Buy new:
-44% $8.99
to get FREE delivery Tomorrow, October 29
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$8.99 with 44 percent savings
List Price: $16.00
The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
to get FREE delivery Tomorrow, October 29. Order within 37 mins
Or Non members get FREE delivery Saturday, November 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
In Stock
$$8.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$8.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$7.11

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. Ships directly from Amazon. Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. Ships directly from Amazon. See less
to get FREE delivery Thursday, October 31. Order within 37 mins
Or Non members get FREE delivery Saturday, November 2 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 2 left in stock - order soon.
$$8.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$8.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Other sellers on Amazon
New & Used (50) from   $1.29
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Marjane Satrapi
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Paperback – Illustrated, June 1, 2004

by Marjane Satrapi (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 6,238 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$8.99","priceAmount":8.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"037i8tMJZEOEfvp%2FCBGSirPG3TBWuocriXW8rgqRaQNEOqtTArf9Pl1k%2B%2FIox7kLRGJW%2B%2BF7ywJw89CNLXfsSOlYMOUkGn0ldsAdVHp%2FtxqEFpRHbpzap2eCSxHTsQh3NLK%2Baucahm0%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.11","priceAmount":7.11,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"11","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"037i8tMJZEOEfvp%2FCBGSirPG3TBWuocrBi8BznigCa0aIB8IQGruPOe1ZNMi1khLl6DgjgCrPyGqyS48IqpBEMNZouNBdMkSH2%2BVlM1HsaLKKbGGM3Hj2ae4wzklmPyt8BbgSUHJOc%2BKCsNILj9Ma6uKtL3XwSQRIZHGWzugQaXra3dt%2FOHaqFAU98zn9mez","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

“A wholly original achievement.... Satrapi evokes herself and her schoolmates coming of age in a world of protests and disappearances.... A stark, shocking impact.” —The New York Times: "The 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years"

One of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century

In powerful black-and-white comic strip images, Satrapi tells the coming-of-age 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.
Previous slide of product details
  1. Part of series
    Pantheon Graphic Library
  2. Print length
    160 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Pantheon
  5. Publication date
    June 1, 2004
  6. Dimensions
    5.91 x 0.51 x 8.86 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    037571457X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0375714573
  9. Lexile measure
    GN380L
  10. See all details
Next slide of product details
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
This item: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
$8.99
Get it as soon as Saturday, Nov 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
$9.39
Get it as soon as Saturday, Nov 2
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Choose items to buy together.

From the Publisher

The Complete Persepolis Embroideries Persepolis Persepolis 2 Chicken with Plums
The Complete Persepolis Embroideries Persepolis Persepolis 2 Chicken with Plums
Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
2,845
4.5 out of 5 stars
551
4.6 out of 5 stars
6,238
4.8 out of 5 stars
951
4.6 out of 5 stars
164
Price $11.86 $12.07 $8.99 $9.39 $13.83
Here, in one volume: Marjane Satrapi's best-selling, internationally acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up as a girl in revolutionary Iran. From the bestselling author of Persepolis comes this enlightening look into the sex lives of Iranian women, gathering together Marjane’s tough–talking grandmother, stoic mother, glamorous and eccentric aunt and their friends and neighbors. Wise, funny, and heartbreaking, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s acclaimed graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. “A wholly original achievement.” —The New York Times: "The 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years" The fascinating continuation of the best-selling Persepolis, “one of the freshest and most original memoirs of our day” (Los Angeles Times). Marjane Satrapi dazzles with her graphic memoir about growing up in Iran during the Iranian Revolution. Acclaimed graphic artist Marjane Satrapi brings what has become her signature humor and insight, her keen eye and ear, to the heartrending story of a celebrated Iranian musician who gives up his life for music and love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A New York Times Notable Book • A Time Magazine “Best Comix of the Year” • A San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times Best Seller

“Delectable. . . Dances with drama and insouciant wit.” –The New York Times Book Review

