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The Complete Persepolis

(Persepolis #1-4)

Marjane Satrapi

4.36 · Rating details · 132,802 ratings · 8,599 reviews

O que é melhor - viver num país repressivo, onde todo mundo se mete onde não foi chamado, ou num país livre, mas que deixa pessoas morrerem de frio nas ruas? Essa é a reflexão que Marjane Satrapi faz em ´Persépolis 4´. Depois de assistir à revolução islâmica aos dez anos de idade (vol. 1), ver seu país se dilacerar na guerra contra o Iraque (vol. 2), se auto-exilar na Áust ...more

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Unknown Binding, 341 pages

Published May 9th 2008 by Pantheon Books (first published 2003)

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Mar 28, 2012 Patrick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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-st ...more

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Aug 31, 2016 Alejandro rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, comic-book, politics, horror, religion, drama, military, humor

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.

Pers ...more

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May 03, 2008 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, non-fiction, 21th-century, biography

The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis #1-4), Marjane Satrapi, Mattias Ripa (Translator Part I), Blake Ferris (Translator Part 2), Anjali Singh (Translator, Parts 3 and 4)

One volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir.

Persepolis is a autobiographical series of comics by Marjane Satrapi that depicts her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. The title Persepolis is a reference to the ancient capital of the Persian The Complete Persepolis (Persepolis #1-4), Marjane Satrapi, Mattias Ripa (Translator Part I), Blake Ferris (Translator Part 2), Anjali Singh (Translator, Parts 3 and 4)

One volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir.

Persepolis is a autobiographical series of comics by Marjane Satrapi that depicts her childhood up to her early adult years in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution. The title Persepolis is a reference to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire.

Originally published in French, the graphic memoir has been translated to many other languages, including English, Spanish, Catalan, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Swedish, Finnish, Georgian, and others. As of 2018, it has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. Persepolis 1 was written in 2000 and Persepolis 2 was written in 2004.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: ماه دسامبر سال 2008 میلادی

عنوان: پرسپولیس؛ نویسنده: مرجان ساتراپی؛

پرسپولیس عنوان کتابهای مصوری است؛ که «مرجان ساتراپی»؛ به زبان «فرانسه» نگاشته ‌است؛ «نیوزویک» از این کتاب با عنوان یکی از ده کتاب برتر غیرداستانی دهه ی نخست سده ی بیست و یکم میلادی یاد کرده است؛ نثر ساده و جذاب کتاب، باعث شده که از آن به عنوان متن مناسب برای زبان‌ آموزان «فرانسه» در سطح «آ.یک» نیز نام برده است؛ «پرسپولیس» به چندین زبان از جمله «انگلیسی»، «اسپانیایی»، «کاتالانی»، «پرتغالی»، «ایتالیایی»، «آلمانی»، «یونانی»، «سوئدی» و «گرجستانی» و ... نیز ترجمه شده‌ است؛ بیش یک میلیون و پانصد هزار نسخه از کتاب در جهان به فروش رفته ‌است؛ «مرجان ساتراپی» به همراه گروهی از فیلمسازان «فرانسوی» و «آمریکایی»، فیلمی انیمیشنی نیز با همین عنوان، از داستان کتاب ساخته ‌اند؛ این فیلم نیز جایزه ی هیئت داوران جشنواره فیلم «کن» را، به خود اختصاص داده است؛ رمان به سبک زندگی‌نامه خود نوشت است، شخصیت اصلی رمان، و راوی داستان، دختری ایرانی به نام «مرجان» است؛ «مرجان» دختری است که در جریان «انقلاب ایران»، و بحران جنگ «ایران و عراق»، به تشویق خانواده، از کشور خویش به «اتریش» می‌رود؛ کتاب‌ها روایت جنگ و آوارگی، زندگی مهاجری در اروپا، بحران‌های مذهبی، و سنتی جامعه «ایران»، و رویدادهای «انقلاب و جنگ» هستند، و تاریخ دهه ی پس از جنگ «ایران و عراق» را، از دیدگاه راوی بیان می‌کنند؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 05/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی ...more

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Mar 08, 2015 Manny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: history-and-biography, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, islam-and-arabic, spanish-and-italian, well-i-think-its-funny

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 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.
...more

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Jan 28, 2017 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-graphic-novel, 2017-reads

~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 contr ...more

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Jul 09, 2008 Casey rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: children-or-young-adult, adults, 2008

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 "f ...more

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Jul 21, 2018 Lucy Langford rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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 t ...more

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Oct 25, 2018 Coffee&Quasars rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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.

