Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

Genres: Arabic, Graphic Novels and Comics, Middle EastĪ New York Times Notable Book A Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year” A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times Best-seller Incidentally, the title of the book comes from the Greek name for Parsa, an ancient capital of the Persian Empire. This volume is very episodic and provides many scenes from a country in conflict where one family is struggling to get by. It is followed by a sequel where we follow what happens to Marjane as she becomes a young adult. This volume contains the first two chapters of the books originally published in France.

Persépolis by Marjane Satrapi