When I was texting my friend about the title, The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi, her comments made me realize I was not doing the book justice. I mean “outdated”? How could that be? She’s not a DID (Damsel in Distress). And she goes off to save the prince. Okay, so yeah, he was a bit of a creeper (drugging her and going into her bedroom at night to stroke her hair) and he never told her not to touch the feather…. But outdated? And okay, there are slave markets, but it’s not like she is forced into them. She chooses to sell herself so she can find the answer to save her true love…..Okay, I’m starting to see it.
This mixture of some modern and classic elements makes Satrapi’s emotional read one that you feel the meaning of the story. You experience it but it has a poetic element. It is a story where your own biases, experiences, and your like or dislike of the author come into play. It is not necessarily for everyone. Some pieces make me think that the story might be based on fairy and folk tales. There is a bit of Beauty and the Beast (three daughters, a merchant father, the youngest daughter off to marry the unknown benefactor); a little Rumplestilksen (the merchant promises anything to get what he wants, but not thinking it through), and while I am not sure of a particular one, I would assume some Iranian or Persian influences as well.
The illustrations are interesting and, for the most part, I enjoyed them. They are not muted nor are they bouncing off the page. They are realistic, but have abstract elements, too. They are not overly detailed but you get the picture of things. But, regarding the story, I neither loved nor disliked it.
Research has this book aimed at the fourth grade and up, or aged 10 and up, crowd. And while, yes, I didn’t find anything “horrific” I am leaning towards adults and not kids (or even teens) for this book. Satrapi, even if her book was meant for younger readers, I feel was always meant for the adult. Except for Monsters Are Afraid of the Moon, which is a pure picture book. That lends itself to most ages.
