Martyr!

This captivating and poetic novel does an excellent job of exploring grief, addiction, and the search for meaning through the story of Cyrus Shams, with writing that is truly enviable.

Akbar brings his mastery of language to fiction with dense, lyrical prose rich in metaphors that draws you in and envelops you. The narrative is nonlinear, interweaving multiple perspectives and time jumps that incredibly reflect the protagonist’s fragmented mind. The literary quality of this novel is exceptional, featuring witty, beautiful phrases and profound emotional introspection; it carefully and skillfully balances dark humor and surrealism, counterbalancing such heavy themes as death and alcoholism.

The only criticism I have, or the one thing that didn't quite convince me, is the final twist involving Orkideh. I think it happens too quickly and lacks a certain subtlety in portraying the protagonist's anguish; however, that doesn't take away from the fact that it's a work with great psychological depth that is very thought-provoking. I can say with absolute certainty that it's a great novel.

‘what would a person who hates me think about this!”

“Why are you worried about what people who hate you think about your art?”

Out of every book I have ever read in recent years, this one has made me think about not only the book but literally everything, the most. Every time I finish a chapter, I have to go on a long tangent about the different topics that showed up in the chapter.

This book is amazing and it is definitely one of my favourite books I’ve read so far.

“Lord, increase my bewilderment.”

I think this is one of my favorite books I've ever read. Devastatingly poetic without getting too abstract, and so beautiful in the ways it approaches love, grief, addiction, martyrdom. Cyrus is a heartache with a pen and I feel so deeply for him, and I relate to him and I love him. The most surprisingly heartbreaking point of view of this book though, in my opinion, came from Roya. The descriptions of love and sex in those chapters genuinely changed my life. To touch your lover's fingers to your closed eyes and say “That is how I have been searching for you.”? To describe sex with them as “changing the text of your living”? What the fuck. I'm so grateful for witnessing Kaveh Akbar's writing in my lifetime.