This book was interesting. I found it in the nonfiction section of my public library and wasn’t expecting it to be like what it was. It’s written as a memoir (which I love memoirs), but it was written as comic strips. Black and white, simple but yet graphic. This memoir was deep! So lots of surprises with this book. Satrapi writes about the Islamic Revolution and how she, a young girl, went through it with her friends and family.

There were a lot of names that were unknown to me even as an adult. I understood bits and pieces of the book, as far as using my prior knowledge, but most of it was new information for me. I had no idea who Shah even was. It was interesting though reading about how the veils had to come into place, how religions dictate rule, how many times there has been wars and “revolutions” over in Tehran and social classes. I had to go back and re-read many parts because I thought I understood but when I kept reading, I would get confused again.

It was much simpler to read though rather than trying to read something like this in an article or history book. And I enjoyed her extra commentary and thoughts on things. An enlightening and interesting read that would be perfect for young adults, or any adult, to read. She also has a second book out, Persepolis 2.

Click on the image to visit the author’s Amazon page to find more books written by Satrapi.

Satrapi, Marjane (2004). Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon.