Martyr!: A Novel

At time funny and others deep, it never let me down. Great story and very thought provoking.

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.

I've just finished reading this book for a class on the Dayton Literary Peace Prize at the University of Dayton. I began the book on my guard because our class moderator said "this is the only book given the top award that I've ever dislike." Fair enough warning. Cyrus, the protagonist, is a pill-popping, alcoholic, fouled-up college student--seriously impossible to like! In addition, the chapters jump back-&-forth through time with a confusing multitude of characters. HOWEVER, please stick with it as it turns into one of those books which will amaze you about the beauty & power of literary fiction. By the time you reach the dazzling finale you will have wanted to underline all the tremendous bits of humor and philosophy. NOT TO BE MISSED!

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.

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.

Livro incrível!!

Came in perfect condition. Love the book

Amazing book ! Every sentence is a masterpiece

Fue n regalo parai hijo. Ha gustado mucho

Great read