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Martyr!
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
40 posts | 34 read | 34 to read
Kaveh Akbars Martyr! is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaningin faith, art, ourselves, othersin which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum. 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 mothers plane was shot down over the skies of Tehran in a senseless accident; and his fathers 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 pasttoward 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. Electrifying, funny, wholly original, and profound, Martyr! heralds the arrival of a blazing and essential new voice in contemporary fiction.
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Akbar has an amazing use of words. The way he lays out and describes Cyrus' descent into alcoholism is heartbreaking, gorgeous and understandable.

"But Cyrus's true love, his bedrock, his soulmate, was alcohol. Alcohol was faithful, omnipresent, predictable. Alcohol didn't demand monogamy like opiates or meth. Alcohol demanded only that you came back home to it at the end of the night."

Suet624 I agree with you. 2d
26 likes1 comment
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Pedrocamacho
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Martyr! is an absolute pleasure to read. Cyrus‘ struggle with his identity and history makes for truly compelling reading 😊

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Larkken
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Recently found quote in my camera roll ❤️

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quietlycuriouskate
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

I know of KA primarily as a poet: always creative, always interesting, sometimes very moving, sometimes just plain baffling. This book was all of those things by turn. Or all at once.
Cyrus is colossally self-absorbed, but is aware of the fact. I wanted good things to happen for him.
Structurally, I'm not entirely convinced it worked, but KA makes for a dazzling, rhapsodic novelist. I enjoyed his book very much.

quietlycuriouskate Why the exclamation mark in the title, though? He's not Clive Cussler! 2mo
Tamra Spot on! Execution could have been tighter, but the substance & creativity is engaging. 2mo
Tamra @quietlycuriouskate re: exclamation point - I read or heard in an interview it was to lighten up the subject and/or reader expectations. To reflect that there is humor and love, etc. (edited) 2mo
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quietlycuriouskate @Tamra Ah, thank you. His intention backfired on me then! I found humour and love in the book, for sure; just not in the choice of punctuation. 2mo
Tamra @quietlycuriouskate I wondered the same. Seems an odd choice. Now I wonder if it was the publisher‘s decision or his. 2mo
Suet624 I wanted good things to happen to him too. ❤️ 2mo
sarahbarnes Great review! Looking forward to this one. I‘m in line for it at the library. 2mo
35 likes7 comments
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Tamra
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

I‘m going to be thinking about this one because there is a lot to chew on.

Is this a perfect novel? Nope, in fact there are elements I don‘t appreciate and frankly I‘ve read better debut novels. However Kaveh has a very distinctive creative voice that isn‘t forgettable. This won‘t be a spine on the shelf I‘ll wonder whether I‘ve read.

RidgewayGirl I don‘t have quite as many passages marked out by Post-Its, but this is definitely a book I‘m glad to have my own copy of. 2mo
Tamra @RidgewayGirl 😄 I tabbed because I read it as part of a group read. 2mo
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Tamra
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Matchy today! 🙃 Loving this novel, so witty & insightful. Perhaps a bit self indulgent, but forgivable.

Guffawing at the wholly pathological superficial “politeness” of Midwesterners, which apparently is akin to Iranian etiquette, and describing his rich girlfriend as “American Christian, the kind that believed Jesus had just needed a bigger gun.”

Suet624 I‘m so happy to have read this. It might deserve a reread. 2mo
Cathythoughts I must try a sample 👍🏻❤️ 2mo
quietlycuriouskate I'm enjoying reading this at the moment, too! 😃 2mo
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sarahbarnes This one is on my list! Sounds like I might need to bump it up. 2mo
Tamra @Suet624 there definitely is enough substance for a reread. 2mo
Tamra @Cathythoughts it is very postmodern like in the mashup of new (current pop culture) and old (historical martyrs). 2mo
Tamra @quietlycuriouskate it gets better & better! I like Cyrus‘ questioning of his motives & character. 2mo
Tamra @sarahbarnes it‘s probably not for everyone, but I‘m liking it and I‘m rather surprised. I didn‘t know much about it before starting. 2mo
sarahbarnes I‘ve got myself in line for it at the library - excited to try it! 2mo
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charl08
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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"I just think about that a lot. The ugliness of anger. I don't disagree that it can be harnessed. But it's so irredeemably ugly."

