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PERSEPOLIS
by Marjane Satrapi
(
Pantheon Books)
Review by Sean McGurr
It is rare to find a graphic novel that can entertain, educate, and emotionally move a reader. Art Spiegelman did it with
Maus. Alan Moore did it with
From Hell. Frank Miller did it with
300.
Persepolis is another of these books. Perhaps Marjane Satrapi will someday be considered a master in the field like these writers.
Satrapi is a normal girl growing up in Tehran, Iran. She is nine years old in 1979 at the time of the Iranian Revolution, and can easily be mistaken for an American girl. She likes Michael Jackson, reads comic books, and plays with her friends. Although her family is not very religious, she believes that when she grows up, she will be a prophet. When the revolutionaries overthrow the Shah's government, at first her family feels that Iran will be a better place. But they quickly see that the fundamentalists will be a more repressive government, especially for a secular, Westernized family like Satrapi's. When Iran goes to war with Iraq, things get worse. Eventually, when she is fourteen, Satrapi is sent by her parents to Europe for safety.
Satrapi illustrates her story in a simple style. It is almost as if she is drawing it as a ten-year-old girl. Despite the style, Satrapi is able to capture emotions, both horrors and joy, as she relates the story of her country and her family.
Within the 150 pages of the book, I learned more about Iran, its history and its government, but without feeling that I was being taught a lesson. Satrapi blends the political issues with her own personal story. As a child, she goes from parroting what adults say, to actually making informed decisions about the issues. Seeing the conflict within her and how it plays out makes this story involving. The fact that it is true and that the events actually happened makes it astonishing.
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