Курча з чорносливом

by Marjane Satrapi, Оксана Макарова (Translator), Маржан Сатрапі

Маржан Сатрапі, відома коміксистка і режисерка, з притаманними їй гумором, проникливістю та уважністю розповідає несамовиту історію про одного з найвідоміших іранських гравців на тарі, який віддає своє життя музиці та коханню.
У листопаді 1955 року Нассер Алі Хан, двоюрідний дідусь авторки, шукає новий інструмент: його улюблений тар був зламаний. Але жодна заміна не звучить належним чином. З розбитим серцем Нассер Алі Хан вирішує, що життя більше нічого не варте. Тож він лягає до ліжка, відрікаючись від світу та всіх його принад…

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Iran, Bande Dessinée, Memoir, Biography

88 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

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

[Mutasim Billah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"To the common man, whether you're a musician or a clown, its one and the same."

Marjane Satrapi's account of the life and death of her uncle, the celebrated musician Nassar Ali Khan, portrays a very strange portrait of depression and melancholia.



The tale is one of a man in search of meaning in life drowning in melancholy. Nassar Ali Khan's story is slowly related over a week as he has given up on his life. One by one, loved ones and their memories come back to him, some telling him to "come back to life". Unfortunately, as we see, Nassar has deep-rooted issues that start from a very young age: a mother who let him go before he did, a lost lover, a broken instrument, an unhappy marriage.



Whether or not our central character made the right call isn't for the reader to decide, for our thoughts wouldn't change the inevitable. Yet, the illustrations and writings do speak of a very distinct hollow felt inside every depressed person. Some try to give it meaning: fill it with music, some with books, some with love or religion. I believe that we all feel a bit akin to Nassar Ali Khan in some way. Maybe we can find stronger will and purpose.


The book was adapted into a 2011 film directed by Satrapi herself.

[Juan Naranjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pollo con ciruelas es una delicia: gastronómica pero también literaria. Marjane Satrapi cuenta una historia que transcurre en su universo: el de las relaciones familiares intensas, el de la vida y la muerte, el de las sutilezas, el de los sentimientos complejos y a veces contradictorios.

Náser Alí Jan es un virtuoso del tar. Vive por y para su instrumento. Pero un día se lo rompen y su vida se trunca. Hasta tal punto que decide que esta ya no tiene sentido y que prefiere despedirse del mundo. Durante los días que preceden a su muerte, nos cuenta vida: radiografía a su familia, recuerda a su madre, rememora amores de juventud… y hasta imagina cómo será el mundo sin él. Todo con una sutileza muy profunda, pero también muy cargada de mala baba y de un humor finísimo.

Este cómic me ha parecido una joyita la mar de recomendable: ni tan intenso como Persépolis, ni tan ligero como Bordados. Me parece un prodigio en cuanto a la narración: es alucinante ver cómo —con sus trazos sencillos, gruesos y reconocibles— la autora es capaz de saltar constantemente de línea temporal y de punto de vista. Me quito el sombrero ante esta delicada y sutil obra.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chicken with Plums tells the heartrending story of a celebrated Iranian musician who gives up his life for music and love.

When Nasser Ali Khan, Marjane Satrapi’s great-uncle, discovers that his beloved instrument is irreparably damaged, he takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all its pleasures.

Over the course of the week that follows, we are treated to vivid scenes of his encounters with family and friends, flashbacks to his childhood, and flash-forwards to his children’s future. And as the pieces of his story fall into place, we begin to understand the breadth of his decision to let go of life.

And it’s then that we get to see a surprising cameo from Marjane herself with her beloved mother in 1998:


I'm still not over those two astonishing women.

Also, there were a lot of parts that really hit home for me:





This one made me erupte into a truly impolite laugh. When will farting jokes stop being funny to me...?



And this next part with Azrael, the Angel of Death, was astounding:




I was really starting to get attached to Nasser Ali and his intricate life.... but then it ended so abruptly. And I was left with my jaw on the floor.

