Book Review: The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

After a two-year hiatus, I finally picked up a book again. Balancing a full-time career, the demands of parenting, and running a household has made it challenging to carve out time for reading. But I've finally found a rhythm, and I hope to stay on track as I tackle the ever-growing list of books I seem to add to each year.

I started The Complete Persepolis just before our move from Singapore to India, but life quickly got in the way. My Kindle was soon forgotten, buried somewhere amidst the chaos of relocation. But the bookworm in me refused to stay dormant for long. After some intentional restructuring of my routine, I've managed to set aside 30 minutes each day exclusively for reading. The direct result of that effort is this review! I'll admit that I'm feeling rather pleased with myself 😊

Persepolis is a series of autobiographical graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi, chronicling her childhood and early adulthood in Iran and Austria during and after the Islamic Revolution. The title refers to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire. The Complete Persepolis combines Persepolis (2003) and Persepolis 2 (2004) into a single volume.

Synopsis

Iranian-born Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis is a powerful coming-of-age memoir told through comic strips, set in Tehran against the backdrop of the turbulent Islamic Revolution. Born to progressive and liberal parents, the outspoken and rebellious Marjane grapples with the harsh realities of civil liberties and women’s rights suppression under the fundamentalist regime following the Shah's overthrow. The Iran-Iraq war brings unrest, devastation and death, some striking close to home, eventually leading her parents to make the heartbreaking decision to send her to Vienna at the age of 14 for her own safety. Thrust into a foreign culture and left to navigate the trials and tribulations of adolescence alone, Marjane struggles with a profound identity crisis. After becoming homeless and suffering a life-threatening respiratory illness, she returns to Iran, only to confront once again the oppressive morality police, patriarchal norms, and societal repression. It all culminates in the painful realization for Marjane that Iran can no longer serve as her home.