"You're a human being, Cyrus," Sang said, gently. "So was your mother. So am I. Not cartoon characters. There's no pressure for us to be ethically pure, noble. Or, God forbid, aspirational. We're people. We get mad, we get cowardly. Ugly. We self-obsess."

Suet624 Such a good book. 2mo
charl08 @Suet624 yes. But the ending!?! What? 2mo
Suet624 Hahaha. I actually went on Reddit at one point because of the ending - just to see people's thoughts. For some reason I was fine with the ending, whereas I hated Bee Sting's ending. However, they are both ambiguous. 🙄 2mo
charl08 @Suet624 I never thought of reddit for a book ending. Did most approve? 2mo
37 likes4 comments
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Tamra
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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I‘m happy to be sent to my room. 😊

Jeg As a kid I always was too. 2mo
Tamra @Jeg 🙌🏾 2mo
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charl08
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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"Can you imagine just losing access to all the art that you most loved, to all the stuff that gave your living purpose? Purpose and fluency? ..... "Imagine all that stuff disappearing," Kareem continued "Literally going up in smoke...."

"Then imagine," Kareem said, "that a bunch of people who'd never met you, for whom you're just a myth, began sending you the art you loved.... Imagine how that might contribute to your sense of amongness.

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charl08
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Addiction is an old country song: you lose the dog, lose the truck, lose the high school sweetheart.

In recovery you play the song backward, and that's where things get interesting. Where'd you find the truck? Did the dog remember you? What'd your sweetheart say when they saw you again

Tamra Currently reading this - such creative energy! It‘s nearly buzzing in my hands. 3mo
charl08 @Tamra I love that description. I usually take photos where I think I might want a quote: could photo almost every page here. 3mo
Tamra @charl08 yes! 3mo
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charl08 @Tamra what did you think? 2mo
Tamra @charl08 I haven‘t finished yet - doing a month read along with Stalking Kafka (YouTube). I‘m really liking it so far! I‘m having to look up martyrs to learn their backstories! 2mo
charl08 @tamra what a great idea - would love to hear more. 2mo
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charl08
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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He wanted to be on the right side of history, whatever that Was. But more than that (he admitted this to himself when he was practicing being rigorously honest), he wanted other people to perceive him as someone who cared about being on the right side of history.

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HeatherBookNerd
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Cyrus is a young man who was born in Iran but grew up in the United States. He is a poet, an orphan, a recovering addict, and has a consuming fascination with death and martyrdom. And while that seems a potentially depressing read, it is surprisingly freeing to see how Akbar addresses so many heavy issues in engaging and enlightening ways. Akbar‘s prose is just exquisite; so many passages just left me dazzled. Such unique, affecting storytelling.

janeycanuck He was a guest on CBC‘s Bookends podcast a few weeks ago. It was a very interesting listen! 3mo
HeatherBookNerd @janeycanuck I‘ll have to look for that. 3mo
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Leniverse
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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President Invective! ? No need to know in what year this is set in order to figure out who the President is.

"The sort of man whose unwavering assertions of his own genius competence had, to the American public, apparently overwhelmed all observable evidence to the contrary."

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Kshakal
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Eggs 💛🖤💛 4mo
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BkClubCare
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Deftly written, brilliantly plotted, tenderly wrought.

Don‘t ya love a book that puts your heart through a wringer and confuses you, challenges you, makes you trust the journey anyway, then delivers with a sweet tug?

#Book58_2024 #NoIdeaWhyIReadThisNow #JoslynCastleOmNE

BkClubCare Uh, apparently I have forgotten this is #campLitsy24?!?! 4mo
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Leniverse
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Library holds came in. I'm very excited to read all of these, but slightly inconvenienced that none of them are on the Booker longlist 😆 Another busy reading month ahead, clearly.

BarbaraBB Martyr! is very good but I know what you mean about the Booker 😀 (edited) 5mo
vivastory I really liked Open Throat & have the other 2 posted currently checked out from the library 5mo
Leniverse @vivastory Open Throat looks like it will be a quick read at least. Because as usual I have so many books and not enough hours in the day 😅 5mo
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vivastory This is the struggle 😂 5mo
Hooked_on_books I love that your library is inconveniencing you. 😂 5mo
LeeRHarry Glorious Exploits is definitely on my radar. 5mo
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BkClubCare
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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“… can‘t you feel this mattering? Right now?”

