<i>The Complete Persepolis</i> by Marjane Satrapi

Going into this book (or, rather, graphic novel), I knew little-to-nothing about Iran. Satrapi give an interesting description about how a more secular family dealt with the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq wars. I had a much better sense by the end of what had happened in Iran, how its people where affected and the breadth of cultures that existed in Iran during that time (for example, I was surprised to find out there was a Jewish population in Iran).

One thing that Jason pointed out after reading this book was there were plenty of Iranians who didn't agree with the Islamic rule---the idea of wearing a veil was just as foreign to them as to any Westerner. That point was very clear in what Strapi described: parties and drinking still went on, they just had to be very careful and ready to clear the men out at a moment's notice.

In the same vein, Strapi described how the veil was subverted. How hair could be shown or how a woman could indicate her figure by the way she wore it. I figured that any woman that would want to could get her point across even with a veil in the way.

One of the major themes of the book was the ability to fit-in, whether that be in Europe or back in Iran after Strapi completed high school. Since she had a secular education and was able to live outside the repressive regime, moving back would be difficult. But, living abroad was almost as bad: Iran was still her country and no one had any idea of the terror she had experienced as a child except her own countrymen.

This book is the first graphic novel I have read. I thought the form added to the experience of reading it. There were not only the words to guide you through Strapi's experience, but also the images she used to represent them. One particular part that exemplifies this is how she described how quickly she matured around age 15/16. She draws a pictures showing how she grew unevenly---"first one eye, then the other"---giving a graphic representation of just how awkward she felt.

An excellent read that I couldn't put down. Highly recommended.

10/10