Customer Reviews

Agyar (Tor Fantasy)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Agyar is absolutely the best written novel I have ever read. I think the clearest proof of this is that I have never gotten it back from anyone I lent it to. I have quite literally purchased this book 4 times, then lent it to friends, and never had it returned. Brust accomplishes so much without beating the reader over the head with too much imagery. The story seeps into you very organically. The thing I love about Brust's writing is that there is absolutely nothing unintentional about it. He crafts his words with precision and intent. I absolutely recommend this book (I won't call it a Vampire book, since the Word is never mentioned, besides, I hate the Horror Genre). Anyone with an interest in good writing and storytelling must read this. Oh, and If I could borrow your copy for a few days....

I second the opinion of Benny "B". The less you know about this book, the stronger the impact. This book is best discovered. Don't read other reviews, many give too much of the story away, and thus lessens the impact. If I remember correctly, Mr Brust had said that this was a literary experiment in writing, one in which he was personally satisfied with the result. I read this book first in high school and then again several months ago. It has aged relatively well, is well written, and should appeal to many peoples tastes.

Steven Brust has long been a favourite of mine, and if you read Agyar, you will understand why. I believe that there are very few vampire stories that are truly worth reading, perhaps it is something about the very nature of vampires that makes them so difficult to handle. However, John Agyar, even as a killer, comes across as a very well- rounded character who evokes the reader's sympathy. The story revolves around Agyar's fight to free himself from the machinations of his mistress, Laura, and his growing love for a talented young dancer named Susan. The ending, while not entirely completely rosy, is none the less very satisfying. A much- recommended read.

I only read vampire books when I get desperate for something to read. I ordered Agyar only because I very much enjoyed the Vlad Taltos series by Mr. Brust. I did not really beleive I would enjoy Agyar.

From the time I ordered the book, and the time I got around to read it, enough time had gone by that I had forgotten that Agyar was a blood sucker.

By the end of the first chapter I was wondering, when did Steven Brust get into writing romance novels about con artists? By the end of the second chapter he had my attention. I could not put Agyar down without wondering what was happening. I had to itch the scratch and pick that book up again.

Thank you Steven Brust for giving me my money's worth.

Brust is perhaps best known for his Dragaeran series. This book is not part of any series, and in fact is mainly in a contemporary urban setting in the Midwest. It's almost a classic vampire story plot-line, except that vampires and drinking blood are never mentioned.

BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification: well, this is a pretty standard vampire. Vampire books can fall into several genres, and Brust is best known as a fantasy author, but this book actually contains relatively little fantasy, other than the existence of vampires in the first place. Our vampire has pretty much the minimum standard vampire powers: long-lived, can't enter a house unless invited, vulnerable to sunlight although it doesn't kill him instantly, drinks blood, can bend people to his will. No turning into a bat. Our vampire doesn't have a "day job" - his entire existence is pretty much being a vampire for the sake of being a vampire, and he resents that, too. Does he stand as a metaphor for sex? Yes and no - he is that, just as Stoker's vampire was, representing metaphorically the deflowering of young women and all that, but there are some twists to it, and he does seem to have some purpose besides representing sexual activity. Are there other supernatural characters? Sort of, and I'll leave that for you to discover. Does the place where the story takes place have any depth to it? While not as thoroughly described as some cities, there is a "there" there to this town, with a university, businesses besides the ones our characters work at (an awful lot of coffee shops, among other things!), and some scenery. The university setting allows Brust to get in some sly digs at academe; other than that, I can't say that the book contains much humor. It's not either farce nor horror. It doesn't seem as if it will be part of a series. I mention all these items in order for you to compare the book to vampire novels you've already read, and decide whether this is your cup of tea, since the attitudes and actions of and in vampire novels vary wildly and widely.

So if you're expecting, say, the humor of Tanya Huff, this isn't it. If you're expecting the sexual content of Laurell Hamilton, this isn't it either. There is sexual activity here, but it's not detailed nor is it a major plot element. What there is, is Brust's usual very good writing, telling a story that happens to be about a vampire, from the vampire's point of view, which is a little bit limited.

Some of the unusual points to this story: Jack's technophobia, except for his sudden obsession with the typewriter; what happens when Jack eats solid food; Jack's poetry, which includes, among other things, a perfectly competent and readable sonnet.

The downside: there's not a whole lot of plot going on.

Summary: if you like Brust's writing, you'll enjoy the book; if you're looking mainly for sheer horror in a vampire story, you won't find much of it here. Certainly if you are intent on absorbing the vampire genre, you won't want to leave this out, and it won't be a waste of your time to read it - it just won't be the best vampire novel you've read to date, and may come as a letdown because of that.

I picked up and read this book without reading any reviews, summaries or spoilers. While reading this book, the moment when a series of odd facts jelled in my mind into suspicion and then into realization, was truly awesome. If you can hand this book to someone who can appreciate it without telling them anything about it, do so.

_Agyar_, by Steven Karl Zoltan Brust

Published 1993 by Tor Books (Hardcover)
ISBN# 0-312-85178-2

(And while the paper the book is printed on is acid-free, I'm not entirely sure about the author. Speaking of which, here's the URL of his personal webite: http://www.wavefront.com/~skzb/. And here's a site dedicated to his work, particualrly the Dragaeran novels: http://www.math.ttu.edu/~kesinger/brust/. Both good, informative sites.)