It matters to me. Know that. It matters deeply.”

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BkClubCare
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Copper finally working with me as photographer 🤣😎📸🐶❤️📚 Just starting this and I know absolutely nothing. Don‘t tell me!

#DogsofLitsy #CopperBopper #WirehairedPointingGriffon #whpg #Griff4short #librarybook #hardcover

dabbe #cuteycopper 🖤🐾🖤 5mo
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Suet624
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Cyrus, newly sober, is trying to find a reason to live and decides to write a book about martyrs. He is numb. He is depressed. His mother was killed when her plane was blown up by the US. His father died as soon as Cyrus went to college, having completed his fatherly tasks. His uncle was a death angel who rode a horse among dying men in the Iran war. And then he meets a dying artist who is sitting in a museum as she dies. These characters 🔽

Suet624 All are so vivid to me. The author spends a bit of time talking about what life is like after drinking and each time I was moved to tears. I‘ve never read someone describe it so accurately. I felt seen. This book isn‘t for everyone but I loved it. 5mo
BarbaraBB Fantastic review Sue! 5mo
Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻❤️ I have it stacked. Must get to it. 5mo
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youneverarrived This is high on my tbr. Great review. 5mo
Suet624 @BarbaraBB Thanks, Barbara. 5mo
Suet624 @Cathythoughts @youneverarrived I hope you like it as much as I did. 5mo
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Megabooks
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

This wasn‘t as strong a pick for me as it was for some Littens. I liked Cyrus‘ evolution, but the dream sequences got annoying.

Iranian Cyrus‘ mother‘s plane was accidentally shot down by a US battleship when he was a baby. He and his father immigrate to Indiana where he lives as a typical kid. Newly orphaned, sober, and suicidal in his 20s, he begins to explore and write a book about martyrdom. Yes, it‘s pretty heavy.

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thereflectiveflaneur
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Wow, wow, and more WOW! Not since Decima by Venter Even or Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner have I been so gripped by a novel and protagonist! This book is amazing! Found myself re reading chapters to enjoy the prose again!

BarbaraBB Great review! 5mo
Suet624 I agree! 5mo
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Suet624
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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I keep thinking about this quote.

Leftcoastzen I think I need to read this! 5mo
TheBookHippie 💯 5mo
Ruthiella True! 5mo
Texreader It‘s a good point! 5mo
Suet624 @Leftcoastzen I got bogged down in the middle but it‘s really picking up and packing a punch. 5mo
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BarbaraBB
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Cyrus is born in Iran but after his mother dies in a plane crash he and his father move to the US.
He beats alcoholism but life in sobriety still is challenging. Until he comes up with the idea to write a book about martyrdom. That changes everything.

The style reminded me a bit of Rushdie and I grew really fond of Cyrus. #CampToB

quietlycuriouskate It's interesting he's written a novel. I've read two poetry collections of his, one I really liked but the other... hmmm, not so much. 🤔 5mo
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Suet624
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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I‘m only on page 22 and I already love this book. The main character is talking about life after you stop drinking and yowzer I am with him on this one.

Is life better without alcohol? Well….yes. But life sure is different and sometimes I wonder if it‘s worth going without.

It‘s been almost 15 years since I had alcohol and I‘m definitely not as joyful and I‘m also definitely not as depressed. So there‘s that. 🙂

