapi. It is about a brave, young woman in 1980's Iran.

This book highlights the struggles that the Iranian people have had to go through. The changes in their culture, the forming of an Islamic Revolution and its aftermath; Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's childhood. It documents the rise in the Islamic Revolution and those that dissented from these views, the punishments they received. Through Marji's mind and eyes we see the rise of the Islamic Revolution and how this effects both the public and private life of her family. We get to see her rebel in her own ways- fighting for freedom and modernisation, her day-dreaming, her everyday life and struggles, through family turbulence's and her own identity through religion and it's governed customs. Through this book we are taught the histories of both her parents and Grandmothers views of previous era's and how this has changed or impacted from the current one. Marjane Satrapi also paints a vivid picture of what it is like to be a woman in Iran during this time of political and cultural shift.

And so to protect the women from all the potential rapists, they decreed that wearing the veil was obligatory.

At the committee, they didn't have to inform my parents. They could detain me for hours, or for days. I could be whipped.

Marjane Satrapi describes very intimate and frightening accounts of those who do not fit in with the ideals or those who go against it. This often ends up in horror and terror with tragic ends. She also describes how through this political transition, mindsets are influenced and swayed to meet with those in power. For example, universities are closed and schools are taught that the Islamic Revolution is the right way.

To die a martyr is to inject blood into the names of society.

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return documents Satrapi's attendance to schools in Vienna, the rebelling, boys, modernisation and homelessness. It also focuses on her return to Iran. Here the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution is still occurring; with streets re-named after martyr's, exceptionally strict rules placed on women's clothing, the rules governing who she walks with down the street.

I felt as though I were walking through a cemetery.

This book offered a real sense of what it is like as a woman, and what is like for a family in the intense period of time of the Islamic Revolution. I must admit that I had very little knowledge of the history of Iran and it was exciting to develop this, despite the often haunting consequences this revolution had. The book invokes sympathy and empathy for Iranian people and those that suffer. The simplistic drawings in black and white made this story relatable and you could achieve a real perception and awareness of this political and global change. The drawings added to the complexity of the story, however, they were also often very funny too!

This was my first time reading a graphic novel and I was a bit weary of attempting this- but this is just such an amazing book I'll happily approach more in the future.

[leynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

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."

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving memoir about Marjane Satrapi’s experience as a young girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. I enjoyed a lot of the themes in Persepolis, including the power of political activism and staying true to your values, the perniciousness and pervasiveness of sexism, and the destabilizing effects of war on family and community. Satrapi’s vulnerable sharing about her rough period with mental health – when she moved to Austria and then moved back – felt like a compelling account of how immigration and acculturative stress can disrupt the psyche. The most riveting part of Persepolis centered on Satrapi’s own voice. From her childhood to her early adulthood as a woman, she acted in alignment with her convictions and spoke out even if her beliefs defied societal norms. A courageous woman and journey, detours she took and all.

[Rowena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was brilliant: a graphic novel depicting the coming-of-age of a young Iranian girl living in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, who is eventually sent to live in Austria for 4 years for her safety. It shows the horrors of living in a war-torn nation, as well as how terrifying it must be to live in a country run by religious fundamentalists/fanatics. The Muslim leaders recruited 14 year old boys in the war effort, closed down schools, targeted intelligent people and women wearing jeans and nail polish...

As a woman, the sexist views of the Islamists made me angry. One panel shows an Islamist on television saying "Women's hair emanates rays that excite men. That's why women should cover their hair." If that isn't the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard :/

This was a very raw and candid portrayal of life. Satrapi didn't really try to sugarcoat anything. I liked the precocious child, Marji, who was trying to understand the world that was going on around her and wasn't scared of questioning the hypocrisies she witnessed. And her self-realization as she tried to determine her identity in Austria and when she went back to Iran and was perceived as an outsider and a worldly woman also held my attention.

It made me think of people,especially children, living in other war-torn places such as Syria, what must they be going through everyday? What must they be witnessing? Torture, death etc? How can someone get over that?

Definitely a must-read for everyone.

Disclaimer: This book isn't anti-Islam, it's anti-fundamentalist. Satrapi mentioned how fundamentalists in every religion are dangerous, and I wholeheartedly agree.

