Persepolis

A story about a girl.

A story about a girl growing up.

A story about a girl growing up in Iran.

If I were to choose the line that would interst me the most, it had to be the third line, a story about a girl growing up in Iran. Now to make it more enticing it.

A story about a girl growing up in Iran during the revolution.

And the final enticement,

A graphic novel of a story about a girl growping up in Iran during the Cultural Revolution.

The last line has me in. I love graphic novels, or comics, in common sense, I like stories about the Middle East, I am a bit of a history buff. And while I do like girls, stories about girls doing girly things bores me...sorry, girls.

So it was with great expectation that I started reading Persepolis by Marjani Satrape. Here was a celebrated novel about a gutsy woman growing up in Iran, and I was sure I would like it. Nothing like stories of revolution to stir you up. The novel turned out to be nothing like what I expected it to be. The protagonist is a small girl, who only hears her elders talk about the revolution, goes to Europe, come back to her roots, and goes back again. But I am glad it turned out to be not what I was expecting. It far surpassed my expectation!

Lets start from the begining.

The Story.

Marjani Satrapi recounts her childhood in Iran during the cultural revolution. The story begins just before the revolution, proceeds to the early days of the revolution, right through the Iran-Iraq war. Ms Satrapi gives a honest account of growing up during that time, but instead of the fear and uncertainity that prevails during such times, she shows the frustrations as well as the lighter moments of living in those times. The perspective is totally personal, so we are not told about the events as in a history book, but rather how she received the new about them, lacing them with her perspectives.

The story spans from 1980 till 1994, in which time, Ms Satrapi went from a 10 year old girl to a 24 year old woman. During this time, Iran went from being a secular republic to a theocratic state. But its not all politics, as when she leaves for Europe for further studies, the focus shifts from her rebelling against the mullahs, to her misadventures there, and when she does return, the changed Iranian society is viewed through her eyes.

The book is an honest, heartfelt, funny, tragic memoir of a woman. It is at once a biography, a coming-of-age book, a look at history as it happened. Highly recommended to everyone, espically for women. A chicklit a man would love!!