My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/NNKIFf8siHI

Enjoy!

I really enjoy Satrapi's style of narration. Her illustrations are likewise great.
I just wish I had the other volumes too.. sigh..

This one was really hard to get through because sympathizing with Marjane was nearly impossible. She had a once in a lifetime opportunity, yet found ways to complain about literally anything.

what better way to end the year than learning as much as you can about the world? (aka a non-fiction/memoir marathon)
❄ the anthropocene reviewed
❄ around the world in 80 books
❄ crying in h mart
❄ persepolis (1-2) / persepolis (3-4)

best book

This wasn't as good as the first volume but it was still super interesting to hear the rest of Marjane's story and learn more about the history of Iran

3.5*

Είδε και έπαθε να γλιτώσει από τους μουλάδες η μικρή Μαρτζ και έπεσε σε διαφορετικό δυνάστη, στις ορμόνες.. Εκεί τα καταφερε, αλλά με την ανθρώπινη μισαλλοδοξια, ούτε ο Θεός.. 

Σαν να μην έφταναν όλα τα δεινά του βίου λοιπον, να χεις ν' αντιμετωπισεις και τη θεσμοθετημενη παπαροδοξία, ως bonus track.

Ανάμεσα στις συμπληγάδες  φονταμεταλιστων και  δημοκρατων η Μαρτζ - μαζί και εκατομμύρια άλλοι. Όπως το λέει η μαμά της (σελ. 175) "είναι  δύσκολο να διαλέξεις μεταξύ του φανατισμού του ενός και της περιφρόνησης του άλλου".. 

Και εκεί τα κατάφερε όμως, διέσωσε την ανθρωπιά και το Πνεύμα της. 

Ειλικρίνεια- πείσμα - ευαισθησία'  τα συνθήματα της δικής της επανάστασης, η οποία δεν σταματά ν' αγωνίζεται - κι ας μη σώσει και επικρατήσει ποτέ.. 
Συγκινητικό και το δεύτερο μέρος. Το Περσεπολις, έκανε κι εμένα μέλος του κινήματος Μ. Μ. Μ. (Μη Μασάς Μαρτζ!). Μη μασάτε, Μαρτζ.. 

Stevie Wonder: Pastime Paradise - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b0S4SiL...

انیمیشن‌شو بعد از کمیک دیدم. از لحاظ طراحی آدم‌ها انیمیشن خیلی سر بود نسبت به کمیک، اما کمیک توی طراحی قاب‌ها خلاقیت‌هایی به خرج داده بود که توی انیمیشن از دست رفته بودن.
همین طور کمیک پر از داستان‌های ریز ریز قشنگ از آدم‌های مختلفه که انیمیشن خیلی‌هاشو حذف کرده بود تا یه خط داستانی واحد بسازه. به خاطر همین به نظرم دیدن انیمیشن کفایت نمی‌کنه و باید کمیک رو هم خوند.

هر چند از یک جهت انیمیشن اصلاح خوبی انجام داده بود. مرجان کمیک یه مقدار زودخشمه و فوری از دست همه عصبانی میشه. این باعث میشه جاهایی که خشمش واقعاً به‌جا و مهمه، تأثیر احساسی لازم رو نداشته باشه. انیمیشن به درستی عصبانی شدن‌های غیر ضروری مرجان رو حذف کرده و فقط مواردی رو نگه داشته که یه حس و معنایی به داستان تزریق می‌کنه.

i almost like this installment better than  Persepolis, but i know that's because of how amazing the first book was.

this installment finds marji in austria, where she is shuttled from place to place, getting her french education, while her family and friends remain in tehran.

it's the story of a "third-worlder" in the west, and then an attempt to return home. it's almost more heartbreaking than the first book, because there is so much in here that is familiar while different, and so much that makes you realize how lucky you are. it's brilliantly written, again, and wonderfully illustrated, and it's a traditional coming of age story that is anything but traditional.

it's beautiful, from the snow scenes in vienna to her joy at seeing snow in tehran again. the way she is older, the way she tries to fit in, the disintegration of relationships - the author writes with a wisdom that can only come from years of reflection, and we are all the better for it. her insights into her behaviors and actions are so clear and true, even though they might not reflect greatly on her, are masterful. the story doesn't lag, it goes forward, and forward, and at the end, i desperately wanted the next installment to magically appear in my hands.

it's especially interesting to read this in light of where america stands on iran these days - and makes me think of theodor herzl calling people like me "amiable dreamers" but. books like this give me hope. it's truly a remarkable piece of work, unlike anything i have come across before.

Does it get better than the first part? I can't say. It certainly loses its innocence and hence has more to deal with, which works brilliantly most of the time, but a few other times, not so much. Either way, how the story concludes will leave you wishing to dig deeper into the author's life (does that sound creepy? I meant trying to find out more about what happened to her after this memoir ended) but it does not end like Gabo's Living To Tell The Tale, in which I mean it came to a full cycle.

"- Ce faci aici la ora asta?
- Desenez.
- Și de ce te uiți la bărbatul ăsta?
- Păi, pentru că-l desenez.
- Da, dar n-ai voie să te uiți la el. E împotriva moralei.
- Și ce vreți să fac? Să-l desenez uitându-mă la ușă???!!
- Da."

Persepolis 2 became a must read after completing Persepolis. Marjane Satrapi didn't disappoint. I love her honesty. This book covers some tumultuous times in her life and she doesn't hold back. She exposes herself and her own flaws with enthusiasm. She doesn't make excuses.
My favorite thing about the series is that I learned so much about Iran's history through her.
Satrapi has turned me into an avid reader of graphic nonfiction. I can't wait to discover more.

Actual Rating: 1.5 stars

I was very underwhelmed with this book. It had so much potential but it focused more on Marjane's struggles as a teenager rather than her struggling to retain and preserve her culture while being in Austria. It was a struggle to finish this and I would admit to skimming the last few pages of the memoir. Reading it felt more like a chore rather than something I would do for fun.