[Marpapad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Persepolis is a truly amazing graphic novel....

[Repellent Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Persépolis es ese tipo de libros a los que uno se acerca con miedo. Miedo a causa de la enorme exposición que ha tenido. ¿Valdrá la pena? ¿Será merecida su buena fama? ¿O será solo buena promoción? Y la respuesta es que merece cada buena crítica. Cada página es oro.

A través de la vida de la autora, vamos a hacer un repaso de la historia de su país, Irán. Empezando por un breve relato de los años de historia que arrastra: su origen como el gran imperio persa, las multiples invasiones de diferentes dinastías, las diferentes religiones por las que ha pasado... Hasta llegar a la inestabilidad actual de Irán. El golpe de estado del 79, desembocó en una guerra que duró 8 años que trajo consigo el retroceso de la sociedad, y que, como no, afectó principalmente a las mujeres. Sin libertad para salir solas, ser tapadas de pies acabeza por un velo, que su valía vaya en función al marido que tengan...

Este cómic es una joyita y todo lo que critica y muestra es tan duro, como realista. En primer lugar destaca el machismo. La autora, una fiel defensora de los derechos de la mujer, crece en una familia progresista y durante toda su vida lucha por conseguir esa igualdad que se resiste a llegar. Además, siendo doblemente valiente, ya que la mujer está en peligro continuo en Irán. Por otra parte, hay una gran crítica a la falta de cumplimiento de los mínimos derechos humanos. El poderoso siempre vulnera los derechos del pobre. El clasismo está latente. Hace una descripción bastante acertada y crítica de la religión, o más bien, del uso que la gente le da. Ya sea esta una árabe o cristiana. El fanatismo religioso, es igual de malo sin importar de cual se trate.

Y, además, una de las críticas más necesarias y que a occidente más le cuesta admitir y entender es que, los países tercermundistas existen, gracias a que los países del primer mundo nos aprovechamos de sus recursos y su falta de medios para explotarlos. Para que nosotros seamos ricos, ellos tienen que ser pobres. Y gran parte de las guerras que existen por esos lugares, tienen la marca de occidente. Ellos son los que se lucran. Y me parece super imporante que este cómic llegue a todas las manos posibles, para que eso se comprenda de una vez.
En definitiva un pedazo de 5 estrellas, y porque no le puedo poner 50.

[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much I love about this graphic novel. Persepolis is beautiful and tragic and amusing and emotionally real. It's probably the single best book I read in middle school.

This is so much more than just a politically relevant story. It's a story of a specific teenage girl growing up in 1979-1985 Iran, not of every Iranian woman, and it never tries to be everyone's story. Marjane Satrapi is such an incredible narrator; she has flaws and makes mistakes and she allows her memoir to explore those flaws. It's easy to impress upon her character and follow her growth, even when you disagree with her choices.

This is definitely a standout among graphic novels and literary fiction. Highly recommended.

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[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books such as this and The Complete Maus remind us how powerful the medium of "comics" is. It is not all Walt Disney and Tom and Jerry, folks.

[Dream.M · Rating 3 out of 5]

