Persepolis (comic)
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Persepolis is a French-language autobiographical graphic novel by Marjane Satrapi that describes her childhood in Iran during the overthrow of the Shah. It is followed by Persepolis 2, which details Satrapi's life afterwards, during the war between Iran and Iraq. Simply drawn in black and white it found great popularity following its release (Time Magazine included it in its Best Comix of 2003 list). There also exist Persepolis 3, which describes her high school years in Austria, and Persepolis 4, which describes her return to Iran, where she went to college, got married, and later got divorced, before moving to France, where she lives now.
In the U.S., the Persepolis series is published by Pantheon, who saw it as a natural progression from their success with graphic novels like Art Spiegelman's Maus. The English edition of the first 2 French books was translated by Satrapi's husband, Mattias Ripa, and by Blake Ferris. Persepolis 3 and Persepolis 4 were combined into a second book, Persepolis 2. Since Persepolis and Persepolis 2 are therefore different books in different markets, referring to any of the six different versions is a source of confusion.
The story is slated to be adapted into an animated feature in 2007 by Sony Picture Classics voiced by Catherine Deneuve.
Satrapi's book Embroideries is also set in Iran and follows the lives of different women of her mother's generation.
Persepolis is named after the ancient Persian city Persepolis.
[edit] Persepolis 2
Marji, Satrapi's young alter ego, grows in a country of deep political and personal repression. Still having the freshness of the first Persepolis, this graphic novel is highly rated and has won the Angoulême International Comics Festival Prize for Scenario in Angouleme, France, for its script and in Vitoria, Spain, for its commitment against totalitarianism. It has been translated into English, Spanish, and other languages.
In the United States, Persepolis 2 is the name given to a compilation of Persepolis 3 and Persepolis 4, the sequels to Persepolis 2. Persepolis and Persepolis 2 are compiled into the single volume Persepolis in the U.S.
