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A review by bookishwithbug
Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I celebrated my birthday with my nose in this book and I can't think of anything more appropriate.
This book is about so many things. It's about love and loss. It's about grief, hope and healing. It's about loneliness and togetherness. It's about art, language and learning.
It's also about perspective: the perspective we have of ourselves, our loved ones, art, and the world -- all depending on where and who we believe ourselves to be. We create these perspectives, but like this book, they're not created in isolation. Our perspectives are a cosmic hodge-podge of all the experiences we've had, the people we've experienced things with, the books and art and knowledge we've absorbed. And like Cyrus Shams, the main character in this book, it can take a shock, a jolt, to see our place in the world a little differently.
I don't have the capacity to address the full depth of this book and so many have already taken a crack this that I won't even try. But I will say this book is a work of art, one that I don't think I'll fully grasp for many years (and a re-read or two) to come. And I know that with each reading, I'll understand the book differently and simultaneously, it'll reshape the perspective I will have of who I will be and my place in the world.
This book is about so many things. It's about love and loss. It's about grief, hope and healing. It's about loneliness and togetherness. It's about art, language and learning.
It's also about perspective: the perspective we have of ourselves, our loved ones, art, and the world -- all depending on where and who we believe ourselves to be. We create these perspectives, but like this book, they're not created in isolation. Our perspectives are a cosmic hodge-podge of all the experiences we've had, the people we've experienced things with, the books and art and knowledge we've absorbed. And like Cyrus Shams, the main character in this book, it can take a shock, a jolt, to see our place in the world a little differently.
I don't have the capacity to address the full depth of this book and so many have already taken a crack this that I won't even try. But I will say this book is a work of art, one that I don't think I'll fully grasp for many years (and a re-read or two) to come. And I know that with each reading, I'll understand the book differently and simultaneously, it'll reshape the perspective I will have of who I will be and my place in the world.