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Embroideries
From the best–selling author of Persepolis comes a gloriously entertaining and enlightening look into the sex lives of Iranian women.
Embroideries gathers together Marjane’s tough–talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors for an afternoon of tea drinking and talking. Naturally, the subject turns to love, sex and the vagaries of men.
As the afternoon progresses, these vibrant women share their secrets, their regrets and their often outrageous stories about, among other things, how to fake one’s virginity, how to escape an arranged marriage, how to enjoy the miracles of plastic surgery and how to delight in being a mistress. By turns revealing and hilarious, these are stories about the lengths to which some women will go to find a man, keep a man or, most important, keep up appearances.
Full of surprises, this introduction to the private lives of some fascinating women, whose life stories and lovers will strike us as at once deeply familiar and profoundly different from our own, is sure to bring smiles of recognition to the faces of women everywhere—and to teach us all a thing or two.
Embroideries gathers together Marjane’s tough–talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors for an afternoon of tea drinking and talking. Naturally, the subject turns to love, sex and the vagaries of men.
As the afternoon progresses, these vibrant women share their secrets, their regrets and their often outrageous stories about, among other things, how to fake one’s virginity, how to escape an arranged marriage, how to enjoy the miracles of plastic surgery and how to delight in being a mistress. By turns revealing and hilarious, these are stories about the lengths to which some women will go to find a man, keep a man or, most important, keep up appearances.
Full of surprises, this introduction to the private lives of some fascinating women, whose life stories and lovers will strike us as at once deeply familiar and profoundly different from our own, is sure to bring smiles of recognition to the faces of women everywhere—and to teach us all a thing or two.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Marjane Satrapi
24 books6,809 followersMarjane Satrapi (Persian: مرجان ساتراپی) was born in Rasht (Iran, 22nd November 1969 - Paris, june 4th, 2026). Conditioned by the extremism of the 1979 Revolution, her parents sent her to Vienna in 1983 to finish her studies at the French Lyceum in the Austrian capital. She later returned to Tehran and enrolled in the School of Fine Arts, but, in 1994, she moved to France before graduating. She studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg (currently, Haute école des arts du Rhin) and later moved to Paris. According to specialists, Marjane Satrapi is one of the most prominent names in international comics, author of what is, for many, one of the best graphic novels ever published: Persepolis (2000), an autobiographical story that narrates her childhood and adolescence in Iran, of which it has been said that “few works have had such an ability to permeate pop culture and, at the same time, be one of the best historical narratives of our time”. Persepolis won the Angoulême Coup de Coeur Award for Best New Author at the Angoulême Festival. In 2001, the second volume also received the award for Best Script at Angoulême. The third and fourth volumes achieved even greater popularity, garnering international success. In 2007, she teamed up with Vincent Paronnaud to turn the comic into an animated film. The adaptation won the Film Critics Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival in 2007 and the César Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2008, in addition to being nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2008 Oscars. Other notable works of hers include Broderies (2003) (Embroideries, 2005) and Poulet aux prunes (2004) (Chicken with Plums, 2006), which was also adapted to film in 2011. In 2023, she coordinated the book Femme, vie, liberté (Woman, Life, Freedom, 2024) together with political scientist Farid Vahid and historian Abbas Milani, both Iranians, and French reporter Jean-Pierre Perrin, in addition to an international group of seventeen comic book authors (including Spaniards Patricia Bolaños and Paco Roca and several Iranians). In this work, she illustrates the revolts that occurred in Iran after the murder of Mahsa Amini in 2022 at the hands of the so-called "morality police", and denounces the repression and lack of human rights that, according to Satrapi, Iranian society, especially women, suffer at the hands of the regime. The Persian version of this book is accessible online for free to all Iranians.
In addition to the film adaptation of Persepolis, Satrapi has directed the films La Bande des Jotas (The Gang of Jotas, 2012), The Voices (2014) and Radioactive (2019), a biography of scientist Marie Curie. Another discipline in which she has stood out has been painting, with important exhibitions in Parisian galleries such as the Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont. This year, a tapestry designed by Satrapi commissioned by France’s statutory Mobilier Nacional is on display at the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris to mark the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. Commander of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, Marjane Satrapi holds honorary degrees from the Belgian universities UC Louvain and KU Leuven. She was elected member of the French Academy of Fine Arts in 2024.
In addition to the film adaptation of Persepolis, Satrapi has directed the films La Bande des Jotas (The Gang of Jotas, 2012), The Voices (2014) and Radioactive (2019), a biography of scientist Marie Curie. Another discipline in which she has stood out has been painting, with important exhibitions in Parisian galleries such as the Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont. This year, a tapestry designed by Satrapi commissioned by France’s statutory Mobilier Nacional is on display at the Hôtel de la Marine in Paris to mark the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. Commander of France’s Order of Arts and Letters, Marjane Satrapi holds honorary degrees from the Belgian universities UC Louvain and KU Leuven. She was elected member of the French Academy of Fine Arts in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,071 reviews
June 5, 2020
Family gossip is my Achilles' heel. I live for those moments when my mother and I get to discuss old memories of hers and mine.
