About:
Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar tells of an Iranian immigrant to the United States, living in the shadow of his mother who was killed when her plane was downed by the US Navy accidentally. Mr. Akbar is a New York Times best-selling Iranian American novelist and poet.
- 352 pages
- Publisher : Knopf
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0593537610
My rating for Martyr! - 5
Buy Martyr! from Amazon.com*
More books by Kaveh Akbar*
Thoughts:
This is a story of depression, and the immigrant experience where you always feel like a stranger in a strange land no matter the age you immigrated. His Persian culture, rich in poetry and stories, keeps whispering to him along with the American culture in a content state keeps him living in a state feeling as a commodity.
One the things many of us don't get from news headlines is the individual impact, probably described as "collateral damage", of geopolitical conflicts that get played before our eyes, but mostly behind the scenes. While Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar is not an after-action report of the event (even though some of the reports are quoted), but a look at two lives shattered by a split-second decision of a military commander.
This is a beautifully written book, lyrical, rhythmic where, it seems to me, every word is thought and deliberated over. Even though the book was non-linear, I didn't find it difficult to follow and found aspects of Iranian culture which I knew nothing about fascinating.
I viewed Cyrus Shams' journey as a metric failure - he's so focused on dying, that he has completely neglected living his life. He's over-fitting his death while ignoring the rest of his life. One of the fascinating aspects is his study of heritage-data, trying to reconcile Persian heritage values, through poetry, and the fast-paced digital reality which affects us all. He's trying to integrate his ancient culture, and all the beauty of it, work in a new operating environment.
I took the time to find out why the title has an exclamation point. I learned about the Islamic ter Shahadat which could mean witnessing, testimony, or martyrdom, Cyrus Shams encompasses all three.
Synopsis:
Cyrus Shams was a baby when his mother was killed when Iran Air Flight 655 was shot down over the Persian Gulf by the US Navy. In his grief, Cyrus' father finds a job in a chicken factory in the US and moves both of them to Indiana.
Cyrus grows up to grapple with his legacy and fascinated by death. When a terminal ill Iranian artist named Orkideh decides to live out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum, meeting with the public he feels a pull to meet her and maybe find a peace of mind.
Buy Martyr! from Amazon.com*
More books by Kaveh Akbar*
Cyrus Shams is obsessed with making his death 'count' for something. In an era ruled by social media, where we are constantly told to build a personal brand or a legacy, are we losing the ability to just exist without a 'success metric' attached to our lives?"
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I borrowed this book
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
