Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return (Pantheon Graphic Library)

Ethan klein I would rate the second volume Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi a 4.5 out of 5. This graphic novel was a great book because I loved the pictures Satrapi drew, but some scenes were a little bit inappropriate. Other than that it was an amazing and I would highly recommend it to only mature kids who can take in inappropriate context and young adults. This book kept me up all night reading because it was so good. The second Persepolis book was a memoir about a teenage girl named Marjane who moved to Austria in the 1980s. In the last book Marjane moved from Iran to Austria without her family because there was a war between Iran and Iraq. Marjane moves into a house with her family friends but it was too small so she goes to a catholic boarding house. The boarding house was run by nuns and she did not know anyone there and most of them spoke dutch. Later on in the book because of peer pressure she becomes a drug dealer and later stopped once her punk friends moved away. After that she went into a depression and tried to overdose on drugs and kill herself but she did not die. I don't want to spoil anything else, so if you want to find out what happens next read the book. If you want to read this book I highly suggest you read the first Persepolis book first because it explains her whole childhood and other important concepts and why she moved and why she moved.

All due respect to the ALA Alex and YALSA committees, there should also have been a great deal of serious consideration for some of the higher profile major literary awards for this book, one of a pair of volumes that make up Persepolis, The Story of A Childhood and The Story of A Return. As a long-time devotee of the Graphic Novel, I have no hesitation saying these two volumes are the most effective, and affecting examples of the genre I have yet encountered. The narrative is in itself a masterwork, and none the less for being simply the true autobiography I assume it is. The relative amounts of concern given the numerous occurrences is precisely right. The author/artist moves briskly through countless episodes yet leaves in each case a most thorough, profound and lasting impression. The characterizations, especially of Marjane herself and her immediate family are palpable to an extent rarely achieved in what we normally deem "serious literature". Each depiction elicits our deepest concern as hideousness follows hope follows respite follows tragedy follows turmoil, chaos, and humor. It is impossible to separate the art from the text. Each is so precisely crafted in each other's service. It is not since Walt Kelly that I have seen such imminently "readable" faces, postures, and gestures. While on the other hand, one will have no doubt as to the sound of the voices speaking the content of the dialogue balloons. Sadly, the most lasting and, perhaps as intended, the most profound impression one will take from these volumes is an unshakable sadness we must feel on behalf of what might have been a remarkable nation, were it not for man's fascination with fanaticism and the mindless tinkering of the "Super Powers". Persepolis is literally a great mourning bell tolling the tragedy of Iran, albeit ringing out through the thoughts and experiences of a child and then a young, sensitive and phenomenally articulate woman.

Yes, this is a reader review that bashes reader reviews. At best, they are useful like prophecy, to make sense of things AFTER they have transpired. I bash because, in a moment of weakness after finishing the first installment of Persepolis, I read some reader reviews of this second installment when deciding whether I should buy and continue (I’m not always a fan of sequels). And while I found many glowing (yet vague) reviews, I also found several dissatisfied ones. So I remained unconvinced. But when piling up tomes for my usual summer binge, the low price proved too enticing. And thus I started one day, finished two days later, and had reason to bash reader reviews, for the shame of letting a few crass “readers” delay me from this book. This volume picks up in Austria, after the end of volume 1. Satrapi pursues her story in a similar episodic style as the first, exploring the challenges of searching for one’s identity, the difference this time being teenagedom into the early twenties. Satrapi expertly addresses ostracism, the loneliness of pursuing your own way, the challenges of love, the ridiculousness of others and their systems and philosophies. Satrapi, just like in the first volume, ties together the seemingly disjointed narrative into a splendid whole by the end, showing us that there indeed had always been a target. And along the way, we learn with her the wisdom the world has to offer. Another fine work from an amazingly talented writer and artist with a fascinating story to tell.

Amazing book, beautiful edition.

Después de leer Persepolis 1, que por cierto también me gustó mucho, me quedé con muchas ganas de leer la segunda parte. Es un relato que a mi parecer es muy verás de la cultura y costumbres iranis, especialmente relatado por una persona nativa que sale del país y tiene una mejor perspectiva para poder narrar de una manera muy amena costumbre y cultura.

I have read it two times and this is very interesting reading.

My daughter was so excited to receive this book. Great story

Me ha encantado esta novela, con toques de humor que nos adentra en el mundo de cómo vive la mujer musulmana su día a día y tiene que enfrentarse a su realidad en una sociedad machista. Excelente.