So this graphic novel fit right like a glove.
Embroideries starts out with Marjane Satrapi and her family and friends sitting down with their drinks to devote themselves to their favorite activity: discussion.
There was talk of marriage, love, unfeasible men, sex, double standards, body image... simply put, Embroideries included everything I love discussing with my family and so much more.
Here are a few of my favorite talks between Marjane's tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors:
(I was cry-laughing at this part.)
...This is why I adored Marji's mother in Persepolis 2.
Her grandmother was as wise as ever.
I laughed out loud multiple times,which I truly wasn’t expecting. And the one part I most vividly remember making me laugh too loudly was when 6-year-old Marjane was talking about her grandmother’s nose:
I almost choked laughing so hard. This conversation really hit home for me.
Also, this:
This is seriously 100% like all the conversations I've had in the past with my family.
To put it plainly, Embroideries was all I could have wanted from Marjane Satrapi and yet... I long for more and more.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Embroideries, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
So this graphic novel fit right like a glove.
Embroideries starts out with Marjane Satrapi and her family and friends sitting down with their drinks to devote themselves to their favorite activity: discussion.
There was talk of marriage, love, unfeasible men, sex, double standards, body image... simply put, Embroideries included everything I love discussing with my family and so much more.
Here are a few of my favorite talks between Marjane's tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors:
(I was cry-laughing at this part.)
...This is why I adored Marji's mother in Persepolis 2.
Her grandmother was as wise as ever.
I laughed out loud multiple times,which I truly wasn’t expecting. And the one part I most vividly remember making me laugh too loudly was when 6-year-old Marjane was talking about her grandmother’s nose:
I almost choked laughing so hard. This conversation really hit home for me.
Also, this:
This is seriously 100% like all the conversations I've had in the past with my family.
To put it plainly, Embroideries was all I could have wanted from Marjane Satrapi and yet... I long for more and more.
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Embroideries, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
August 17, 2015
"To speak behind others' backs is to ventilate the soul." – a dictum from Marjane Satrapi’s grandmother.
Reading ‘Embroideries’ from Marjane Satrapi was like reading some missing pages from ‘Persepolis’, her renowned autobiographical series. In ‘Persepolis’ she gave much insights to the reader about the social and political life of Iran during her childhood, but through ‘Embroideries‘ Satrapi manages to illustrate the closed personal world of Iranian women in an amusing manner.
In this slice of an autobiography, Satrapi let’s the reader experience the joy, sorrow, disappointments and frustrations narrated from the personal viewpoint of a bunch of charming, highly spirited and intelligent female characters living in Tehran during early 1990s. The effortless gossipy manner in which they discuss their private lives, which Satrapi captures in her Spartan yet fluid black and white illustrations, are equally touching and a delight to read.
Observing a young Satrapi in the company of her mother, grand mother, aunts and other female friends sitting around their tea – while the male members are enjoying a nap after a family dinner – and gossiping, is an experience like the observer is right among them sipping tea – at times even feeling like a voyeur - and listening to their confidential lives, their anxieties, their own personal struggle against social and personal oppression and their intimate feelings of guilt and pleasure.
There is no inhibition among the members of such an intimate gathering – where Satrapi’s grandmother takes the central stage and regulates the flow of this family chronicle – and no topic is a taboo on such an occasion and the reader is privileged to hear a string of anecdotes and ruminations, which can be funny and raunchy, at times sad or even provocative and controversial. They discuss their sex life, their fantasies, about keeping up the appearances for the sake of saving marriages, about getting an ‘embroidery’ done – a slang term for a hymenorrhaphy or hymenoplasty -, about performing plastic surgeries, about the obsessions of the society on the virginity of a girl, about homosexuality, about failed marriages, about extramarital affairs, all with a casual grace and traits of independence even under restrains imposed by their society.
The charm of the book is in its simplicity of narration. It merely narrates these thoughts as conversations aimed at the reader while offering no solutions, conclusions or judgments for the various issues discussed by its participants. It is left for the reader to think about. A perfect candidate for light weight reading, but if you are reading Satrapi’s works for the first time, then I will recommend ‘Persepolis’ before enjoying ‘Embroideries’.
Actual Rating: 3.5 / 5
Reading ‘Embroideries’ from Marjane Satrapi was like reading some missing pages from ‘Persepolis’, her renowned autobiographical series. In ‘Persepolis’ she gave much insights to the reader about the social and political life of Iran during her childhood, but through ‘Embroideries‘ Satrapi manages to illustrate the closed personal world of Iranian women in an amusing manner.
In this slice of an autobiography, Satrapi let’s the reader experience the joy, sorrow, disappointments and frustrations narrated from the personal viewpoint of a bunch of charming, highly spirited and intelligent female characters living in Tehran during early 1990s. The effortless gossipy manner in which they discuss their private lives, which Satrapi captures in her Spartan yet fluid black and white illustrations, are equally touching and a delight to read.