مرجان ساتراپی, با گرافیک ناول «پرسپولیس» یه  کار سطح بالای بصری و احساسی خلق کرده. کاری که فارغ از تکنیک جذاب گرافیکی ، برای ما ایرانیان یک تجربه عمیق عاطفی و درد مشترکیه که مرجان اونو فریاد زده.
● اون توی این کتاب با هر خط ساده‌، تو رو می‌بره به قلب یه داستان از انقلاب، جنگ، مهاجرت و هویت، و با جادوی قدرتمند  قصه‌گویی، نمی‌ذاره حتی یه لحظه چشم ازش برداری. تصور کن یه دختر جوون با قلم و جوهر سیاه، توی دهه‌های پرآشوب زندگی‌ش، تصمیم می‌گیره داستانش رو نه فقط بنویسه، بلکه تصویرگری کنه.
● کنتراست شدید سیاه و سفید توی «پرسپولیس» فقط یه انتخاب هنری نیست، یه سلاحه. توی صحنه‌های بمباران تهران، سیاهی غلیظ پس‌زمینه انگار داره همه‌چیز رو می‌بلعه. خونه‌ها، آدما، حتی امید رو. ولی ساتراپی با خطوط سفید نازک و لرزان، صورتای پر از وحشت یا دستای مشت‌شده‌ مقاوم رو از دل اون تاریکی می‌کشه بیرون. مثلاً توی یه پنل، فقط یه جفت چشم با خطوط سفید تو سیاهی دیده می‌شه، و همون کافیه که حس کنی قلب مرجی داره تند می‌زنه. این ترفند ریشه‌ش تو سینمای اکسپرسیونیست آلمانی دهه ۱۹۲۰ هستش (فکر کن به «کابینه دکتر کالیگاری» با سایه‌های تیز و ترسناکش) ولی ساتراپی اون تکنیک رو شخصی کرده، انگار داره با جوهر قلمش درد و رنجش رو فریاد می‌زنه.
● چیز مهم دیگه ای که توی اینکار وجود داره و باید بهش توجه بشه، پرسپکتیو احساسی عه که انگار داری از چشمای مرجی ۶-۷ ساله به دنیا نگاه می‌کنی. بزرگ‌ترا با پاهای بلند و کشیده، مثل غولای افسانه‌ای، از پایین به بالا کشیده شدن (مثل وقتی معلمش داره سرش داد می‌زنه، و صورتش فقط یه جفت ابرو و یه خط دهن عصبانیه که بالای کادر گم می‌شه. یا توی یه صحنه که باباش داره از زندان حرف می‌زنه، زاویه طوریه که انگار اون یه کوه عظیمه و مرجی یه نقطه کوچیک زیرش.) این تکنیک، که از تجربه بچگیش میاد، تو رو می‌ذاره وسط اون دنیای پر از ترس، هیستری و کنجکاوی. جزئیات گرافیکی کار دیوونه‌کننده‌ست؛ مثلاً خطوط تار دور صورت بزرگ‌ترا، که انگار نشون می‌ده مرجی هنوز نمی‌تونه اونا رو کامل بفهمه. هیجان این داستان و تصویرگری ها اینجاست که خودت حس می‌کنی داری با مرجیبزرگ می‌شی و اینها رو تجربه می‌کنی.
● و امااا طنز و تراژدی کنار هم! ساتراپی مثل یه شعبده‌باز، با خطوطش تو رو می‌خندونه و یهو اشکت رو درمیاره. توی یه پنل، مرجی با خدا بحث می‌کنه (بنظرم بهترین قسمت داستانه) خدا با ریش بلند و ابروهای بالا، مثل یه بابابزرگ بامزه کشیده شده، و مرجی با دهن گشاد و چشم‌های گرد داره غر می‌زنه که چرا دنیا این‌جوریه. خطوط اغراق‌شده و کارتونی، که مستقیم از چارلی چاپلین تو «روشنایی‌های شهر» میاد، یه طنز تلخ می‌سازه که انگار می‌گه زندگی یه موزیک مسخره‌س ولی بیا باهاش برقصیم!  و درست یه صفحه بعد، وقتی خبر مرگ عمو آنوش می‌رسه، خطوط نرم و سنگین می‌شن، صورت مرجی با چشم‌های بزرگ و یه خط اشک ساده، تو یه پس‌زمینه سیاه غلیظ، انگار داره غمش رو فریاد می‌زنه. این جابه‌جایی سریع، از کمدی صامت چاپلین و احتمالا تجربه شخصیش تو فرهنگ ایرانی میاد (جایی که با طنز از درد می‌گذری).
● تکرار الگوها هم مهمن. توی تظاهرات، خطوط آدمای سیاه‌پوش پشت سر هم ردیف شدن، اول صاف و منظم، مثل سربازای آماده، ولی هر چی جلوتر می‌ری، خطوط کج‌تر و شلخته‌تر می‌شن، انگار جمعیت داره تو خودش می‌پیچه. توی یه صحنه که مردم تو صف نونن، تکرار شکل سرها و دستا یه ریتم می‌سازه که انگار صدای همهمه‌شون تو گوشِت‌ه. این تکنیک، که یه لمس از مینیاتورای پارسی با الگوهای منظمش داره، تو رو می‌بره وسط اون هرج‌ومرج و هیجان جوریکه حس می‌کنی خودت داری شعار می‌دی یا تو صف عرق می‌ریزی!
● و فضاهای خالی؟ این دیگه یه شاهکار احساسیه! توی لحظه‌هایی که مرجی تو اروپا تنهاست، یه پنل هست که فقط خودش رو تخت کشیده شده با چند خط ساده، تو یه صفحه سفید بزرگ. سفیدی دورش انگار داره سکوت غربت رو فریاد می‌زنه، یا وقتی عموش اعدام می‌شه، فضای خالی دورش حس پوچی رو نشون می‌ده. اهمیت جزئیاتش اینجاست که هیچ خط اضافه‌ای نیست، فقط چند منحنی ساده، ولی انگار همینا یه دنیا غم رو رو شونه‌هات می‌ذاره. این خالی بودن، که از سادگی کمیک‌های خط روشن مثل تن‌تن میاد، تو رو مجبور می‌کنه خودت اون فضای خالی رو با تجربه احساسیت پر کنی؛ یه جادوی بصری که فقط از ساتراپی برمیاد.
● مرجان با پشتوانه یه مخزن عمیق تأثیرات هنری از بزرگترین هنرمندان جهان، و تجربیات واقعی خودش این اثر رو آفریده. اون این تاثیرات رو با هویت دوگانه‌ش، با تجربه مهاجرت از ایران به فرانسه، با اشک‌ها و لبخند‌های خودش ترکیب کرده و تونسته شاهکار بصری_ روایی پرسپولیس رو خلق کنه.
خوندن و تماشای این کتاب رو (دو جلده و فقط جلد اول به فارسی ترجمه شده) به همه پیشنهاد میکنم. حتی از کسایی که قبلا خوندنش دعوت میکنم اینبار با توجه به این نکاتی که گفتم دوباره بخونن‌ش.
امتیاز ۳/۵
مرسی از بچای گروه همخوانی کتاب‌های بد که بازم پایه بودن کتاب رو خوندیم، و فایل هارو دراختیارمون گذاشتن.. و مرسی از یسنا که جرقه خوندن کتاب از دیدن پست چنل اون روشن شد.
امیدوارم کتاب بیشتر دیده و خونده بشه ♡♡