Jeg I‘m with you on that. Though it still feels odd when I‘m asked how much alcohol I drink in a week and I say none. I never thought I‘d be that person. 6mo
Suet624 @Jeg right? I loved alcohol. I never ever thought I‘d be that person who didn‘t drink. 6mo
BarbaraBB I am reading this book too now! It reminds me of Salman Rushdie and 50 pages in, I am loving it too. Interesting what you say about alcohol. I wish I could be the one not drinking and I am sure if I did I‘d feel the same way you do, wondering if it‘s worth it. Still I envy you because I am just to weak to don‘t drink. And you too @Jeg 🤩🤍 6mo
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sarahbarnes This is on my TBR, too. Glad to see you‘re loving it so far. Appreciate your thoughts on alcohol, too. Thanks for sharing them. 6mo
Suet624 @BarbaraBB @Jeg I tried for years to quit. I embarrassed myself with my drinking often enough that I carried both shame and desire (more alcohol please!). People still talk about how much they enjoyed being with me when I was drinking. It literally took a divine miracle one morning for me to release my desire to drink. After 41 years of drinking I was finally free of what had run my life. 6mo
Suet624 @BarbaraBB AND! how great that we‘re reading the same book! 6mo
Suet624 @sarahbarnes thank you. 💕 6mo
BarbaraBB That is such an achievement. I admire you and hope I will come upon that divine miracle one day too but I somehow doubt it. I don‘t drink as much beer as when I was young but I love my glass of wine. I try to not drink on weekdays but make up for that in the weekends 🤦🏻‍♀️ (edited) 6mo
Suet624 @BarbaraBB Hey! Good for you for trying to not drink on the weekdays! 6mo
squirrelbrain I loved this book! ❤️ I can take or leave alcohol, and don‘t drink a lot at all. I don‘t even like a lot of it, but work for a distillery. 🤦‍♀️ 6mo
Suet624 That‘s amazing that you work for a distillery but don‘t care one way or another about alcohol. That was like when I worked at Burton Snowboards but didn‘t snowboard or ski. At the time they frowned upon hiring non-snowboarders but decided I was worth the exception. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 6mo
CBee @Suet624 I think I should give this book a try, I‘m so intrigued! I, too, was way more “fun” when I drank. Alcoholism and addiction run in my family and I had trouble stopping once I started….. I quit years and years ago and don‘t miss it. I have to admit I miss the “fun” sometimes - it took away so much of my worry and boosted my confidence. Ultimately not worth it though 🤷‍♀️😕 5mo
Suet624 @CBee Everything you've said is the exact same situation for me. The author doesn't talk a lot about being sober in the book but when he does it packs such a punch. In particular, there is a paragraph near the end of the book where he outlines so specifically what life is like when you are sober after a life of drinking. I unexpectedly burst into tears when I read it. I've never heard anyone describe it the way he did and it was so true. 5mo
CBee @Suet624 I‘ll definitely have to read it! 5mo
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kbuggle
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

The audio version of this one is narrated so well. It took a while for the plot and story to come around for me, but when the pieces started to finally come together, I can see why so many literary folks adore this

thereflectiveflaneur I agree! The audiobook is wonderful! 5mo
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BarbaraBB
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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#WeeklyForecast 28/24

I am starting The Alternatives for #CampLitsy24 because I‘ve got a borrowed copy. Thirst for Salt is a gift by Cindy and seems totally in my wheelhouse. Martyr! is a #CampToB book and has had such raving reviews on Litsy that I had to add it to my TBR.

sarahbarnes I liked Thirst for Salt! Martyr is on my TBR too - I‘ll look forward to your thoughts on it. 6mo
TrishB All look good 👍🏻 6mo
squirrelbrain I loved Martyr! - hopefully you will do too. Looking forward to gearing your thoughts on The Alternatives. 6mo
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I am halfway through now and it‘s good! 6mo
60 likes4 comments
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MysticFaerie
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

5🌟/5🌟

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squirrelbrain
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

On the face of it, the blurb of this book made me think I wouldn‘t like it, but I was also weirdly drawn to it. I thought, as it‘s a library book, I could bail (me, bail?! Ha!) but I ended up loving it.

The MC, Cyrus, is a recovering alcoholic who decides to write a book about martyrs and spends time talking to an artist whose last installation is her dying days in the Brooklyn Museum. I loved Cyrus, despite and because of all his weirdness. ❤️

Ruthiella Nice review! I also want to read this one, though I‘m not sure why. 😂 7mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 7mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘d both really like it @Ruthiella @TrishB 7mo
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sarahbarnes I have this one on my TBR - very glad to see you liked it! 7mo
BarbaraBB Such a great and intriguing review. I now definitely want to read it (have been on the fence about it). 7mo
squirrelbrain Definitely one for both of you @sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB ! 7mo
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perfectlywinged
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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I think the description of this book‘s contents made it sound like there was a lot going on or that it would be more experimental but that was not the case: so far each of the stories told are these raw human stories and all of them are so compelling and vividly painted I am fully immersed. The prose is perfect- it‘s both beautiful (you can tell the author is a poet) but also not over done.

