Satrapi could write the phone book and I would read it! Though I liked the first volume best, this was an awesome read. Should be require reading for graphic novel fans and students. If this was used in my Middle East History Class in College, I would have liked the class much better.
Alas, a classic and worth consuming!

I found this sequel to Persepolis to be even more engaging than the first book. I was told that the first book is a prerequisite to the second and I agree; the first book sets the stage for the second.

I found the second book even more interesting than the first because, as a young adult, Marji has a more sophisiticated understanding of what’s going on around her. In this book, she leaves her childhood home in Iran and goes to school in Vienna, Austria, where she encounters and entirely different culture. She frequently experiences racism and this shapes her experience.

When she returnes to her country, she sees the restrictions and hardships through new eyes. I particularly enjoyed her observations about the culture of Iran. The history of the country’s conflicts were less interesting to me, but I learned a lot about Iran in reading this book.

I found that the book was very ‘real’ in the way it portrayed the author’s experiences. I can’t imagine this book being written without the art; it absolutely shines as a graphical novel and the author is masterful in her use of art to tell her story.

I’m deeply impressed by both books and can’t recommend them enough!