The Complete Persepolis

I'm happy to report that The Complete Persepolis is circulating really well. Of course, that's due in part to it being the San Francisco Public Library's (SFPL) current On the Same Page selection for July-August. If you don't already know, On the Same Page is the SFPL's bimonthly book club. Every two months we choose a book with the intent of getting San Franciscans to read and discuss the same book.

The Complete Persepolis is a graphic novel. It is a moving, humanistic story told in words and pictures about the author's coming of age in Tehran, Iran, before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. It is also an informative look at how the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution affected the lives of normal Iranian citizens. Satrapi's Persepolis was originally published in two parts (Persepolis and Persepolis 2), but in 2007 Pantheon Books combined the two in one volume called The Complete Persepolis. That is the version of which we have purchased multiple copies for On the Same Page. I highly recommend reserving a copy for pickup at the Mission branch, since all our copies are usually checked out. I want to also point out that the Mission branch has Spanish language versions of Persepolis, divided into four parts.

Also, in 2007 the animated film version of Persepolis was released. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film (but lost to Ratatouille). SFPL has the DVD on order right now. It should be available soon to reserve and check out.