I have been thinking a lot about growing up in two cultures and transitioning from various homes. One of the habits I adopted last year which helped make law school less painful was to read a little every day. If I was feeling cranky about getting out of bed, I would read a few pages to jump start my day. On Wednesday morning, I got up early and decided to read a few pages of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Towards the last few pages of the book, I started crying. By the time I finished, I was sobbing pretty hard. The idea of leaving home in the hope of a better life is something that especially resonated with me.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. The illustrations helped to tell the story in a powerful way. I wrote about this book for the past two Sunday Salon sessions. Towards the end of the book, I started to really appreciate the chapter headings. While I did not make the deadline for the Inside Cover's book discussion, I am going to participate late. Here are the questions she asked on her blog:
Were you surprised by the ending? Were you hoping for more?
I was surprised by the ending, but I think it is a good stopping point for this chapter of the character's life.
If you saw the movie, how did it compare to the book?
The movie took material from other books because her journeyed continued from where the book left off. In the movie, I also enjoyed the soundtrack.
What do you think of Satrapi's decision to write this book as a graphic novel? Writing the book as a graphic novel helped the author address some controversial issues in a non-threatening manner. I did not know very much about the history of Iran before seeing the book. However, I got some context because I saw the author in television interviews and had seen the movie before reading the book. I thought that the illustrations were very descriptive. I especially enjoyed the facial expressions and several statements that appeared at the bottom of some pictures. Yes, i plan to read the sequels. I just do not know when :) Also, I hope to read more graphic novels in the future. My favorite parts of the book were the contrast between the time the main character spent with her family and how she tried to use that information to impress her friends or to fit in with her social group.
How much did you know about the history of Iran before going into this book?
What did you think of the illustrations? Were they what you had expected?
Do you plan to read the sequels? Also, do you think you'll read other graphic novels?
What were your favorite parts of the book? What surprised you most?
I read this book for the Orbis Terrarum challenge.
For other reviews of this book, check out:
If you have reviewed this book, please leave a link to your review in the comment and I will add it to the post!