It seems like I'll never get enough of Marjane Satrapi's writing, which I'm more than okay with. I'm already looking forward to reading The Sigh.

*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Chicken with Plums, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*


Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with http://Ko-fi.com/bookspoils

[Pramod Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marjane Satrapi is an author who needs no introduction. Through Persepolis she enchanted millions of readers across the globe with a brilliantly crafted graphic memoir detailing the events of her life and times. Her insights, keen eye for details, refreshing sense of humor and fantastic storytelling abilities made each of the cartoon frames in Persepolis brim with the essence of life.

Through Chicken with Plums, Marjane Satrapi once again wields her magic wand to weave an emotional and dramatic tale of life and death which will captivate the reader. Originally published in 2004 titled Poulet aux prunes, this graphic novel is the heartrending story of a man who willed for his own death, which will make the reader ponder over what makes one’s life worth living.

Chicken with Plums introduces the reader with Marjane’s great-uncle Nasser Ali Khan who was an illustrious musician in Iran. The book starts with Nasser Ali Khan’s life during 1958 in Tehran where he is desperately looking for a replacement for his irreparably broken tar – an important stringed music instrument in Iran and the Caucasus – but he is unable to find one that speaks to him with the same level of passion that he conveys to his audience through his music. Even a rare antique Yahya Tar – a tar that is revered as a Stradivarius Violin – fails to impress him. Dejected he renounces all worldly pleasures and takes to his bed deciding to wait for his death. And Eight days after this Nasser Ali Khan dies and the reader is presented with a full-page cartoon panel, which illustrates his burial.

What follows is the author’s recreation of the events of the last eight days of Nasser Ali Khan as he lies in his bed waiting for the approach of death. With brilliant use of flashbacks and flash-forwards Marjane painstakingly presents sub stories of people from Nasser Ali Khan’s life in frames that are melancholic, dreamy and passionate yet laced with traces of humor. Through the narrations of these eight final days the author makes Nasser Ali Khan reveal everything about him – story of his childhood, relations with his family members while growing up, his love, his fantasies, his music, the disappointments over his married life, how his tar got damaged, anxiety about his kids - to the reader which piece by piece like a puzzle finally disclose the true reason behind the decision to give up his life. The non-linear way of storytelling and the way in which the reader is taken back to the initial scene of the book during the conclusion is a clever technique from the author, which adds to the suspense and enjoyment for the reader.

The style of illustration employed is elegant with its simplicity and the Spartan black inking is the same signature Marjane Satrapi form which readers of her other graphic novels will be so familiar with. The way Marjane captures facial emotions in her illustrations, especially the effort that is invested while drawing the eyes of her characters, which convey their inner thoughts, are admirable.

Even though there are slight narrations on the political and cultural life of Iran during the time, ‘Chicken with Plums’ is a rumination by the author on love, passion and art and is a study on the spark of inspiration which makes one’s life worth living. This is an absorbing love story, which will delight the reader and will make him breeze through the book with pleasure. For me reading ‘Chicken with Plums’ was a satisfying experience.

Heaven's wheel gained nothing from my coming,
Nor did my going augment its dignity;
Nor did my ears hear from anyone
Why I had come and why I went.

He began my creation with constraint,
By giving me life he added only confusion;
We depart reluctantly still not knowing
The aim of birth, existence, departure.

I will end this review with these lines from Omar Khayyám, which wonderfully captures the eternal contemplation over what is the meaning of life.

[Agir(آگِر) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story about Art, Love & Life...

[leynes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh boy, Marjane and I have been through some shit. I fell in love with her – her way of storytelling, her art, her humor, her charm – when I first read Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and the Story of a Return. Blinded by my new found love, I immediately sought out Embroideries – a humorous and enlightening look at the sex lives of Iranian women – but was eventually led down by its superficiality and its homophobic undertones. Despite this setback, I wanted to give Marjane another shot and read Chicken with Plums – another graphic memoir, this time about her great-uncle, Nassar Ali Khan, and his decision to die.

