“Martyr!” By Kaveh Akbar
I’m still…stunned. This is a book that absorbed me, which hasn’t happened in a long time, with such beautiful mosaic-like story-telling and poetry. I am stunned…I doubt this will be easy to communicate, but…I just need silence after this book. A book that understood me. If it’s even appropriate for me to claim that. Cyrus is Iranian American and I’m not. But, of course, that’s only one crucial part, it just seems significant to say that as of 1/1/2026…I’m dumbstruck. I hope to create something as lovely and as literally breath-taking as this book. John Green’s blurb said he’d stop breathing or something and he was so right. I put the book down, at one point, because my emotions were overwhelming me and I needed a moment to compose myself while I walked around my Barnes and Noble.
I thought Cyrus was real! AAAAHHH…For him, and for me, I feel I need a silent self-soothe.
Okay—I’m back! I’m sorry about the dramatics, but I’m trying to write with a balance between off-the-cuff thoughts and well-constructed phrases. I want to bring myself to the stories as much as possible to create an overarching theme of self-improvement through blogging. Anyway, It’s been almost 5 hours since I finished it. This book had me…it had me. It was sad, romantic, mysterious, crazy, beautiful and soul-wrenching. I believed that Cyrus was a real person because of how real it all felt. It’s a fictional story in a contemporary setting and time. I think the less you know the better with this kind of book. This book was the kind of book I needed to read, at 28 years old, which is the age of the protagonist (by the way). Spooky. But honestly, I knew nothing about it. The book was a suggestion from a comedian’s social media. Totally random. I thought it was going to be an adventure story.
It is an adventure, but not a typical kind. Not typical for me, at least. The most recognizable part of it being the very real, raw, and flawed characters. It’s beautiful. What else could I say about this book? It felt holographic, like I’d put on those MetaQuest headset things to experience this story, as if I could see everything like I was there. I was so there, man.
Again, not to spoil anything, but my dream post, from earlier in this blog, was inspired by a dream I had had after reading a specific chapter of this book. I mean it literally gave me a nightmare. And the journey this character is on, Cyrus…I’m on it, obviously, we’re all on it. It’s Life. For me, it’s addiction. Sometimes, when I indulge my childish daydreaming, I imagine I’m like a space cadet on my own journey through space and time. Like Buzz Lightyear. I’m figuring it all out, the things that make up this universe of ours. I feel like Cyrus, myself, and The Little Prince have this journeyman archetype in common. An archetype we embody through our love for self-exploration and asking loads of contradictory questions. I feel like we galaxy hop and reality warp our way into new ideas and places. Cyrus’s name actually translates to King in Farsi. Well I feel like a king, too (sometimes), like on my most outrageous days. Days like daydreams. Then, I’m not afraid to throw myself into the unknown. I trust that I have my own edge to cling to in the abyss.
It’s hard to say if this is exactly what Cyrus is doing. He wants to be a martyr and maybe that does give one some level of stability, stability while entering into death. Does that even make sense? I’m not even sure Cyrus would agree with my comparison to him. He’s really book smart even when he doesn’t get the quotes right. Somehow he’s always “in the pocket” of saying something profound. Him or beautifully written Zee. Cyrus’s family history is much graver than my own. His world more racist towards him. But, the quote about the reticence of the world, hopefully there I share a small window to the view of that giant truth. All the grief in this book. So many great poetic lines and images. Philosophical debates. Some ideas that are sticking to me: Love is a room you step into to look around. Enjoy life with loved ones while you can. You never know when it might be time to part. Life’s everyday bustle is blossoming in our faces. I’m not quoting anything verbatim. His language is poetic enough to savor. So you should savor it, go enjoy this book, read it a word at a time, and enjoy the experience until it’s time for shut-eye. Martyr! feels that meaningful to me. May everyone reading this, may we all, find peace and happiness.
There’s your blurb, man.
Rolling Ferro
