Persepolis: The Story of a ChildhoodWise; funny; and heartbreaking; Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. In powerful black-and-white comic strip images; Satrapi tells the story of her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen; years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime; the triumph of the Islamic Revolution; and the devastating effects of war with Iraq. The intelligent and outspoken only child of committed Marxists and the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors; Marjane bears witness to a childhood uniquely entwined with the history of her country.Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors; state-sanctioned whippings; and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal; profoundly political; and wholly original; Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on; with laughter and tears; in the face of absurdity. And; finally; it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love.Persepolis 2: The Story of a ReturnHere is the continuation of Marjane Satrapi's fascinating story. In 1984; Marjane flees fundamentalism and the war with Iraq to begin a new life in Vienna. Once there; she faces the trials of adolescence far from her friends and family; and while she soon carves out a place for herself among a group of fellow outsiders; she continues to struggle for a sense of belonging.Finding that she misses her home more than she can stand; Marjane returns to Iran after graduation. Her difficult homecoming forces her to confront the changes both she and her country have undergone in her absence and her shame at what she perceives as her failure in Austria. Marjane allows her past to weigh heavily on her until she finds some like-minded friends; falls in love; and begins studying art at a university. However; the repression and state-sanctioned chauvinism eventually lead her to question whether she can have a future in Iran.As funny and poignant as its predecessor; Persepolis 2 is another clear-eyed and searing condemnation of the human cost of fundamentalism. In its depiction of the struggles of growing up—here compounded by Marjane’s status as an outsider both abroad and at home—it is raw; honest; and incredibly illuminating.
#153928 in Books Wiencek; Henry 2004-09-03 2004-08-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.31 x 1.19 x 5.58l; .90 #File Name: 0374529515432 pages
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. A fascinating topic and a fresh look at WashingtonBy Howard SchulmanThis book is definitely "different". In it; the author examines how President George Washington went from a man steeped in the belief that slavery was acceptable to one who seemed to be deeply troubled by it. Unlike most history texts of the period; this one spends a lot of time constructing arguments and making educated guesses. Although at times the arguments seemed to be a little bit of a stretch; the author presents a lot of apparently fresh research and his ideas were definitely new and insightful. Bravo!It is fairly interesting how the author pours through seemingly uninteresting records of slave sales and otherwise uninteresting personal correspondences of Washington and his family in order to discover what Washington's true thoughts were and what he actually did when it concerned his slaves. Slavery was not a topic that Washington liked to talk about publicly; and he seemed to have thoughts both pro and con; so we're frequently left with no definite answer.Furthermore; he seemed to part company with his wife on this subject! Martha; it appears; had no problem with the continuation of slavery; while Washington clearly did. In his will; Washington freed most of his slaves. We also discover that Washington had thoughts about doing so during his presidency. That would have set quite a precedent. It never happened; but things would have been different if it did.In the first half; the author spends time explaining how slavery evolved in the United States. Slavery just didn't happen overnight. It evolved and changed over the years; finally becoming that brutal institution we all now recognize. These sections were quite interesting and well done; too.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I enjoyed reading this bookBy Frank LeeWiencek presents Washington as a closet abolitionist;a man who has grown to abhor slavery but is helpless to suppress it.This spiritual awakening is due to his experiences in the revolutionary war serving with African soldiers.I don't buy it.Why not just give the slaves a salary? Why house them in hovels and work them dusk to dawn?I enjoyed reading this book;it is well researched and brings to light many sad truths about the founding fathers. Washingtons' will freeing his slaves upon the the death of Martha is Hitchcockian.She wisely told them that there was no need to wait.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. GW as a real human beingBy Just MeLove this book. It is the first biography of George Washington I've read that really made me appreciate him as a human being that; if I met him today; I could talk with him and not be just staring at a historical idol. The writing evoked an emotional as well as intellectual response in me.I first read this book in hardcover; but had to have it on my Kindle to reread on a trip.
