Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

the persepolis books (I & II) are more than the life of an iranian girl told in comic form; they're also the story of an artist finding her self in a globalized society. marjane satrapi saw the worst of the islamic revolution as a child, and eventually her parents sent her to convent school in vienna to escape. but from the brittle moralisms of the nuns to the ban on nude models in art classes, marjane makes it more than apparent that the west doles out more than its share of senseless, self-serving rules and regulations. satrapi wrings every bit of irony, humor, and pathos out the combination of first person narration and graphics. her characterizations are always clear but never cliched and her break-neck narrative style (growing 2 feet in three small frames) depends on both text and graphic for meaning. most importantly we are watching the artist learn how to become an artist, looking at the development not only of a singular spirit but also of a globalized sensibility. satrapi owes as much to iranian storytelling as she does to western graphic art, and it's no surprise that her books (like most comics) are easily translated and easier to digest in translation. if satrapi's form travels well, her narrative travels even better. frame by frame, page by page, satrapi struggles first to do what she wants and then just to survive. between the crummy boyfriend and the marijuana smoke, the informers and the morality police, a self takes shape. part western teenager, part islamic mystic, satrapi is a true hybrid, something entirely different than her antecedents. her story is not about east or west, north or south, pictures or words, but about integration; the struggle of every young person caught between innnocence and the hate machines we know as political structures. a portrait of the artist without borders, persepolis II is its own war on terror, fought with pen and ink and dedicated to brave hearts and free spirits everywhere.

I wrote a review for the first Persepolis as well. I enjoyed the second greatly. This is a big statement, being that I was so impressed by the first that I had huge expectations of the 2nd, and could have easily been dissappointed. This book is honest in showing clashes between Eastern and Western cultures and an adolescent's reactions to these clashes. Ms. Satrapi whets the appetite for understanding the different types of Iranians: the traditionalists, the religious, the modern people, those who've returned from expatriation. She touches on the issue of women's role in Iran. As an Iranian, I can vouch for most of Marjane's accounts, as interactions like she's had are not so uncommon. Many Iranians left the country at young ages after the revolution and during the war. Many have seen what Marjane has and it's really the voice of a generation. You may understand your Iranian neighbors better if you read this book. I also know tons of other nationalities and cultures who have similar experiences with their expatriation. Marjane expresses many different aspects of the coming-of-age process in short, concise chapters which manage to keep their wit, charm and creative expression of the first book. Read and enjoy!

In the second installment of Marjane Satrapi's retelling of her coming of age we find our heroine lost in Europe. Confused about who she is and what the world sees her as she falls into a series of misadventures before returning to her home country of Iran. It is a beautifully told story about a girl becoming a woman and coming to terms with her turbulent heritage. There aren't enough awards you could give Satrapi for her brilliant work. She has captured her life story with honesty and amazing talent. Reading her books is a joy and I only hope that she will put out a third volume in the future. I will never tire of hearing her story.

Anyone who has read Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood has undoubtedly looked forward to reading any future material from this talented author/artist. Marjane Satrapi possesses a unique skill of profound biographical storytelling and inventive artwork. In her first graphic novel Satrapi remarkably recounted her childhood of growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. Her liberal middle-class parents helped shape her perceptions of the world and encouraged her to reach her potential regardless of the multiple barriers that limit her everyday choices and actions. It quickly becomes apparent that Marjane is deeply proud of her country but simultaneously saddened by the actions of the fundamentalist Islamic government. PERSEPOLIS 2: THE STORY OF A RETURN picks off where Persepolis 1 ended. Marjane is sent by her parents to study in Vienna, Austria to escape the bombings and uncertainty of the Iran-Iraq War. As she integrates herself into her new life she experiences a sense of lost identity as she straddles between the West and Iran. Her steadfast pride of being Iranian continues in the face of prejudice and misinformation. Although she has physically grown up her intensity remains. I was very fortunate to meet Marjane Satrapi at a book reading two nights ago. She is both articulate and compassionate about her life and her perceptions of current geopolitical events. Also, she was very funny and had the audience laughing many times at her varied quirkiness. Her life story is inspirational and sticks with you long after her books are put back on the shelf. Highly recommended!

Almost a generation after Art Spiegelman's Maus showed comic books can pack more punch than words alone. Persepolis is the closest thing from you'll ever see from Maus. Both are amazing literary works portraying extraordinary real lives witnessing history unfold. Both done by chain-smokers. At the end of the first Persepolis I cried. I can't remember a regular book that gave me such emotion before, if ever (I also cried at Maus). As an immigrant, I identify with Sartrapi more than with any author I've ever read. Maybe because her experiences with loneliness, heartbreak and xenophobia are so vivid they just jump out of the pages. One thing that's very evident in every page of the book is her immense patriotism. Her country is as part of what she is as much as her family. Thank God for that, because now there's a point of view of Iran little known to Westerners. And it's available in your bookstore. As a comic. My highest recommendation. Run to get a copy. I hope publishers now realize this art form is here to stay.