Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis

I know almost nothing about Iran so Persopolis is quite an eye-opening read about a part of the world that is very alien to me. The use of the comic book medium in Persopolis is an effective one as it makes a distressing and complicated tale more accessible to readers. The illustrations are simple and cartoonish, a stark contrast against the complex and sometimes harrowing backdrop of Satrapi’s life and journey into adulthood. Despite the simplicity of the illustrations, they still manage to convey with forceful impact the horrors and stifling restrictions of a turbulent life in Iran and the challenges of finding her own identity when she goes to Austria as a teenager. Satrapi pulls you into her story and provides the reader rare insight into a life behind closed doors. I definitely want to watch the movie now and see how it compares to the book.