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Oct 08, 2013 Emily May rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, graphic-novels, memoirs-or-bios, feminism, nonfiction

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 t ...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Rowena rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Rowena by: Kirsty

Shelves: graphic-novels, autobiography

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 ...more

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Jul 27, 2019 s.penkevich rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, required_reading, graph, graphic_novel

This should be required reading. Easily one of the best graphic novels--and books in general--I have ever read. 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. 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 i ...more

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Jan 27, 2018 leynes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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." ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 Marpapad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Persepolis is a truly amazing graphic novel....

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Jan 16, 2021 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Thomas by: Sonia

Shelves: biography-or-memoir, nonfiction, graphic-novel, historical-fiction

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 o ...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Nandakishore Varma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel

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. ...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Aubrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, 4-star, authorness, r-goodreads, person-of-everything, reviewed, reality-translated, antidote-think-twice-read, reality-check, person-of-reality

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 terr 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. ...more

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Jan 25, 2008 Sara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of memoir

Shelves: highly-recommended, graphic-novel, memoir-biography, nonfiction, book-club

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 introduc ...more

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Jul 15, 2016 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel, biography, 2016, book-a-book-club, library

Graphic novel was the perfect medium for this story. I am not saying I would not have enjoyed it if it had been prose, but Satrapi's words and images together drew me in right away and I flew through the story.

This is another important story from a region with lots of important stories to tell. The theme is that we are all people even though we are often defined by our government, media, religion, etc. We cannot truly know who someone is without meeting them in person. It is also interesting to ...more

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Apr 07, 2017 Warda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-of-colour, characters-of-colour

A semi-autobiographical book, this story offered such great insight into the history of Iran, particularly during the 1950s all the way through to the 80s, covering the Islamic revolution, the war with Iraq and the invasion of the West. It's a story about a young girl growing up during that particular time period and it follows her journey throughout.

The language is simple, blunt and effective. It highlighted the danger and recklessness when religion (Islam, in this case) is interpreted in ones A semi-autobiographical book, this story offered such great insight into the history of Iran, particularly during the 1950s all the way through to the 80s, covering the Islamic revolution, the war with Iraq and the invasion of the West. It's a story about a young girl growing up during that particular time period and it follows her journey throughout.

The language is simple, blunt and effective. It highlighted the danger and recklessness when religion (Islam, in this case) is interpreted in ones own way. When there's no sense of balance (as Islam teaches) and the faith is practised in an ignorant, overzealous manner, driving the person to the point of absolute absurdity. For example, thinking that there's a need of having police that patrol the streets, in order to keep people's behaviours and moral compass in check. Because they have convinced themselves that practising the faith will be better established this way. There's a scene in the book where the protagonist, Marjane, is stopped by those so called policemen, because she was running. She was in a hurry (as if some kind of justification is needed for this) but they asked her to stop running because of the way her backside would move when she would run. There are so many points where this book just makes you genuinely angry!

On the flip-side, Satrapi calls out the West for its manipulation of invading Iran and other Middle Eastern countries, media outlets for portraying a single narrative and the danger of it, as it takes away the complexity of a situation, which in turn forces you to dehumanise them of everything, leading to inequality. All for the sake of destruction and power.

But this book isn't preachy. I loved the historical aspect to it, however, it covers Marjane's childhood to early teens, growing up in Iran, having to be moved to Austria by her parents, because they want a better life for her, being an outcast in a society, an immigrant, and the identity and psychological issues that it can lead to.

Incredibly insightful read! ...more

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Jul 19, 2016 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016

I learnt so much reading this!

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge Notes:
- 41. A book about a major world event (The Islamic Revolution)

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Feb 27, 2018 Piya rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"Nothing's worse than saying goodbye. It's a little like dying."

