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105th out of 944 books
—
5,690 voters
Agyar
by
Steven Brust (Goodreads Author)
From bestselling fantasy author Steven Brust comes this paranormal novel of immortality—and its price...Born over a century ago, Agyar was once a frivolous young man, before he found unwanted immortality in a woman's blood-red lips. Now he goes from woman to woman, and decade to decade, finding himself at last in an Midwestern college town, where he must choose between the...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
August 1st 2004
by Orb Books
(first published 1993)
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Agyar is my first introduction to Steven Brust. It's short, a stand-alone and quite an original vampire tale. The author succeeds at being humorous and witty without going overboard, and creates introspective and complex characters struggling to survive in a world when they are "different".
The first-person narrative easily enables the reader to get into the head of the main character without the author's opinions and judgment. Agyar is certainly not the most likeable character, but he easily ju...more
The first-person narrative easily enables the reader to get into the head of the main character without the author's opinions and judgment. Agyar is certainly not the most likeable character, but he easily ju...more
I like vampire novels & this isn't one nor is it horror or romance, yet it's all 3. The word 'vampire' is never once mentioned in the book, yet you're left with no doubt as to what Brust means. I really can't say more, maybe shouldn't have said that much. The process of discovery is one of the things that makes this book so well done. Each word is crafted with a precision that leads to inescapable conclusions, yet almost made me want to re-read it to see if I could have misunderstood.
The wor...more
The wor...more
9 likes · like · see review
A most peculiar book. I'm still not sure what to say about it, and I don't think I can say anything without giving too much away.
Granted, I haven't read many vampire novels, but never in my life did I expect to read one in which the word "vampire" never appears. Or in which the vampires' feedings aren't described in bloody, intricate detail. I wasn't even sure that Jonathan was actually a vampire till more than halfway through. (Perhaps that's just a reflection on my intellect nowadays, or at l...more
Granted, I haven't read many vampire novels, but never in my life did I expect to read one in which the word "vampire" never appears. Or in which the vampires' feedings aren't described in bloody, intricate detail. I wasn't even sure that Jonathan was actually a vampire till more than halfway through. (Perhaps that's just a reflection on my intellect nowadays, or at l...more
My feelings about this book was very mixed throughout, and how I felt about Jack kept wavering between amusement/neutral and disgust.
Anyway. This book was very heartily recommended to me by someone whose opinion I value. You'll love it, he said. Well, "love" is a strong word. Let's just say I have some feelings about it.
Few points. First, the writing is so much better than I anticipated. This is my introduction to Brust, as in the first complete novel I read by him, but my cursory glance at his...more
Anyway. This book was very heartily recommended to me by someone whose opinion I value. You'll love it, he said. Well, "love" is a strong word. Let's just say I have some feelings about it.
Few points. First, the writing is so much better than I anticipated. This is my introduction to Brust, as in the first complete novel I read by him, but my cursory glance at his...more
First off, this is a vampire book. See, that's something I didn't know going in. I have so many books on my "to read" list that I never remember why I added a book, and I purposely do not read the book jacket before reading (if I had, I'd have known this was a vampire book). I like the whole story to be a surprise, like a literary Christmas.
Anyway, I think it helps to know that this is a vampire book before going in. I began reading it, and initially I was only able to read a chapter a day. This...more
Anyway, I think it helps to know that this is a vampire book before going in. I began reading it, and initially I was only able to read a chapter a day. This...more
The moment I moved from contented reader to delighted reader was the narrator's discussion of zombies with his best friend. "Not sure I believe in zombies" -- says the ghost to the vampire. After all, neither of them has ever seen one. On the other hand, very few people have seen Jim, and nobody sees Agyar for what he is. It's a funny moment, and yet there's this metaphysical tip, since if we don't believe in these supernatural creatures, and they don't believe in zombies, just how far does this...more
I've been a fan of Brust since I was in college (long, long ago) and was very interested when one of his works of a non-Vlad Taltos kind was made available for purchase.
After about 4 pages I was utterly hooked. Nobody works a book behind the scenes like Brust. His ability to impart a metric butt-ton of information by what he DOES NOT include in dialogue, descriptions and plot is amazing.
There are certain conventions one grows accustomed to after reading a lot of horror/sf/fantasy; almost like au...more
After about 4 pages I was utterly hooked. Nobody works a book behind the scenes like Brust. His ability to impart a metric butt-ton of information by what he DOES NOT include in dialogue, descriptions and plot is amazing.
There are certain conventions one grows accustomed to after reading a lot of horror/sf/fantasy; almost like au...more
2 likes · like · see review
a very different vampire story.
most reviews make a big deal about the fact that the word "vampire" is never used - which I took to mean that it's only hinted at that the protagonist (NOT the hero. just...the protagonist. I think this character fits the "anti-hero" definition far better than most to which it is applied) is a vampire. that's not the case at all - it's simply that, from the perspective of the protagonist his vampiric nature is as natural as anything else. it's just not worth mentio...more
most reviews make a big deal about the fact that the word "vampire" is never used - which I took to mean that it's only hinted at that the protagonist (NOT the hero. just...the protagonist. I think this character fits the "anti-hero" definition far better than most to which it is applied) is a vampire. that's not the case at all - it's simply that, from the perspective of the protagonist his vampiric nature is as natural as anything else. it's just not worth mentio...more
This is one of the toughest reviews I have ever written as most anything you say about the book will give much of the surprise away. That being said, the best advice I can give about this book is that the less know about it the more you will enjoy it.
