Scan barcode
A review by eviecheesepuff
The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
✨ What a way to start Women’s History Month! ✨
I read this in early March and I definitely blame it for my delayed posting schedule. Even though I kept reading other books after, I had to let my thoughts regarding this story shimmer for a bit.
TG - The book isn't exactly focused on violence, but it def doesn't shy away or tone down any situations the author witnessed or heard about. There are references to torture, dismemberment, rape and murder.
This was a such a bittersweet and and eye opening read. The story starts in 1979, when Marjane Satrapi was ten years old. To be honest this is the first novel I’ve read from the pov of someone who grew up at the heart of the Islamic Revolution. And somehow, even though the tone of the book is very somber and sad, because we are following a little girl growing up, the narrative has its moments of humor.
If you like "coming of age" stories, this is for you. But be warned that it won't always make you feel good. The way Satrapi's anger is depicted (through the growing constraints of the society she lives in) gives a very intimate glimpse of what life would be like if one were stripped of many basic rights. Especially when she was a teenager. That was the hardest part to get through for me.
Overall, this book made me reflect on how privileged my life has been just by not having to deal with war in any capacity. I think it’s easier to read or hear your grandparents talk about WWI, or WWII because it happened long ago enough that it feels far away from us. But when you start thinking about more recent wars like the one depicted in this book, or the Ukrainian-Russian war going on right now… you realize how awful life can really be and how lucky you are to be at home, safe, with the people you love.
As this book is an autobiography, I will skip both my usual “lessons learned” and “notes” parts, as everyone should draw their own conclusions from this work. I also won’t be rating it, because imo it feels wrong… like I’m grading someone’s experiences by validating or invalidating them. Regardless of how I feel about the author and their opinions, it’s not my place to do so. But I will say this. READ THIS BOOK.
I read this in early March and I definitely blame it for my delayed posting schedule. Even though I kept reading other books after, I had to let my thoughts regarding this story shimmer for a bit.
TG - The book isn't exactly focused on violence, but it def doesn't shy away or tone down any situations the author witnessed or heard about. There are references to torture, dismemberment, rape and murder.
This was a such a bittersweet and and eye opening read. The story starts in 1979, when Marjane Satrapi was ten years old. To be honest this is the first novel I’ve read from the pov of someone who grew up at the heart of the Islamic Revolution. And somehow, even though the tone of the book is very somber and sad, because we are following a little girl growing up, the narrative has its moments of humor.
If you like "coming of age" stories, this is for you. But be warned that it won't always make you feel good. The way Satrapi's anger is depicted (through the growing constraints of the society she lives in) gives a very intimate glimpse of what life would be like if one were stripped of many basic rights. Especially when she was a teenager. That was the hardest part to get through for me.
Overall, this book made me reflect on how privileged my life has been just by not having to deal with war in any capacity. I think it’s easier to read or hear your grandparents talk about WWI, or WWII because it happened long ago enough that it feels far away from us. But when you start thinking about more recent wars like the one depicted in this book, or the Ukrainian-Russian war going on right now… you realize how awful life can really be and how lucky you are to be at home, safe, with the people you love.
As this book is an autobiography, I will skip both my usual “lessons learned” and “notes” parts, as everyone should draw their own conclusions from this work. I also won’t be rating it, because imo it feels wrong… like I’m grading someone’s experiences by validating or invalidating them. Regardless of how I feel about the author and their opinions, it’s not my place to do so. But I will say this. READ THIS BOOK.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and War