My very first graphic memoir and wow… what a read ! Clever, funny and very informative .:). Marjane gives us a glimpse into the day to day life of someone living in an extremely oppressive regime, but she does it with so much humour and satire. I have so much love for her Grandma.I wish she had written a memoir too.

"I have always thought that if women's hair posed so many problems, God would certainly have made us bald."

Full ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Ivana - Diary of Difference rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: stars-3, genre-graphic-novels, read-in-2020, format-print

The Complete Persepolis is a graphic novel written by Marjane Satrapi that covers her life. This is a memoir of growing up as a girl in revolutionary Iran.

This is a story of Satrap's childhood; growing up in a loving family in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. We also follow Marjane in her high school years in Vienna. It is an interesting journey of a young girl becoming an independent woman.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the graphi ...more

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Mar 31, 2018 F rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018, graphic-novel-comic, iran

loved this

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Feb 18, 2008 Adrianne Mathiowetz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Adrianne by: Book club

A question I heard a lot while I was reading this book was "how does it compare with Maus?" -- and if I were to answer that question, I would say, I suppose, that I thought that Maus was more compelling, with more classically heroic characters, detailed, careful artwork (and-I-mean-come-ON it was about the holocaust, haven't we all agreed that's the official trump card?) -- but I'm not sure that it actually makes much sense to compare this book with Maus. Sure, they're both graphic novels whose A question I heard a lot while I was reading this book was "how does it compare with Maus?" -- and if I were to answer that question, I would say, I suppose, that I thought that Maus was more compelling, with more classically heroic characters, detailed, careful artwork (and-I-mean-come-ON it was about the holocaust, haven't we all agreed that's the official trump card?) -- but I'm not sure that it actually makes much sense to compare this book with Maus. Sure, they're both graphic novels whose subject is generally similar. They're at once historical, tragic, and personal. But other than that, they're just two very different books, written by two very different authors regarding two different conflicts. It would be as if you were reading Red Badge of Courage, and people kept asking "so, how does it compare with War and Peace?"

Aaaaaannyway. So! About Persepolis.

I went into this novel knowing essentially nothing about the war(s) in Iran, and to my surprise I left this book knowing essentially nothing about the war(s) in Iran. Just when the narrator reaches an age when she could really perceive what is happening in her country and act out against it or submit and meld into it, her parents wisely ship her off to Austria, and once there she specifically avoids watching the news and connecting with political developments back at home. Thus, for a large portion of the story we're led through her various musical tastes, hair styles and relationship developments (can you beliiieeeve that first boyfriend and the croissants?). There are no post scripts, tangents, or musical bridges conveying basic information to the reader, no "meanwhile, back at the ranch, lots of people went to jail for silly things, and also there were deaths or something". The narrator was divorced from these concerns at the time, and so are we the readers.

Primarily, this novel is an autobiography: the details of her homeland function mostly to describe the main character, not the country or turmoil therein. Egotistical? It seemed that way, sometimes, but maybe it depends what you expected from the book.

That said, Marjane Satrapi's character is a well-developed one: never the perfect angel, not always striving to even just be good, but continually just trying to figure things out and attain the same, elusive happiness everyone else seems to have. She's likable, interesting, self-deprecating and ever-changing, and for what it's worth I found it really difficult to put the book down. (To me, actually, that's worth quite a lot. I weep for a lost childhood in which I could never, ever seem to put a book down: I finished one and then desperately started another, consuming them like cocaine. Why aren't books like cocaine anymore? Maybe I should just give up on literature and try harder drugs. Or more graphical novels by Marjane Satrapi.)

Thoroughly enjoyable, with artwork that really grew on me with time, and definitely recommended. Just don't expect to want to start a revolution afterwards. ...more

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Apr 23, 2009 new_user rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: graphic-novel

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 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. ...more

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Jun 26, 2017 Helen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, classics, non-fiction, biography-or-memoir

Persepolis is the memoir of Marjane Satrapi, who grew up in Iran during and after the years of the Iranian Revolution in an affluent middle class family. Given the setting you would expect this graphic novel to cover some seriously heavy subject matter, which it does, but it’s also surprisingly humorous and sprinkled with many light-hearted moments. For a book that deals with such dark themes and refers to so many character deaths, there is a surprising amount of joy to be had from it.

