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French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

france24.com

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Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#101

Post by kranke155 »

everdrive wrote: post #100
fidotron wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is the version of events you'd prefer to see simply never happens, it's just pure fantasy. If this represented that it would be reduced to childish nonsense.

I don't think it's childish nonsense to wish better things for people, or to express disappointment when people err.

I think what OC is saying above is that the adult version of reality is often unsatisfying - and that often the ability of great artists is to show us this, knowing they will be judged, and get past it, because a true record of history is more important than an indulgent, sanitised one that makes for easy reading.

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#102

Post by kranke155 »

p-e-w wrote: post #29
internet_points wrote: post #21

The graphic novel was very good, showing what Iran must have felt like to iranians before the revolution, and the sadness at having lost that way of life. I highly recommend reading it.

At least to the kind of Iranians who were sending their children to French schools, yes. But of course the other kind of people very rarely have someone writing international bestsellers on their behalf, so this is all we’ll get.

And ? the author couldn't have written it from the pov of someone else. youre asking someone to do something that cant be done, and then blaming them for not doing it ?

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#103

Post by actionfromafar »

shermantanktop wrote: post #58
conductr wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Idk, I didn’t read this book. But I lived a similar version of that reality in a conservative southern US town. My home life was challenging. I sold drugs and generally was a rebellious troublesome teenager. All the officials in my school and local law enforcement gave me kind slaps on the wrist compared to what they could/should have. I had to assume they were trying to get me to a point of adulthood without having…

The lenience you enjoyed presumably resulted in problems or harm for others. I got a few breaks as well as a kid too. I think teenage boys end up being a community investment and people are cleaning up broken windows, stolen cars, graffiti, and worse as we hope the kids grow up.

And it probably saved a lot of problems or harm for others, further down the line. OP might have become a career criminal without that lenience.

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#104

Post by projektfu »

watwut wrote: post #67
colechristensen wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's jarring to many people is it isn't the three act hero's journey of a noble savage. The "something" going on is that it isn't a copy of just about the only narrative in western mythos: 1. Departure - from a humble background the subject leaves amid struggle 2. Growth and Initiation - the subject discovers who they are building themselves into the hero they'll become 3. Heroic Return - the now hero makes a retur…

I kind of resent that "western" started to be used as synonym for "America". Specifically this particular schema along with insistence with happy ending is specific feature of American book writing and cinema. Non American literature is much more likely to go out of that schematic. To whoever is downvoting this: it is not even a criticism. Just a description. When you discuss stories, Americans will frequently insist…

American novels frequently don't follow these tropes. It's more of a Hollywood thing, part of telling a satisfying story in 100-160 minutes.

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#105

Post by p-e-w »

kranke155 wrote: post #102
p-e-w wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least to the kind of Iranians who were sending their children to French schools, yes. But of course the other kind of people very rarely have someone writing international bestsellers on their behalf, so this is all we’ll get.

And ? the author couldn't have written it from the pov of someone else. youre asking someone to do something that cant be done, and then blaming them for not doing it ?

There’s no “blaming” here at all, just the observation that books that are considered to be representative of a certain culture are often only representative of that culture’s elite.

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#106

Post by kranke155 »

p-e-w wrote: post #105
kranke155 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And ? the author couldn't have written it from the pov of someone else. youre asking someone to do something that cant be done, and then blaming them for not doing it ?

There’s no “blaming” here at all, just the observation that books that are considered to be representative of a certain culture are often only representative of that culture’s elite.

Ok. I thought that was well known.

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#107

Post by fidotron »

kranke155 wrote: post #101
everdrive wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think it's childish nonsense to wish better things for people, or to express disappointment when people err.

I think what OC is saying above is that the adult version of reality is often unsatisfying - and that often the ability of great artists is to show us this, knowing they will be judged, and get past it, because a true record of history is more important than an indulgent, sanitised one that makes for easy reading.

> I think what OC is saying above is that the adult version of reality is often unsatisfying

I'd quibble with your choice of words there, although I agree with the overall point - ultimately adult reality is the only thing that satisfies, warts and all, everything else is a waste of energy.

This is even true by proxy in more fantastic works, where the point is to communicate aspects of adult reality in less direct ways.

There is a very clear cultural divide here on this between the americans and everyone else, which is kind of funny given Girard was working in the US when he famously formulated it so clearly to a mainly american audience.

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#108

Post by jagaerglad »

ndiddy wrote: post #73
p-e-w wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least to the kind of Iranians who were sending their children to French schools, yes. But of course the other kind of people very rarely have someone writing international bestsellers on their behalf, so this is all we’ll get.

I think it's a very well written personal memoir that shows what the revolution felt like to someone growing up in the Iranian urban upper class. It portrays the revolution as there being a hope for change, prior to religious men with beards and guns inexplicably showing up because that's what did happen from her perspective. I don't see anything necessarily wrong with this. The revolution was split between college-e…

Adding to what you said, it's worth to mention that her novel contains grave historical inaccuracies such that suggesting that the Cinema Rex fire was done by the Shah blocking the exits with police letting everyone burn, and later blamed on Islamists (what the revolutionary zeitgeist at the time wanted to believe), while in fact it was exactly the other way around

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_Rex_fire

Re: French-Iranian author Marjane Satrapi, author of 'Persepolis', dies at 56

#110

Post by jagaerglad »

MattGrommes wrote: post #93
rustyhancock wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does it say what happened? Died of sadness did make me wonder about something self inflicted.

That's always a possibility but I've seen my Grandpa die of a broken heart after my Grandma died. The night of her funeral he asked his children if they thought someone could die of a broken heart and after that it took him less than a year to go himself. I'd never considered that saying to be true until then but I watched it happen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takotsubo_cardiomyopathy

"It usually appears after a significant stressor, either physical or emotional; when caused by the latter, the condition is sometimes called broken heart syndrome"

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