Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Part 2 of Marjane's story continues where the first left off with her arrival in Austria, in her parents' attempt to free her from the oppressive life in war-torn Iran at the time. We see her go through huge life changes both physically and mentally, as she ages 4 years before her decision to return to Iran. She doesn't shy away from her experiences with drugs, alcohol, partying, racism, good and bad influences from friends, formative dating experiences, poverty, and homelessness that shaped her time in Austria. The difference between the young Marji in part 1 and the grown Marjane in this part is astounding, but we see and empathize with her struggles with loneliness, identity, and depression along the way. She continues to change even after her return, getting a degree and even getting married and eventually divorced. Although this is the story of her return home after time abroad, it ends on a melancholy note with her conscious decision to leave Iran for France for good in seek of freedom from the government's strict rules, with the knowing support of her parents and grandmother.

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ninahuynh's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

5.0

I loved seeing Marjane's growth as a character and a teenager to young adulthood. Makes you put into perspective the many different lives people are living, and how war and death and oppression can shape and mold you is whichever it wants unless you are willing to stand up for what you believe in. I wish there was more to read!!

Read more in my blog: https://niansworld.wordpress.com/2022/02/20/persepolis-the-story-of-a-return-3-4-marjane-satrapi/

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empathephant's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

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thalassaio's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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egmamaril's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

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jennikreads's review against another edition

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4.0

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leahsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

After reading Persepolis 1, I couldn't wait for this to arrive at the library, so that I could find out what happened in Marjane's life.

Book 1 left off on a bit of a cliffhanger. Marjane had just left the repressive regime of Iran (and her parents) to head to Austria and finish her schooling there. It felt like she was trapped in a no-win situation. Staying in Iran gave her the family support that she's always relied on, but was slowly crushing her spirit by forcing her to bend to a religious regime that was stripping away personal freedoms and her ability to express her brilliant mind. However, as she found out quickly, Austria wasn't everything she had hoped it would be. While she had more freedom to express herself, both physically and philosophically, there was a definite culture clash. Marjane experienced racism and a complete lack of emotional support for the first time in her life.

Adolescence is a rough time for so many people, and I couldn't even imagine going through not just the physical changes, but the emotional changes as well, while living in a place without my family and a core group of friends who fully accept you and understand you at a deep level. I empathized so deeply with what Marjane went through, and was so impressed with the strength that she was able to display.

Even with everything that she went through, she demonstrated an ability to take in wisdom that was offered, and fortunately, her family members gave her enough room to make her own mistakes, trusting that she would learn from them. The drawings were stark, with the black and white format, but I thought that it fit the story perfectly. This is definitely a memoir that was well suited for a graphic novel format, and it will stick with me for a long time.

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