Observing a young Satrapi in the company of her mother, grand mother, aunts and other female friends sitting around their tea – while the male members are enjoying a nap after a family dinner – and gossiping, is an experience like the observer is right among them sipping tea – at times even feeling like a voyeur - and listening to their confidential lives, their anxieties, their own personal struggle against social and personal oppression and their intimate feelings of guilt and pleasure.
There is no inhibition among the members of such an intimate gathering – where Satrapi’s grandmother takes the central stage and regulates the flow of this family chronicle – and no topic is a taboo on such an occasion and the reader is privileged to hear a string of anecdotes and ruminations, which can be funny and raunchy, at times sad or even provocative and controversial. They discuss their sex life, their fantasies, about keeping up the appearances for the sake of saving marriages, about getting an ‘embroidery’ done – a slang term for a hymenorrhaphy or hymenoplasty -, about performing plastic surgeries, about the obsessions of the society on the virginity of a girl, about homosexuality, about failed marriages, about extramarital affairs, all with a casual grace and traits of independence even under restrains imposed by their society.
The charm of the book is in its simplicity of narration. It merely narrates these thoughts as conversations aimed at the reader while offering no solutions, conclusions or judgments for the various issues discussed by its participants. It is left for the reader to think about. A perfect candidate for light weight reading, but if you are reading Satrapi’s works for the first time, then I will recommend ‘Persepolis’ before enjoying ‘Embroideries’.
Actual Rating: 3.5 / 5
June 30, 2020
“To speak behind others' backs is the ventilator of the heart.”
A humorous yet eye-opening take on the culture of patriarchy, Embroideries is a comic book about an evening of tea-drinking and gossip among women in Iran in the Satrapi family. The illustrations have women gossiping about lost loves and failed marriages, about faking virginity, plastic surgery and whether it is really important for a woman to actually have a man in her life.
The book shows a charming aspect of Iranian culture where women have one safe place when they get to gossip and completely let go, with no age-boundaries or social bindings to concern over. The books title refers to surgery to reinstate virginity as "the full embroidery". An amusing, yet thought-provoking. quick read for a lazy afternoon.
August 1, 2021
Este cómic es una mirilla a un hermético universo femenino en el que un puñado de mujeres de distintas edades -reunidas alrededor de una mesa de té mientras los hombres descansan después de un almuerzo- desgranan sus recuerdos más íntimos y los intercambian por las confidencias de otras mujeres presentes y ausentes. Es un libro que despierta en el lector una sensación similar a la de pegar el oído a una conversación picante que mantienen dos desconocidos que no se han percatado de su presencia: entre taza y taza surgen confesiones sexuales, chistes verdes, recuerdos dolorosos de traición y pérdida, y frustración por lo que esas mujeres se han perdido por el hecho de ser mujeres nacidas en una determinada época y en un determinado lugar.
‘Bordados’ tiene la suerte y la desgracia de existir en un mundo en el que la autora ya había escrito Persépolis, una de las dos o tres mejores novelas gráficas de la historia. Reencontrarse con algunos de los personajes de aquella inolvidable historia es cómo volver al hogar. Pero, por otra parte, claro, Bordados no es Persépolis. Es mucho más breve, menos profunda (o, mejor dicho, de una profundidad disfrazada de frivolidad) y está muy compartimentada, constituyendo una sucesión de anécdotas con un mismo hilo temático pero con poca conexión entre sí. ‘Bordados’ tiene identidad propia y es completamente disfrutable, pero para quienes tenemos en un altar a la obra maestra de Satrapi este cómic, creo, se queda más bien en un anexo, en un capítulo picante añadido a posteriori o censurado en una primera edición, que en una obra que pueda compararse a Persépolis.
‘Bordados’ tiene la suerte y la desgracia de existir en un mundo en el que la autora ya había escrito Persépolis, una de las dos o tres mejores novelas gráficas de la historia. Reencontrarse con algunos de los personajes de aquella inolvidable historia es cómo volver al hogar. Pero, por otra parte, claro, Bordados no es Persépolis. Es mucho más breve, menos profunda (o, mejor dicho, de una profundidad disfrazada de frivolidad) y está muy compartimentada, constituyendo una sucesión de anécdotas con un mismo hilo temático pero con poca conexión entre sí. ‘Bordados’ tiene identidad propia y es completamente disfrutable, pero para quienes tenemos en un altar a la obra maestra de Satrapi este cómic, creo, se queda más bien en un anexo, en un capítulo picante añadido a posteriori o censurado en una primera edición, que en una obra que pueda compararse a Persépolis.
January 25, 2020
Totalmente en la línea de Persépolis. Este se dividía en pequeños capítulos que eran momentos de la vida de Marji, y en este caso nos encontramos con un capítulo larguito transformado en otro cómic. Y, nuevamente, me ha gustado un montón. Necesito leer todo lo que haya publicado esta mujer.
En este caso, Marji, su madre, su abuela y un grupo de amigas se reunen para pasar la tarde. Aprovechan para hablar de la vida, de los hombres que han amado, de sus matrimonios y de la desigualdad entre el hombre y la mujer. Me encanta ese toque feminista y empoderado que tienen tanto Marjane como de su madre, su abuela, y la mayoría de las mujeres que la rodean. Mucho más avazandas que la mayorías de las mentes de occidente. Tanto Bordados como Persépolis son lecturas deliciosas, porque además de toda la carga crítica que hace, son super divertidas y siempre acabo riéndome.
