Persepolis, Vol. 1

9/10
It's so easy to get lost in the Iranian media making up stories about the West and vice versa. In Iran's view, everything was going great till the West intervened because of the potential of oil and ruined the region forever. In the West's view, Iran was a repressive region that knew only one thing - to brutalise its citizens, and it had to intervene. But what is the truth, really?
Marjane Satrapi, the great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor, brings a lot of light to the issue through her memoir. Still, at the same time, you have to be a simpleton to misconstrue the autobiography as a study on the history of Iran. Partially it is that, yes, but it is so much more.
Marjane bares it all - her vulnerabilities; her acts of stupidity; her views on religion, Iran and feminism; but most of all - her bravery. Islam and liberalism are neither glorified nor portrayed as the be-all-end-all of everything - there's a nuanced portrayal visible. No act of courage is great or small - whether it's making trousers partially visible outside the veil or whether it's protesting for human rights along with your family.
There's so much to take away from this masterpiece - whether it's the multifaceted interpretation of human ‘rights' or how intersectional feminism plays out in real life. It's incredible just how many topics Marjane touches upon, but the topic that touched me the most would be Marjane's relationship with her parents. Her parents don't ask her if anything is wrong if she looks troubled, and they respect her privacy. They let her make her own choices, regardless of the possible outcome, as seen when Marjane's father admitted that he knew she would get separated from Reza. Marjane wholeheartedly admits that her own family is not perfect but still loves them all the same - I think that should be the real takeaway from the novel. Must-read.