Personally, I highly enjoyed the concept and structure of Chicken with Plums: The reader follows Nassar Ali Khan through the last eight days of his life, beginning on the day he discovers that his beloved instrument is irreparably damaged. He then takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all its pleasures. We are treated to vivid scenes of his encounters with family and friends, flashbacks to his childhood, and flash-forwards to his children’s future. And as the pieces of his story fall into place, we begin to understand the breadth of his decision to let go of life.

Ultimately, Chicken with Plums didn’t meet my expectations. On the one hand, it was way too cheesy for me, and its final message (of love making it possible for people to create great art) didn’t do anything for me. Nassar Ali Khan was such an asshole and the way he treated his wife made my skin crawl. For my taste, there was too few repentance, and too much wishy-washy forgiveness. On the other hand, the fat-shaming in the story seriously lessened my enjoyment of it. I’m not overly sensitive when it comes to fat-shaming but Marjane’s comments and illustrations were so on the nose and obtrusive, I couldn’t look past them.

With that being said, I still enjoyed her art style and the idea behind her stories. She definitely has a gift for packing her own experiences and the experiences of people to whom she is/was close into intricate stories that are easily accessible, even for people who don’t share her cultural background. It’s always interesting to get a first-hand account into a culture and/or country that would be out of your reach otherwise.

[Repellent Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nasser Ali es un famoso músico. En una pelea con su mujer, esta acaba por romper su tar, el instrumento que maneja. La falta de este, le sumirá en una gran depresión que lo hará querer morir.

Es una historia muy triste y bonita, con el maravilloso toque de Marjane, que siempre se maneja perfectamente entre el drama y el humor, de lo cual disfruto mucho. En esta trama, nos alejamos de su vida familiar, y vamos a conocer a un hombre algo egoista y deprimido, pero que a veces te hace empatizar con él. Pasa exactamente igual con su mujer, a ratos te parece injsuta, a ratos la entiendes perfectamente. Me gusta mucho cuando veo claros y oscuros en los personajes. Me hace comprenderlos mejor y que resulten creíbles.

El final me parece una maravilla, me sorprendió bastante y da profundidad a una historia corta y, en apariencia, sencilla. A ver si consigo las obras que me quedan de Satrapi.

[Fátima Linhares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quando o nosso prato favorito já não nos sabe bem será hora de partir?

Talvez Nasser tenha sido um pouco melodramático e radical na sua decisão, mas que foi bem sucedido, lá isso foi. Uma história, real, que dá que pensar.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the face of it, Chicken and Plums is simply a story about Nassir Ali Kahn, a revered musician, who is on a search for a new tar because his favorite one has been broken. His search leads him far, including humor and disappointment, for one that will sound as beautiful as his former, beloved one did. Sadly, other tars, no matter how expensive, fail to satisfy him and he therefore decides life is not worth living and lies down waiting to die.

We learn much more though, as after he makes the decision to die, the story follows the final eight days of his life until his funeral with flashes of his life, both past and future, and the people in it.

These flashes are filled with humor, sadness, family relations, regret, and lost love. Through his encounters and these flashes we find perhaps other reasons why he has decided his life is not worth living.

Is it really the loss of his tar that has cost him his will to go on? Or something else? I believe the answer is clearly shown in the beginning and ending of this poignant tale; but I will leave the reader to draw their own conclusions.

I will add to my thoughts a few quotes by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, one of Marjane Satrapi's favorite authors, that I believe sum up my feelings on why Nassir Ali Kahn has lost his desire to live:

"What is Hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love."

And

"With love, one can live without happiness."

I personally believe, that this tale causes one to wonder: can one live with all the "happiness" that life can provide, but without the love one's soul desires?

Finally, one more by Dostoyevsky:

"For the secret of man's being is not only to live, but to have
something to live for."

