The Complete Persepolis is a graphic memoir, a coming of age story of a girl growing up during the Islamic Revolution. It’s sweet, funny, educational, serious, and sad all in turn. The reader acutely feels the longings of the author for love, for normalcy and for acceptance, but in an irreverent and lighthearted way.
The second half of the book focuses on Satrapi’s time spent in prep school in Austria. Her experiences as a third culture kid, in a country without parents, are a valuable insight into the loneliness and isolation of that situation. The story doesn’t end with a difficult and confusing childhood, but rather sees the author through her maturing process.
The simple pen and ink drawings fit the story well, the author is obviously talented and the starkness of them serves to convey the mood. It’s a graphic book that’s accessible to those less familiar with the format and is well received by readers of a variety of backgrounds. (9/10)
A friend lent me her copy Wednesday. I’m hoping to read it this weekend. Thanks for your good review. Have you read “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” Muriel Barbery? It’s been recommended to me by a couple of people and seems to be one you’d like.