En este caso, Marji, su madre, su abuela y un grupo de amigas se reunen para pasar la tarde. Aprovechan para hablar de la vida, de los hombres que han amado, de sus matrimonios y de la desigualdad entre el hombre y la mujer. Me encanta ese toque feminista y empoderado que tienen tanto Marjane como de su madre, su abuela, y la mayoría de las mujeres que la rodean. Mucho más avazandas que la mayorías de las mentes de occidente. Tanto Bordados como Persépolis son lecturas deliciosas, porque además de toda la carga crítica que hace, son super divertidas y siempre acabo riéndome.
December 22, 2020
I am hugely disappointed with this one. It's so weird, sexist and gross that I got literally numb the moment I closed this book.
I get the point that women gossip about a lot of things, every tiny details they know about or we think we know of. I get that grandmothers and women talk a lot of weird women stuff. That's not the point of me disliking this book so much. If this one is meant to be humorous and satirical, I get only two percent of it; I find the rest rather insulting, pointless and gender shaming as well as body shaming of both genders.
I seriously doubt what the author was thinking when she wrote and illustrated this book.
The dialogues are really mean, cringy and tasteless. I know what the author is trying to convey but everything came out really bad and gross! I don't want to spoil anything but there's so many parts where I exclaimed many ewws and yucks! Seriously, so many distasteful things enough to last a lifetime. Satirical? I don't need this to know and feel what it is through formats like this.
Stay away from this book.
I get the point that women gossip about a lot of things, every tiny details they know about or we think we know of. I get that grandmothers and women talk a lot of weird women stuff. That's not the point of me disliking this book so much. If this one is meant to be humorous and satirical, I get only two percent of it; I find the rest rather insulting, pointless and gender shaming as well as body shaming of both genders.
I seriously doubt what the author was thinking when she wrote and illustrated this book.
The dialogues are really mean, cringy and tasteless. I know what the author is trying to convey but everything came out really bad and gross! I don't want to spoil anything but there's so many parts where I exclaimed many ewws and yucks! Seriously, so many distasteful things enough to last a lifetime. Satirical? I don't need this to know and feel what it is through formats like this.
Stay away from this book.
February 3, 2025
Quando as mulheres se juntam para bordar o resultado é muito divertido!
Read
September 29, 2022Yes to women gossip and yes to Iranian women having their voices heard.
June 2, 2020
Marjane Satrapi lives by converting her family history into graphic novels. Her magnum opus The Complete Persepolis was absolutely mind-blowing, and it was this book which got me hooked to the genre of graphic novels in general. In this book, the mood is not as heavy, but definitely a lot more naughty as Iranian women from three generations, after sending the men off to sleep after dinner, discuss their sexual escapades, misadventures and fantasies. Some are painful, some are weird, and some are hilarious - all, extremely readable.
At the end, when Marjane's grandpa hears the fag end of the conversation and asks what it is about, grandma says: "Well, really, Satrapi! What's it got to do with you? Go on, go to sleep! It's better for you." And the poor man returns to the bedroom, crestfallen.
I loved this. Drawing room feminism!
At the end, when Marjane's grandpa hears the fag end of the conversation and asks what it is about, grandma says: "Well, really, Satrapi! What's it got to do with you? Go on, go to sleep! It's better for you." And the poor man returns to the bedroom, crestfallen.
I loved this. Drawing room feminism!
January 21, 2009
Reading this graphic novel was like being invited to tea with a group of Iranian women, except that the talk turned (interestingly enough) to arranged marriages, cheating husbands, and faking your virginity. The images strengthened the words in such a way that when I was done reading it I actually felt like I knew and had spent a little time with these women.
It's interesting, because their conversation makes it seem like they have some power (while living under harsh social restrictions) but as a Western woman reading this book, their idea of what constitutes power is hard to accept. Like many women, they talk about plastic surgery - nothing unusual there. One woman even goes so far as to admit that she had fat removed from her ass and injected into her breasts, which led to this comment about her husband: Of course this idiot doesn't know that every time he kisses my breasts, it's actually my ass he's kissing...
But to me, there's not a lot of power in that. More sadness that you'd have to take that small victory when you're more likely stuck in a marriage that you didn't (and don't) want.
It's hard to judge these women, though. Their stories are told in such a way that it's easy to just listen and admire them for having a voice and telling their stories. Many are in fact divorced, and share many of the same love concerns and troubles as women everywhere, as well as the same strengths and weaknesses. It's definitely worth reading as a reminder that women everywhere share a connection.
It's interesting, because their conversation makes it seem like they have some power (while living under harsh social restrictions) but as a Western woman reading this book, their idea of what constitutes power is hard to accept. Like many women, they talk about plastic surgery - nothing unusual there. One woman even goes so far as to admit that she had fat removed from her ass and injected into her breasts, which led to this comment about her husband: Of course this idiot doesn't know that every time he kisses my breasts, it's actually my ass he's kissing...
