Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is a must-read graphic novel, which tells the story of Marjane’s childhood growing up in Tehran during the Islamic revolution. It is a fascinating and shocking tale, as she faces the challenges of growing up in a country in turmoil, being sent far away from home at a young age, on top of the regular struggles of adolescence. Persepolis is a remarkably honest account of a rather remarkable life.

It is a truly eye-opening account of a life so different to my own. Marjane’s style is very candid and self-deprecating, which makes her character very accessible. I did of course read the English translation, so I can’t say much about her original writing, but the English version of the complete Persepolis is very well-written and easy to read. Don’t be put off by the fact that it is a graphic novel; there is still a large amount of text and the images really complement the story.

The artwork is simple and accessible, while every part of the story feels honest and relevant – there is no divergence into confusing history lessons or incomprehensible metaphors about thoughts and feelings that many graphic memoirs seem to have. Instead, the story is quite straightforward and comes across as completely true and believable, even to someone who has never experienced the things Marjane had to go through.

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