Our Shared Shelf discussion

How many of us are going to travel to Iran or read about Iran during the 80s and 90s? Persepolis opens a door to another world, and every page illustrates how different that world is from ours.

I really enjoyed this illustrated autobiography that captures Marjane's many personal moments during a time of horrific war and oppressive revolution. We get to know Marjane as a child, teen, and woman as every day she must decide how to negotiate through the minefield of religious intolerance.

It's a journey that takes us through her life as she talks to God, rebels, lives alone, develops as a nihilist and artist, matures, rebels again, marries, continues her education, and stands up for herself against a repressive regime. We get to know how everyone thinks about the little things that add up to nearly zero freedom. The guidance of Marjane's parents to encourage her to educate herself is uplifting, the long list of banned behavior by the government is head-shaking.

What would women do in the USA if they were not allowed to wear make-up, wear no colorful clothing, do no partying, have no say in a divorce, nearly always wear a veil, and experience absolute inequality? No music, cards, or chess. Imprisonment, lashes, death as punishment. The graphic novel form allows us to sink into her experience. We can see how the revolution quickly demands that new rules be instituted, and the sudden indoctrination changes everyone.

We get to know Marjane's family, friends, false friends, attitudes, emotions, fears, joys, and the horrors she witnesses and learns about. We get to know how it feels to be an unwelcome foreigner. Sadly, Marjane knows what it's like to experience intolerance outside Iran. We see how fear degrades everyone, and Marjane wisely includes herself.

During her growing pains and often bold reactions to authoritarianism, we sense that everything in Persepolis is real and accurate. Marjane's story makes us want every woman to experience equal rights no matter where they live. Persepolis is totally absorbing. Read it.

I couldn't have said it better.

I still have to review it, and I hope I can bring some people to read it, especially my parents.

It's the first book I read about the Middle East, and it won't be my last, that's for sure.