Persepolis

by Marjane Satrapi (L’Association, Collection Ciboulette, combined edition published in 2007; ISBN 978-2844142405 [4 volumes originally published separately between 2000 and 2003])

Published in English in 2007 by Pantheon; ISBN 9780375714832.

I’ve seen this called a graphic novel, but it isn’t a novel. It’s a graphic autobiography, written by an Iranian woman in her twenties, telling the story of her life in pre- and  post-revolutionary Iran and also in Vienna, where her parents sent her to study for four years in high school because they were afraid her penchant for getting into trouble and her independent streak would end badly for her.

I read it in the original French, which was not difficult; the style is conversational but without too much slang. Perhaps the simple black and white illustrations (also by Satrapi, who studied art at university in Tehran) provided enough context to make guessing the meaning of the occasional unfamiliar word or expression easier.

Satrapi does not mince words, nor does she try to make herself look good. She includes her failed romances, unkindnesses, rudeness, and many cases of poor judgment on her part. Volume 3, which recounts the story of her wild years in Vienna, made me cringe in horror. She falls in with a wild crowd, smokes, drinks, takes drugs, sleeps around, lives on the streets and ends up in a hospital (without which, I think she would have died). Maybe not all that surprising for a rebellious teenage girl living on her own in a foreign country far from her parents, but scary. Only the Iran-Iraq war could have made her parents think she would be better off in Austria without supervision.

After Vienna, she returns to Tehran, depressed, and not surprisingly, has difficulty re-integrating into her native culture, which has been rendered schizophrenic by the Islamic revolution. She even tries to end her life, but her failed suicide attempt convinces her that she is meant to go on living. She finds a boyfriend, whom she eventually marries (but later divorces), enrolls at university, and reads widely. Eventually, she decides to leave Iran to live in France, realizing that she will never be able to control herself enough to stay out of trouble in Iran.

For those readers who have no idea about Iranian culture or history, this book is an excellent introduction as well as a great story. I know many Iranians; they were the first large group of students I had when I starting teaching ESL in the Washington area in 1974. I’ve also read a fair amount about Persian culture and know a little (but not much) about Persian history, so there was a lot that was not new to me in the book. However, I learned many new things–for example, that Reza Shah (father of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Shah I remember) was an illiterate army officer before the British used him to overthrow the Qajar emperor (from whom Marjane Satrapi is descended).

The thing that surprised me the most is that Satrapi’s parents and other relatives were not arrested following the publication of the book(s)! She goes into great detail about their politics.

Persepolis is really a coming-of-age story (Bildungsroman). It’s too bad Marjane had to suffer so much on the way to adulthood, and it must have taken enormous courage for her to write and draw her story for public consumption. Since she had the courage to write it, we should have the courage to read it, even though parts of it are difficult.

By the way, Persepolis was made into an animated film  in 2007, with Satrapi as co-director with Vincent Paronnaud. You can watch a trailer here. I think the story would be even more appealing with animation. I am not a fan of graphic books; I find the images rather distracting and not necessary. But I think I will enjoy the film.

Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music

by Judy Collins (Crown, 2011)

Judy Collins is one of my favorite singers, so I was looking forward to reading her memoir about growing up and being a part of the folksong and singer-songwriter movement in the sixties and seventies. It was interesting because I am familiar with most of the singers she mentions, but actually I was disappointed because the book is full of lists–lists of people she met, knew, slept with; lists of songs she learned or sang on this album or that–but it lacks affect. I never felt that she was really telling me anything about these people or songs other than that she knew them, or slept with them, or sang them, or wrote them. Was I expecting some kind of baring of the soul? Maybe. I didn’t find it.

She does write a lot about her alcoholism, which began when she was very young and continued for decades. It’s really amazing that she was able to produce such beautiful music when she consistently abused alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Before reading the book, I did not realize the extent of her addictions. The fact that she was able to perform and record during all those years is nothing short of amazing.

She describes her first marriage to Peter Taylor as quite idyllic, but it suddenly ended and she was separated from her son, Clark. She doesn’t really explain why the marriage ended or how it affected her. (Her involvement with the Sullivanians, who discouraged monogamous relationships, did not help.) She mentions a custody fight for Clark, which she lost; and then a few years later, Taylor and his new wife appear out of the blue and send Clark back to her. It’s never clear why they did this. There is a lot in this book that isn’t clear.

I think the editor could have done a better job, too. Sometimes the book wanders from one topic to another without any real focus (at times within a single paragraph).

Despite all my complaints, I finished the book, and it brought back many happy memories of listening to, learning, and singing a lot of wonderful songs, both traditional and composed. It made me want to download some of my favorite songs to listen to again!