[Paula Fialho Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma graphic novel pequena em tamanho, mas grande em significado.
Não posso deixar de a comparar com Persépolis, da mesma autora, e por isso não lhes posso dar a mesma classificação.

[Nabila Tabassum Chowdhury · Rating 3 out of 5]

বইটা বেশ অনেক দিন আগেই পড়েছি। তবে কিছু শব্দের অভাবে রিভিউ লিখতে পারিনি। শব্দগুলো খুঁজে পাইনি এখনো। তবুও কিছু লিখে ফেলা যাক।

আমার সবচেয়ে প্রিয় গ্রাফিক নভেল The Complete Persepolis এর লেখিকা এবং আঁকিয়ে মারজান সাত্রাপির সৃষ্টি আরেকটি বই এটি।

বইটাতে একটা স্পেসিফিক মৃত্যুর কথা আছে, স্বেচ্ছামৃত্যু। যেখানে একটা ব্যক্তির বাঁচার সমস্ত ইচ্ছা শেষ হয়ে যায় এবং তা থেকে তার শরীরে মৃত্যুর প্রক্রিয়া শুরু হয়ে যায়। আত্মহত্যা নয়, যেখানে শরীরকে মেরে ফেলা হয়, স্বেচ্ছামৃত্যু, যেখানে ব্যক্তির বাঁচার অনিচ্ছার কারণে শরীর নিজে থেকেই মরে যায়। স্বেচ্ছামৃত্যুর কথা প্রথম পড়েছিলাম মুহাম্মদ জাফর ইকবালের বকুলাপ্পুতে। কিশোর বয়সে পড়া বইটার কিছুই মনে নেই শুধু সেই অংশটা বাদে যেখানে মায়ের মৃত্যুর কারণে ট্রমাটাইজড নীলার বাঁচার সব ইচ্ছা শেষ হয়ে যায় এবং শরীরের ইমিউনিটি সিস্টেম ধীরে ধীরে ভেঙ্গে পড়তে শুরু করে। যখন পড়েছিলাম তখন থেকেই মাথায় একটি প্রশ্নবোধক চিহ্ন নিয়ে ঘুরে বেড়াতাম, এমনটা কি সত্যিই ঘটে কিনা, ঘটলে এর নাম এবং তার ডিটেইলস। কিন্তু উত্তর খোঁজার মাধ্যম আমার কাছে তখন ছিল না। এখন আছে, ইন্টারনেট। তবে গুগল সেই প্রশ্নের উত্তর আমাকে দেয়নি। নিউরোলজিতে জ্ঞান আছে এমন এক বন্ধুকে জিজ্ঞেস করলে তার কোনো আইডিয়া নেই তবে খুঁজে দেখবে বলে জানালো। ইমতিয়াজের সাহায্যে Quora তেও প্রশ্ন দিলাম। কিন্তু ভাগ্য সুপ্রসন্ন নয়, এতদিনেও কোনো দফা রফা হয়নি। কেউ জানতে পারলে জানাবেন।