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Floresj
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

This novel is wonderful. One flawed character that tells the story, with different characters‘ POVs to round out the gaps in perspectives and time. It‘s funny, sad, engaging, and cringey. Fantastic.

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HettyG
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

What a strange and beautiful novel! I found this to be a challenging read, I read it in audio format with an A++++ narration by Arian Moayed. Intensely readable, with characters that are easy to love. This was outside my usual reading comfort zone, I‘m so glad to have not passed this one up, I just loved it. 💜

HettyG I also highly recommend the Nerdette podcast episode interviewing the author. He is a fascinating and brilliant artist, and he speaks as poetically as he writes. 8mo
MysticFaerie I'm just about to read this one... glad it sounds good! 8mo
HettyG @MysticFaerie Let me know what you think, I have not stopped thinking about this book and I am now listening to a lot of podcasts discussing the book, I think I am going to get the print format and read this book again. And possibly a third time! 8mo
HettyG Advice nobody asked for: read this book as you would read Shakespeare, it is a novel written in prose which I guess is why I found it so challenging but also compelling. 8mo
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rmaclean4
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Love this novel about recovery from addiction, trying to find your place in the world, and choosing life. It is entertaining and surprising. Loved the audio book. Highly recommend. 4 🌟

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Pinta
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Family, siblings, deathdrive, dreams. Shifting 1st person POV centered on orphaned Iranian-American poet Cyrus Shams. Obsession with martyrdom and “a death that matters” masking a search for meaning and “goodness.” Open and heartfelt. Saw the twist coming, but it still did its work. 2024

10 “Cyrus didn‘t write so much as he drank about writing”

114 “It‘s possible, he thought, that the experience of gratitude was itself a luxury”

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Kazzie
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
Pickpick

Fantastic! What an exciting voice! Really enjoyed his immigrant perspective and the unforeseen plot twist. Appreciated the happy ending :)

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Sarahreadstoomuch
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

This was an incredible listen. The writing is absolutely gorgeous, and the narration for this is audiobook was spot on. #bookspinbingo #bingo

Chelsea.Poole I loved it too! 10mo
sarahbarnes I‘m really curious about this one! 10mo
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BookishTrish
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

11 hours flew by #audiostitching to this unputdownable tale of an orphan poet obsessed with having a meaningful death after losing his mother in a planet crash when he was an infant.

IndianBookworm Already looks so pretty!😍 10mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 10mo
Hooked_on_books That‘s so cute! 10mo
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Chelsea.Poole
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

I started this ebook from NetGalley a bit ago and it absolutely grabbed me! I finished all other books to focus solely on this because it deserves to have a reader‘s full attention. This book is bizarre, sad, triumphant…about death, love, loss, art, family, identity, nationality and ultimately finding one‘s purpose. I laughed and I had tears in my eyes from one moment to the next. Cyrus will remain with me for some time, as will his musings.

Megabooks Okay. I was on the fence but I‘ll try it! 9mo
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Hooked_on_books
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Mehso-so

This one is getting raves, so this will be an #unpopularopinion. The book follows Cyrus, an Iranian-American who is determined for his life to mean something by dying a martyr. Early in the book, he came across to me as overly 20-something naval gazey, making it hard for me to connect with him. Then the ending hinges on a plot choice that just did not work for me. Some parts of the story are quite compelling.

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Twocougs
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

This is one of those book…your emotions, your whole being is living with the story. On top of that, when a poet writes prose it‘s a gift. Trust me, read it!

Becker You sold me! Thanks. 11mo
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GerardtheBookworm
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

Cultural examination is viewed through protagonist Cyrus Shams, a recovering addict and alcoholic. As he researches the meaning of martyrdom, he makes connections with his own family, Muslim refugees that made selfless sacrifices for him in order to have a better life. As he digs deeper, he realizes the meaning of history, identity, perseverance, heritage, family, queerness, and the real meaning of being a martyr.

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