jeremie's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

Adored every second of this.

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ursa_arlo's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

4.25

Positives. The artstyle suits the story wonderfully and mixes elements of western and arab illustrative styles which visually translates the identity conflict within Marjane. The story is told with so much nuance, acknowledging Marjane's (in comparison to many of her peers) privileged position, while leaving enough room for other people in her life to express their lived experience and subsequent opinions in the story. The graphic novel thrives on astute observations, such as how war can so quickly become a taken-for-granted fact or how signs of 'modern' womanhood can become signs of protest. 

Negatives. Because this graphic novel is a chronological life story which compiles important events from the author's life, it does not have a traditional story structure. The eclectic storytelling suits the life Marjane has lived but the lack of structure makes some sections drag on. 

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megha_tron_14's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

5.0


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rainbowrocky's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced

5.0


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lilreddress's review

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0


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chaoticbeing's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Really what kickstarted my fascination and love of graphic memoirs. I read it on repeat to the point that I had pages memorized.
Book #1 is much stronger than Book #2, but both are equally important in sharing the author’s life story. #2 is much slower than #1 pace-wise, and feels much less eventful.

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sleepylit's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

One of my favorite books of all time. This was my second read. 

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strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

This is Marjane Satrapi’s story of growing up in Iran during the war between Iran and Iraq. It is heartbreaking and informative and I think everybody should read it. 

It is important to learn about different cultures and histories and this exemplifies that. 

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markwillnevercry's review against another edition

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0.5

So, there is a bit to tell. I really did not like this book. You might think "Ah, so you did not like it, because it was bad", but it wasn't. Marjane Satrapi does a very good job of showing how she grew up and how stuff changed her. However, it felt a bit like listening to your friend go through absolute shit, without recognizing that you also have problems that you have to deal with. Marjane Satrapi just kept going, because she wanted to tell her story and it was uncomfortable to read, specifically the Vienna part. As a separate note, this book is just in general giving the vibe of "i do not care about the way you feel, because i will never reflect on this", so we got slutshaming and fatphobia. I kind of feel like I wasted my time with this book. 

Reading notes:

Momo sucks ass.

She just accused man of a crime he didn't commit? And what she accused him of is not even comparible of her wearing lipstick? And her and her boyfriend are so happy about it? They deserve each other. 

The scene with the pills in uni. Just like, girly, if you have something on your heart, maybe don't throw it at the first person you see?

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taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a powerful graphic novel that depicts the struggles of growing up in war torn Iran. I love the use of graphic novels to depict difficult topics, and I think this book is a great representation of why this medium is effective. The graphic form is reminiscent of (find for most) childhood memories and it captures the freedom our main character longs for. That childhood freedom is juxtaposed with harsh, terrifying events, while being entirely realistic. These snapshots into everyday life paint a picture of fear, but are also insightful regarding the implications of war on the upbringing of children in these areas. This book is really important, especially since it handles a difficult topic in a really easy to digest manner.

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