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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
Marji is in a different stage of life in the second instalment of Persepolis, and yet both are about growing up. As Marji grows older, she seems to realize that she doesn’t know as much about the world as she had thought. She struggles to identify with her Iranian culture as she studies abroad, and feels as though she has abandoned her family and country in the war. I really resonated with Marji in how she feels disconnected from her family and everyone she meets as she tries her hardest to do something that matters. Even after Marji leaves Iran for a long period of time, the country is still in a horrifying state of communism when she returns. Persepolis 1 introduced readers to a broken Iran and an adorable child narrator; Persepolis 2 is less about Iran, and more about the fearless narrator Marjane as she tries to find her way in a difficult world.
A good insight into the damage done by fundamentalism, especially at the emotional and social level. Marjane is sent away from Iran, but finds it hard to thrive in Austria without the presence of her family. Her return to Iran is also fraught as she struggles with arbitrary rules that make no sense but merely restrict her freedom.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Just as good as the first volume in terms of art and storytelling, but even better IMO because the topic was unusually universal - and feminist. Her story of what it's like to be the odd one in high school, to be alone and friendless in a strange place, to straddle two cultures in one body, to suffer depression, and to have awkward love affairs that never work out the way you expected...so of us many can relate to all of these things.
For me a big joy of the story was her relationship with her unwaveringly supportive parents and her star grandmother. Even when she is far from them, they mattered.
This story wouldn't have been the same for a man, not because babies (there are no babies) but because our cultural gendered experiences are so different despite our equality of intelligence and spirit. It is an absolute illustration of why female voices and views matter. It shows why a male-centric view of history is also only showing a slice of reality, in no way reflective of the whole human experience.
Absolutely worth reading and sharing with teens and young women, along with anyone interested in the Middle East.
For me a big joy of the story was her relationship with her unwaveringly supportive parents and her star grandmother. Even when she is far from them, they mattered.
This story wouldn't have been the same for a man, not because babies (there are no babies) but because our cultural gendered experiences are so different despite our equality of intelligence and spirit. It is an absolute illustration of why female voices and views matter. It shows why a male-centric view of history is also only showing a slice of reality, in no way reflective of the whole human experience.
Absolutely worth reading and sharing with teens and young women, along with anyone interested in the Middle East.
This book (like Persepolis, the first volume) does a very good job of teaching you about life in Iran before, during, and after the Revolution, and it does so very quickly. You can literally read both Persepolis 2 and Persepolis in one day with lots of time to spare.
This is also why I gave the books four stars. It went by too quickly. There should really only be one Persepolis, and even then, I'd like to see if fleshed out more. This isn't a story that you can get lost in, which is unfortunate because I think it could have been that kind of story.
It's an important read regardless. For years, folks in the US have asked the world to not hate them for the actions of their "leaders," yet many of us have no problem demonizing Iranians for the actions of their "leaders." Reading Persepolis may open a few eyes to the reality of life in Iran, and perhaps it'll help us see that we're more alike than different.
This is also why I gave the books four stars. It went by too quickly. There should really only be one Persepolis, and even then, I'd like to see if fleshed out more. This isn't a story that you can get lost in, which is unfortunate because I think it could have been that kind of story.
It's an important read regardless. For years, folks in the US have asked the world to not hate them for the actions of their "leaders," yet many of us have no problem demonizing Iranians for the actions of their "leaders." Reading Persepolis may open a few eyes to the reality of life in Iran, and perhaps it'll help us see that we're more alike than different.
1.5/5 stars (rounded down)
Well, it has been awhile since a book made me so angry.
This was such a drastic change from Persepolis 1, I couldn't believe I was reading about the same person!
- I really, really loved Persepolis 1. It was poignant, heartbreaking and educational. It had a smart, intelligent and strong heroine, who asked the right questions and had a heart in the right place.
- I don't know where that person went in Persepolis 2, for instead there was a girl who lost all of her morals and kept making horrible life decisions. Again, and again and again, And it would have been fine, we all are humans, but the thing is - in the book I didn't feel like she learned or took anything from her hardships at all. If I wanted to see people making bad choices and becoming vegetables due to their drug addictions, I'd just watch TV.
I can definitely applaud Marjane for her honesty, and for putting all of her flaws out there, but I also don't understand the point of it? What lesson was she trying to teach? Persepolis 1 contained history - I learned so much about Iranian people, the revolution, the oppression. But in this book, there was very little of that. It was mostly about her growing up and trying to fit in, which for her meant to do everything that everybody else did. And I just couldn't comprehend how a girl, who was raised to be so smart and educated, could make any of those decisions.
On the back cover of the book, there's a praise that says :
"Every revolution needs a chronicler like Satrapi
Well, if chronicling a revolution means describing how many drugs she used, how many cigarettes she smoked, how many parties she went to and how everybody else around her was horribly unfair to her and how she, and only she was the victim - then I don't want to know about that kind of revolution.
What made me the most angry was how she portrayed herself as a victim every single time. Sure, her life wasn't easy, or pretty - but it was because of her own bad decisions. She wanted everybody to pity her for her life, while she was the one of the few who escaped the war. She was sent to Europe to better her life, but instead she buried it.
I also couldn't stand how demeaning she was to other people - she criticized everybody - some she called fat behind their back (the first time she saw her new landlord she called her fat and a horse face, just because the woman was unattractive - sure, the woman turned out to be mean, but it doesn't give you right to judge and laugh at ones appearances), some she judged because of their lack of intelligence, some she judged because of their looks. And the worst part came, when she purposely lied and condemned that poor man on the street to save herself. I've never read about a most selfish person.
