“Is our existence worthwhile? These are the themes explored in Kaveh Akbar’s impressive first novel Martyr! where he posits “a pointless life results in a pointless death”. The story is centred around the struggles and survival of Cyrus Shams, an Iranian character grappling with life’s challenges, addiction, and every excruciating day he remains in sobriety.
Shams, who lost his parents at a young age, is in the early stage of sober living. He experienced a traumatic loss shortly after his birth due to a U.S military attack that brought down Iranian Air Flight 655, causing his mother’s death. This constant oscillation between life and death stirs within him a fixation on the purpose of existence. The inherent paradox of life as an intermediary phase sandwiched between death and birth where one hardly finds stability forms an integral part of the novel. Martyr! takes us on a profound journey, exploring how we can keep living when faced by the certainty of death.
Cyrus embarks on a journey from the Midwest to the city of New York to meet Orkideh, a dying Iranian artist. She intends to spend her final days in a Brooklyn gallery, attached to oxygen and narcotic pain relievers, engaging in conversations with the public on any topic. Parallel to this, Cyrus is penning a book about martyrs, its draft extracts incorporated as “.docx” snippets. It’s an intriguing meta-narrative, as it subtly suggests that the author (Akbar) is processing his own survival tale through Cyrus, who in turn, crafts his narrative through these .docx snippets. The book also includes verses by renowned martyrs like Joan of Arc and Bobby Sands.
The language employed in Martyr! is forceful, conveying an exasperating resolution that is engaging to read. Even as the author attempts to capture the essence of various emotions, he admits the limitation of language in transmitting the true gravity of the experience – “the language will never be the thing.”
The words in Martyr! are crafted with such energy, you might feel spellbound while reading. Sharing great books happens to be one of my pleasures as a reviewer. Upon reading this particular book, I was so moved that I immediately shared my excitement with anyone who would listen (quick posts on Twitter, Instagram, my husband, my WhatsApp groups). One thing I am certain of: Martyr! is destined for literary accolades.”