Wise, often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, Persepolis tells the story of Marjane Satrapi’s life in Tehran from the ages of 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 child of radical Marxists, and the great-grandaughter of Iran’s last emperor, Satrapi 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.
Amidst the tragedy, Marjane’s child’s eye view adds immediacy and humour, and her story of a childhood at once outrageous and ordinary, beset by the unthinkable and yet buffered by an extraordinary and loving family, is immensely moving. It is also very beautiful; Satrapi’s drawings have the power of the very best woodcuts.
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Sexual Content - 4/5
4/5
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Violence - 5/5
5/5
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Language - 5/5
5/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 4/5
4/5
Summary
From: Kate McWaters
Book Title: Persepolis
Book Author: Marjane Satrapi
What do you like about this book:
This is such a horrible book. It is filled with such explosive and disgusting content that I can hardly get through it in its entirety. I am forced to read it in order to teach my own children just how very opposite it is to our own American cultural, morals, political and religious beliefs. This graphic novel is a required reading text within our public school district and thus far (4-5 weeks worth of the students reading) there has been two minutes of classroom discussion about the veil being worn, about the school children being segregated by sex, and who the main character is and that she is the protagonist. THAT IS IT... AND IT IS SCARY...
There is gross torture scenes, murder scenes, mass murder scenes, sexual innuendos, anti-american themes, cursing to include; slut, whores, asses, shit, & fuck, strong pro-communist/socialist/marxist suggestions, alcohol and drug use, suicide, child nudity, and an image of a man kneeling being pissed on, and yes a penis is visible and in hand.
Your ratings of the level of sex, violence, language and drug/alcohol use on a scale of 1-5.
Sex:4
Violence:5
Language:5
Drug/Alcohol use:4