Wulf's Book Reviews

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi My rating: 5 of 5 stars Earlier this year, I read the first part of Marjane Satrapi's memoirs, the graphic novel “ Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood ”. Now, I felt, was a good time to revisit her story that in this second part begins with her difficult years in Austria. In Vienna, Marjane feels isolated: Her experiences living in Vienna as a young adult highlight the challenges of being a foreigner in a new and unfamiliar culture. Marjane's struggles with language, cultural norms, and social expectations make her feel like an outsider. Her experiences in Vienna also highlight the cultural differences between Iran and the West, and the challenges of navigating those differences as a young person. Marjane’s rebellious streak and her desire to fit in with her Western peers often clash with her Iranian upbringing and cultural values, leading to feelings of confusion and isolation. Considering she lived there d...

Saga, Compendium One by Brian K. Vaughan My rating: 5 of 5 stars It has been a very long time since I’ve had this much fun with comics! The story follows Alana and Marko, two former soldiers, now deserters from their opposing armies, who got married and went on to found a family. We see their daughter, Hazel, growing up on the run with her parents in a (mostly) hostile universe in which they encounter new friends and enemies alike. And this is where Saga shines beyond any other comic I’ve ever encountered: Our fugitives meet a broad range of people who more often than not want to either capture or kill them. Unless there’s no other way, Alana, Marko… … and their very diverse rag tag group of friends… …and great sidekicks… …will treat people with respect… …kindness and the kind of simple decency I wish all of us would apply… There are certainly very adult topics and scenes but they’re very obviously not included to “disturb” or “provoke” but they’re sensible p...

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy My rating: 1 of 5 stars “My author owned lots of calendars!”, said the mole. “He cut them all up, collected all the calendar sayings and compiled them into one book.”, he added. The fox excitedly added: “He chose a font that makes the reader work to decipher it so that there’s a feeling of accomplishment!” “I did the drawings!”, the boy exclaimed. “They may not be pretty but they’re mine. They’ll make Charlie money, money, money because it’s funny!” “Wow”, said the fox, “and people actually buy that book?” “Yes, fox, they’re daft like that! Not that anything is totally wrong about these ‘pearls of wisdom’; they’re just so trite that nobody should pay money for this stuff!” The horse was neighing: “» Tears fall for a reason and they are your strength not weakness. « - they actually think that’s “profound”. Or so amazingly cute. Just because we’re anthropomorphized animals and we look good on Insta!” One star ou...

Persepolis: The Story of an Iranian Childhood by Marjane Satrapi My rating: 4 of 5 stars Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis is a powerful and moving graphic novel that tells the story of the author growing up in Iran. I was pleasantly surprised the graphic novel form succeeded at telling complex and nuanced stories in a highly accessible way. For readers like myself with limited prior knowledge of Iran, the book provides a valuable and accessible window into the complexities of life during this historical period in a country that I for one only associate with the "Axis of Evil" and the brutal oppression of any kind of opposition to the regime. One of the strengths of Persepolis is the way that it makes the experience of living through the revolution and the war tangible. It presented me with a sense of the everyday challenges and fears that people faced, as well as the more profound philosophical questions about identity and beliefs. The book feels so real, so true to lif...