“A stunning graphic memoir hailed as a wholly original achievement in the form. There’s still a startling freshness to the book. It won’t age. In inky shadows and simple, expressive lines—reminiscent of Ludwig Bemelmans’s “Madeline”—Satrapi evokes herself and her schoolmates coming of age in a world of protests and disappearances . . . A stark, shocking impact.” —Parul Sehgal, “The 50 Best Memoirs of the Past 50 Years” The New York Times

“A dazzlingly singular achievement. . . . Striking a perfect balance between the fantasies and neighborhood conspiracies of childhood and the mounting lunacy of Khomeini's reign, she's like the Persian love child of Spiegelman and Lynda Barry.” –Salon

“A brilliant and unusual graphic memoir. . . . [Told] in a guileless voice . . . accompanied by a series of black-and-white drawings that dramatically illustrate how a repressive regime deforms ordinary lives.”–Vogue

"Odds are, you’ll be too busy being entertained to realize how much you’ve learned until you turn the last page.”–Elle.com

“[A] self-portrait of the artist as a young girl, rendered in graceful black-and-white comics that apply a childlike sensibility to the bleak lowlights of recent Iranian history. . . . [Her] style is powerful; it persuasively communicates confusion and horror through the eyes of a precocious preteen.” –Village Voice

"This is an excellent comic book, that deserves a place with Joe Sacco and even Art Spiegelman. In her bold black and white panels, Satrapi eloquently reasserts the moral bankruptcy of all political dogma and religious conformity; how it bullies, how it murders, and how it may always be ridiculed by individual rebellions of the spirit and the intellect." --Zadie Smith, author of The Autograph Manand White Teeth

"You've never seen anything like Persepolis—the intimacy of a memoir, the irresistability of a comic book, and the political depth of a the conflict between fundamentalism and democracy. Marjane Satrapi may have given us a new genre." —Gloria Steinem

"I grew up reading the Mexican comics of Gabriel Vargas, graduated to the political teachings of Rius, fell under the spell of Linda Barry, Art Spiegelman, and now I am a fan of Marjane Satrapi. Her stories thrummed in my heart for days. Persepolis is part history book, part Scheherazade, astonishing as only true stories can be. I learned much about the history of Iran, but more importantly, it gave me hope for humanity in these unkind times." —Sandra Cisneros, author of The House on Mango Street and Caramelo

"I thought [Persepolis] was a superb piece of work, not only for the child's eye view—the developing child's eye view—of a society unknown to many of us in the west, and feared and suspected in proportion to being unknown.... Satrap has found a way of depicting human beings that is both simple and immediately comprehensible, AND is almost infinitely flexible. Anyone who's tried to draw a simplified version of a human face knows how immensely difficult it is not only to give the faces a range of expression, but also to maintain identities from one frame to the next. It's an enormous technical accomplishment." —Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.

"I cannot praise enough Marjane Satrapi's moving account of growing up as a spirited young girl in revolutionary and war-time Iran. Persepolis is disarming and often humorous but ultimately it is shattering." —Joe Sacco, author of Palestine and Safe Area Gorazde

"This witty, moving and illuminating book demonstrates graphically why the future of Iran lies with neither the clerics nor the American Empire." —Tariq Ali, Author of The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity

"I found the work immensely moving with depths of nuance and wisdom that one might never expect to find in a comic book. It’s a powerful, mysterious, enchanting story that manages to reflect a great swath of Iranian contemporary history within the sensitive, intimate tale of a young girl’s coming-of-age. I didn’t want it to end!" —Diana Abu-Jaber, Author of Crescent and Arabian Jazz

"A rare and chilling memoir that offers every reader a personal, honest portrait of Iran's recent political and cultural history. Ms. Satrapi's provocative, graphic narrative of life in Iran before and after the Islamic revolution is an extraordinary testament to the level of human suffering experienced by Iranians tossed from one political hypocrisy to another. Aside from the humanistic dimension, the beautifully minimalist Persepolis gives further evidence of Marjane Satrapi's sensitivity and superb skill as an artist." —Shirin Neshat, visual artist/filmmaker

