Persepolis
I finished this graphic novel last week while I was in Toronto, but wasn’t sure if I was ready to write my report–when I checked the book out of the library, the librarian told me there were several volumes…I enjoyed this first volume, but don’t love the graphic novel format enough to read three more. It’s interesting that Iran is so much in the news this week; today the people of Iran may very well start another revolution by voting President Ahmadinejad out of office. Political repression has been the order of the day for decades and reading Persepolis (by Marjane Satrapi) was a great way to gain some understanding about the history of the Persian people (who are Muslim, but not Arab). The US had a hand in the chaos, of course, yet young Marji still yearns for symbols of American culture that must be smuggled into the Islamic regime–jeans, an Iron Maiden poster, a button featuring Michael Jackson (while he was still black!). What I liked most about this book was the contrast of serious political history (revolution, war, torture) and universal teen angst; Marji is privileged, yet her Marxist parents don’t shelter her from the truth and members of her own family perish as the country evolves–she rebels against the strict teachers at her school, and sneaks out to buy more Western items even though it puts her life at risk. The book is very funny at times, ironic, and at other times quite grim; it’s a quick read, but a very different reading experience for me. I found myself less inclined to linger over the images, and that might have enhanced my appreciation of the narrative. I guess I’m just an old-fashioned girl, b/c if Persepolis had been written as a traditional novel, and all four volumes were combined in one book, I likely would have read to the end. Instead, I’ll likely rent the animated film version of the book and call it a day. I’ll try a few other graphic novels, but suspect a more traditional novel with occasional illustrations would appeal more to me. Ultimately, it’s the story that matters most and Persepolis *is* a good story, especially for US teens who take so many things for granted…
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