Persepolis

Persepolis was a fantastic book! I learned so much about so many relevant historical events. I was unfamiliar with what occurred within the Iran-Iraq War as well as the Islamic Revolution. The texts allowed me to understand, through the naïve yet knowledgeable experiences that Marjane relates in text and images. I loved how the ignorance of the happenings were realistic, and you had the comprehension of what a child would have regarding the circumstances around her.

I was able to deepen my knowledge of historical events, but was also able to see the growth occur within the tale. Marjane explores who she is and what the world around her is. She is honest, and openly shows contradictions within her own beliefs and those around her. Often, she does so by providing humor in the corresponding images.

And those images, add immensely to the story in many ways. The black and white drawings (as opposed to the colored illustrations of American Born Chinese) give the story a darker feel. As it discusses a darker topic, it is very fitting. Yet, the humor allows for the story to remain somewhat positive. Only somewhat, as the story does remain very realistic and complex. You don’t know how the story plays out (unless you read the second book, and still you don’t know what the future holds) and that can be frustrating. However, it is a great text that combines historic elements, with memoir aspirations, within a graphic novel.