এটি একজন শিল্পীর স্বেচ্ছামৃত্যুর গল্প। শিল্পী নাসের আলী 'তার' (একধরণের বাদ্যযন্ত্র) বাজাতেন। তার 'তার'টি ভেঙ্গে যাবার পর (শিল্পীর স্ত্রী পরিবারের প্রতি ঔদাসিন্যে রেগে গিয়ে ভেঙ্গে ফেলেন) আর নতুন কোনো তারই পূর্বেকার তারের মত সুমধুর শব্দ করতে ব্যর্থ হওয়াতে তিনি বেঁচে না থাকার সিদ্ধান্ত নেন। স্ত্রীকে দোষারোপ করেন। কখনো মাফ করবেন না বলে সাফ জানিয়ে দেন। কিন্তু গল্পের শেষ এসে খোলাসা হয় যে পুরোনো তারের অভাব নয়, যাকে ভালবাসতেন, যার বিরহে তার তারে সুর উঠে আসতো, সেই মেয়েটি তাকে চিনতে অস্বীকার করায় সুর শিল্পীকে ছেড়ে চলে যায়। যা তার জীবনকে অর্থহীন করে তোলে। স্বেচ্ছামৃত্যুর জন্য নাসের আলী আটদিন অপেক্ষা করেন, তাতে ফ্ল্যাশব্যকে বিচ্ছিন্নভাবে জীবনের নানা হতাশা, পাওয়া না পাওয়া, সন্তানদের সাথে, মায়ের সাথে, পরিবারের সাথে সম্পর্ক, জীবনের নানা মোড় উঠে আসে। পাঠক নাসের আলীকে বুঝতে পারে, তার যন্ত্রণা উপলব্ধি করতে পারে।

অসুখী বিবাহিত জীবনে দুজনের মাঝে নাসের আলীর যন্ত্রণাই গুরুত্ব পেয়েছে বইটিতে। যেন শিল্পী এবং ডেলিকেট মানুষ বলেই তার যন্ত্রণা আসলে অনেক বেশী গুরুত্বপূর্ণ তার সাধারণ স্ত্রীটির চেয়ে। এই ব্যাপারটা আমার কাছে কেন যেন ভাল লাগেনি। স্ত্রী তাকে ভালবাসতেন এবং তাকে নাসের আলীর দোষারোপের কারণে বাকি জীবন এই মেয়েটিকে নাসের আলীর মৃত্যুর জন্য অপরাধবোধ নিয়ে বাঁচতে হবে। যেখানে নাসের আলী তাকে কখনোই ভালবাসেননি। কেন যেন লেখিকার ফুটিয়ে না তোলা নাসের আলীর স্ত্রীর যন্ত্রণা আমাকে সমান যন্ত্রণা দিয়েছে, না ফুটিয়ে তোলায় লেখককে প্রশ্নবিদ্ধ করতে বাধ্য করিয়েছে। একই ভাবে সন্তানদের সাথেও নাসের আলীর সম্পর্ক সহজ ছিল না। তা নিয়ে তিনি কষ্ট পেয়েছেন। কিন্তু বাচ্চাগুলোর কষ্ট পাবার দিকটা তেমন উঠে আসেনি।

জীবন, জীবনের অর্থ এসব নিয়ে এক্সটা অর্ডিনারী গ্রাফিক নভেল হবার পটেনশিয়াল ছিল। তবে দাঁতের নিচে কাঁকড় পড়লো কষ্টের বৈষম্যবাদে। মারজান সাত্রাপি হয়তো মনে করেন, করতেই পারেন, কারো কষ্ট প্রথম শ্রেণির কষ্ট বা কারো কষ্ট দ্বিতীয় শ্রেণির। কিন্তু অন্তত এই ব্যাপারে আমি কম্যুনিষ্ট এবং মনে করি কষ্টের তীব্রতাও কম্যুনিস্ট, কারো কাছে যাবার বেলায় বৈষম্য করে না।

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primeiro contacto com as novelas gráficas de Marjane Satrapi e foi bastante proveitoso, sobretudo pela forma como está construída a trama, que envolve o leitor, e pelo desenlace.

NOTA - 08/10

Opinião completa no cantinho do costume, a partir do minuto 00:28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDeBv...

#AgostoaoQuadrado

[Tomasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Podobało mi się wszystko co działo się w tle, ale nie porwał mnie punkt wyjścia tej opowieści i jej główna linia fabularna. Doceniam za poczucie humoru i niektóre wstawki narracyjne, ale pewnie szybko o tym komiksie zapomnę.

[Silvéria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5*. À primeira vista, é possível que vos pareça que carece de profundidade. Porém, quando se pára para refletir...que mensagem poderosa!

