Reviews - Persepolis - Eine Kindheit im Iran

4.76k reviews for:

Persepolis - Eine Kindheit im Iran

2/19/2020
Another reread for book club! I don't think I have much to add from my previous reviews. It's a history lesson combined with Satrapi's own coming of age, and for the most part it's very well done.

10/17/2018
I'd honestly forgotten much of this story from the first time I read it, so it was good to have the refresher. As I said the first time, this made the story of Iran's history during the first 15 years of Satrapi's life fairly easy to follow, though I did feel like a lot of details were left out in telling her own personal story. (For example, at the beginning she says she had to stop learning French after the Islamic revolution, but then when she's sent off to a French school at the end it sounds like she's been somehow continuing her French education the whole time.) It's a quick read, an accessible history lesson, and occasionally quite funny, while at other times heart-wrenching. I'd recommend the read.

9/18/2015
This fascinating memoir is told through illustrations, making the story of Iranian history and revolution easier to follow. At times I felt it was so oversimplified that details were missing (e.g.,

her mom's friend brings her family to stay with them, saying she couldn't rouse her own deaf mother, and then Satrapi says it was difficult having them there because the friend's mother was deaf and cranky — it's not clear if the friend's mother eventually came and stayed with them too, or was just cranky from afar

.) But for the most part, I could follow along with the story. It was interesting to see how many risks Satrapi's family was willing to take to preserve their sense of freedom, continuing to throw parties, drink alcohol, and play cards when all that was forbidden by the Islamic rulers. This isn't an area of history I knew much about it, so I learned a lot and was entertained through Satrapi's story. I'm looking forward to reading part two.

laural444's review against another edition

3.0

I liked it. I found Marjane's thirteen year old self preachy and acting as if she knew everything, which was annoying, but about right for a thirteen year old girl. Ordering the second from the library.

thejenhiller's review against another edition

3.0

I was utterly charmed by the illustrations and the endearing young Marjane, but the book dragged just a little for me once or twice. Still a solid recommendation for learning about another culture.