This was a funny, astute look at cultural neutoricisms around sex (and gender). It's been a while since I've read Satrapi's work, and I forgot how much I loved her bone-dry humor, or related to the childhood precocity she depicts in her memoirs. But I do love it, and think that, in shining a critical eye on Iranian womens' sex lives, anxieties, and desires, inevitably instigates conversations highly relevant for western audiences, too.

Reading this graphic novel was like being invited to tea with a group of Iranian women, except that the talk turned (interestingly enough) to arranged marriages, cheating husbands, and faking your virginity. The images strengthened the words in such a way that when I was done reading it I actually felt like I knew and had spent a little time with these women.

It's interesting, because their conversation makes it seem like they have some power (while living under harsh social restrictions) but as a Western woman reading this book, their idea of what constitutes power is hard to accept. Like many women, they talk about plastic surgery - nothing unusual there. One woman even goes so far as to admit that she had fat removed from her ass and injected into her breasts, which led to this comment about her husband: Of course this idiot doesn't know that every time he kisses my breasts, it's actually my ass he's kissing...

But to me, there's not a lot of power in that. More sadness that you'd have to take that small victory when you're more likely stuck in a marriage that you didn't (and don't) want.

It's hard to judge these women, though. Their stories are told in such a way that it's easy to just listen and admire them for having a voice and telling their stories. Many are in fact divorced, and share many of the same love concerns and troubles as women everywhere, as well as the same strengths and weaknesses. It's definitely worth reading as a reminder that women everywhere share a connection.

PT Quando um grupo de mulheres iranianas se reúne, as histórias que partilham são tão épicas quanto envolventes, repletas de momentos de riso genuíno. Através dos seus relatos, expõem algumas das tradições mais ultrapassadas que ainda persistem no Médio Oriente.

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EN When a group of Iranian women comes together, the stories they share are as epic as they are entertaining—filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Through their tales, they reveal some of the most outdated traditions still persisting in the Middle East.

3,5 Cel mai prețios la ea este faptul ca e posibilă, ca cineva o poate scrie și asta sa nu insemne nimic mai mult decât e cartea. Am râs și poate e înțelept sa radem privind spre sexualitate, sa glumim pe seama acestei bizare făpturi care se naște dintr-un barbat și o femeie: cuplul.

Taká jednohubka pred spaním. Občas som sa uškŕňala a občas som sa rehotala, až kým mi neodšlo, že tie situácie sú síce napísane tak, aby boli smiešne, ale je to taký smiech cez slzy.
Tie veci sa tým ženám dejú stále, nie je to len znamenie doby. Bohužiaľ.

Totalmente en la línea de Persépolis. Este se dividía en pequeños capítulos que eran momentos de la vida de Marji, y en este caso nos encontramos con un capítulo larguito transformado en otro cómic. Y, nuevamente, me ha gustado un montón. Necesito leer todo lo que haya publicado esta mujer.

En este caso, Marji, su madre, su abuela y un grupo de amigas se reunen para pasar la tarde. Aprovechan para hablar de la vida, de los hombres que han amado, de sus matrimonios y de la desigualdad entre el hombre y la mujer. Me encanta ese toque feminista y empoderado que tienen tanto Marjane como de su madre, su abuela, y la mayoría de las mujeres que la rodean. Mucho más avazandas que la mayorías de las mentes de occidente. Tanto Bordados como Persépolis son lecturas deliciosas, porque además de toda la carga crítica que hace, son super divertidas y siempre acabo riéndome.

Their lives are controlled by men. The legal system is stacked against them. Their best option is marriage for which young girls, who must be virgins, rely on the recommendations of others. Most of those recommending friends and relatives are navigating in the dark ... or maybe they are just too casual.

This sad state is clear in the sample marriages, courtships and weddings discussed by generations of women sipping tea. There is no mention of love regarding any existing or planned marriage. Were it not for the context I would dismiss this as a 1980’s Howard Stern for women.

Marjane Satrapi is most probably my favorite graphic novel illustrator. This is the last book I've read of hers that is autobiographical, and it doesn't necessarily hold up to the weight of the Persepolis series, but it is valuable in its own way. In this novel, Satrapi and her female relatives discuss their love lives and their sex lives, and they especially discuss societal issues regarding virginity. No doubt this book touches on the broad subject of feminism, which is, concern for women's sanctity of civil rights and for women to be understood as human beings. This is meant to be a humorous read, but those of us that are familiar with such archaic, persisting, and damaging beliefs and actions that the women experience will feel some anger or sadness. Ultimately, if you'd be interested in having a lively chat over tea with women regarding their life experiences, this is an excellent book. Essentially, this is just meant to be a glimpse into the culture Satrapi has been immersed in and struggles with.