"Readers who have always wanted to look beyond political headlines and CNN's cliches should plunge into this unique illustrated story. Let Marji be your trusted companion, follow her into the warmth of a Persian home and out along Tehran's turbulent streets during those heady days of revolution. Persepolis opens a rare door to understanding of events that still haunt America, while shining a bright light on the personal humanity and humor so much alive in Iranian families today." —Terence Ward, author of Searching for Hassan

"Blending the historical with the personal is not an easy task, to blend the individual with the universal is even more challenging. But Marjane Satrapi has succeeded brilliantly. This graphic novel is a reminder of the human spirit that fights oppression and death, it is a witness to something true and lasting which is more affective than hundreds of news broadcasts." —Hanan al-Shaykh, author of Women of Sand and Myrhh

From the Inside Flap

Originally published to wide critical acclaim in France, where it elicited comparisons to Art Spiegelman's Maus, Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi's wise, funny, and heartbreaking 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: of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life and of the enormous toll repressive regimes exact on the individual spirit. 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 stunning reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, through 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.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pantheon; Reprint edition (June 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 037571457X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375714573
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ GN380L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.91 x 0.51 x 8.86 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 6,238 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Marjane Satrapi was born in 1969 in Rasht, Iran. She grew up in Tehran, where she studied at the French school, before leaving for Vienna and Strasbourg to study decorative arts. She currently lives in Paris, where she is at work on the sequel to Persepolis. She is also the author of several children's books.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
6,238 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the story compelling, amazing, and worthwhile. They also describe the graphic novel as beautiful, realistic, and eye-opening. Readers praise the text as intelligent, sophisticated, and easy to read. They say it's a great book for kids and adults, enjoyable, and fun. They mention the humor is funny and witty. Customers say it's incredibly funny and a great value for money.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
Story qualityGraphic novel qualityInsightReadabilityAge rangeHumorValue for moneyHeartbreaking story
150 customers mention "Story quality"150 positive0 negative

Customers find the story compelling, amazing, and worthwhile. They also say the memoir is powerful, beautiful, and inspiring.

"...The Memoir is so powerful because of its ability to telling stories through not just words but also pictures, and how it was able to express certain..." Read more

"...Let tell you all, THIS is a very good book, and now planning to look at the movie and read the second book. Yes, I would highly recommend this 📕📚 👈🏿...." Read more

"...It has a very strong plot and provides interesting tidbits about Islamic culture...." Read more

"...The author’s story is powerful, describing her family, friends, and life growing up in an unstable, frightening environment...." Read more

71 customers mention "Graphic novel quality"71 positive0 negative

Customers find the graphic novel quality masterful, beautiful, and amazing. They say the format enhances the story and makes her experiences memorable. Readers also mention the layout is interesting and provides one of the most realistic depictions of a child's inner world. Additionally, they mention the comic stripes are very detailed and make them feel like they're creative. Overall, they describe the book as great for adults and would be great for teenagers open to learning about Persepolis.

"...Satrapi does a great job at incorporating western fashion, to help show the reader visually that people from who lived in Iran during the Islamic..." Read more

"...-- not extremists, not radical Muslims - but mostly peace-loving, creative, independently thinking people who value their Persian culture and..." Read more

"...Through simple but powerful pictures and prose, she details what it was like for her to grow up in Iran during that timeframe...." Read more

"...While the drawings in the graphic novel are simple, the story is a moving one...." Read more

65 customers mention "Insight"65 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, interesting, and eye-opening. They say the subject matter is better suited to this format than they had considered possible. Readers also mention the observations and recollections are wry and witty.

