Classics and Comics: Hour 10 Mini-Challenge

*******CHALLENGE CLOSED ***********

 Kristen (@glitterfem) is our winner!!!

I hope all of the readathon is going well for all of you! 

Classics and graphic novels are two of my favorite genres, but they're rarely paired together. Recently tons of classics have been turned into graphic novels, (like Jane Eyre seen above), and it's such a fun way to see a beloved story in a new format. 

For this challenge pick a classic novel and pair it with a companion graphic novel that is similar or shares themes in some way. For example, To Kill a Mockingbird would pair well with Persepolis because they are both books about a young girl coming-of-age in the midst of society filled with prejudices. 

Post your pairings in the comments or on Instagram with the hashtag #classicsandcomics and I'll pick a winner at random at the beginning of Hour 13. 

Please leave your email address in the comments!

PRIZE: $15 book of your choice from Amazon or Book Depository

Top Ten Books I Hope People Still Read in 30 Years

This week's Top Ten from The Broke and the Bookish asks for the Top Ten Books Written In The Past 10 Years That I Hope People Are Still Reading In 30 Years

1) The Book Thief – Seriously people, go read this, then in 30 years make your grandkids read it.

2) John Green’s work – Green has a way of connecting readers to characters that will never lose its punch. I hope his work still reaches new generations of teens when he’s an old man.

3) The Graveyard Book – I hope this one becomes a classic just like the book that inspired it, The Jungle Book.

4) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – I can’t think of the better book that dealt with the trauma that 9/11 caused. I think that it will be a good representation of the confusion and pain people were feeling at that time to future generations.

5) Interpreter of Maladies – Lahiri’s writing is timeless, as are her themes of blending cultures and coming to terms with living in a new country.

6) Persepolis – This one is 2000, but I’m counting it. I hope people are still reading graphic novels in general. It’s such a wonderful genre and I hope it’s still popular in 30 years.

7) The Harry Potter series – I have a feeling these will be around for a very long time.

8) We Need to Talk About Kevin – Not only is this an incredibly powerful look at the struggles of parenting, it also deals with the acts of violence in schools. We had far too many of those happen in the past 15 years, most notably Columbine and the copycats that followed, and sadly I think that’s something future generations will be curious about.

9) The Year of Magical Thinking – This is the most intimate book on grief that I’ve ever read. Grief is timeless and I think this would resonate with someone who lost a loved one no matter when they read it.

10) The Time Traveler's Wife – I love this book and I hope people never stop reading it.

*Photo from here. 

Persepolis: Part 1 and 2

Persepolis 1: The Story of a Childhood
by Marjane Satrapi
★★★★☆

Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
by Marjane Satrapi
★★★★

This graphic novel has been on my TBR list for far too long. I finally had a chance to read it and I was not disappointed. The first book covers the author’s childhood in war-torn Iran, while the second deals with her teenage and adult years.

It’s disturbing, but incredibly important, to be reminded of the freedoms we take for granted. Perhaps the scariest part of the book is realizing that they had those freedoms and they were revoked. I can’t fathom someone telling me I had to wear a veil all of a sudden when I’ve spent my life without one.

Everything from rock n’ roll posters to Michael Jackson CDs became illegal. The most controversial item of all was the any thinking that contradicted the regime’s belief system.

Satrapi’s spunk and defiance make her an irresistible child. We see the oppression creep into her life and understand it better than she can at first. Her wonderful parents teach her to stand up for her beliefs and she is surrounded by strong family members who do just that.


**Spoilers of the first book, but not the second**

At the end of the first book, Satrapi is sent to live in Austria without her parents. Thus begins her assimilation to western culture. When she eventually returns to Iran, this creates a dichotomy in her personality. She never felt truly at home in Austria, but when she’s back in Iran, she realizes she doesn’t quite belong there either.

The second book loses a bit of the magic of the first, just as growing up in the real world always does. Instead of an innocent child’s view of a violence and oppression, we have a young woman trying to figure out who she is all while being influenced by both western and eastern cultures. It’s more a coming of age tale than the first book.

“When we're afraid, we lose all sense of analysis and reflection. Our fear paralyzes us.”