I enjoyed Persepolis is the memoir of Marjane Satrapi, who grew up in Iran during and after the years of the Iranian Revolution in an affluent middle class family. Given the setting you would expect this graphic novel to cover some seriously heavy subject matter, which it does, but it’s also surprisingly humorous and sprinkled with many light-hearted moments. For a book that deals with such dark themes and refers to so many character deaths, there is a surprising amount of joy to be had from it.

I enjoyed the first part the most, as we read about the events surrounding this tumultuous time in global history from the perspective of a very young Marjane. Little Marjane is pretty much the cutest kid ever, and I love the way adult Marjane pokes fun at her child self, with her naivety, constant attention seeking and unshakeable belief that she knows best.

description

This is the first graphic novel I’ve ever read, and now that I’ve finished I’m wondering why on Earth it took me so long to discover how awesome these are. The artwork in Persepolis is very simple with its black and white format, but the way the characters are drawn conveyed the emotion of the scene just as clearly as any page of prose. I initially assumed that reading a novel in this format would mean I missed out on a lot of the detail or ultimately felt less attached to the characters because we only get snippets of their conversations, but that wasn’t the case at all. I loved all the characters, especially Marjan’s parents and grandmother who were so supportive and inspiring, making their eventual separation all the more heart-breaking. This book was moving without resorting to overused tropes or emotional manipulation, and proves that you don't need reams of flowery prose to create honest and relateable characters.

description

I knew very little about Iran before reading this book, and now I know a little bit more. When hearing about countries with limited freedom of speech on the news it's tempting to picture the whole population as one homogeneous mass and miss the fact that this population must have as diverse a range of opinions and attitudes as any other, the only difference being that many other countries are better able to express these range of views. It seems obvious but this book really brought it home for me by depicting such an interesting range of characters who, whilst outwardly conforming to the regime, were participating in small acts of rebellion, from hosting parties to drinking alcohol to listening to banned music.

I know this will be one of those books that I keep returning to again and again and I can’t wait to lend this to everyone I know so that I can spread the joy that is Marjane Satrapi's writing.

Also, this interview between Marjane Satrapi and Emma Watson might be one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever read. ...more

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Oct 22, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, z-2015reads, she-did-that, x-schoolreads, 4-star

There's so much I love about this graphic novel. It's both culturally relevant and impactful. It's both 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 one specific person in 1970s Iran, not of every Iranian woman, and it never tries to be everyone's story. Marjane Satrapi owns up to her mistakes in life, to her darker side. She has flaws and she allows her memoir to explore tho ...more

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Apr 26, 2018 Calista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: award-various, bage-young-adult, classic, genre-memoir-biography, i-misc, groundbreaking, 2007, diversity, comics-graphic-novel, genre-nonfiction

Powerful and Honest. I didn't know a whole lot about Iranian history before this story. I knew the basics. Marjane's childhood was much different than mine. I have always wondered how people live through such long wars like they had too and it looks terrible.

It almost reads like a dystopian novel with the repressive government. That has always felt so terrible to me. It seems against God to force people to conform when we are meant to be a garden of varieties and differences. Freedom is not easy ...more

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Feb 15, 2019 André Oliveira rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

I really recommend this book but OMG some of the text was really small for me haha

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Oct 18, 2017 Simra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

"Life is too short to be lived badly"

I finished this book in one sitting. I normally don't write reviews but this book is amazingly good and is worth all the hype. It has a lot of humour, compassion and heartbreaks. I absolutely loved Marjane as the little rebellious girl who spoke her mind, as the girl who lost her way and couldn't hold her dignity, as the girl who came back and proved herself, and also as the writer who has written this book so beautifully. To have lived in such oppression t ...more

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About Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi

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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 a 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. ...more

Other books in the series

Persepolis (4 books)

Books by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1)

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (Persepolis, #2)

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Quotes from The Complete Pers...

“It's fear that makes us lose our conscience. It's also what transforms us into cowards.” — 320 likes

“The regime had understood that one person leaving her house while asking herself:
Are my trousers long enough?
Is my veil in place?
Can my make-up be seen?
Are they going to whip me?

No longer asks herself:
Where is my freedom of thought?
Where is my freedom of speech?
My life, is it liveable?
What's going on in the political prisons?” — 250 likes

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