But to me, there's not a lot of power in that. More sadness that you'd have to take that small victory when you're more likely stuck in a marriage that you didn't (and don't) want.
It's hard to judge these women, though. Their stories are told in such a way that it's easy to just listen and admire them for having a voice and telling their stories. Many are in fact divorced, and share many of the same love concerns and troubles as women everywhere, as well as the same strengths and weaknesses. It's definitely worth reading as a reminder that women everywhere share a connection.
April 29, 2022
A nice little companion piece to Marjane Satrapi's wonderful memoir Persepolis.
An anthology of sorts, it's a short collection of stories from middle-aged Iranian women discussing their marriages and sex lives. Even from conservative and religious backgrounds, the discussions are very frank.
There are some disturbing parts about what life was like in another time (the ages thing), but it's definitely criticized albeit in a whimsical way.
The book is a very funny way to tell these stories, with relatively simple art underlaying much depth. Recommended
An anthology of sorts, it's a short collection of stories from middle-aged Iranian women discussing their marriages and sex lives. Even from conservative and religious backgrounds, the discussions are very frank.
There are some disturbing parts about what life was like in another time (the ages thing), but it's definitely criticized albeit in a whimsical way.
The book is a very funny way to tell these stories, with relatively simple art underlaying much depth. Recommended
August 20, 2025
PT Quando um grupo de mulheres iranianas se reúne, as histórias que partilham são tão épicas quanto envolventes, repletas de momentos de riso genuíno. Através dos seus relatos, expõem algumas das tradições mais ultrapassadas que ainda persistem no Médio Oriente.
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EN When a group of Iranian women comes together, the stories they share are as epic as they are entertaining—filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Through their tales, they reveal some of the most outdated traditions still persisting in the Middle East.
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EN When a group of Iranian women comes together, the stories they share are as epic as they are entertaining—filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Through their tales, they reveal some of the most outdated traditions still persisting in the Middle East.
July 22, 2020
A group of ladies has gathered for an afternoon tea. The conversation slowly turns to their married lives, and sex, and love, and the common factor across these three points: men.
My opinion: Hilarious and hard-hitting at the same time, Embroideries will make you feel like you are sitting with your lady friends and gossiping away. Not recommended for men. 😁😁 Do note, the embroideries in the title doesn't refer to the usual meaning of the word. So don't go looking for pattern ideas in the book. 😜
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Join me on the Facebook group, " Readers Forever! ", for more reviews and other book-related discussions and fun.
My opinion: Hilarious and hard-hitting at the same time, Embroideries will make you feel like you are sitting with your lady friends and gossiping away. Not recommended for men. 😁😁 Do note, the embroideries in the title doesn't refer to the usual meaning of the word. So don't go looking for pattern ideas in the book. 😜
*********************************************
Join me on the Facebook group, " Readers Forever! ", for more reviews and other book-related discussions and fun.
February 5, 2009
Hair-raising Iranian gossip. You keep wanting to join in. "Oh wow! What a great story! Now let me tell you about something that happened to a friend of mine..."
December 24, 2018
This is a short, amusing read, though not at all on par with the impactful Persepolis books by the same author. That being said, it's an easy read and gives a glimpse of Iranian culture among women.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
March 4, 2026
A todos nos gusta un buen chisme y este libro está lleno, contados con toques de humor y mucha crítica social.
March 8, 2019
Η Satrapi κεντάει για άλλη μια φορά. Ένα κόμικ (ή graphic novel, για όσους δεν τα πάνε καλά με τον όρο) που με αστείο τρόπο μιλάει για σοβαρά θέματα της ιρανικής κουλτούρας. Και κυρίως για τη θέση της γυναίκας.
Με λίγα λόγια, θα μπορούσαμε να πούμε ένα πιο σόκιν Persepolis. Καθόλου άσχημα, δηλαδή.
Με λίγα λόγια, θα μπορούσαμε να πούμε ένα πιο σόκιν Persepolis. Καθόλου άσχημα, δηλαδή.
March 19, 2016
This author is great. Her graphic novel Persepolis is remarkable and hilarious, and her notable humor is present here as well. :) I enjoyed it.
December 14, 2018
If you've read her graphic memoir you would already know that Marjane Satrapi was born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran. She grew up in Tehran, where she studied at the French school, before leaving for Vienna and then Strasbourg to study illustration. Persepolis provided insights into the social and political life in Iran during the Mohammad-Reza Shah regime and the subsequent Iranian revolution. Embroideries, however, couldn't be a more different take on illustrating her own experiences. Satrapi decided to only focus on the closed personal world of Iranian women.
Embroideries is a humorous and enlightening look at the sex lives of Iranian women. It gathers together Satrapi's tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbours for an afternoon of tea-drinking and talk. Naturally, the subject turns to loves, sex and vagaries of men.
I was pleasantly surprised by how sex positive the comic was. It was good to see how freely all of these women talked about their sex lives and that guilt and shame weren't part of the equation. I had to laugh out loud numerous times at how unabashed and real some of the dialogue was. It was quite easy to relate to these women and their way of talking - gossip, after all, is the same all around the world.