Also remarks like "if there were more fun things to do, I'd never have read as many books as I did" and "the first marriage is just a rehearsal before the second one" just didn't sit well with me. If you are writing a book, then don't say that books are the last resort, only if you have nothing else better to do - no self respecting bookworm will agree with you. And just because your marriage didn't work, doesn't mean that you have the right to come up with generalized statements like that.
Being progressive in ones thoughts doesn't mean that you have the right to be demeaning to other people's thoughts.
There were few things that I liked - I liked some of her views on the world and how she explained some of the ridiculous customs and rules that were, and still to this day burden the women of Iran.
I should have dnf'd it, I know, but it was slow at work and it was the only book I had with me so I just kept plowing through it.
I still absolutely recommend Persepolis 1, but this second part didn't teach me anything.
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Well, it has been awhile since a book made me so angry.
This was such a drastic change from Persepolis 1, I couldn't believe I was reading about the same person!
- I really, really loved Persepolis 1. It was poignant, heartbreaking and educational. It had a smart, intelligent and strong heroine, who asked the right questions and had a heart in the right place.
- I don't know where that person went in Persepolis 2, for instead there was a girl who lost all of her morals and kept making horrible life decisions. Again, and again and again, And it would have been fine, we all are humans, but the thing is - in the book I didn't feel like she learned or took anything from her hardships at all. If I wanted to see people making bad choices and becoming vegetables due to their drug addictions, I'd just watch TV.
I can definitely applaud Marjane for her honesty, and for putting all of her flaws out there, but I also don't understand the point of it? What lesson was she trying to teach? Persepolis 1 contained history - I learned so much about Iranian people, the revolution, the oppression. But in this book, there was very little of that. It was mostly about her growing up and trying to fit in, which for her meant to do everything that everybody else did. And I just couldn't comprehend how a girl, who was raised to be so smart and educated, could make any of those decisions.
On the back cover of the book, there's a praise that says :
"Every revolution needs a chronicler like Satrapi
Well, if chronicling a revolution means describing how many drugs she used, how many cigarettes she smoked, how many parties she went to and how everybody else around her was horribly unfair to her and how she, and only she was the victim - then I don't want to know about that kind of revolution.
What made me the most angry was how she portrayed herself as a victim every single time. Sure, her life wasn't easy, or pretty - but it was because of her own bad decisions. She wanted everybody to pity her for her life, while she was the one of the few who escaped the war. She was sent to Europe to better her life, but instead she buried it.
I also couldn't stand how demeaning she was to other people - she criticized everybody - some she called fat behind their back (the first time she saw her new landlord she called her fat and a horse face, just because the woman was unattractive - sure, the woman turned out to be mean, but it doesn't give you right to judge and laugh at ones appearances), some she judged because of their lack of intelligence, some she judged because of their looks. And the worst part came, when she purposely lied and condemned that poor man on the street to save herself. I've never read about a most selfish person.
Also remarks like "if there were more fun things to do, I'd never have read as many books as I did" and "the first marriage is just a rehearsal before the second one" just didn't sit well with me. If you are writing a book, then don't say that books are the last resort, only if you have nothing else better to do - no self respecting bookworm will agree with you. And just because your marriage didn't work, doesn't mean that you have the right to come up with generalized statements like that.
Being progressive in ones thoughts doesn't mean that you have the right to be demeaning to other people's thoughts.
There were few things that I liked - I liked some of her views on the world and how she explained some of the ridiculous customs and rules that were, and still to this day burden the women of Iran.
I should have dnf'd it, I know, but it was slow at work and it was the only book I had with me so I just kept plowing through it.
I still absolutely recommend Persepolis 1, but this second part didn't teach me anything.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
Didn't love it quite as much as the first one, but still so awesome.
Iran, Islamic Revolution and a bildungsroman - these three combined in Persepolis and gave me some unsettling and uncomfortable time. John Lennon has aptly described the bundle of emotions that I tried to seek refuge in. One thing you can't hide - is when you're crippled inside. This memoir crippled me from inside. Making it a bildungsroman added some rich flavour to those broiling rage. Marjane's innocence as a child was like patting your pet dog after three days of your absence. You know he needs your warmth, you know you missed him so much, yet you feel inept in consoling him for your absence. The only difference that lies here is that your willingness to make the life of your dog better will change something.
Persepolis is among one of those books that are readable but the feelings it leave you with is difficult to handle, so much so that I am questioning about the beliefs all around. At the sight of a distressed person, it's easy to feel that they can come out of it through sheer act of resistance. Alas, that's not as simple as that.
It's only natural! When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictator's repression.
Years of turning newspaper pages and Google searches failed to teach me about the roots of Islamic Revolution, but Marjane Satrupi did it in less than 350 pages. Simple, yet very, very powerful.
Persepolis is among one of those books that are readable but the feelings it leave you with is difficult to handle, so much so that I am questioning about the beliefs all around. At the sight of a distressed person, it's easy to feel that they can come out of it through sheer act of resistance. Alas, that's not as simple as that.
It's only natural! When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us. Besides, fear has always been the driving force behind all dictator's repression.
Years of turning newspaper pages and Google searches failed to teach me about the roots of Islamic Revolution, but Marjane Satrupi did it in less than 350 pages. Simple, yet very, very powerful.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced