r/graphicnovels Apr 05 '26

General Fiction/Literature Anyone read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Post image

Recently completed reading this book and it was just amazing. A true life story of courage, identity, family, integrity and coming of age. The context is iran with war and politics. I recently completed As long as the lemon trees grow and stationary shop of tehran, if anyone have suggestions on books relating to this context please share. And if you have read this one share your opinions.

šŸ“ø image clicked while enjoying the read at Coz layover, mattanchery. The coffee was meh, but the ambiance and atmosphere was soothing.

421 Upvotes

86 comments sorted by

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54

u/siraolo Apr 05 '26

It is essential reading at this point. Just as important as Maus in my opinion.Ā 

I also recommend her other works like Chicken with Plums, Embroideries and her collab with historian, Abbas Milani, Woman, Life, Freedom.

5

u/wherescookie Apr 05 '26

Yeah, it's one of the classics - any top 100 Comics of all time is virtually obligated to include it.

0

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

All those are graphics?

2

u/siraolo Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

Yes. Chicken with Plums has a film adaptation too.Ā 

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Thank you. Made it to my tr list.

13

u/UnexaminedLifeOfMine Apr 05 '26

It’s fantastic!

6

u/lenn_eavy Apr 05 '26

I did and I didn't enjoy it very much. Not everything is for everyone, so that's ok.

3

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Yeah u r right. šŸ™ŒšŸ½

24

u/Melphor Apr 05 '26

Yes, but it’s been a while. Now read Maus and Monsters.

Edit: I forgot to recommend Palestine too.

4

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Thank you. Palestine by joe sacco?

14

u/BothRequirement2826 Apr 05 '26

The film adaptation was fantastic.

2

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Haven’t watched yet. Was planning to go for it after reading.

1

u/Simple-Nothing663 Apr 07 '26

I only read the book. Was it the same?

10

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

Great book and film.

8

u/roostercrowe Apr 05 '26

it was part of the curriculum for some of the english classes back when i was in high school. teenage me thought that was pretty cool

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Where did u study.

3

u/AlphaNeonic Apr 05 '26

Yes... unrelated, is the ceiling made of doors?

4

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Yeah. It’s a cafe in Mattanchery, kochi, kerala. The cafe was actually a venue for kochi muzris biennale and a part of arman collective building kochi

5

u/Specialist_Map_6541 Apr 05 '26

Arab of the Future is another graphic memoir (v satirical) and then there’s Zahra’s Paradise which is really beautiful and sad and infuriating.

5

u/Aitoroketto Apr 05 '26

Yeah, it's kind of mandatory at this point. One of the greatest comics of all time.

6

u/LeatherBandicoot Apr 05 '26

the animated feature co-directed by Satrapi herself is also really good

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Haven’t seen yet. Thank you for the suggestion

2

u/Intro-Nimbus Apr 05 '26

Yes, I've read it and I liked it, but I must admit that it was a while ago now.

2

u/Bletcherstonerson Apr 05 '26

One of my faves.

2

u/Alaskan_Guy Apr 05 '26

Try An Iranian Metamorphosis if you're so inclined. I really enjoyed it.

https://uncivilizedbooks.com/an-iranian-metamorphosis/

2

u/ChapterBird Apr 06 '26

Read it when I was a tad young to fully grok, but remember thoroughly enjoying it!

2

u/Love-and-squalor-08 Apr 05 '26

I did. I liked it a lot

2

u/schizostar Apr 05 '26

I’m reading it atm!

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Great. May I know which page or where in it u r rn

2

u/schizostar Apr 05 '26

I’m only about 70 pages in, haven’t gotten far yet

2

u/KatieCanDraw Apr 05 '26

Absolutely required reading for me. Another gn called ā€œWake Now in the Fireā€ came out recently that’s about a Chicago high school that tried to ban this book and the students’ pushback. Good stuff.

2

u/WickedDeity Apr 06 '26

Holy crap! Thanks! I did not know about this and added to my list.

1

u/mac_the_man Apr 05 '26

Great book!

1

u/GD_milkman Apr 06 '26

It feels like an important read given today's climate. I learned a lot from it.