Nonetheless, the comic lacked in depth and wasn't as well put together as Persepolis. In addition, I didn't like the illustrations this time around since they were printed in a larger format, which didn't suit them as well as the smaller format in Persepolis. Furthermore, the comic displays homophobic statements which are not called out. That totally rubbed me the wrong way and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I read Embroideries at my local bookshop and am glad to leave it at that. I decided against buying it for myself since I don't think it's worth the money. Sure, it grants an interesting insight into Iranian culture (with a much needed focus on Iranian women) but, all in all, the comic is too short and superficial to have really satisfied me.
Embroideries is a humorous and enlightening look at the sex lives of Iranian women. It gathers together Satrapi's tough-talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbours for an afternoon of tea-drinking and talk. Naturally, the subject turns to loves, sex and vagaries of men.
I was pleasantly surprised by how sex positive the comic was. It was good to see how freely all of these women talked about their sex lives and that guilt and shame weren't part of the equation. I had to laugh out loud numerous times at how unabashed and real some of the dialogue was. It was quite easy to relate to these women and their way of talking - gossip, after all, is the same all around the world.
Nonetheless, the comic lacked in depth and wasn't as well put together as Persepolis. In addition, I didn't like the illustrations this time around since they were printed in a larger format, which didn't suit them as well as the smaller format in Persepolis. Furthermore, the comic displays homophobic statements which are not called out. That totally rubbed me the wrong way and left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I read Embroideries at my local bookshop and am glad to leave it at that. I decided against buying it for myself since I don't think it's worth the money. Sure, it grants an interesting insight into Iranian culture (with a much needed focus on Iranian women) but, all in all, the comic is too short and superficial to have really satisfied me.
April 22, 2017
"To speak behind other's backs is the ventilator of the heart."
Το όλο comics/graphic novel συνοψίζεται σε αυτή τη φράση. Τα κουτσομπολιά και οι πικάντικες συζητήσεις που κάνουν οι γυναίκες με το χιούμορ και την -ας την πούμε- ωμότητα του Περσέπολις!
March 12, 2010
Story about various Iranian women. They're sit back and relax in the afternoon while sipping a hot cup of tea. But not just that, they all have a tale to tell.
And the story begin...
"To speak behind others' backs is the ventilator of the heart."
Huwahahaha...
Pertama-tama ketika nge-mark as to read gw pernah komen "Mari ngebordir" , yang dikasi komen sama Lita di message #1 dan saya ngasi komen "wah, rok mini mah cepet keknya ngebordirnya, siap lah" di message #2. Nah, setelah beres membaca bukunya, dengan ini saya nyatakan kalau saya menarik kembali kedua komen saya itu.
Kenapa? begini...
Dari dulu sayah bukan pembaca komik/novel grafis dan sama sekali gak ngeh sapa itu Marjane Satrapi. Iseng ke kaki lima nemu buku ini masih diplastikin, dan di plastikna ada stiker dengan tulisan gede & tebel "DEWASA". Wah, dewasa! adult entertainment kah? the evil hippo inside me begging & screaming like hell to take this book home. Dan setelah meriksa KTP buat ngecek umur dari tarik urat leher sama penjualna ahirna bukuna bisa di bawa pulang dengan harga 15 rebu. Soal isina apa samasekali gak tau, yang penting ada tulisan "DEWASA" nyah, hahaha.
Nah, setelah itu bukuna disimpen aja gak dibuka dulu sehari, niatna masukin aja dulu bukuna di rak gudrid tapi ahirna memutuskan baca dulu ripyu dari teman2 yang sudah ngerating buku ini dan muncul lah kalimat2 seperti ini:
Tomo Sesepuh Jaduler
Dan yang diomongin bukan soal ranjang ... tapi adegan di ranjang. Gituuu......
Bujeng Bueuk
teteh..ceritain yg adegan ranjang
XD XD
gpp Yu, gep ajah tutorial..hiyahahahaha
Kuwi
tapi yg silet ituh lucu tuh.. kasian suaminya XD
Indri
tersenyum geli, waktu adegan 'silet'..
Ibutio
juga menggambarkan santet di ranjang (haha) beneran aku ketawa guling-guling yang adegan kopi yang ada putih-putihnya itu
jelas jadi penasaran>
trus Momo yang dilarang-larang baca buku ini karena masih kecil. Namanya juga anak-anak, tambah dilarang tambah nekat ama penasaran ;))
Pas baca....
Gubrak, Tuing tuing, yaelah, aduh, hahahaha
pantes aku gak boleh baca...
Ahirnya diputuskan merobek sampul plastikna dan baca bukuna
dan setelah sekitar 30-40 menit baca.. ternyata oh ternyata...
adegan silet..
yang dimaksud dengan bordir itu ternyata..
konci ama teh putih..
