Book Review: Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

I'd wanted to read Persepolis for quite some time, even before I saw the film. I had vague intentions of getting it out of the library, but my to-get-from-the-library list is about a mile long and has to compete for attention with all the books I own. Happily, I got given a copy as part of a Secret Santa, so it managed to jump the library queue. Yay!

Persepolis is a (slightly-fictionalised according to various sources) memoir in two parts, which were originally published in French. The edition I have from Vintage Books collects both parts in a trade paperback, but it is also available from Pantheon Books in a larger format. The first part, 'The Story of a Childhood', follows the author's childhood in Iran, following the Islamic Revolution and exploring how her everyday life was altered. She becomes more and more rebellious when she reaches her teens, and her parents decide that she will be safer and happier if she goes away to school in Austria, which is where the second part begins. 'The Story of a Return' is about her experiences in Austria, and her decision to return to Iran.

Successful memoirs feel honest, and Persepolis certainly does. Marjane Satrapi shows herself and the people she loves as flawed human beings, and therefore I found it easy to trust her impressions of people who treat her or other people badly. Persepolis balances the serious, unflinching depictions of wars and revolutions with humour and details about her family life - I cried a couple of times but I laughed a lot more.

I loved all the little snippets of Iran's history. The school curriculum in the UK treats British history as if it's the history of the whole world, while simultaneously leaving out most of the parts of British history that are actually important to world history, ie. all the unsavoury details about the British Empire. I feel like there is a shamefully huge gap in my knowledge and I actually really enjoy learning about history when it's not confined to the World Wars. What is great about Persepolis is that the historical details are interwoven with the author's life - they are things that she learnt about in childhood, or that she explains briefly to the reader so that the surrounding parts of the story make sense. It made me want to find out more.

I started reading Persepolis when I was ill - I was feeling dizzy and wanted something that would be easy to follow, and that would take my mind off of all the things that I was incapable of getting on with. It was the perfect choice, and has left me with a craving for more graphic memoirs. If you have any recommendations, please leave me a comment!

Book Review: Janes in Love, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

 Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

This book is the second in a series, please read my review of The Plain Janes.

Janes in Love picks up where The Plain Janes left off. It's Valentine's Day and the Main Jane, Jane Buckles, wants a date for the Ides of March ball, but is torn between two boys. One of them she likes and knows, however, he doesn't seem to be attracted to her as much as the newcomer is. But then he is stuck doing community service because of her! It's a difficult situation, but she has a lot to distract her - the Janes are running out of money, Theatre Jane has fallen for an actor and Polly Jane has a boyfriend.

Things get worse when most of the Janes are caught by Officer Sanchez putting one of their public art pieces together, and after another terrorist attack, Main Jane's mother stops leaving the house. It also becomes clear that Main Jane has a secret admirer - is it one of the boys she can't decide between, or someone else? Main Jane is now sending letters to Poland for Miroslaw, and he inspires her to apply for a grant for P.L.A.I.N. to create a community art garden. Could this save the Janes?

I didn't like this book as much as I did The Plain Janes. The characters didn't really develop any more, which was disappointing, and I would have liked to see more public art and less worrying about love lives. The cover and title slightly annoyed me, they made this title very much more a 'girl' book whereas I thought the first book would appeal to boys as well. However, it was an entertaining read and because it is a short, mini-sized graphic novel, it took 40 minutes maximum for me to get through. It is definitely worth reading if you enjoyed The Plain Jane, and you need to read the first book in order to understand and appreciate this sequel. It was nice to spend time with the Janes again and it was easier to get into the plot of this one knowing the background information already. There was also a great romantic twist at the end! It is a shame that the Minx imprint was cancelled and that the sequels the writer and artist had planned are unlikely to surface.

You can see some pages from Janes In Love (without text, so no spoilers) and from the cancelled third instalment in the series, Janes Go Summer here at the readergirlz blog.

Book Review: The Plain Janes, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

 by nicasaurusrex

After a terrorist attack in her old home, Metro City, Jane Beckles' parents decide to move away to the suburban town of Kent Waters. She joins the local school and decides that she doesn't want to have the superficial friendships she had in Metro City any more. When the most popular girl in school invites her to sit at her table, Jane walks away, choosing to eat with the group of misfit girls instead. She asks them their names and decides that she, Theatre Jane, brainy Jayne, and sporty Polly Jane should be a gang immediately.

Jane is still making trips back to Metro City - when the bomb exploded she found herself lying in the street beside a man who is now in a coma, they call him John Doe. Jane treasures the sketchbook she 'borrowed' from him, which has 'Art Saves' written on the cover. She writes to him regularly, and we see these letters in the book. Jane decides to see if art can save, to try to make the outside world more beautiful for her, and the Janes become an art gang, called P. L. A. I. N. - People Loving Art In Neighbourhoods. They start sneaking around at night, creating public artworks - like putting bubbles in fountains and a whole load of garden gnomes together - but since the bomb went off in Metro City, people have closed their minds and they are frightened by the anonymous displays, leading to curfews and police warnings...

I really enjoyed The Plain Janes. It has a fast paced yet emotionally striking storyline, and I liked the idea of a gang of girls secretly making public art pieces. The art works for the most part, although it is sometimes too sparse, I would have liked more detail, especially in the interior of buildings. The Janes' characters do rely too much on clichés, and the main Jane, Jane Buckles, and Theatre Jane, have more space spent developing their characters than the other two. I would also have liked to see some aspects of the plot explained in more detail, to see some of Jane's life before the terrorist attack. There is a lot crammed into to this short book, which is overall a good thing, but I often wanted it to be fleshed out more. The book doesn't have a real ending, it just cuts off - but there is a sequel, Janes In Love, that concludes the girls' story. There were originally meant to be several books in this series, but the Minx imprint was cancelled.

I think The Plain Janes is a fantastic read for teenagers, with its themes of rebellion and friendship. Jane is a great heroine for teenage girls to look up to, but the story could appeal to boys too. It would be especially good for reluctant readers, as the style is very filmic and it is quick to get through, thinner than the average paperback and light to carry around. Adults should enjoy this too but they are more likely to wish it was longer and that the characterisation and plot was filled out more.

The Plain Janes was the first release under the DC Comics imprint Minx, aimed at young girls and cancelled after only two years. It is the first book in this imprint that I have read, I have now read four and hope to read all the others that made it to print before the line was cancelled, look out for more Minx reviews coming up!

The Plain Janes is written by Cecil Castellucci, who has three published YA novels and is also a musician. Her website is . The art is by Jim Rugg, best known for his work on the comic book series Street Angel.