Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

In my graphic novels paper I provide a short annotation of Persepolis by Marjane Starapi. This first book tells of Marjane’s life in Iran before and during the war, ending with her parents sending her to Austria for school and safety. Persepolis 2 is about her life living in Austria for four years and her unlikely return to her homeland.

I did not enjoy the second book as much as the first, while the book is well written and illustrated, I simply could not relate to Marjane. Marjane shows how she felt as an outsider in either of her homes (Austria or Iran). The lessons she learned are important and the content true, as she remembers. Each story shared is different though all show the dark paths which she took on her journey to discover herself.

From a literary stand point, the book is decent, the graphics drawn in a rough black and white. The dialogue is real and shows the humanity of the characters, but many feel they lack depth. The book feels forced, perhaps because the author does not want to recall many of her trials and mistakes, or perhaps because the reader feels left out of the scenes. The novel made little use of the gutters or style to convey a story which compelled readers to interact with or feel sympathy for characters. While the first installment had caused me to learn and feel a part of the story this left me feeling the outsider (though this might have been purposeful because the author felt that way). The sad truths revealed show what can happen when freedoms are taken.

When saying I did not like the book I do not want to downplay it’s message. As a work of non-fiction, it is important to share her story but I would not call it one of the great works. This book will interest those who want to learn more about living in Iran or a Muslim nation, though I caution some of the material is suited only for older audiences.

Reference

Goodreads. (2017). Persepolis 2 [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9517.Persepolis_2?ac=1&from_search=true

NewYork Times. (2004). Satrapi slideshow [Page image]. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2004/08/22/books/20040822_SATRAPI_SLIDESHOW_1.html 

Satrapi, M. (2004). Persepolis 2: The story of a return. New York: Pantheon.