The Complete Persepolis is the graphic novel memoir of author Marjane Satrapi's childhood growing up in a large family in Tehran, the capital of Iran, during the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The first chapters of the memoir focus on the very different views of life in public versus life in the comfort of one's home, showing opinion of the Shah, social classes, and traditional gender rolls. Once the Shah is overthrown for a new Islamic regime, all schools become single-gender, Satrapi is forced to wear a veil, and those who originally supported the revolution become an enemy of the newly formed government. Persepolis follows Satrapi's life from adolescence to boarding school in Vienna to her bittersweet return to her beloved homeland.
This edgy and observant graphic novel is filled with simple black and white illustrations in the graphic panels, which adds to the depth that this story conveys. The text is written in an almost childish manner, to reflect Marjane's innocence in the horrifying world that was Tehran in 1979. Filled with dynamic characters, this book is fascinating and alarming at the same time.
