Recommended by Alessandro Comoli
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel written from a unique perspective. It is based on a true story concerning Satrapi’s childhood and upbringing during the turbulent time of the Iraqi-Iranian war and the aftermath in Iran and Austria.
The book commences in Iran, before the aforementioned war. The protagonist was brought up by radical Marxists who supported the Islamic revolution and overthrowing of the Shah. The war occurred largely because after various negotiations relating to the resources of the country, with the UK and the U.S., the Iranian people saw the Shah as a puppet and rebelled until they felt justice had been done.
Justice and injustice are the main themes of the book. The Iranians were determined to maintain the equilibrium and felt that the Shah’s interests were very different to theirs. After a hideous conflict, they managed to complete their ordeal. The Iranian population were drawn together with a strong sense of Nationalism which allowed them to collaborate, to complete the overthrowing of the Shah. This is portrayed by the protagonist’s desire for a ‘hero’ in the family. This hero, her uncle Anoosh, had suffered, been tortured and despite it all, needed to have kept fighting. He was a hero by Iranian standards at the time due to the severity of the geo-political situation.
The leitmotif that occurs throughout the literary composition is the contradiction between Marxist views versus traditions embedded in Iranian culture. Overall, Persepolis is most definitely not a light read with easy truths, however, it is definitely a book worth reading as it allows the reader to have a wider gauge of Iranian culture and Middle Eastern history.
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