[Veronika Sebechlebská]

Upozornenie. Nasledujúci text môže obsahovať stopy lepku a spoilery

Násirovi sa stane to, čo sa občas stane každému. Deň blbec, v práci sa nedarí, tooly nástroje nefungujú, decká vám skáču po hlave a keby toho nebolo dosť, na ulici stretnete bývalú, proste koniec, poviete si, já teď jdu zdechnout do houští a teda idete a zisťujete, že takto po zime je všetko vybookované a do toho vám cez pol obrazovky vyskočí kontextová reklama na Řbitov zvíratek a zrazu si uvedomíte, že ste si tento mesiac neprezieravo predplatili električenku a boh vie, že vy nie ste držgroš, ale snáď to tým ozembuchom nenecháte a keď si ešte spomeniete, že na zajtra máte v robote orazené lekvárové buchty, je rozhodnuté. Zomrieť môžete hocikedy. Nie je nutné aby ste tak činili dva dni pred začiatkom majstrojstvstiev sveta v hokeji /plážového volejbalu žien/ hode valaškou, každý už čo má, (neviem ako vy, ale ja sa rozhodne nechystám umrieť pred tým, ako si prečítam nového Liou Cch-sina, ktorý má ževraj vyjsť v novembri!!!!!) No ale späť k téme, Násir zostávajúc verný svojmu menu sa nasirie a jde a zdechne. End of story.


Ja som skúsený vhúštízdechínista a vhúštizdechínizmu (v odbornej literatúre uvádzané i ako vhouštízdechínista a vhouštízdechínanie) sa venujem od malička takže nechápem, prečo ma toto nechalo emocionálne chladnou, možno keď sa k tomu vrátim v inom mentálnom rozpoložení, tak sem prídem, oči červené,v ruke pollitrové vedro so zmrzlinou, v sluchátkach Mariah Carey kvíliaca svoje I cant live, nabúcham tomu 5 hviezdičiek a odplazím sa späť do houští, zostanú po mne len tri citoslovcia štyri výkričníky capslock a šmuha od čokolády

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another example of Marjane Satrapi's fictionalised family history, but there is a big difference. This is the tragedy of her great-uncle Nasser Ali Khan, the celebrated musician of Iran, who decides that life is not worth living after his guitar gets broken and starves himself to death in eight days.

The thing happened in 1955: so Marjane, who was born in 1969, had absolutely no first hand knowledge. The thing must have been a family legend. This gives her considerable poetic license to mould the story according to her artistic imagination. Nasser Ali, trapped in a loveless marriage and pining for the lost love of his youth, has internalised everything into his guitar (or tar, as they call it). When it gets damaged (his wife breaks it in a fit of rage), it is as though the last link to his past is broken.

The crux of the story is in the eight days Nasser Ali takes to pass away. During those days, he is visited by his wife, his children, his brother - and also by Sophia Lauren and the Angel of Death, Gabriel. It is in these narratives, where fact and fantasy seamlessly intertwine (something which can be accomplished beautifully in the pictorial medium in the hands of a gifted artist and storyteller) which form the heart of the story. As we weave in and out of the past and present, we find the clue to the complex personality of this gifted musician but flawed human being.

I found this book to be artistically a notch above The Complete Persepolis.

[Margarida Galante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frango com ameixas é uma iguaria para o protagonista deste livro e este pequeno livro é uma verdadeira iguaria para os leitores.

Marjane Satrapi conta aqui um pouco da história do seu tio-avô,  Nasser Ali Khan, músico e virtuoso tocador de tar. O tar é um instrumento musical de cordas, tocado no Irão, Azerbaijão, Georgia, Arménia e outros territórios próximos do Cáucaso.

Uma história sobre o amor à música mas também sobre relações familiares, tradições e religião, e sobre viver (ou morrer) com mágoas ou arrependimentos do passado. Em poucas páginas este livro fala sobre tantas coisas. Marjane Satrapi consegue contar esta história triste de uma forma sensível e com algum humor.