Ni buku kocak syekali ternyata, hiyahahaha.
nah segitu aja sih ripyu nya :D
Jadi kalo mengacu kembali ke "bordir" yang dimaksud disini dan komen sayah "mari ngebordir" jelas jadi ngaco jadina. untuk itu lah saya menarik kembali komen saya :D
Pelajaran yang saya tarik dari buku ini:
*kalo bikin kopi gak bakalan pake krimer lagi, cukup kopi item aja dah, hahaha
*satu kalimat yang bakal terngiang-ngiang terus adalah ketika rumpian ibu2 ini sudah berpindah topik masih ada seorang ibu yang penasaran.. "putih2 itu apa sih?"
Hwahahaha
---------------------------------------------
gyahaha.. dapet juga bukuna dikaki lima
mari ngebordir
And the story begin...
"To speak behind others' backs is the ventilator of the heart."
Huwahahaha...
Pertama-tama ketika nge-mark as to read gw pernah komen "Mari ngebordir" , yang dikasi komen sama Lita di message #1 dan saya ngasi komen "wah, rok mini mah cepet keknya ngebordirnya, siap lah" di message #2. Nah, setelah beres membaca bukunya, dengan ini saya nyatakan kalau saya menarik kembali kedua komen saya itu.
Kenapa? begini...
Dari dulu sayah bukan pembaca komik/novel grafis dan sama sekali gak ngeh sapa itu Marjane Satrapi. Iseng ke kaki lima nemu buku ini masih diplastikin, dan di plastikna ada stiker dengan tulisan gede & tebel "DEWASA". Wah, dewasa! adult entertainment kah? the evil hippo inside me begging & screaming like hell to take this book home. Dan setelah meriksa KTP buat ngecek umur dari tarik urat leher sama penjualna ahirna bukuna bisa di bawa pulang dengan harga 15 rebu. Soal isina apa samasekali gak tau, yang penting ada tulisan "DEWASA" nyah, hahaha.
Nah, setelah itu bukuna disimpen aja gak dibuka dulu sehari, niatna masukin aja dulu bukuna di rak gudrid tapi ahirna memutuskan baca dulu ripyu dari teman2 yang sudah ngerating buku ini dan muncul lah kalimat2 seperti ini:
Tomo Sesepuh Jaduler
Dan yang diomongin bukan soal ranjang ... tapi adegan di ranjang. Gituuu......
Bujeng Bueuk
teteh..ceritain yg adegan ranjang
XD XD
gpp Yu, gep ajah tutorial..hiyahahahaha
Kuwi
tapi yg silet ituh lucu tuh.. kasian suaminya XD
Indri
tersenyum geli, waktu adegan 'silet'..
Ibutio
juga menggambarkan santet di ranjang (haha) beneran aku ketawa guling-guling yang adegan kopi yang ada putih-putihnya itu
jelas jadi penasaran>
trus Momo yang dilarang-larang baca buku ini karena masih kecil. Namanya juga anak-anak, tambah dilarang tambah nekat ama penasaran ;))
Pas baca....
Gubrak, Tuing tuing, yaelah, aduh, hahahaha
pantes aku gak boleh baca...
Ahirnya diputuskan merobek sampul plastikna dan baca bukuna
dan setelah sekitar 30-40 menit baca.. ternyata oh ternyata...
adegan silet..
yang dimaksud dengan bordir itu ternyata..
konci ama teh putih..
Ni buku kocak syekali ternyata, hiyahahaha.
nah segitu aja sih ripyu nya :D
Jadi kalo mengacu kembali ke "bordir" yang dimaksud disini dan komen sayah "mari ngebordir" jelas jadi ngaco jadina. untuk itu lah saya menarik kembali komen saya :D
Pelajaran yang saya tarik dari buku ini:
*kalo bikin kopi gak bakalan pake krimer lagi, cukup kopi item aja dah, hahaha
*satu kalimat yang bakal terngiang-ngiang terus adalah ketika rumpian ibu2 ini sudah berpindah topik masih ada seorang ibu yang penasaran.. "putih2 itu apa sih?"
Hwahahaha
---------------------------------------------
gyahaha.. dapet juga bukuna dikaki lima
mari ngebordir
June 8, 2022
3,5 Cel mai prețios la ea este faptul ca e posibilă, ca cineva o poate scrie și asta sa nu insemne nimic mai mult decât e cartea. Am râs și poate e înțelept sa radem privind spre sexualitate, sa glumim pe seama acestei bizare făpturi care se naște dintr-un barbat și o femeie: cuplul.
January 27, 2019
Uma leitura rápida, divertida (apesar de triste) e interessante sobre a sexualidade das mulheres e os papéis impostos a elas.
March 15, 2023
Rozmowy o obyczajach kobiet w Iranie podczas wspólnego rodzinnego picia herbatki. Bardzo przyjemne, zwłaszcza jako uzupełnienie „Persepolis”, ale jak dla mnie nie osiąga tak wysokiego poziomu. Polubiłem twórczość Satrapi i dla innych miłośników to zapewne lektura obowiązkowa, dla mnie wyłącznie fajna, ale jednak tylko ciekawostka.