[Ariane Hoyos · Rating 5 out of 5]

qué barbaridad

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I loved about this book was Marjane's very individual voice and how it transformed from the start of the book when she is 10 to the end, when she is 22. Ten-year-old Marjane, by the way, is about the most awesome kid I have encountered in print. She reminded me of Harper Lee's Scout, except Marjane was cuter and more hilarious. Also, more political.

Most readers are unlikely to be really conversant in 20th Iranian political history and it is absolutely fascinating to be introduced to the topic through the eyes of an impressionable child, an emotional teenager and a jaded young adult. Marjane tells her story in an intense, honest, funny and heartbreaking fashion.

The style of art is beautiful and everything is drawn in a kind of a kooky way. I though that the style reinforced that this whole story comes from one young person's distinct point of view. As in all graphic novels, the images are just as potent, if not more, than the plot itself and this is no exception.

"Persepolis" is the best book I can think of to introduce the uninitiated to the world of graphic novels. The subject matter is the polar opposite of the superhero comic stereotype and the intense, skillful storytelling will captivate even the mots doubting reader.

I adored it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special thank you to GR friend, Rosh for her various graphic novel recommendations, this one included. Here is Rosh's review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Now…I am not saying I am a new fan of graphic novels. I will say that I do like the idea of experiencing storytelling with pictures.

Obviously, I love children’s books. As an adult, I have found great wisdom between their pages.

And…Sometimes, it doesn’t take a lot of words to tell a terrific story, especially if an illustration can show the reader more.

So…I am intrigued by graphic novels for this reason.

What message can they convey through their panels?

What can their characters tell a reader in their bubble discussions?

This is my curiosity.

And now…On to the review.

This feels like…An “autobiography” via comic book.

It is my understanding that this is a creative telling of a “memoir” and a history of Iran’s turbulent 20th century politics.