As ilustrações são simples, a preto e branco, mas não é preciso cor ou sofisticação para que, ainda assim, transmitam muito bem as emoções e sentimentos das personagens. Eu assumo que gosto deste tipo de BD, a preto e branco.

Esta novela gráfica foi vencedora do prémio de Melhor Álbum de Angoulême em 2005 e adaptada ao cinema, num filme, realizado pela própria autora, que foi nomeado para um Leão de Ouro no Festival de Veneza.

[Ana | The Phoenix Flight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quando temos um trabalho muito bom, inevitavelmente, todos os trabalhos que fizermos depois acabarão a ser comparados.

Frango com Ameixas não tem o tipo de profundidade que encontramos em Persepolis, talvez por não ser uma história em primeira mão, mas sim uma história de família. A verdade é que o grande, grande valor do livro, além de pequena pérolas relativamente a família, relações, sabermos lidar com as pessoas e as suas diferentes personalidades, é o final. Um final que vem fechar a história em si mesma, que traz consigo a profundidade que procuramos todo o livro.

É uma história muito bonita, cuja melodia embala e mostra onde está o verdadeiro valor das coisas. Mesmo que não as consigamos ver.

[Марія Маргуліс · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вдруге перечитала цю історію, і зараз напевно навіть під ще сильнішим враженням, аніж після першого прочиту. Дуже сильна та щемлива книга. Талант Маржан вже вкотре підкорює, бо отак лаконічно та магічно описувати здавалося б не дуже динамічні біографічні історії - це треба вміти.

[Fereshteh · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!! عالی بود
کلی با این کتاب خندیدم

کتاب، داستان ده روز آخر زندگی ناصر علی خان نوازنده تار رو در قالب تصویر تعریف می کنه. بعد از این که تار محبوب استاد تو یه دعوا و مشاجره توسط زنش دو تیکه میشه لذت بردن از همه علایق و دلگرمی های زندگی براش ناممکن میشه و در انتظار مرگ روز رو شب می کنه و شب رو به روز می رسونه.

این که چرا ناصر علی خان استاد تار ناصر علی خان شده و حالا به این روز افتاده با خوندن اتفاقات هشت روز باقی عمرش و فلاش بک های داستان به زمان های خیلی دور که با چاشنی طنز لطیفی ( یا شاید هم تلخ) همراه شده،کم کم معلوم میشه.

[Ritinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

O desgosto é uma experiência que gera mágoa desconstrutiva do contentamento e da certeza. (Da Esperança, portanto.)
O desgosto pode ser uma minudência ou um colosso. E num ou noutro caso pode ser ignorado com a força da rotina e/ou da prossecução da «normalidade» da vida. Até não se poder - ou querer - mais.
E é nesse evento de lhe ceder que se desencaixam os níveis e densidades diversos dessa experiência humana que é morte da esperança.
Agora imagine-se isto em narrativa familiar. E por fim em arte sequencial de influência franco-belga com um uso generoso do negrume da tinta-da-china e a alvura das suas delimitações, num traço seguro e fluído que relata os últimos dias de um músico iraniano nos 1950's.

[Myra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant, graphic novel from Satrapi. This one is not long at all - in fact, I read the whole thing in less than an hour's time.

Chicken With Plums is a story about Satrapi's great-uncle, Nasser Ali Khan. Nasser Ali Khan is a musician who decides to die after his beloved tar is broken by his wife. His marriage is pretty much a disaster, and as the novel progresses, we find out exactly why this is so - and it just so happens to be the same reason for why Nasser Ali Khan is so very upset over his tar being broken: He had been in love once, not with his wife, and his heart was broken...broken to the point of using his tar as a vehicle to release some of his pain and hurt through music.

