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Persepolis Boxed Set


 
Written By: Marjane Satrapi
Customer Rating: Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5   Reviews   Send to a Friend

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Editorial Reviews
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. 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. 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.

Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. 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. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.


Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Here is the continuation of Marjane Satrapi's fascinating story. In 1984, Marjane flees fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. Once there, she faces the trials of adolescence far from her friends and family, and while she soon carves out a place for herself among a group of fellow outsiders, she continues to struggle for a sense of belonging.

Finding that she misses her home more than she can stand, Marjane returns to Iran after graduation. Her difficult homecoming forces her to confront the changes both she and her country have undergone in her absence and her shame at what she perceives as her failure in Austria. Marjane allows her past to weigh heavily on her until she finds some like-minded friends, falls in love, and begins studying art at a university. However, the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism eventually lead her to question whether she can have a future in Iran.

As funny and poignant as its predecessor, Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of growing up—here compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home—it is raw, honest, and incredibly illuminating.
Spotlight Customer Reviews

One of my favorites!

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Marjane did a unbelievable job at capturing the reader not only visually but emotionally. This book along with her others (Persepolis 2 and Embroderies) were captivating and real! I have recommended this book to everyone I know that loves to read and some that don't and they all loved it.

Persepolis

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
The Complete Persepolis: Now a Major Motion Picture

This is an excellent movie. I was moved and amused. I laughed and I cried. I actually bought copies for all my friends. I was so impressed I bought the graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi which was also excellent. Thank you Marjane.

Good for mainstream and comic veterans alike

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Persepolis as a whole is part of a not-so-new wave of comics that bring true, accessible life stories into the format of comics/sequential art. It seems that now, when I talk to "serious literature" people about comics, they immediately mention Persepolis (just had a movie out) and Art Spiegleman's Maus (done in the 80's with no movie likely to ever come out. I'm still waiting for mention of Optic Nerve and it looks like following this summer's Dark Knight movie, a lot more people will be watching the Watchmen.

Persepolis is more definitely Maus than Watchmen. Satrapi's sometimes magical-looking visual choices provide a device similar to Spiegelman's choice to cast Jews as mice and Nazis as cats in his major work. Persepolois also does an excellent job of humanizing another socio-political event. It is perhaps an excellent piece to read currently with the various tensions with Iran/Persia and the nations surrounding it. Satrapi's story has brilliant intersections of the personal and political and does an excellent job of giving appropriate attention to both.

In thinking about what audiences might best benefit from this, I'd say that most adults could find both volumes accessible and perhaps enjoyable. The second volume might be a bit more GP-13 or R, so if anyone's looking to get this onto a high school curriculum, that might be a bit difficult with mentions of sex, drugs, & rock n' roll. I'd think that most high school audiences could deal with it well, as Satrapi's presentation of those issues, as with all others in both volumes, is well-contextualized as a real human experience rather than given a shallow glamour treatment.

A wonderful book about angst in Iran.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
What a fantastic graphic novel! If you normally don't read graphic novels (or comic books), don't be afraid, the pictures won't hurt you and the stories are only enhanced by this format. Buy the box set because the first book will only leave you wanting more.

The books are composed of short stories of events in the author's life. Some of them seem really simple, but they all have an underlying message. It may be simply pointing out the joy of moment's of rebellion (getting an Iron Maiden poster was a huge deal to this girl!), or much more serious commentary on the imprisonment and execution of family or friends. Each story is short but each provides a picture into life in Iran in the late 1970s and 1980s.

I confess to know nothing about Iran or its history. These books have introduced me to a culture that is both old and new. A lot of the extreme conservative movement is really quite young as you learn in this book and the stories show you that the people of Iran are like any other. Marjane wants what any young girl wants these days - freedom to pursue her dreams and self-expression. It is surprising to find that many Iranians felt this way in the 1970s. You also start to understand the patriotism that people in Iran have - not necessarily for the tyrants in charge but for the culture that has existed for so long. It is similar to how many feel today in the U.S. - you can be a patriot despite disagreeing with the policy of the country's leaders.

The illustrations are very simple in form but have a great impact. For example, you feel the oppression that beards have when drawn as almost a wall of black bearded chins. The emotion is conveyed very well in these simple drawings.

I recommend this book to anybody, even if new to the idea of graphic novels. By the way, some of the best literature comes out in this format.

Brilliant and moving work!

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
I loved every minute reading this book. Being a comic or graphic novel, whichever one prefers, I was both invested in the life of Marjane Satrapi as well as the illustrations. The drawings really brought the whole story to life with her incredible enthusiasm of how the expressions on the faces really matched what was being said. The story of her life is so compellingly told that one is caught up in her passions and pains.

I just loved it! I laughed with her. I cried with her. I cheered her on! She is a woman with a unique voice, both in her experiences of standing up for herself by being straightforward and blunt (and quite rational in her reasoning), but also in her own narrative. It is swiftly told, but not leaving it too general or to overlook any of the details. Being a Westerner and having little knowledge of Persian history, it was actually a very welcome introduction to what has happened in the Middle East. She is roughly my age so I identified with her and the time period she grew up in (despite the social climates being so different).

Satrapi tells the story of things from her point of view. What I did enjoy about it was that she was fond of her own country, but also recognized its own shortcomings. Her fears were real and she stood up to them when she felt it most necessary. She challenged authority at every corner. And, if you ask me, she won!

But I think what also moved me was that is was told in a graphic narrative. The illustrations, as I said, were spot on. I think her style of art supports her story and helps relate the happenings much better than if were just a book. To me it made the book more enjoyable and humorous.

It has just been released as a movie and I am excited to see the film as it matches the style of book perfectly. I don't see anyone who reads even the first 20 pages would be able to stop. I am glad someone suggested the books for me to read as I now want to buy a copy for myself.

Product Details Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 955.0542092
EAN: 9780375423963
Format: Box set
ISBN: 0375423966
Label: Pantheon
Manufacturer: Pantheon
Number Of Items: 2
Number Of Pages: 300
Publication Date: 2005-10-25
Publisher: Pantheon
Release Date: 2005-10-25
Studio: Pantheon

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