One comic strip frame at a time.

The author’s protagonist is Marji a sassy, Iranian girl, fighting her elder’s expectations of her.

Shall we start with the veil?

Or…Her birth. Her religion. Her family?

She finds her own way in being an independent thinker.

Which…For a female, isn’t really encouraged.

So…How did I really feel about this book? This reading experience?

This is how I saw it…

There are 2 aspects of this graphic novel that defined it.

First… It is a historical novel that depicted several important events in Iranian history, particularly in the 1980s.

Second… It is a coming-of-age story of Marji, our primary character, protagonist.

It is a personal and insightful journey.

It is published in 2 parts – The story of a childhood and The story of return.

The first part is of 10-year-old Marji and her views of the Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah and the rise of the Iranian regime, and her having to leave the country for Austria.

It is candid. It is raw. She is unafraid of challenging the hypocrisies she witnessed.

She highlights the horrors of living in a nation divided by war.

And…The fundamentalists and religious fanatics who divided the country.

Telling the story in this way shows how comic books can be powerful mediums in conveying important stories.

The second part is her growing up story.

This part of the story was interesting, insightful, humorous and serious. Definitely thought-provoking.

The author has a distinctive voice.

And…I can’t help but recommend this book.

It is truly a…Worthwhile read.

Thank you again…Rosh.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

My first memories of Iraq and Iran consist of mixing the names up, having nothing more than the vague knowledge from television talkers that someone was fighting someone and we, the United States, were fighting everyone. Persia was where my best friend in first grade was from, a place she once told me didn't exist anymore before she changed schools in third grade and we completely lost contact with each other. The intervening years between then and now filled up with reports of war and terrorism and an overwhelming fear mongering, leaving me with the feeling I was being force fed bullshit at such an insidious level that I couldn't even trust myself to seek out the least poisoned method of discovering the other side of the story. Since upgrading the status of literature in my life from hobby to livelihood, I've had more time to get down to the bottom of Introduction to Iran 101 - Autodidact Style entry on the neverending Lit bucket list, and I have to say, I can't imagine a better way than this book.

Graphic novel, really, but with Watchmen on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list and The Complete Maus regularly touted as a modern classic, the faster the academic niches of capital L Literature come to terms with the more than capable qualities of the Graphic Novel in terms of Meaning and Importance and yadda yadda yadda, the better. Three hundred years ago it was the novel in Europe, two millenia ago it was the writing things down in general in Greece,, and really, if you can find a memoir that is erudite as it is hilarious as it is heartbreaking as it is politically conscious in a social justice manner as it is life affirming as it is of a country that has for decades been horrendously misconstrued six ways to Sunday by the United States as this one, please, let me know.

Member of the Guardians of the Revolution (MGR): Madam, why were you running?
Marjane: I'm very late! I was running to catch my bus.
MGR: Yes..but...when you run, your behind makes movements that are...how do you say...obscene!
Marjane: WELL THEN DON'T LOOK AT MY ASS!

I yelled so loudly that they didn't even arrest me.

One of the first popular conceptions that comes to my mind when I think on Iran is how bad the women in that country have it. Now, the Wikipedia page for Rape culture states: According to Michael Parenti, rape culture manifests through the acceptance of rapes as an everyday occurrence, and even a male prerogative. It can be exacerbated by police apathy in handling rape cases, as well as victim blaming, reluctance by the authorities to go against patriarchial cultural norms, as well as fears of stigmatization from rape victims and their families. That description is the United States, complete with dress codes, lack of sexual education regarding consent, incidents such as Steubenville and statistics such as 1 in 5 women in universities have been raped at some point during their enrollment. This commentary has nothing to do xenophobia of the civilized countries of the so called West, or with Iran consisting of all kinds of people worn down by death and fear and love of their homeland and culture being controlled by Persian fundamentalists, or the CIA's involvement in taking down countries so as to slake the US's lust for oil, or the fundamental differences between Iran and Iraq and Kuwait and all those other countries media crews love to lump together and poke at, but it does have to do with my basis for relating with Marjane and her growth from child to adult. In comparison to the big picture of her story, it's not much, but it is enough to get me off my commonly accepted high horse of US superiority and start listening.

