What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedPersepolis
Marjane Satrapi · Film · 2007
If you loved Persepolis, start with Persepolis (Marjane Satrapi) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Persepolis across media.
What hooked you in Persepolis is the way the grand, crushing weight of political history is filtered through a deeply intimate, personal lens.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
The Shah
Abbas Milani · Book · 2012
Shares a thread with Persepolis: Iranian Revolution.
If the historical context of Persepolis fascinated you, this biography offers a scholarly deep dive into the same regime changes and autocratic power dynamics that defined Marjane Satrapi’s childhood.
The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale (Pantheon Graphic Library)
Art Spiegelman · Book · 2022
Explores: The Holocaust, Family Trauma, Intergenerational Trauma.
Like Persepolis, this graphic novel uses the medium to process harrowing generational trauma, proving that personal history is an essential tool for understanding the broader, often violent, political landscape.
Fun Home
Alison Bechdel · Book · 2007
Explores: Father-Daughter Relationship, Sexual Identity, Family Secrets.
Much like Persepolis, this memoir uses the graphic novel format to explore the messy, complicated intersection of a young woman’s identity and her difficult, formative relationship with her father.
Confessions
Saint Augustine · Book · 2007
Explores: Redemption, Sin and Forgiveness, The Search for Meaning.
Fans of the autobiographical honesty in Persepolis will appreciate this foundational text, which similarly examines the struggle of an individual soul navigating moral, spiritual, and cultural upheaval during youth.
Series on the same thread
Invincible
Series · 2021
Explores: Father-Son Relationship, Superhero Legacy, Brutal Superhero.
This show echoes the coming-of-age trajectory found in Persepolis, centering on a young person who must reconcile their own developing identity with the formidable, often dangerous, legacy of their parent.
The Heroes
Siavash ZarrinAbadi · Series · 2008
Explores: Heroism, Morality, Good vs Evil.
These moral tales mirror the cultural storytelling of Persepolis, focusing on how individuals define their values and heroism amidst the shifting social tides of their specific historical and regional environment.
South Park
Trey Parker · Series · 1997
Explores: Social Commentary, Political Satire, Child Protagonists.
If you valued the biting social commentary in Persepolis, you will recognize that same penchant for using irreverent, small-town perspectives to dissect and satirize the larger political absurdity of society.
BoJack Horseman
Raphael Bob-Waksberg · Series · 2014
Explores: Existentialism, Depression, Celebrity Culture.
Similar to the self-reflective tone of Persepolis, this series explores the internal cost of surviving a turbulent past, highlighting the existential weight of living with memories and self-destructive habits.
Podcasts on the same thread
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
Just as Persepolis provides a human face to the Iranian Revolution, this podcast explores the cyclical nature of societal collapse, offering the intellectual context behind the political upheavals you witnessed.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Existentialism, Individual Responsibility, Cultural Critique.
Because Persepolis deals with the struggle of defining one's identity against religious and cultural dogma, you will find value in this exploration of individual responsibility and the search for meaning.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is the Persepolis movie based on the book?
Yes, the 2007 film Persepolis is an adaptation of the graphic novel series of the same name. Both works were written by Marjane Satrapi and follow her personal experiences growing up in Iran during the transition from the Shah’s rule to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism.
Should I read the Persepolis book before watching the movie?
You can enjoy the film without reading the book, as the 2007 movie Persepolis effectively captures the narrative of Marji growing up in 1970s Iran. Both versions offer a complete perspective on her family’s life and the historical events of the Iranian Revolution.
What is the Persepolis movie about?
The film Persepolis depicts the childhood and adolescence of Marjane Satrapi during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. It follows her perspective as she observes the fall of the Shah and the subsequent emergence of a repressive regime under Islamic fundamentalists in her home country of Iran.
Does the Persepolis movie cover the full story of the book?
The movie Persepolis condenses the events found in the source material to focus on Marji’s life as she witnesses the political shifts in Iran. While the film is a faithful adaptation, the book provides additional depth regarding the experiences of her family during those years.