Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
Book description
Originally published to wide acclaim in France, where it elicited comparisons to Art Spiegelman’s Maus, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s wise, funny, and heartbreaking memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran in ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.
Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran: the bewildering contradictions of home life and public life and the toll repressive regimes exact on the individual spirit. Marjane’s child’s-eye-view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And finally it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love. Published in 2003; 159 pages.
Description from book jacket
Research the author and the book using library resources
Information on the author’s life and works is available through our library’s online resources. Recommended online resources for Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi include Biography Resource Center and Literature Resource Center. Enter your library barcode and then use the author’s name or the book title to search for full-text encyclopedia or magazine articles.
Discussion questions
Persepolis book discussion questions from Randomhouse.com
Additional information
Seattle Public Library offers an extensive Reading Group Toolbox (PDF) for Marjane Satrapi’s books.
“On Writing Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi (as told to Pantheon staff) features recommendations for other websites about Iran.
“Persepolis Paints Iran from a Kid’s Perspective” by Christopher Theokas, USA Today, August 6, 2003.
“Beneath A Drawn Veil” by Amanda Ripley, Time, May. 25, 2003.
Readalikes
Persepolis 2: The Story of the Return by Marjane Satrapi
Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
Even After All this Time: A Story of Love, Revolution, and Leaving Iran by Afschineh Latifi
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers