Last month I had my first introduction to graphic novels with Dream Country by Neil Gaiman, Persepolis showed me what a Graphic Novel can do with a serious topic. Persepolis is about a little girl growing up in Iran during political change. Life goes from being free to having strict rules forced upon the people. Marji's parents generally tell her the truth, she is allowed to hear vivid details about the torture of prisoners, they take her to demonstrations and she reads political and marxist texts for her bedtime stories. Coming from a very political family she finds it extremely difficult to be the obedient little girl which is required under the new regime.
I found this book extremely easy to read and a very powerful look at life in Iran, I have read books about Iran before but this one is very powerful in it's message. I thought that the torture scene was particuarly hard hitting. I'm not sure if this is because the image is below to reiterate what is happening or because it is seen from the eyes of a child.
I shall be reading Persepolis: The Return in the next week.
Other Reviews:
Marg
If you have reviewed this book please leave a link to your review and I'll add it on.
Challenges:
The Graphic Novel Challenge Book 2 of 3
Young Adult Challenge Book 3 of 12
July Book Blowout Book 5
Mrs S has set this mini-meme for the July Book Blowout
The Where’s your book set? meme
Here’s how it works - just answer some or all of the following questions about the book you are currently reading (or just finished if you are between books). You can either post your answers on your blog and link us up using Mr Linky below - or post your answers here in the comments.
Here’s the questions:
1. Title and author of the book
Here’s how it works - just answer some or all of the following questions about the book you are currently reading (or just finished if you are between books). You can either post your answers on your blog and link us up using Mr Linky below - or post your answers here in the comments.
Here’s the questions:
1. Title and author of the book
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.
2. What year is the book set in?
2. What year is the book set in?
1980-1984
3. What happened on this day in that year? Go to google and type in the date ie 13 July 1952 and see if you can find a news item for that day
3. What happened on this day in that year? Go to google and type in the date ie 13 July 1952 and see if you can find a news item for that day
July 13, 1980 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
4. Where is your book set?
4. Where is your book set?
Iran
5. Have you visited that place before? If yes tell us something about your trip. If no, look the location up on google and tell us an interesting fact about the city/country.
5. Have you visited that place before? If yes tell us something about your trip. If no, look the location up on google and tell us an interesting fact about the city/country.
Cyrus the Great's "Cylinder", found during excavations in Babylon, was inscribed with the first known declaration of human rights.
Elam, the oldest known civilisation in Iran, was founded in 1250 BC.
Cuneiform writing, a form of picture writing, was used in Iran over three thousand years ago.
3 comments:
I read, and loved this book. It was my first graphic novel, and I had an EAL student from Iran, so it helped me see what he had left.
http://raidergirl3-anadventureinreading.blogspot.com/2008/01/book-persepolis-1-2-marjane-satrapi.html
This was my first ever graphic novel and I was just blown away by it!
My review is here.
I've got to read this book! I keep seeing it everywhere and have read such amazing things about it. I admit that I've never read a graphic novel and am kind of leery of them, but that's gonna have to change, right??? Thanks for the review!
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