The critics made the inevitable comparisons to MAUS when reviewing this graphic novel-style memoir. But this deeply personal child's-eye view of Iran during the fall of the Shah deserves to be considered in its own right. Marjane Satrapi is related both to the old Persian royal family and to Communist rebels. Therefore, it's not surprising that she was raised a sheltered child of privilege and educated to be independent-minded. Unfortunately, the unpleasant realities of life in'70s and'80s Iran--violent demonstrations, imprisonment and executions of relatives and family friends, bombings by Iraq--continually keep intruding into that sheltered life. And neither the repressive regime of the Shah nor the even more repressive fundamentalist Islamic regime that follows is a good place for an independent mind to speak out. Despite Marjane's deep love for and loyalty to her country, does she truly belong there anymore? The black-and-white illustrations, reminiscent of woodcuts, manage to be both childlike and sophisticated and work intimately with the text to provide both a physical and emotional landscape.
