Persepolis

Marjane Satrapi's hilarious and tragic tale of a young girl's journey through war to womanhood is by far one of the best tales woven by any artist. Her graphic novel follows her own life story with a zeal that is ultimately charming. It is commendable that she undertook not only telling her story, but also telling the story of Iran and the struggles faced by millions of immigrants all over the world.

The graphic novel (or comic as my sisters would call it. They mocked me for using the term graphic novel, but they're drunkards, so....) is so wonderfully constructed and artfully done. It is full of stunning images and humorous situations. She compares God to Karl Marx in terms of appearance...from his reaction later on one can deduce that God is apparently quite sensitive about his looks.

In examining the treatment of women in Iran, Satrapi exposes the misogyny that runs rampant in the region. In one scene a man asks her how much to have sex with her because she is carrying a can of Coke. Her father explains that in some countries only a prostitute would dare to drink a Coke on the street. The veil is present throughout the work as well and it is painted out to be quite a nuisance. Obviously.

To sum it up, Persepolis is the best graphic novel I've ever read. It's funny, sad, and relevant. Something else to note is that the film is good in its own way though it fails to reach the novel's level of greatness.