Some might think this is a "foodie" book based on the title, but it isn't really. Chickens with plums is the favorite dish of the main character, Nasser Ali Khan — and at one point, he reminisces about this dish — hence the title. Nasser Ali Khan was the author’s great-uncle, and she bases this graphic novel on him.

This novel takes place over the course of eight days. On the first day, Nasser Ali decides to die, so he takes to his bed. He is a musician who plays a stringed instrument, called a tar. Under unhappy circumstances, his tar breaks and is irrepairable (and to him, irreplacable also). Is this why he wants to die? During the week that Nasser Ali is in his bed refusing to eat and drink, the reader experiences conversations he has with his family and friends, flash-backs to Nasser Ali’s past, and his thoughts on what the future without him might hold.

I really empathized with Nasser Ali and the ending of the book (somewhat a surprise) brought tears to my eyes. If you are a Marjane Satrapi fan already, you will appreciate this graphic novel. If you haven’t read her before, it’s not necessary to have read any of her previous graphic novels– it is a stand-alone novel. ( )

This graphic novel is patterned like a historical folk-tale. The title is the name of the main character’s favourite food, which symbolizes his passion for some of life’s simple pleasures. Satrapi’s simple illustrations keep the focus on the emotional disparity of a man who settled. ( )

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. ( )

In Marjane Satrapi's "Chicken with Plums", we see the story of her great-uncle, a famous musician who one day decided to lay down and die after his instrument broke. As he lies in bed, his mind travels to different memories, and even though we only see fragments of his life, we grasp his progression through different stages. The stark black and white drawings fill the characters' faces with feelings using just a few lines, as conflict is shown in the mind of the main character, but also his family and close friends. The book displays amazing skill not just in the art, but in the development of the people and the story; each flashback adds new understanding to the question of why he chose to give up on life, and the answer becomes increasingly complicated.

Set in post-coup Iran, Satrapi tells the story of her great uncle Nassar Ali Khan’s last 8 days of life. He was apparently a well regarded tar player in Iran. The book has a very similar feel to her other comics. The art is simple looking, but manages to convey a lot of feeling and emotion. I like her style a lot; it looks like something you could draw yourself — I’ve tried with limited success. The storytelling is a bit more intricate this time around. There are lots of flashbacks, with sequences of panels alternating between the past and present in some of the more extreme cases. It’s not hard to follow whats going on mind you, as the art gives obvious clues as to when the event is taking place. It’s a very cool book. -- http://funkaoshi.com/blog/chicken-and... ( )

For the first three-quarters of the book I was pleading with the main character to please, please, get some treatment for depression. It's beautifully told, but jeez.

And then I hit the end. Oh. And then, after a delay while my brain backtracked and realized everything that had been going on: Ohhhhh...!

And so it has gone over the past week. Every once in a while, I realize again: Ohhh.

The second Satrapi grapchi novel that I have read. Not quite as evocative as Persepolis, very possibly due to the fact that it is not autobiographical. Her trademark plain style in both writing and art continue in this book, and they suit the story of a man who has decided to die. Bleak, yet funny, but not as touching as Persepolis. ( )

Somewhat of a departure from her previous works, though still in the same vein. In November 1958, a man who can no longer can find any joy in life lies down to die. Eight days later, he does so. This book is the story of that week, filled with reflection and understanding and regret. ( )

http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2008... ( )

Despite my love for Satrapi's work, nothing has been as amazing as her Persepolis books. This book, which tells the story of how her great-uncle, a famous Iranian musician, fell into despair and decided to die. It really is his memoir and Satrapi herself only appears in one or two panels set long after his death. This book was sad, but not as compelling as her other works. ( )

http://www.kbuxton.com/weblog/2007/05... ( )

Why do I keep reading this woman? She and I live in two different moral universes, and I just don't find myself much concerned with her characters.
I guess it's the drawings that keep me returning, and they are once again very appealing in this graphic novel.
But that's the only good thing I can say for it. ( )

Marjane Satrapi writes about another relative of hers in Iran- a musician great-uncle. His wife broke his tar (a musical instrument) and he decides that nothing else will bring him pleasure, so he lies down on his bed to die. It took him eight days to die and this book shows what happened during those last eight days.

I wasn't sure I would like this book, but Satrapi's witty and sometimes cynical storytelling comes through. She manages to make the characters in her family come to life and makes a completely different culture very accessible. Recommended for Persepolis fans! ( )

Brilliant storytelling.

After the excellent Persepolis, Embroideries was a bit of a letdown, maybe because of the lighter material. But this short story is more tightly focused and elegantly laid out than either of those, and packs a surprisingly strong punch when it's over. ( )

http://ginasblogging.blogspot.com/200... ( )

Story did not hold my interest: a man without his musical instrument is depressed. ( )

Not as emotionally resonant as Persopolis and infinitely better than Embroderies, Satrapi shows remarkable sophistication with this effort. The story of her great-uncle who commits suicide by slowly not eating or drinking after he marries a woman who resents his tar playing. By dividing the book into chapters/days he lives before he dies is great, as is including the figure of death himself. This is also slightly biographical (with some poetic license), thus his death has an impact that would happen with a fictional character. ( )

Beautiful, but very sad. I think I might like this one best of Satrapi's graphic novels to date, although Embroideries was very lighthearted and fun to read, and Persepolis was certainly educational and moving. A quick read, but very worth it. ( )