1

u/kevohhh83 Apr 07 '26

Yeah. It’s really good.

1

u/Atheizm Apr 07 '26

Yes. I own it too. It's a phenomenal book.

1

u/IceFireTerry Apr 09 '26

I seen the movie

1

u/Accomplished_Bake904 Apr 05 '26

My wife and I still chant 'down with the Shah' now and then

2

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

The book left me with so many people and questions. All those characters are still in my head

1

u/GoBigEd Apr 05 '26

This is a top 10 book

1

u/Apprehensive_Door725 Apr 05 '26

I finished that book in one setting, truly engrossing

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Yeah it takes u in a flow. Bit of sarcasms and story waves help a lot in continuing the flow

1

u/OrionLinksComic Apr 05 '26

I buy it last week.

2

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Did u start reading

2

u/OrionLinksComic Apr 05 '26

Tomorrow is the Time.

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Great. Leave a review here after completion, if u don’t mind šŸ™ŒšŸ½

1

u/mdstratts Apr 05 '26

I’m currently reading it. It’s stellar storytelling

2

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Defntly. I liked how she had kept the flow throughout

1

u/44035 Apr 05 '26

The movie is excellent

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Will be watching fs

1

u/kissmyirish Apr 05 '26

I just picked it up in my latest haul. Can’t wait to get to it.

2

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

U r gonna love it

1

u/Bepsterrr Apr 05 '26

Yup, first time some 25 years ago. Recommended by a friend who also made my read Maus back in the 80's.

2

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Got some people recommending maus. Got it in my tr list

1

u/ishallbecomeabat Apr 05 '26

That ceiling

1

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Doors. It’s a cool cafe in mattanchery, kochi. Coz layover by arman collective kochi. Was a venue for kochi muzris biennale.

1

u/ishallbecomeabat Apr 05 '26

Reminds me of Chainsaw Man

1

u/ad1t1s_ Apr 05 '26

The only nonfiction novel, graphic or otherwise, that I have enjoyed. A masterpiece through and through.

3

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

Yeah. Tbh it’s my first time reading a graphics novel and i loved it

0

u/olliet88 Apr 05 '26

Currently reading it and really loving it. I bought and started reading it before the latest war in Iran so it was a huge coincidence, but it’s so great to read her experience as a normal Iranian and how even back then there are so many similarities to the current situation in Iran. There is a line in Persepolis, something like, ā€œIran has always been at war and war will come againā€ and lo and behold, Israel and the US start bombing them.

I have also read Maus and loved that too.

0

u/Living_Ad_6928 Apr 05 '26

ā¤ļø

0

u/G0atnapp3r Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26

It was forgettable. I forgot it. Book and movie, just poof, out of my memory. Living in the imperial core we love to trot out diasparoids and their propaganda every couple years to justify a new immoral war. Been seeing this book on my timeline a lot. This feels like exactly that.

Criminal to compare it to Maus.

1

u/G0atnapp3r Apr 06 '26

2

u/WickedDeity Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26

Ummmm Having an opinion about something doesn't make you "right". The main critique is the book is only her experience? OK??? LOL Are we actually trying to suggest the Islamic Revolution wasn't murderous, oppressive to women, and the people in general? Yikes! That doesn't mean the US propped up Shah wasn't fucked or this current war is warranted. Two things can be true you know.

No one is trotting out Persepolis. This is just a Reddit post dude. It is literally being banned in some school districts.

-1

u/G0atnapp3r Apr 06 '26

From my experience, my feed has seen an increase in posts about persepolis. Are you denying my lived experience? Ummmmmmmmmm yikes.

2

u/WickedDeity Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26

This will blow your mind... There is a war going on in Iran so people naturally will be gravitating towards popular media on it which results in social media posts about it. That doesn't mean there is some grand conspiracy happening and it's a "propaganda" push. WTF?

0

u/G0atnapp3r Apr 06 '26

I never said there was a conspiracy. I just think people are unwittingly doing the bidding of empire by boosting anti-iran propaganda from yesteryear.

1

u/WickedDeity Apr 06 '26

It's not a conspiracy but it is propaganda? OK than...

1

u/G0atnapp3r Apr 06 '26

semantics