Martyr!: A Novel

Rarely enough to keep the experience special does the right book hit you at the right time and it feels like magic. Martyr! was both foreign and familiar, cringe and comfort, fantastical and realistic, and reading it is a memorable moment in time. It's an immigrant story, a generational family trauma, a college novel, an addict survival tale, a LBGTQ+ struggle, and country and city mouse journey, while wrestling with politics, art, love, poetry, writing, creating, mental and emotional health, dreaming, and magical realism. It's got NYC and Brooklyn! It's got everything you could ask for and more that you'd never think of asking it. My advice and while I'll refrain from sharing any plot or thoughts on that ending, is to just open it up and start reading... let it take you somewhere. It brought back coming of age feelings that I haven't experience on paper since Leaving The Atocha Station by Ben Lerner and is already a book I'm buying for others, pressing it into their hands, saying give yourself over to this, trust this book, and it will reward you with riches - then come talk to me about it. It's a book you want to read again right after finishing it. It's that special gift, that rare book, that you've already seen everywhere yet still manages to live up to and earn its hype. Read it.

I will dispense with describing the plot of Martyr! - that's been done enough in other reviews and the novel's publicity communications. To get directly to its net effect... Overall, I found this work very enjoyable, having begun it with no particular expectations and little knowledge of the storyline. HOWEVER, I consumed it as an AUDIOBOOK. Throughout its 10+ hours I wondered if it would be as compelling if I were reading it - indeed, I suspected that certain parts might be outright boring in script form. From what I am seeing in other reviews, I believe those wonderings are borne out. The vocal narration was outstanding. Crucially, it took care of what appears to be the most frequent criticism of the book's multiple POV structure: that, in script, all the characters sounded alike. Narrator Arian Moyayed did a remarkable job of bringing the various players to life and imparting unique personalities/voices to each. To those who rated Martyr! one or two stars, I'd say, well, horses for courses. To the three star raters, I'd say you should have listened to the audio - it might have hit you as a four, or maybe even five. As for other critique points...One, be alerted that Martyr! does not really have a "plot" as such. Like much literary fiction, it is character driven and philosophical point driven. Two, in a couple instances, the "point" being made has little or nothing to do with what is otherwise happening with the main character's life - and it gets a bit soap-boxy. Three, readers/listeners might detect an interesting compare/contrast between the narrative of this protagonist's substance addiction experiences and those of the protagonist in Barabara Kingsolver's "Demon Copperhead". Lastly, I've seen that some folks expected more humor based on the book's promotion; I saw none of that promotion so I didn't expect it, and for me the amount of humor was just right. As with all books, this one has its flaws. But if you are a literary fiction fan this is a very good book. I would speculatively rate it a solid three-stars in its written form, and highly recommend it in audio.

*Martyr!* by Kaveh Akbar is a standout piece of literature that truly showcases the author’s brilliant writing skills. Unlike many books frequently recommended today, this work is refreshingly different, diving deep into themes that are often overlooked. As an Iranian American, I found that the book resonates on a deeply personal level, capturing the complexities of identity, displacement, and the internal conflicts that come with straddling two cultures. Akbar’s prose is both raw and poetic, making it impossible not to feel the weight of his words. This book isn’t just a read—it’s an experience that lingers long after you’ve finished the last page. Highly recommended for those who seek something genuine and thought-provoking.

Solid work. Slows a little towards the middle . But good . Plot works . But slow . It’s ok.

I confess I had a hard time finishing this novel, getting stuck and unmotivated about halfway through. It’s worth plowing ahead because it does get better, and is beautifully written the whole way through.

Cyrus Shams is an Iranian immigrant, although he came to the United States as a baby so identifies with both his Middle Eastern and his American backgrounds. His mother was shot down in a plane by the American military on a commercial flight when Cyrus was four months old so he has no memory of her. His father decided to come to the United States to make a new life for he and Cyrus but could only find factory work, killing chickens in a processing plant. Cyrus has one uncle left in Iran, his mother's brother. He suffers from PSTD from his role in the war with Iraq where he rode the battlefield dressed in black, offering comfort to those left dying there. Now as an adult, Cyrus isn't sure what he will do. He went off the deep end for quite a while, drinking and doing drugs. He has been sober for about a year now and considering writing a book about martyrs as he feels he has extensive knowledge of them. Cyrus is a poet and unsure if his book will be in prose or verse. He also plays with the idea of doing away with himself as another example of a martyr. Cyrus hears of an art installation in New York. An Iranian female artist is dying, a victim of cancer. She is choosing to live out her life at the museum, sitting and willing to talk with any of the museum patrons. Cyrus is fascinated with this and along with his best friend and sometime lover, goes to New York to see what the woman has to say about martyrship. Will she change his mind? Kaveh Akbar is an Iranian immigrant himself, born in Iran but now in the United States where he teaches in Iowa. He has two books of published poetry and his work has appeared in many magazines. He is the poet editor of The Review. This is his debut novel and it is shortlisted for the National Book Award, a Times Best 10 Book and a New York Time's Book Review 10 Best Books of the Year. Cyrus will pluck the heartstrings of the reader as they cheer him on, hoping that he can find peace and a reason to live. Poetry, the immigrant experience and the high rate of addiction among those whose lives start in chaos are discussed. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction and those interested in the lives of those from other cultures.

“I want to be worthy of the great terror my existence inspires.” This book left me absolutely breathless. 72 hours after finishing it, I’m still suffering from the hangover of how much I loved it. Martyr! follows Cyrus, a yet-to-be-discovered Iranian American poet, as he tries to make sense of his life and his grief. His mother is dead, his father is dead, he’s stuck in a job as a medical actor, and now that he’s sober, he can’t use substances to take the edge off. He’s starting to wonder whether joy is even real anymore when he’s struck by his next great idea: he’ll write a book about martyrs. As he begins searching the world for examples, a friend tells him about a museum exhibit: an Iranian woman, dying of cancer, spending her last days in the museum, talking to people. And thus begins Cyrus’s search for meaning. Being familiar with Akbar’s poetry, I thought I knew what I was getting myself into when I cracked this book open. The goosebumps that peppered my arms and tears that crawled down my face while I was reading would suggest otherwise. Akbar’s lyricism effortlessly echoes through every line of this book. Martyr! illustrates the power and the insufficiency of language, the way it can both elucidate and obscure. Beyond the prose, Akbar’s fiction debut tackles a wide range of topics: grief, racism, sexuality, family dynamics, Persian culture, gender roles. Martyr!’s characters leap off the page as Akbar employs them to explore these diverse subjects. With alternating POVs between Cyrus, his mother, his father, and his uncle, this book becomes both a captivating character study and a heart-rending family saga. This is another must-read recommendation for my diverse lit-fic lovers! Thank you, Kaveh, for such beautiful polysexual and sapphic representation and for everything I learned about Persian culture. I’m already planning to reread Martyr! later this year 🌻 Run, don’t walk, to pick up a copy of this amazing new book!

Martyr follows Cyrus Shams, a young addict struggling to maintain sobriety while searching for meaning in his life. Born in Persia, Cyrus is brought to the United States by his father after his mother is killed when her plane is accidentally shot down over the Persian Gulf by the U.S. government. As he grapples with his mother’s death, his father’s eventual passing, and his desire to write a book that might make sense of these losses, Cyrus travels from Indiana to New York to interview Orkideh, an artist dying of cancer. During this journey, he uncovers a revelation about his mother that reshapes his understanding of his past. The novel weaves together layered themes of bisexuality, grief, depression, addiction, racism, martyrdom, and self-discovery. While rich and thought-provoking, I found it challenging to follow at times.