"...She also gives the reader new insight into the Islamic Revolution and people who lived in Iran...." Read more

"...It provides another viewpoint on the same events--such as Saddam Hussein's campaign against Iran...." Read more

"...But to my surprise, it was very good and helpful to understand from an outsiders view the events leading from before the suppression of the people,..." Read more

"...Satrapi's observations and recollections are wry and witty, with a touch of the independence and recklessness of a teenager...." Read more

61 customers mention "Readability"55 positive6 negative

Customers find the text intelligent, sophisticated, and deceptively simple. They say the story is masterfully told and beautifully illustrated. Readers also mention the dialogue is simple but very witty and insightful. They appreciate the graphic novel format, which makes it relatable and easy to understand.

"...The Memoir is so powerful because of its ability to telling stories through not just words but also pictures, and how it was able to express certain..." Read more

"...I would recommend this book to others, it’s an easy read that gives a whole new perspective of the people of Iran...." Read more

"...Although it is an "easy read" and in comic book format, the emotions and thoughts of Satrapi and the people around her come through quite poignantly..." Read more

"...But the novel is more than its parts - it demonstrates simply and clearly the complexity of life in Iran, especially after the revolution...." Read more

19 customers mention "Age range"16 positive3 negative

Customers find the book great for kids and adults. They say it's enjoyable and fun for anyone to learn about history. Readers also mention it's perfect for older kids and good for college classes.

"...I believe it will be enjoyable to people of many ages and backgrounds. I can't wait to read the sequel!" Read more

"...This is also a great read for the children of Iranian immigrants who can not relate to their parents pain or past experiences...." Read more

"...I will buy the second book. This is a great way for anyone to learn a lot of history and the happenings of that time without needing to read heavy..." Read more

"...Great graphic novel for adults and would be great for a teenager open to learning about what it is like to be living under an oppressive regime." Read more

19 customers mention "Humor"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book funny and witty. They say it's entertaining and will make you laugh more than cry. Readers also mention the dialogue is simple but insightful.

"...are disturbing--moreso because the book is visual--it has its moments of humor...." Read more

"...This book will make you laugh more than cry, and if were present in Iran at that time, the story will take you back to those times and may make you..." Read more

"...The story is simple, effective and also funny. This is the story of many Iranians who had to leave their country because of a stupid regime...." Read more

"...Wise, funny, sad .....it is incredible that such a simple presentation of the facts as she saw them should have such an impact...." Read more

17 customers mention "Value for money"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a great value for money. They mention it's an excellent account of the author's experience in Iran as a young girl.

"...As far as the product itself it came in brand new condition for a great price!..." Read more

"Excellent account of one girl’s experience in Iran pre and post revolution. Fabulous artwork." Read more

"Great book, great buy. Give this my world famous 3 Buy rating out of 3" Read more

"Excellent account of the author's experience in Iran as a young girl in a moderate and well educated family...." Read more

17 customers mention "Heartbreaking story"11 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the heartbreaking story. Some mention it's very sad and emotional, while others say it's basic and crude. The overall story is depressing and the message is obvious.

"...The story is touching and sad and also hopeful." Read more

"The only part of this book that I did not like is the fact that it is a true story...." Read more

"...It's a really eye opening and heartbreaking story about a young girl living in a very oppressive society for most of her young life." Read more

"...Wise, funny, sad .....it is incredible that such a simple presentation of the facts as she saw them should have such an impact...." Read more