Over the course of eight days, the book takes us to the past and to the future, and in each trip, we as readers gain a little more insight into the grander scheme of life and death. Satrapi handles such heady topics with great finesse, and she does sprinkle her trademark, graphic humor around a bit - not too much, not too little, but just enough to keep the novel from being so heady that it becomes depressing.

My favorite quote:

"...Life is the same. We give meaning to life based on our point of view. Only wisdom, like the light of the candle, can bring us a complete view of existence."

[MJ Nicholls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the movie of Satrapi’s Persepolis and found it deeply irritating. But, being a pioneer in the graphic novel form—hell, a lone populiser of the form—I had to read something by her. This graphic novella (must I start a separate shelf for shorter graphic works?) is a melancholy folktale about a poor musician whose wife snaps his tar (like a sitar) in two. Finding no replacement for his prize instrument, he takes to his bed to die, where he reflects on his thwarted life—marrying the wrong woman, neglecting his only son, but mainly losing his tar. The question raised: if all great art is borne out of misery, who needs great art? Interesting A.L. Kennedy article about this in The Guardian recently. Anyway: very gloomy and very good. I will read Persepolis if someone twists both my arms.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful graphic novel about an Iranian musician who is heartbroken and who decides he doesn't want to go on living. Nasser Ali is unhappily married and is upset that his beloved instrument, a tar that was given to him by his teacher, has been broken. He tries to find a new tar, but is always disappointed in the quality. Nasser crawls into his bed and refuses to leave for several days. The only thing that gives him pleasure during this time is his favorite meal, chicken with plums.

The story unfolds in flashbacks and we see how Nasser came to be so depressed. He was once in love with a beautiful woman, but her parents forbid the marriage because he was a musician and couldn't support her. So he married a woman he did not love and she grew to resent his moodiness.

The story slowly builds to a striking, wordless image that concludes the book. I paused for several moments on the last page, impressed with how a simple black-and-white drawing can convey so much emotion.

I wanted to read this graphic novel because I had read the author's Persepolis books, and loved them. I'm excited to watching the movie version of Chicken With Plums, which got good reviews. I thought it was amusing that in the movie they changed Nasser's instrument to a violin; the producers probably thought that was easier than explaining what a tar was. (It's similar to a lute -- yeesh, was that so hard?)

[Valentina Vekovishcheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am far too old for this!!!

[Ангеліна · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я люблю цю книжку за те, наскільки вона сумна й іронічна водночас

[Caro the Helmet Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of years ago I read Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood and was quite charmed by her storytelling, if not by her art. It had everything in reasonable doses - humour, reflection, history, cultural commentary, even, and family history. Chicken with Plums is much thinner than Persepolis and I went through much faster, but it's equally delightful and this time it's concentrated not on Marjane herself, but instead on her great-uncle, an extremely talented musician who all of a sudden had lost all of his talent and love for music. We learn why it happened and how.
A bit sadder than Persepolis but not at all worse, IMHO. But of course I would prefer to have it a tad longer just for the sheer pleasure of it.

[Ahmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sonu OneRepublic'in şarkı sözünü getirdi aklıma; "Heart still beating, but it's not working."

[Coloma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya sabemos cómo se las gasta la Satrapi; con no demasiadas palabras y algo más de tinta es capaz de contar grandes (y, en ocasiones, grandísimas) historias 🖤

[Yolanda Morros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta novela gráfica narra los últimos ocho días de la vida del conocido músico intérprete de tar, Nasser Ali, pariente de Marjane Satrapi. En una discusión familiar su mujer le rompe el tar, el instrumento que le ha acompañado durante toda su vida. Este hecho es el detonante de una serie de acontecimientos que llevan al protagonista a la decisión de terminar con su vida.
Me ha gustado mucho tanto la trama como las ilustraciones. Las ilustraciones de Marjane siempre son exquisitas y tienen su sello personal. No obstante, en mi opinión, no tiene la misma intensidad ni fuerza que “Persépolis”. Sé que no se deben comparar libros del mismo autor, pero tenia que decirlo.