Persepolis: The Story of a ChildhoodPersepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Score Modern
What it's about
Marjane Satrapi was ten years old when the 1979 Islamic Revolution swept Iran. In stark black-and-white drawings, this graphic memoir shows her childhood in Tehran: a bold, funny girl from a progressive family watching the Shah fall, the new regime impose the veil, friends and relatives disappear, and war with Iraq rain bombs on the city, until her parents send her abroad at fourteen for her safety.
Why it's worth reading
It's a classic of the graphic-memoir form, funny and devastating, and it makes a huge historical upheaval intimate through a child's eyes. It's on both the New York Times and Guardian lists of the best books of the century.
You'll love it if you liked
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Educated: A MemoirGood to know
It's a graphic novel and a quick read, about 150 pages. It includes violence and torture shown simply. The story continues in Persepolis 2.
By the numbers
- Readers89 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics80 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #22 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #66 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #117 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
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Quick answers
Is Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood worth reading?
Yes. It's a classic of the graphic-memoir form, funny and devastating, and it makes a huge historical upheaval intimate through a child's eyes. It ranks #117 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood about?
Marjane Satrapi was ten years old when the 1979 Islamic Revolution swept Iran. In stark black-and-white drawings, this graphic memoir shows her childhood in Tehran: a bold, funny girl from a progressive family watching the Shah fall, the new regime impose the veil, friends and relatives disappear, and war with Iraq rain bombs on the city, until her parents send her abroad at fourteen for her safety.
How long does it take to read Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood?
About 4 hours (165 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood?
If you liked it, try Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah or Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.