Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return

Marjane Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis took the world by storm a few years ago, first in its native French, then in English. Of course, since the graphic autobiography ("graphic" in terms of "graphic novel," not as in 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed) stops when Satrapi is fourteen, you know there has to be more.

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return takes us through Satrapi's adolescence-- her years in Europe, then, as the title promises, a return to Iran during her eighteenth year after a cascade of nasty events (some her fault, some not) that leave her homeless and ill.

Where Persepolis is good, its sequel plays on the first book's strengths while more successfully integrating the overarching issues of the never-ending wars in which Iran finds itself. When Satrapi discusses the regime's reasons for using the veils in the book's most important panels, it doesn't seem intrusive at all, despite stopping the action (briefly) and having no use other than imparting sociopolitical values. It's a very rare thing when that works.

Persepolis is good stuff; Persepolis 2 is even better.