Agyar is told from a first person perspective, chiefly in the form of the main character sitting in the attic and typing his thoughts on an old typewriter. The pacing was a little slow at times and some of the conversations were difficult to follow...more
Agyar is told from a first person perspective, chiefly in the form of the main character sitting in the attic and typing his thoughts on an old typewriter. The pacing was a little slow at times and some of the conversations were difficult to follow...more
I read this book because later in the year I will be attending a workshop at which the author, Steven Brust, is an instructor. As a kind of game, I didn't read the book's summary/blurb. I wanted to let the story engage me on its own merits without knowing what it was about.
It took me a while to put together the clues. Not long, but if I had read "This is a novel about a vampire..." it would have taken away some of the fun of not knowing, of having to piece together the clues, of figuring things...more
It took me a while to put together the clues. Not long, but if I had read "This is a novel about a vampire..." it would have taken away some of the fun of not knowing, of having to piece together the clues, of figuring things...more
1 like · like · see review
Don't let the inane prologue put you off, this is a pretty good little vampire story, a quick, absorbing read. It's a first-person narrative of a rather aimless vampire who manages to repress most of his wicked instincts and so tends to think of himself as a decent guy. He comes across as likable, and only his casually ruthless treatment of a girl named Jill keeps you from agreeing with him.
It didn't really work for me as a romance. It's also not quite horror. The book is never explicit or gory...more
It didn't really work for me as a romance. It's also not quite horror. The book is never explicit or gory...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This was the first vampire I had ever read, way back in 2008.
I was shelving in fiction, and this book just sort of jumped out at me.
This is not your sparkly vampire story, nor is it the terror inducing, brooding, hot mysterious and ethereal being either.
Nope. This guy wears Wellington boots and walks around a lot. And he's sort of a regular Joe kind of guy that blends in. After re-reading the first chapter, it kind of reminds me of a Vampire Dexter...slightly smug but really, really enjoys wh...more
I was shelving in fiction, and this book just sort of jumped out at me.
This is not your sparkly vampire story, nor is it the terror inducing, brooding, hot mysterious and ethereal being either.
Nope. This guy wears Wellington boots and walks around a lot. And he's sort of a regular Joe kind of guy that blends in. After re-reading the first chapter, it kind of reminds me of a Vampire Dexter...slightly smug but really, really enjoys wh...more
I'll try to make this a spoilerless review. Hum, that's not easy. The book is written as though Agyar typed the manuscript as a kind of diary, with its Prologue and Epilogue added by another person. It's a successful and enjoyable framing technique. You should work out what's going on pretty fast, but the book remains engaging until the end. In fact, this is the first book I've read for a while without thinking that I must hurry through to get to the rest of the to-read pile. That's a big deal....more
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1 like · like · see review
Quick! Gut reaction: Whoa. Brust wrote a vampire novel.
Short Summation
Without using the word “vampire” once, or describing any of the regular vampire activities, we have a story written by a vampire. It’s kind of like a diary, which Agyar writes on this old typewriter he finds in the attic of this old house he’s currently occupying.
Agyar is just trying to live, you know, setting up a regular thrall and trying to figure out what the woman who made him a vampire is using him for, now. He’d reall...more
Short Summation
Without using the word “vampire” once, or describing any of the regular vampire activities, we have a story written by a vampire. It’s kind of like a diary, which Agyar writes on this old typewriter he finds in the attic of this old house he’s currently occupying.
Agyar is just trying to live, you know, setting up a regular thrall and trying to figure out what the woman who made him a vampire is using him for, now. He’d reall...more
Agyar, c’est avant tout un jeu de pistes dans les rues obscures d’une grande ville. C’est le récit des virées nocturnes d’un dénommé Agyar, victime de la mode, séducteur émérite, mais aussi squatteur d’une maison en ruine. Je l’ai toujours dit, je n’ai qu’une connaissance très partielle de la littérature générale. Les plus cultivés ne m’en voudront, je l’espère, pas si je dis des âneries. Mais il me semble que l’écriture de ce roman est très moderne ou, tout au moins, ressemble beaucoup à la lit...more
For some reason it took forever for me to read this book. I think it was the prologue. The prologue seemed to, well, kind of suck. I read the prologue and couldn't bring myself to read something that looked like it would be that pretentious and gloomy and all the rest. So THIS time when I sat down to read it I skipped to prologue and it went much better. Much better. The prologue had me forgetting how much I enjoy Brust's work, in all of its incarnations.
The book is about a creature of the nigh...more
The book is about a creature of the nigh...more
An odd book, in that while I was reading it, I really enjoyed it, but the moment I put it down I felt no urge to pick it back up again. It's a slight book, but it still took me over two weeks to read. And the only reason I finally did finish it was that I wanted to move on to something else!
