Author Marjane Satrapi is known for the best selling Persepolis and its film adaptation. However, her excellence as an author and artist does not end there. Last year she wrote another memoir-esque book titled Chicken and Plums which follows the last week of her uncle's life. The graphic novel tells the story of her uncle Naser Aki Khan whose wife breaks his favorite instrument. After searching for a new instrument of the same quality, he realizes that there is none that will satisfy him. Having some to this realization, he decides that he will die and locks himself in his room for eight days before he finally passes. The graphic novel illustrates these last several days which include flashbacks to his troubled childhood, lost love, and marriage. These flashbacks give a helpful backstory to his current relationships with his wife, brother, sister, and children all of whom come to his bedside and try to persuade him to live. Overall, the novel can be summarized by the statement that one of his friends makes "to live, it's not enough to be alive". Though Nasser Aki Khan has lived a life, his flashbacks and reflections show that he may never have been alive.

Though the story is simplistic and the ending is told within the first few pages, it is truly a musing on life and the importance of living. The drawings are equally simplistic but are beautiful and typical of Satrapi's style. Similar to her other books, with the exception of Persepolis, few events actually occur. Yet, the drama is within the characters and their relationships with each other. Perhaps what is most astonishing, is that all of the characters in her novels are not only factual but they are all within her own family. Though her characters are uniquely her own, one can easily identify with certain people and recognize themselves or loved ones in her characterizations. At only 96 pages this is the shortest of her books, readers should not disregard it. In fact, it is just as powerful and moving as her longer novels and resonates with the reader weeks after one has finished reading. Satrapi is able to give the reader a snapshot of only a few days in a person's life and yet make the reader feel as if he/she has been the witness to his entire life and corresponding relationships. Thus by reflecting on Nasser's life, the reader is also reflecting on his/her own. ( )

Didn't enjoy this as much as her (wonderful!) Persepolis books, or Embroideries. It still has the beautiful art, and I'm glad to have read it. ( )

The story of the author's musician uncle, and his death. ( )

I love everything Marjane Satrapi does, so it's no surprise I loved this book. I read this in the context of the 2009 Iranian presidential election, and while this book is not political, it helped give me an insight to a small corner of Iranian culture.

The main character of this graphic novel is a man who decides to die, and within the first few pages, you know that he does. The book outlines his journey toward death, and the reader is the only one who knows it's really going to happen, lending to a darkly bittersweet tone.

I admire Satrapi's emotional honesty and clear-headed approach to tragedy. This man is related to her, although he died before she was born, the story is told with love that was passed down through generations. This slim volume manages to be a luminous rumination on marriage, art, and family. ( )

Another short but engaging piece from Ms. Satrapi. Like Persepolis I was pleasantly surprised to find myself being subtly informed of Iran's recent history via the lenses of her family members. The story is serious but also humorous. I enjoyed the way it deals with marriage and family, passion for art, and how all this gets caught up in day to day complexities. From the get go, you know the story is going to be bittersweet at best. Not any real departure in the illustration style, at least not from this layman's eyes. All well and good, since I enjoy her black and white line drawings. A mix of history, the arts, religion, family, death, music, politics; all the things I want in a graphic novel. I look forward to more by her.
p.s. If you like Persepolis, check out the animated film by the same name that came out a few years ago. The film was hand drawn instead of CG. Be sure to watch the interviews in the extras. ( )