Martyr! – Kaveh Akbar

Expectation: Writers jumping from poetry to fiction often struggle with pacing and characterization, so I expected an ostentatious mess.

Reality: Akbar's poetic prose and captivating characters shine through the non-linear structure, making “Martyr!” an engaging read despite its occasional superfluousness.

My Take:

Readers who might avoid “Martyr!” given the bleak title, are wise to pay attention to the exclamation point, because within that punctuation is the ethos of Kaveh Akbar’s debut fiction novel. 

Cyrus Shams, a recovering addict and struggling poet is a self-described “bad person in good person drag.” His mother’s death in the U.S. Navy missile strike on Iran Air Flight 655 in 1988 — and his father’s passing less than two decades later — has led him on a quixotic obsession with death and martyrdom all in pursuit of the big question: who am I?

The novel, in many ways, defies categorization. It’s both a straightforward family drama and a surrealist fever dream. While this could’ve easily fallen apart in pretentious excess,  Akbar excelled in weaving his poetic prose into a narrative that is as sharp as it is heartfelt. 

The author once again delves into the familiar territories of family, identity and loss, but with a lighter touch than his poetry collections “Pilgrim Bell” and “Calling a Wolf a Wolf.” Each chapter is a wild card — you never know where it’s going to take you — and that is both the blessing and curse of “Marytr!” 

For me, the strongest parts of the story were diving into the histories of Cyrus’ family — parents Ali and Roya and uncle Arash — and seeing how their experiences ultimately influenced Cyrus’ trajectory as an immigrant, orphan, addict and pansexual. 

At an event I attended, Akbar said his first draft was “about 15,000 pages'' and it shows. Sometimes ideas get away from him in the non-linear structure, and the “plot” — essentially Cyrus trying to determine how to live while contemplating suicide — felt muddled, especially in the middle. 

Weaving in famous martyrs throughout history, real-life reports on how the world reacted to the Flight 655 disaster and even fictionalized conversations between our characters and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lisa Simpson and Rumi (seriously), there are more than a few head scratching moments that might make this too bizarre for some readers. 

But even through the more obscure moments, you cannot deny the strength of Akbar’s characters. While the stories of the Shams family shine brightest, even the supporting characters add depth and intimacy. This is a novel of many journeys, and while all are not created equal, each is worthy of attention. 

If you’re struggling with the text I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by actor Arian Moayed. Initially I thought his portrayal of Cyrus was chaotic but as the story progressed, and we learned the layers of influence on his life, the performance took on a quiet bravado. His best work, however, was reserved for Orkideh and Ali with Moayed nailing the more haunting aspects of their arcs. 

Now, let’s talk about the big reveal about 80 percent into “Martyr!” If you haven’t read this, a huge spoiler discussion is ahead.

[spoiler alert] Roya’s story, in particular, was a left turn in the best way possible. The reveal that she is Orkideh was completely unexpected and had me questioning every page that preceded it. 

While Akbar offers the reader many meaningful discussion points for a book club, I think the most interesting one is whether Roya is a good person. So often novels emphasize that a mother’s love transcends all else, but Roya knew that in order to live she had to leave Cryus behind. Ali didn’t abuse her, but she was conscripted into a role — heterosexual mother — in a culture that oppressed her each day. 

Did she consider the ramifications in her act of self-preservation? Ali never recovered from his anguish. Cyrus is emotionally stunted. Arash cannot reconcile his life of tragedies. Her suicide during Death-Speak leads you to believe that she ultimately decided love for herself was not worth the destruction to others [spoilers ended]. 

Rating (story): 4/5 stars

Rating (narration): 5/5 stars

Format: Audiobook (library loan)

Dates read: March 15 – March 19, 2024

Multi-tasking: Not recommended. Akbar is a poet, first and foremost, so you’ll miss the beauty of his writing – not to mention the subtlety – if your mind is elsewhere.