I was apprehensive when starting the graphic novel CHICKEN WITH PLUMS, Marjane Satrapi’s follow-up to her best-selling (and movie-inspiring) PERSEPOLIS. Not only did the title come across confusing and possibly trite, but few cartoonists have avoided the dreaded sophomore slump when releasing material after such an auspicious debut.
Luckily, I needn’t have worried, because Satrapi has created a narrative that, while not containing the emotional power of her first work, in some ways improves upon it with a depth of storytelling that keeps the reader engaged throughout.
The focus of the story is Satrapi’s great-uncle, Nasser Ali Khan, who, in 1958, chose to lay in bed and die. Spoiler alert: After 8 days, he does indeed die, but not before we’re treated to a multilayered chronology of his life and the various happenings which has led him to his chosen fate.
So, yeah, it’s not the feel-good story of the year, but Satrapi fills the panels with big emotions from characters illustrated with incredible visual economy. The story takes occasional detours into humor as well, especially when portraying how the American lifestyle eventually turns Nasser’s California-based grandchildren into morbidly obese candidates for THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW.
The most remarkable aspect of CHICKEN WITH PLUMS is Satrapi’s ability to create a fully fleshed character from a man who died 11 years prior to her birth. With this simple tale, she proves that she’s an artist and storyteller whose best work could easily be yet to come. —Brian Winkeler
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