Marjane: 'I don't want to leave the country right away.'
Reza: 'It's because you are still nostalgic. You'll see, a year from now people will disgust you. Always interfering in things that don't concern them.'
Marjane: 'Maybe so, but in the West you can collapse in the street and no one will give you a hand.'

It's a crying shame that it took me this long to read a work that wonderfully cuts to the heart of that vague sensationalism that is the US's treatment of the Middle East. It's an even greater shame that this sort of work is a rare breed in the field of public perception. However, while it may have taken me the length of my own path from childhood to adulthood to experience a good introduction to the reality of things, a start in the right direction is a start.

[new_user · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is will be more response than review. Satrapi's Persepolis fulfills its purpose as a memoir, but I will tell you right from the start, that it is indeed overhyped, particularly if you have read the rave critical reviews. Perhaps, since the field of graphic novels as memoirs is relatively new, a work like this could be called ground-breaking. Persepolis as a memoir is an interesting read. I say this only as a result of having read Part Two of this book, The Story of a Return . If I had read The Story of a Childhood alone, I probably would not have liked this book at all.

As a memoir, her account of her childhood is biased politically. I'm speaking of Iranian politics and social affairs -even history- rather than any foreign policy. Satrapi would like to paint herself as an educated, superior specimen of progressive thought, but to be frank, one can embody all of her views in two words: westernism and nationalism. She worships "punk" and calls her family "avant-garde." She considers herself the very spirit of Iranian society, the last bastion of reason in her country, but she goes to a French school and adopts Western, dress and idols. She does not seem very avant-garde to me. She seems to be the typical Eastern child who envies the Western one. I questioned at times whether she could truly be proud of her heritage-- or simply what she thought to be her heritage. I didn't see that adopting European principles or dress was any more or less admirable than adopting Arab ones. Even when she reads, she reads only foreign philosophers. Her patriotism seems a shell.

This is precisely why I was skeptical-- because any book praised by a mass of American critics generally affirms American values, American superiority (the rest of the world is backwards) and/or American-approved values. Such a work will generally portray a one-sided view of the culture in question, i.e. the approved view, as this one does. In fact, I'm finding there is a slew of Iranian authors jumping on the bandwagon of vilifying Iran (to an all too receptive audience) and glorifying everything Western.

In the introduction, she writes "...this old and great civilization," and I have to wonder which civilization she means since she laments that so much culture has been imposed on Iranians. What is essentially Iranian? Zoroastrianism? She doesn't strike me as Zoroastrian. Satrapi fails to consider the dynamics and nature of culture, to adopt, borrow, and grow. That is progress. Satrapi writes of Iran, it "...has been discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism, and terrorism. As an Iranian who has lived more than half my life in Iran, I know that this image is far from the truth."

In fact, Satrapi does nothing to negate this view. She simply replaces it with a new paradigm, all religious Iranians are fanatics. The rest adopt Western customs; they're civilized. This is not debunking misperceptions, it's only espousing the latest Western policy: non-religious Easterners are acceptable. She does nothing to help her people here. The book speaks only in the briefest way (a line or two) about American relations, so do not be concerned about any bias in that regard.

So if we call the first part Politics, the second part -the book is really not complete without it- is more honest. In The Story of a Return, she speaks of her experiences as an immigrant in Europe, and these strike me as less politicized and more genuine. As for her return, we know that Satrapi returned only to say goodbye. She is an expatriate in Paris, living the culture that she so worshiped as a child.

That said, as a memoir, this book is pretty interesting and does indeed describe the forces that shaped this woman. The iconic, stylized, almost childlike art cushions the narrative, so that the political content is less threatening. It's cute. And it suits the tone of the book, which is fanciful and ostensibly a protest against a black and white world (though Satrapi is a little rigid herself).

It's worth a read if you have some spare time. It was better than I expected after reading the first half, but it won't be on my Best Of list anytime soon.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing to be said of this except that it is incredible and beautiful. This was our pick for the Realm of Comics Bookclub. If you want to check out our full discussion be sure to watch this link: https://youtu.be/4XaQztyOx1Y