March 5, 2025
me ha encantado! mujeres de diferentes edades que, mientras los hombres duermen la siesta, toman té y hablan sobre el sexo, el amor, cotillean, hacen bromas… a la vez revelando la condición de la mujer en Irán, la opresión de todo tipo: los matrimonios de conveniencia, el castigo social hacia las mujeres no vírgenes… precioso, divertido y emotivo a la vez.
October 9, 2021
عشر نساء إيرانيات يجتمعن ليحكين عن علاقاتهن العاطفية والزوجية.
تتشابه القصص في المجتمعات المكبوتة المنافقة.
في البداية لفت نظري العنوان وتوقعت قصص بجمال ودقّة ورقّة التطريز لأكتشف لاحقا أنهن يقصدن معنى مختلفا تماما.
تتشابه القصص في المجتمعات المكبوتة المنافقة.
في البداية لفت نظري العنوان وتوقعت قصص بجمال ودقّة ورقّة التطريز لأكتشف لاحقا أنهن يقصدن معنى مختلفا تماما.
May 13, 2021
Очень милые разговоры за чаем о том, как выжить замужем и не замужем (и о том, что второй вариант значительно интереснее;)
January 28, 2023
Ai että, mikä herkku! Satrapi on kerännyt iranilaisten naisten tarinoita ja kuvittanut ne ilmeikkäästi sarjakuvateokseensa Pistoja. Kapinallisia, surullisia, kekseliäitä ja ironisia tarinoita lukiessa on tietysti mielessä Iranin naisten tämänhetkinen tilanne ja heidän vapaustaistelunsa.
Naisilla on konstinsa ja hiljainen tietonsa. Makuuhuoneeseen sijoittuvia tarinoita puhutaan vain naisten kesken. Käytännön ohjeet ja neuvot tulevat suureen tarpeeseen, koska tietoa ei löydy oppikirjoista eikä julkisuudesta. Satrapin huumori on mustaa, kuten kuvatkin, mutta pakko on nauraa naisten kanssa.
Naisilla on konstinsa ja hiljainen tietonsa. Makuuhuoneeseen sijoittuvia tarinoita puhutaan vain naisten kesken. Käytännön ohjeet ja neuvot tulevat suureen tarpeeseen, koska tietoa ei löydy oppikirjoista eikä julkisuudesta. Satrapin huumori on mustaa, kuten kuvatkin, mutta pakko on nauraa naisten kanssa.
February 9, 2026
اممم. راستش برای تفریحی خوندن جالب و بامزه بود، ولی فقط همین، هدف خاصی توش ندیدم.
داستان یه مهمونی عصرونه بود که خانومها دور هم جمع شده بودن و خاطرات و تجربیاتشون از ازدواج و روابط و باکرگی رو میگفتن. یه جاهایی خندهدار بود، یه جاهایی فقط گوشهای از زندگی غمانگیز زنهای ایرانی اون زمان رو نشون میداد و یه جاهایی تصویری که از افکار و خواستههای زنها نشون میداد بیش از حد بدوی و سطحی بود.
در کل هم درونمایه و هم تصویرسازیها میتونست بهتر باشه.
داستان یه مهمونی عصرونه بود که خانومها دور هم جمع شده بودن و خاطرات و تجربیاتشون از ازدواج و روابط و باکرگی رو میگفتن. یه جاهایی خندهدار بود، یه جاهایی فقط گوشهای از زندگی غمانگیز زنهای ایرانی اون زمان رو نشون میداد و یه جاهایی تصویری که از افکار و خواستههای زنها نشون میداد بیش از حد بدوی و سطحی بود.
در کل هم درونمایه و هم تصویرسازیها میتونست بهتر باشه.
March 23, 2008
I was disappointed by Marjane Satrapi's follow up to the fantastic two volume "Persepolis".
In "Embroideries", the setting is an after-dinner tea party between several women of different ages telling their stories abut love and sex. The potential is fantastic to really delve into the beliefs and traditions surrounding these topics. But rather than tell the complete stories with depth, she merely flits over them, so that you get a taste but little substance. She tells the stories of about 7 women in 144 pages, but not narrative pages, comic-book style pages - this, like "Persepolis", is a graphic novel.
While the story left a lot to be desired, the drawings are wonderful. In this book, Satrapi didn't use the panel frames she uses in Persepolis and that are common in graphic novels, the drawings are all over the page, less constrained.
I'll still read her other book about Iran, "Chicken with Plums" and hope that she's returned to her evocative story-telling.
I would recommend the book only to Satrapi fans.
In "Embroideries", the setting is an after-dinner tea party between several women of different ages telling their stories abut love and sex. The potential is fantastic to really delve into the beliefs and traditions surrounding these topics. But rather than tell the complete stories with depth, she merely flits over them, so that you get a taste but little substance. She tells the stories of about 7 women in 144 pages, but not narrative pages, comic-book style pages - this, like "Persepolis", is a graphic novel.
While the story left a lot to be desired, the drawings are wonderful. In this book, Satrapi didn't use the panel frames she uses in Persepolis and that are common in graphic novels, the drawings are all over the page, less constrained.
I'll still read her other book about Iran, "Chicken with Plums" and hope that she's returned to her evocative story-telling.
I would recommend the book only to Satrapi fans.
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