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A Reader's Guide to Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis
Reviewers do not always know quite how to approach Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis. Is it a memoir? A novel? A comic book? Ultimately, while one can debate the category of Persepolis, there is no denying that the work has sparked discussion where little had existed before. It offers a glimpse into ways of life in Iran that had been a mystery to Western audiences prior to its creation. With recent political events, interest in Iran and its people has never been greater. Give your readers a provocative view into this work.
* Reviews *
Educators need multicultural literature guides, but should use caution choosing this uneven series geared toward high school and college students. In Persepolis, the author argues that Satrapi uses the graphic novel to illuminate Iranian culture. Panels from Persepolis are well matched to the writing, and the narrative moves smoothly from broad aspects of Iranian culture to specific incidents in Satrapi's life. Along with a detailed plot description, Schroeder provides thoughtful analysis and centers the story with dates and political events to help readers understand the work in its time. However, Schroeder does not properly distinguish between graphic novels and comics, or differentiate between a format and a genre. It may be subjective to call comics the lowbrow sibling of graphic novels. Better editing might have directed content away from this discussion of graphic novel elements that seems to meander in confused circles.
RL
Grades
9-10 IL
Grades
9-12+ GRL
Z