Still, it's nicely put together, and managed to take me by surprise. Which is funny, because everything is spelled out from the beginning.
Brust is great at POV; I shall have to work out how he does it.
Still, it's nicely put together, and managed to take me by surprise. Which is funny, because everything is spelled out from the beginning.
Brust is great at POV; I shall have to work out how he does it.
I liked this book as a Vampire/Supernatural novel because it was really subtle, not too in your face about how "he's a super hot shiny vamp OMG." It showed kinda the more gritty part, and I don't think the word "Vampire" is EVER used in the book. The ending was a huge surprise (well, kinda...I had a sneaking suspicion). Overall a good read on the difficulties of love, life, and personal interaction that even those not quite human have to face. And even though I am a happy ending kinda gal, this...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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One of the most unique and captivating vampire novels I have read in a long time. Where Anne Rice's Louis in Interview with the Vampire meets his eternity with existential angst, Brust's Agyar meets it with chilling ennui, until he is roused through the rediscovery of his capacity for love and self-sacrifice. Coupled with Brust's terse prose, the tale makes for a haunting read.
If you like tight, nasty stories about v---well, you know what, this story is awesome. Points for showing the evolution of the protagonist from a nasty, psychotic predator to a person capable of introspection and even self-sacrifice. Some of the diary-style framing device is a little precious but overall the story works. One of my favorites.
Barely managed to finish this. Reminiscent of House of Leaves with it's incredibly smug and mannered prose doing the best it can to sabotage the story. House of Leaves though had a fun enough story hiding in there under the nonsense. This really didn't. Managed to make 250 pages feel like forever.
Dull, pretentious wank. Avoid.
Dull, pretentious wank. Avoid.
Took a while to understand what this book was about actually. Because it is written this way while it seems the first chapters aren't really moving along they are setting the scenery the rest of the book plays out against. Very few characters, deftly drawn. Interesting book that held my attention.
Hi,
I know this is not part of his regular series and it is a far cry from Brust's normal story, but I loved it! I was at a sci fi convention that he was doing a book signing. Of course I did not have my books with me and I could not get to them. He had just put this one out, so I bought it there and had him sign it. I went home and read it in one sitting. I just could not put it down.
I know that this book gets very little attention, but it deserves way more. Read this book! Even if you are not a...more
I know this is not part of his regular series and it is a far cry from Brust's normal story, but I loved it! I was at a sci fi convention that he was doing a book signing. Of course I did not have my books with me and I could not get to them. He had just put this one out, so I bought it there and had him sign it. I went home and read it in one sitting. I just could not put it down.
I know that this book gets very little attention, but it deserves way more. Read this book! Even if you are not a...more
I find myself in a bind w/r/t explaining what made this book so good, as part of it has to do with some formal tricks and slow revelations which are delicate and easy to spoil. (If you’re seeing this on Goodreads, don’t click through to the book’s page and risk seeing a summary — I enjoyed it greatly despite having been spoiled, but trust me on this one.)
At any rate, this is the story of a very bad person trying — perhaps futilely — to become something else. It’s a thing that’s been done before,...more
At any rate, this is the story of a very bad person trying — perhaps futilely — to become something else. It’s a thing that’s been done before,...more
Being a huge fan of Brust's fantasy Taltos series, and a lapsed connoisseur of vampire fiction, I wasn't sure how well these two aspects of my reading personality would get along when it came to this book. The good news is that they got on fantastically. A very intriguing and unique little novel.
One of Brust's lesser-known and, IMHO, highly underrated works. A very effective vampire novel that I found to be far more disturbing and compelling than anything that Anne Rice has written.
One of the best contemporary vampire novels intended for intelligent readers. Character driven, brilliant conflict, not too heavy on the camp, and some rather touching romance thrown in.
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Steven Karl Zoltán Brust (born November 23, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede, and also belongs to the Pre-Joycean Fellowship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/steven...
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“...As we locked the front door behind us, she said, "How do you keep getting in without my knowing it? Did Jill give you a key without mentioning it to me?"
"Trade secret," I said.
"What trade is that? Cat burglar?"
"Yes, although I prefer the technical term."
"What's that?"
"Music promoter.”
—
2 people liked it
"Trade secret," I said.
"What trade is that? Cat burglar?"
"Yes, although I prefer the technical term."
"What's that?"
"Music promoter.”
“Yes?" she said. "And who might you be?"
I bowed, because it seemed the appropriate response. "I might be Jill's friend." I said. "Or I might be an Israeli terrorist looking for PLO supporters. Or possibly a burglar trying to steal your jewels to support my laudanum habit. Or even a neighbor complaining about the volume. That is "Heart of Uncle," isn't it? It really ought to be louder.”
—
1 person liked it
More quotes…
I bowed, because it seemed the appropriate response. "I might be Jill's friend." I said. "Or I might be an Israeli terrorist looking for PLO supporters. Or possibly a burglar trying to steal your jewels to support my laudanum habit. Or even a neighbor complaining about the volume. That is "Heart of Uncle," isn't it? It really ought to be louder.”
Dec 07, 2011 10:07am
Dec 07, 2011 03:14pm