Increíble
5 out of 5 stars
Increíble
Llego a Colombia, increíble libro
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Mommy2boys12
5.0 out of 5 stars My Opinion on the book
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2020
Verified Purchase
The Book Persepolis, By Marjie Satrapi, caught my eye right away. Uneducated about the Islamic revolution in 1980, I saw this book and knew I had to read it. Once the book arrived, I was immediately surprised by the book and the fact that it was a graphic novel. However, this really excited me because I had always loved reading graphic novels when I was younger. The book had one of the freshest perspectives on writing that I had read in a while. This has been one of the most interesting Memoirs I have ever read. The Memoir is so powerful because of its ability to telling stories through not just words but also pictures, and how it was able to express certain emotions, in ways ordinary books could not. For example, Satrapi uses the Graphic novel sense of the book to express the emotion that you could not see or empathize with through just reading text. Whether Satrapi decides to express happiness or sadness, Through the novel, she expresses the way she felt personally and also gives you a visual, to help put yourself into her shoes. She also gives the reader new insight into the Islamic Revolution and people who lived in Iran. Many people are quick to judge people, and that comes especially true when talking about people during the Islamic Revolution. She makes the reader understand that the people who had to first-hand witness the Islamic Revolution, are no different than ordinary people, just like the reader and even helps you sympathize with the character. Satrapi does a great job at incorporating western fashion, to help show the reader visually that people from who lived in Iran during the Islamic Revolution are just like any ordinary person. This book blew me away, and I look forward to reading the second part of Satrapi’s Persepolis.
25 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Marlon D. Mixon
5.0 out of 5 stars ❤️❤️❤️ Her Story/Autobiography
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
So I had to order this book for My English/Reading class in college at the time. Let tell you all, THIS is a very good book, and now planning to look at the movie and read the second book. Yes, I would highly recommend this 📕📚 👈🏿.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Nicole Mohr
5.0 out of 5 stars A Necessary Dose of Perspective on the Middle East
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
I have taught this book to my tenth grade English students for the past five years, and I believe it has helped to send my former students into society as informed adults with enough perspective to see Iranian people as fellow global citizens, not Middle Eastern enemies.
Satrapi wrote the book to inform people about the Islamic Revolution and to give readers an insider perspective. I know that the book was originally written in French, and then later translated to English, which are the main languages of the Western world. This points to her intended audience - Westerners. Satrapi was trying to show the Western world what Iranian people are really like -- not extremists, not radical Muslims - but mostly peace-loving, creative, independently thinking people who value their Persian culture and lifestyle and have suffered greatly for remaining in their homeland in spite of the challenges.
Throughout the book, she paints herself as religiously moderate and politically involved, even as a child, and not at all negative towards the West. With images of the Iranian hostage crisis in the back of our minds, it is easy for Americans to assume that all Iranians hate Americans, but this is far from true. Satrapi shows her love for Western culture and music and books with Michael Jackson and Kim Wilde and Iron Maiden. She mostly clearly demonstrates the impact of their suffering with how drastically the loss of her Uncle Anoosh impacted her. She also wants people to have the facts about the revolution as well, which we see in the wealth of historical information integrated into her memoir.
I personally believe that Satrapi was very effective in helping society see Iranians differently, mostly from my personal experience. Before reading this book six years ago, I assumed that if the theocracy remains in power, that must mean that the majority of people in Iran must be really religious and anti-West, or else why wouldn't they overthrow their government? This book helped me see that they are really suffering under a different kind of tyranny, and also helped me understand why it happened. She shows why they overthrew the Shah - for freedom from an oppressive government, a government in which she knew that the difference between the social classes caused many people pain, but then she also shows throughout the rest of the book how the Iranian people were manipulated into becoming faithful to an Islamic regime.
The serious re-structuring of schools caused great suffering and contributed to the difficulty with changing mindsets. If the religious government controls the schools, then the children are inculcated with the religious ideas, much like how Marjane was initially inculcated with the thought that the Shah was chosen by God. In addition, the Islamic regime ultimately secured their power by uniting the Iranian people in war against a foreign enemy and carrying on the war until the society was so completely devastated, they would not have the energy or desire to cause further revolt of any kind.
I think this is an important topic for the Western world to see, as Western relations with Iran affect us in many ways. Our government currently has strict economic sanctions on Iran, which causes our gas prices to go up and impacts us where we feel it the most, our wallets; however, most people do not see the reason behind this, and why the world needs to take note of the tyranny in Iran. In addition, many people here in the United States lump together all of the people in the Middle East under the label of "Arabs" and then furthermore, see them all as extreme Muslims and terrorists, particularly since 9/11. As a student pointed out in class today, the book was published shortly after 9/11, which is likely not a coincidence. In the days after this event, many Americans viewed any Middle Eastern man with a beard or any Middle Eastern woman with a hijab as a terrorist, a threat; yet Marjane paints us a much needed picture of a world so many Americans do not realize exists - a world in which many free spirited Iranian people endure a forced dress code that represents far more oppression than we here in America could ever imagine.
41 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
CS.
5.0 out of 5 stars College level
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
This college level book was for one of my English classes. It came fast and in good condition.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
DGKaye
5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Memoir
Reviewed in Canada on August 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
So many countries have had their share of war – both, internal and external war. Iran has certainly had their share of emporers, kings, and political oppression. In the introduction of this book, Satrapi gives us a brief two-page synopsis of Iran, its beginnings, its wars, and what happened in 1979 when the last Shah of Iran fled the Islamic revolution. And this is where the author begins her story.

