Breakaway Books

Authored by Kaveh Akbar; Published January 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have an anxiety problem—a version of hypochondria. I’ve lived much of my life in fear of dying of a terrible disease, regardless of how realistic that scenario is. Martyr! simultaneously set off this anxiety within me and relieved it for 300 pages. There is a certain amount of relief in staring death in the face, in actually talking about it.

But, this novel is not just about death. The main character, Cyrus, is dealing with egotism and parental issues and, perhaps most importantly, addiction. It is not a book to read to escape from the real world. It is a book about facing the real world and even embracing it. Even in the midst of dealing with addiction and ennui, Cyrus finds joy in the loving relationships in his life.

There’s a slightly trippy element to this novel—outlandish dreams interspersed through its pages, revealing the strange tangents that can sometimes run through our minds. As the chapters unfold, we learn more and more about not just Cyrus but his family and their departure from Iran. 

(Incidentally, if you are interested in a slightly less depressing and mire hopeful Iranian emigre story, I recommend Everything Sad is Untrue. It had some similar elements but a much more optimistic tone.)

Over and over, Cyrus ponders the idea of making one’s death matter, true to the tile. In the end, the fact that he arrives at trying to make his life matter does leave even a book like this, oscillating between gritty and trippy, with a relatively happy ending.

I couldn’t finish a review without saying: The writing throughout is lovely, a master class. Regardless of how you feel about out Cyrus, you can revel in the words on the page.

As long as you are content to stare at death, this is a beautiful read.