1librarianspath's review
5.0
More personal and grown-up than the first one. Although Marjane lives through circumstances that I have no experience of, she is also a person whose journey from childhood into adulthood is relatable in its frustrating hunt for self-actualisation.
I just realised there’s a 2007 film of Satrapi’s novels, so I’m going to go look for it.
I just realised there’s a 2007 film of Satrapi’s novels, so I’m going to go look for it.
bannisterb's review
4.0
Very good! I like that, as with the first Persepolis volume, Satrapi writes in the voice of the age she's writing about; meaning that when she's writing about her selfish teenage self, she doesn't sugarcoat or hide it, and it's coming from the author at that age, not as she is now. As a result, you can see her growth very easily.
anetq's review
5.0
Ud over at fortælle mere af Irans fortsat forfærdeligt svære historie, så også Marjanes historie om at være fremmed i udlandet og vende tilbage til at være fremmed i eget land.
lanid's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Police brutality, Body shaming, and Homophobia
invisibleobserver13's review
4.0
And the coming of age story continues. I still prefer the first book, but it is always better to have a complete story. And the ups and downs of adulthood and finding yourself are the biggest parts of anyone's story. I felt sorry and angry for her when Marjane experienced the xenophobia in Austria. I am glad that she learned from her mistakes and other experiences. Another important lesson to learn from Marjane's life is that as lost as you feel and however much you miss your family, going home doesn't always solve your problems. Despite the war being over, Iran seems to have gotten even more repressive, both in general and plainly so for women. Marjane Satrapi was very lucky to have such supportive parents and grandmother. They made her into the educated, liberated and successful woman she is today.
book_nut's review
4.0
I liked this one better than the first, primarily because it was a story that hasn't been told. First, she's in Vienna as a 14-year-old dealing with teenage issues, identity issues, and race issues. Then, after four years of struggling there, she goes back to Iran, where she has to deal with readjustment issues, identity issues and pressure issues. It's not an easy read -- even though it's a graphic novel -- but it's a good one.
settingshadow's review
4.0
Satrapi's strength is the ability to write a book that is about her life that is meaningful in the context of the historic events occurring in Iran during her lifetime, but also about her inner narrative. There's a contrast between the parts that are nearly unimaginable for the average American -- a co-worker who is beaten by the police for a misinterpreted cartoon, worrying about holding hands, two men beaten for driving in a car together, inability to show one's hair and so forth -- and the feelings that are universal: the desire for belonging, fear of isolation and a spectrum of normal teenage emotions.
I found the parts set in Vienna less interesting -- I think the compelling nature of the narrative derives in part from Sartapi's self-insight either at the time or in retrospect, and while in Vienna it mostly feels like she wasn't herself. There's a detachment and a lack of emotionality that drives the parts of the narrative set in Iran. Additionally, the strongest parts of the book were when Sartapi had conflict between her mother, father and grandmother -- these relatives are so close to her and so fundamental to her being that the conflicts had a clear tension. Without these supporting characters in the narrative the stakes seemed much lower.
Satrapi's black and white illustrations are stark and sometimes simplistic, which I think allows the underlying narrative to shine through, although I frequently had trouble distinguishing between characters, especially men.
I found the parts set in Vienna less interesting -- I think the compelling nature of the narrative derives in part from Sartapi's self-insight either at the time or in retrospect, and while in Vienna it mostly feels like she wasn't herself. There's a detachment and a lack of emotionality that drives the parts of the narrative set in Iran. Additionally, the strongest parts of the book were when Sartapi had conflict between her mother, father and grandmother -- these relatives are so close to her and so fundamental to her being that the conflicts had a clear tension. Without these supporting characters in the narrative the stakes seemed much lower.
Satrapi's black and white illustrations are stark and sometimes simplistic, which I think allows the underlying narrative to shine through, although I frequently had trouble distinguishing between characters, especially men.