Books, Films and Word on the Street
Graphic novel Persepolis the focus for Tuesday, Sept. 27
by Shirley Hartt
This weekend is Toronto's biggest celebration of books and authors.
Word on the Street takes place Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Queen's Park. Drop by The Revue and pick up a brochure of the many events; plan which authors you'd like to see. You can also get a program for kids' events. Tens of thousands of people attend, so planning in advance will help you zero in on exactly what you want to see.
At The Revue, we're thrilled to have Word on the Street as our partner for the Book Revue, our monthly series on books and films. Look for some special author events over the next year.
The Revue also will have a table at Word on the Street Sunday. We'll have a selection of old movie posters to give away for a small donation, so drop by at both 325.
September's Book Revue
For our next books and film session at the Revue, we turn to the graphic novel Persepolis and the animated adaptation. Toronto critic Geoff Pevere returns to host the program on Tuesday, September 27, at 6:45 p.m.
The Book
Created by Marjane Satrapi, this unusual graphic novel is a compelling coming-of-age story, chronicles her childhood and adolescence in Iran and Vienna.
In powerful black-and-white comic strip images Persepolis covers the years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s regime, the Islamic Revolution and the devastating effects of the war with Iraq. “Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran, of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life and the enormous toll repressive regimes exact on the individual spirit.” (Pantheon Graphic Novels website)
Satrapi, intelligent and rebellious, must struggle to find her place in the world, dealing with issues of growing up, freedom and religion. She is surprisingly candid in describing her life and her failings, including a shocking betrayal.
Because of her outspokenness, Satrapi ultimately goes into exile in France, promising her parents that she will never return to Iran.
Persepolis, originally published in two parts, is also available in one volume, The Complete Persepolis.
The Film
Satrapi co-wrote and co-directed the animated French film released in 2007. It closely followed the book, using the same bold style as the graphic novel, creating a universal feel to the story. The film was a great success, winning several awards including the Jury Prize at Cannes and Most Popular Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival, as well as garnering an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
The critics on the Rotten Tomatoes website gave Persepolis a 97% positive rating, praising the adaptation.
Peter Bradshaw, of the Guardian, wrote: “Here is an adaptation so simple and so frictionless in its transformation of the source material that it’s almost a miracle.”
Persepolis, as both a book and a film, is an original and moving story – wise, funny and heartbreaking.