Este cómic es una mirilla a un hermético universo femenino en el que un puñado de mujeres de distintas edades -reunidas alrededor de una mesa de té mientras los hombres descansan después de un almuerzo- desgranan sus recuerdos más íntimos y los intercambian por las confidencias de otras mujeres presentes y ausentes. Es un libro que despierta en el lector una sensación similar a la de pegar el oído a una conversación picante que mantienen dos desconocidos que no se han percatado de su presencia: entre taza y taza surgen confesiones sexuales, chistes verdes, recuerdos dolorosos de traición y pérdida, y frustración por lo que esas mujeres se han perdido por el hecho de ser mujeres nacidas en una determinada época y en un determinado lugar.

‘Bordados’ tiene la suerte y la desgracia de existir en un mundo en el que la autora ya había escrito Persépolis, una de las dos o tres mejores novelas gráficas de la historia. Reencontrarse con algunos de los personajes de aquella inolvidable historia es cómo volver al hogar. Pero, por otra parte, claro, Bordados no es Persépolis. Es mucho más breve, menos profunda (o, mejor dicho, de una profundidad disfrazada de frivolidad) y está muy compartimentada, constituyendo una sucesión de anécdotas con un mismo hilo temático pero con poca conexión entre sí. ‘Bordados’ tiene identidad propia y es completamente disfrutable, pero para quienes tenemos en un altar a la obra maestra de Satrapi este cómic, creo, se queda más bien en un anexo, en un capítulo picante añadido a posteriori o censurado en una primera edición, que en una obra que pueda compararse a Persépolis.

Read it in one sitting.
Marjan's story telling never ceases to amaze me.
This graphic novel was about the Sex lives of Iranians.
It's disturbing how it has stayed the same. We Iranian's often sell ourselves like objects to high status spouses with steady incomes and stable lives without knowing much about the person we're marrying. We only rely on the words of strangers or family members who hadn't lived on the same roof as them. That being said, what's the difference between people who marry like this and hookers? You sell yourself to a stranger because of money.
In short virginity is a myth and highly overrated. If a girl isn't a virgin that doesn't mean she's a slut but many in Iran have a hard time accepting that even though they act all *open minded *.
I can't wait to get the hell out of this country . FR!

Chiacchiere tra signore

Adoro Marjane Satrapi, i suoi disegni dal tratto asciutto e deciso, i suoi testi arguti e imprevedibili. Fin dai tempi di “Persepolis” leggo molto volentieri questa fumettista iraniana, ormai da anni residente in Francia, e trovo le storie che racconta, anzitutto la sua, di raro incanto.
Anche “Taglia e cuci”, pur non avendo l’ampio respiro dell’opera sopraccitata che le diede fama internazionale, si rivela una bella conferma, regalandoci un vivace spaccato della Teheran di inizio anni Novanta, quando l’autrice non si era ancora trasferita definitivamente in Europa. Un pomeriggio tra donne, riunite davanti a una tazza di tè, diventa occasione per un intenso scambio di confidenze, opinioni e tanti (troppi) pettegolezzi. Naturalmente, qualsiasi presenza maschile viene bandita da simili riunioni femminili.
“Sparlare degli altri è tonificante per il cuore…”, afferma sicura del fatto suo la nonna della Satrapi, grande protagonista anche in queste tavole. Di certo, le chiacchiere mettono di buonumore e ognuna delle presenti finisce per raccontare di sé o di parenti e amiche. Non sorprendono gli argomenti trattati: amore e disinnamoramento, matrimonio e divorzio, sesso a non finire; il tutto senza pudori di sorta né falsi moralismi. Nessuna meraviglia: del resto, perché le donne musulmane non dovrebbero parlare in privato anche di tutto questo?
Insomma, proprio un bel libro a fumetti che ci propone una realtà ben lontana dal nostro immaginario, nel caso specifico dell’Iran, dominato da ayatollah barbuti (dinnanzi ai quali, all’occorrenza, corriamo a coprire per pudore artistici nudi marmorei) e donne imprigionate nel lutto perenne del chador.

me ha encantado! mujeres de diferentes edades que, mientras los hombres duermen la siesta, toman té y hablan sobre el sexo, el amor, cotillean, hacen bromas… a la vez revelando la condición de la mujer en Irán, la opresión de todo tipo: los matrimonios de conveniencia, el castigo social hacia las mujeres no vírgenes… precioso, divertido y emotivo a la vez.