Persepolis books in order

Persepolis series by Marjane Satrapi in reading order. Autobiographical graphic memoir about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood 2003 Marjane Satrapi Buy
2 Persépolis 2007 Marjane Satrapi N/A
3 Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return 2003 Marjane Satrapi Buy
4 Persépolis, 2 2005 Marjane Satrapi N/A
5 Persepolis 3 2003 Marjane Satrapi Buy
6 Persepolis 4 2005 Marjane Satrapi Buy

Persepolis is Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic memoir, originally published in French as four volumes and later collected into two English-language editions. The series tells the story of Satrapi’s childhood in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq War, followed by her experiences as a young Iranian woman living alone in Vienna and later returning to Iran.

The first volume, Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, covers Satrapi’s early years, including her family’s leftist political background, the fall of the Shah, and the rise of the new theocratic government. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return picks up with her time in Europe and her difficult adjustment to life back in Iran. The books are drawn in a stark black-and-white style that gives the story a directness that suits its subject matter. Persepolis has been translated into dozens of languages and is widely assigned in schools and universities. The 2007 animated film adaptation, which Satrapi co-directed, brought the story to an even wider audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Persepolis series?

There are six books in the Persepolis series, published between 2003 and 2007.

What is the first book in the Persepolis series?

The first book in the Persepolis series is Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, published in 2003.

"Is Persepolis based on a true story?"

“Yes, Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic memoir. Marjane Satrapi based the series on her own experiences growing up in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, and later as an Iranian teenager living in Europe.”

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