Satrapi was six when the revolution began. Her coming of age story begins when she was aged ten. She was an intelligent child from an upper-middle class family who wanted to understand why her world as she knew it, was turned upside by revolution. Satrapi shares with us about all the changes that took place in her country during the revolution, and the year it became mandatory to ‘wear the veil’. She hated it. She could no longer go to school with a mix of boys and girls either. Her privileged and modern life as she knew it, was no longer.

Marjane was an only child, and a deeply spiritual girl. In her very young life, she thought she wanted to grow up to be a prophet, but as her world was changing, this would no longer be possible. At a very young age, she began reading books on empires and autocratic world leaders. She wanted to understand why the demonstrations in her country were so violent, horrible crimes against humanity. Marjane repeatedly asked her parents if she could join them in the daily protests they attended on the street from morning till night, but they wouldn’t allow her to participate. She was tired of protesting alone in her own backyard. But her father told her they could get shot at a demonstration, and refused to bring her along. But Marjane believed that if a revolution was to succeed, the entire population should support it. The revolution was a fight against social classes.

Politics overwhelmed Marja. She was tired of the people in her life ‘disappearing’, and she was tired of same answers from her parents – ‘they went on a trip’. When her Uncle Anoosh reappeared after fleeing political persecution, he told Marja, “In a country where half the population is illiterate, you cannot unite the people around Marx, the only thing that can really unite them is Nationalism or a religious ethic . . . but the religious leaders didn’t know how to govern,” he called it a fake election takeover – many fled Iran while others thought it wouldn’t last. Uncle Anoosh was found and executed. And Marja became angry with God.

The bombings began and the fundamentalists took down the U.S. Embassy – no longer viable to get a visa to flee. The universities closed for two years in order to rewrite new religious curriculum. The middle and upper class feared they’d be forced to wear the veil and perhaps ‘no more cars, back to camels’. Marja found her young world crashing as she feared she wouldn’t get to go to university and become a scholar.

Marja’s parents protested daily, and her mother was threatened for refusing to wear the veil or acknowledging the new fundamentalist government – she ultimately succumbed. It was declared that ‘to protect women from all potential rapists’, they declared wearing the veil was mandatory. There became two types of women and two types of men – the fundamentalists and the modern man/woman. Apparently, the modern woman no longer had a choice but to wear the veil, but in protest, they allowed some of their hair to stick out. To distinguish the two types of men – fundamentalists didn’t shave and grew long beards, and didn’tuck their shirts in, vs. the clean shaven men (mustaches optional) who tucked in their shirts and wore neck ties – a fashion from ‘the west’, frowned upon. New Islamic religion stated that women’s hair ’emanates rays that excite men’. It sure feels to me that women had to tone down their looks so as not to excite men. So sad. It doesn’t surprise me how many Iranians fled the revolution.

Marja tells us that not just the government changed, but many of the people she knew. Marja was told by her parents that if anyone asks, she prays five times a day. Her mother was a staunch fighter for women’s rights.

One year after the protests began, Marja’s parents brought her to one, and Marja shares the violence she witnessed that one and only day she went to protest. And when they began beating women with bats because they weren’t wearing the veil, Marja and her parents scurried home.

