Genre: Graphic novel, Islamic Revolution, coming of age
Summary
Persepolis documents author Marjane Satrapi's childhood and tumultuous teenage years as she navigates the complexities of growing up during the Islamic Revolution. Throughout the graphic novel series, Satrapi chronicles her young life, covering everything from your typical childhood bullying, to realizing her uncle had been a prisoner of a totalitarian regime, to her stormy adolescent romances, to her experiences with depression, to moving (solo) to Europe to escape the dangers that lied at home. She delves into not only her life but also her friends', family's and even acquaintances' all while painting a comprehensive, passionate picture of the Islamic Revolution (and its aftermath) for readers.
Mini-Critique
This was the book that started my love affair with graphic novels, so I'm a bit biased. But believe me when I tell you that Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is bond to be one of the best books you'll ever read. It's poignant, perfectly paced and impossible to put down. Most of the content is very intense, so don't force yourself to read it if you feel it may trigger you, but it's truly a masterpiece and one worth reading, in English as well as French.
Difficulty Rating
★★★✩✩ Intermediate
See our "About" page for an overview of our difficulty ratings!
Usually, I would rank Persepolis at a ★★✩✩✩ Easygoing, but since it's not your run of the mill graphic novel and covers some pretty complex topics, this may be a little too challenging for language learners at the ★★✩✩✩ Easygoing level. However, should an ★★✩✩✩ Easygoing level learner like to take a crack at the novel, a good compromise would be to get the book in English and French so that ou can check your comprehension while you read.
Read the first installment of Persepolis for free here!
or
Buy The Complete Persepolis here!