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PRODUCT
Martyr!: A novel
Product Description:
Price:
$14.99
Detailed description:
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR FOR 2024 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • A newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a remarkable search for a family secret that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. Electrifying, funny, and wholly original, Martyr! heralds the arrival of an essential new voice in contemporary fiction.
“Kaveh Akbar is one of my favorite writers. Ever.” —Tommy Orange, Pulitzer Prize–nominated author of There There
“The best novel you’ll ever read about the joy of language, addiction, displacement, martyrdom, belonging, homesickness.” —Lauren Groff, best-selling author of Matrix and Fates and Furies
Cyrus Shams is a young man grappling with an inheritance of violence and loss: his mother’s plane was shot down over the skies of the Persian Gulf in a senseless accident; and his father’s life in America was circumscribed by his work killing chickens at a factory farm in the Midwest. Cyrus is a drunk, an addict, and a poet, whose obsession with martyrs leads him to examine the mysteries of his past—toward an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields dressed as the angel of death to inspire and comfort the dying, and toward his mother, through a painting discovered in a Brooklyn art gallery that suggests she may not have been who or what she seemed.
Kaveh Akbar’s Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others.
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Product group:
Categories: Best Books of 2024 So Far
Product name:
Martyr!: A novel
Price:
$14.99
Curtis Ramsauer –
I didn’t get very far into this book. I put it down and didn’t pick it up again. Boring!
mrs kins –
This is an amazing book. The author takes so many turns and addresses multiple issues. It is a difficult book to describe. At heart, it is the story of a young Iranian who was born in Iran but then moved with his father to the U.S. after his mother’s plane is shot down by the U.S. by accident. Cyrus, the main character, is an alcoholic/addict in recovery and looking for a meaningful death. He meets a woman artist who is dying of cancer and chooses to reject treatment of her fatal diagnosis. She turns herself into a museum project entitled, Death Speak. My book club loved it.
MeredithE. –
This book took me on a magnificent journey through immigrant trauma, the fight we experience to find our identity and a meditation on art, alcoholism and redemption…
Akbar’s poetry and prose intertwine to lay the foundation for an extraordinary story…of a mother lost and found, and reasons to live despite a lifetime of wanting to make one’s death matter.
This is an important work of contemporary literature. It’ll make you think, weep and be grateful.
Robert B. Lamm –
This book came with so much advance hype that it might just have been impossible for it to live up to expectations, but Akbar comes pretty close. He shows flashes of brilliance, and his narrative skills are phenomenal. The story is gripping, and his characters are genuine – flawed but sympathetic.
But…. There are aspects of the book, particularly the ending, that are perplexing. I won’t go into details, but when I got through the book I kind of said “Huh?”
Maybe not a perfect book, but a good one. I look forward to more from this obviously talented author.
ChellerM –
This author just blew my mind with beauty and heartbreak all in the same chapters. What a surprising and emotional ride.
JC –
I just finished Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. This is his debut novel, and I hope it will not be his last. His prose is multi-layered and beautiful as he explores a series of existential crises faced by the young protagonist, Cyrus, an Iranian immigrant. What at times seems like a meandering series of plotlines comes together beautifully. I quickly found myself emotionally invested in Cyrus and his story. If you enjoy masterfully crafted prose, this is the book for you.
And for my audiobook-challenged friends (you know who you are), this was one of those audiobooks where the narrator, Arian Moayed, transports you into the story—not away from it as some do.
PIM2020 –
*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.
Jules –
I enjoyed the writing style, the story, and the exploration of all characters. Like the title says, ending felt underwhelming, but still an enjoyable read.
Frank –
Tedious and self-absorbed.