Persepolis

Published March 2010

It’s been a very long time between books for me. It’s not something I’m entirely proud of. Call me jaded or just plain lazy but it had been a while since a book had grabbed my attention and prompted me to read it cover to cover.

Over lunch a few days ago I had confessed this to my friend R, who like me, was selective in her reading material. A person with far broader horizons that I could ever claim to possess, Renu suggested I take a look at a personal favourite of hers, ‘Persepolis – The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return’ by Marjane Satrapi. R explained that this book, albeit a graphic novel, was one that I wasn’t soon going to forget. To say that she got that right would be simplifying it somewhat. I loved it so much I finished it in two sittings.

I’ll begin this pseudo-review by explaining the title: Persepolis was the capital city of ancient Persia, in what is now modern day Iran. The Greek interpretation of the name very literally means “Persian City”, and this is where the story begins.

This novel revolves around the real-life accounts of Satrapi as a child growing up in Tehran during the mid 70s and the early 80s. By all historical accounts this was a period of much unrest in Iran, having gone through the overthrowing of the country’s last Shah and dealing with the harsh realities of the implementation of the Iranian Revolution under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Coming from a family that was involved in socialist and communist movements in Iran, it is evident throughout the novel that Satrapi’s parents were free-thinkers and instilled a strong sense of individuality and thought-provoking curiosity in their young daughter.

Born the granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, and having been educated in French at the Lycée Français, Satrapi’s take on real life in Tehran at that time was somewhat privileged but it soon changes with the compulsory implementation of the veil – which was to be worn by all women. Other social freedoms and liberties were also quickly curtailed to meet with the strict requirements of the new regime.

What starts of as innocent naiveté turns to blatant astonishment which then gives way to suppressed anger as innocent Iranians are mercilessly and brutally punished by the government for a myriad of reasons. Unrest worsens during the start of the Iran-Iraq War, which eventually sees hundreds of thousands of Iranians losing their lives.

In my mind, what makes Persepolis stand out from any other historical document that I’ve read pertaining to that particular period is very simply Satrapi’s childlike account of the worsening situation in her country, paired with a healthy dose of both fear and wonderment. She also highlights the fact that parties still went on. That people still listened to ‘Western’ music via cassettes procured on the black market. That Iranians, though burdened with the hardships of daily bombings from Iraqi missiles, and living with threats of imprisonment, rape, torture and execution by the authorities, were still able to find some level of a silver lining to varying degrees.

Satrapi takes us along with her when she leaves Iran for Austria in 1983 at the age of 14. The daunting experiences of staying in a boarding house, learning German and making new friends are represented well. She writes of the racism dished out towards ‘third-worlders’, falling in love, falling out of love, experiencing all that university has to offer, finding fleeting solace in seemingly like-minded individuals and then finally spiralling out of control and hitting rock bottom when she becomes homeless for months.

Satrapi then returns to her beloved homeland where things have changed, but then so has she. Now an adult with a different take on things, Satrapi begins to fully understand how her original assumptions and perceptions, though not incorrect, are now out of place. In realizing this, she becomes wrought with regret, malaise and depression and attempts suicide by overdosing on pills while her parents are away. Though she should have died by all accounts, she survives and recognizes this as a sign that she has been given a second chance. With this in mind Satrapi dives into getting her education back on track. Along the way she encounters old childhood friends who rebel in their own ways. Some date, others wear make-up. And though Satrapi initially scoffs at their attempts, she comes to accept that this is indeed a form of rebellion, and adapts. During this period Satrapi also meets her future husband Reza and gets married, much to the chagrin of her parents.

Throughout this book, the tones of hardship, of pain and loss are clearly evident. But Satrapi shines at all ages with her consistent questioning of authority at the risk of being punished, imprisoned or worse. Persepolis, though dark and painful at times to read, highlights the small joys that families and loved ones bring to each other. And though it may seem impossible to believe this at times, Persepolis is a shining testament to the old adage that light does eventually overcome darkness.

Persepolis is a multiple-award winning graphic novel, originally written in French. It was also adapted into an animated film voiced by legendary French great Catherine Deneuve, amongst other screen luminaries. It debuted at the 2007 Cannes Film festival where it won the Jury prize and was nominated for best animated feature at the 2008 Academy Awards.

Sources: Wikipedia/Popmatters/GoogleImages