Because You Want To Book Club #7: "Chicken With Plums"

I have officially become hooked on the writings of Marjane Satrapi. After seeing and reading “Persepolis,” her autobiography about growing up and returning to Iran, and “Embroideres,” which I previously reviewed in an earlier book club entry, I wasted no time tracking down a copy of her most recent graphic novel “Chicken With Plums.”

Of all her books thus far, “Chicken With Plums” has proven to be the most divisive with some people calling it her best work and other readers saying it is her least. The people who say it is one of her lesser works deride it for being far too short and not as resonant a story as “Persepolis” was. People expecting a continuation of Marjane’s personal life will be sorely disappointed (although she does show up very briefly in what amounts almost to the literary equivalent of a cameo); people looking for a meditation on life itself and what makes it worth living, however, couldn’t possibly do much better.

"Plums” focuses on Marjane’s great-uncle, Nassir Ali, who died before she was even born. Nassir was an accomplished tar player in his time, but after an argument with his wife the tar he cherishes is broken and not only does he lose the taste for music but the taste for life itself. Nassir lies in bed all day, away from his wife and children, and simply waits to die.

What starts out as the story of a petulant man quickly becomes something more as the details of his life begin to unfold and we learn the secret behind his music. The conclusion is a wonderful literary curveball that made me go back and read the short book a second time.

While I like the book, many people I have talked to almost vehemently demand that Strapi return to her more autobiographical roots instead of exploring family stories that she was not around for. Yet astoundingly, these same people seem to love “Embroideries,” which was about 90% stories she had absolutely no part of. These people are not to be listened to. If you enjoyed her other works, you should get some enjoyment out of this one as well. It is a rare book that is short yet washes over you allowing you to take in every detail. Satrapi writes in a clear, assured voice that is all too rare in literature, graphic or otherwise, today.

Grade: A-