Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
#14 in my 2007 book challenge was the second part of Marjane Satrapi’s graphic-novel memoir, Persepolis 2. It is aptly titled, because it’s more like the second chapter in Satrapi’s memoirs than a different book from Persepolis. Again, the stark black and white art is used to good effect to convey complex emotions and events. Satrapi ably manages to make herself sympathetic in spite of being a somewhat spoiled and selfish teenager; she communicates a believable portrait of herself that is not too flattering or too self-deprecating. This segment follows the author out of Iran to Europe for school, then back again, and finally away again. Her story effectively shows the push/pull of family and place and the counterbalances of curiosity and individual growth. This is the second time I’ve read the book, and it is a rich reading experience, as before.