In September 1980, Marja’s parents took her on a three-week vacation to Europe, they came back to another war, with Iraq – that was on top of the already civil war going on in Iran. When the Iraqis began dropping bombs in Tehran, Marja writes, “The Arabs never liked the Persians . . . they attacked us 1400 years ago, they forced their religion on us.” Her father concurred, but added that the real invasion had already come from their own government. Everything was changing daily as war was both internal and external in Iran. Their Iranian National Anthem was replaced by the new government’s hymn. Marja’s father had given up on listening to news in Iran that he knew was lies. He’d tune in nightly to his old radio and listen to the BBC.

Once border town oil refineries were bombed, village people fled to the main city of Tehran, food shortages began in supermarkets, and gas was limited.

Marja had to get used to new school protocols, like beating her chest to war cries on the loudspeaker, and celebrating Revolution Day. Her parents along with many others rebelled the teachers. There were strict rules about wearing the veil with NO hair showing – to that statement, and some comic relief, Marja’s dad responded to that teacher, “If hair is as stimulating as you say, then you need to shave your mustache.”

The young boys were handed out golden keys in school, and told if they went to war and died, the key would get them into heaven and they’d be offered a better life in paradise. As young as fourteen years old, they were lured to war.

Soon enough, the family had to keep dark drapes drawn, and had to bomb-proof their house. The enemy was anywhere and everywhere among their own as citizens were swayed to the fundamentalist’s side, devoted to the new regime. There were strict rules: no parties, no card games, no gambling, no alcohol, and of course, the dress code. And one never knew if their neighbor had flipped and become an extremist who would happily rat out anyone disobeying. Marja tells us about one night in particular when her family was out at a newborn baby celebration, with alcohol, and they were stopped on the way home by extremist police spot-check. They smelled the alcohol on her father’s breath and saw he wore a necktie. He was told to get back in the car and they would follow him home to search his house for alcohol, but that one time they were lucky that money still talked and Marja’s dad bought them off. The persecutions got worse in Iran as the wars progressed. Besides wearing the veil in school, no nail polish or jewelry was permitted either. But food was becoming more available from the black markets – if you had the money.

Marja shares another scary story with us. She tells about the day she went out wearing her new American Nike shoes and a Michael Jackson badge she wore on her jacket. These were items no longer available in Iran, but her parents had taken a short trip to Turkey and bought some items for her that Iran saw as Western apparel. There was now a new extreme women’s branch called, The Guardians of the Revolution. Marja was stopped on the street by some of those women, they told her ‘decadence is forbidden’. Marja considered that her lucky day when she was let off with a warning instead of being taken to headquarters where ‘people have been known to disappear for days’.

At fourteen years old, Marja was wise beyond her years and a self-proclaimed rebel. If she chose to wear jewelry, the teachers would take it off her, never to be returned. And one day, Marja lost her constraint – the day the principal tried to take her bracelet from her, Marja whacked her so hard, she fell. Marja was expelled. Through connections, her parents got her into another school. But that didn’t last long before Marja called out the teacher for her lies. At that point, Marja’s parents arranged to have her sent to school in Austria, where they had relatives. They were petrified that their daughter’s brevity would land her in jail or killed. Her parents told Marja they would follow in a few months. But would they?

With breaking hearts, her parents took Marja to the airport so that she could live in freedom and get the education she deserved, and to allow her to be the child she needed to be.

I shall look forward to reading the second book, Persepolis 2, where Marjane returns to Iran as a young adult after fleeing the oppression.
Report
Nirvana JM
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy bonito
Reviewed in Mexico on January 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
Lo compré para un regalo, llegó muy rápido. Muy bonito!
Report
Carlaamello
5.0 out of 5 stars Livro caro demais
Reviewed in Brazil on January 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
Achei o livro caro demais para o que eh.
Report
Veer Singh Parmar
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful stroy
Reviewed in India on September 6, 2024
Verified Purchase
It's a beautiful story, definitely worth a read
Report
Duckle
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2024
Verified Purchase
Learn about Iran, Iranian Revolution and the fate of one woman. All in a un-put-down-able book.
Report