Now, on to the book...

Finally, a vampire novel that doesn't insult my intelligence. And doesn't even once (not even ONCE!) mention the word 'vampire'. No boring passages about '...the bright crimson flow of his lifeblood crept slowly down my throat, caressing like a long-lost lover, yet leaving me as empty as the abyss which is my apathy toward this turgid world that strives as its only goal to bring me to my knees so that I may know despair and regain my faith once more in a God that I believe abandoned and cursed me to this eternal twilight existence neither alive nor dead, yet still forced to endure this (im)mortal coil until the oh-so-sweet day of release when I shall finally be reunited with my long-lost and lamented love, whom I cared too much about to ever bring across this veil of death into this eternal half-life...'. Feh. Crap like that makes me sick. This book, however, is positively Pepto.

I will be the first to admit that this is a very odd book. Decidedly so. But this is a very good thing. It presents a new vampire story. Not 'the vampiric condition' from another perspective, but a NEW story. Even if this was not a vampire story, it would still be an excellent tale. It is not written in the normal third-person perspective, but it written in double first-person. No, don't ask me what that means. Just read the book, and you will understand, little worm. Reading it twice will bring even more understanding. Now, as to reading it... read the prologue. Prepare to be mildly confused or unsure. This is not bad, for it will be explained later. Then read the main body of the book. Sometimes it will seem disjointed, as it is written as though the main character is actually typing what you are reading-- for the most part. A very interesting method of writing a book, if you ask me, and fairly well done. Then you will read the epilogue, which is closely tied to the prologue. I will now presume to suggest that you read the prologue AGAIN. Everything should make perfect sense now. If it doesn't, read the entire book again. Yes, it's that good of a read.

As to the subject... I will, of course, not delve too intricately so as not to spoil the plot, but I will touch on certain elements of the book. As is obvious by now, this is a story about a vampire. Well, actually, there is more than one vampire, but that will be explained as you read. There is also passing mention of a werewolf. I found it interesting that Brust only mentioned the character without ever fleshing-out the character or truly bringing it into the spotlight. But, I realize it was, like much of the book, merely an attempt at adding real-life mundanities to a story that really does nothing for the plot. But they do ever so much for the CHARACTERS. If you read many of Brust's books, you will find that the stories are character-driven without losing the plot's identity and importance. But I digress... also touched upon (a bit more) is ritualistic witchcraft. I think Brust does a good job of bringing it into the tale without overshadowing the characters or the story. All in all, he does an excellent job of taking many small threads and weaving them into the greater pattern. Also included in the book is a spirit companion. Or ghost, if you will. He serves primarily as a sounding board for the main character, but is not in any way diminished as a character by his function.

And the best part of the book, you may ask? The end. Oh, finally, an ending I am happy with. Even more than happy-- truly content. Oh, yes. This was a book I could put down and smile about. No regretting the last few pages and lamenting some anti-climatic clap-trap that is so common nowadays due to weak writers who have no concept of realism in fantasy. As befitting any book that truly mirrors life in its peaks and troughs, its ending can be found to have both uplifting qualities and despairing qualities. I leave it to the reader to find each as their heart desires. I know I did.

And no, I'm not even going to tell you any of the characters' names. Go buy the book. Read it. Enjoy it. And read it again. Then force one of your friends to read it and spread the word, Brother. Spread the Word. Fly, my little monkeys!

-Johnny Mayall

I was drawn to this book primarily because of the author, who is an exceptional writer of fantasy, and it is always interesting to see how a master of one style does when writing in another. Often the cross-over result is lackluster.

So I was more than pleasantly surprised by this volume, which is quite different than Brust's other works. And unlike many vampire novels, it is not clear at first that our protagonist is a vampire, nor do we linger on the gory details. Since the writing is the first person perspective of the vampire, much is not spelled out because it is "obvious". In some prose, this might result in a confusing meander through a stream of consciousness, but in "Agyar", this results in a smooth, flowing tale of the life of Jack Agyar. It is a short, compelling read.

Highly recommended for both fans of vampire novels, and those who normally don't like them.

What a book! Despite the fact that I am a slobbering, shameless Brust-fan, I still feel that from an objective standpoint this must be heralded as a work of genius. Anne Rice and Poppy Z. Brite be damned. Agyar gives the world of horror fiction an anti-hero with a brain, a heart, and a convincing agenda. His connection with the modern world is refreshing. John Agyar does not spend thousands of words lamenting ages past, nor does he awkwardly mimic the "normals" surrounding him. He behaves in much the way that one who had hundreds of years' experience ought. In short,the book flows beautifully; the writing is as clean as a Japanese brush-painting, and the plot is elegantly constructed, yet at the same time almost unnecessary due to the striking presence of the characters.

Brust's novel is an excellent one. Agyar Janos, the protagonist, finds himself in a singular situation, even for one in his unusual position of being a rather unique sort of vampire. Although some of the characters are fantastic, Brust tells a story of dangerous infatuation and desperate, poignant consequences which is quite real. Janos is shockingly hard and amazingly vulnerable at once. The writing in the novel is smooth enough to facilitate the suspension of disbelief which is so needed for the enjoyment of a good fantasy novel. I heartily reccomend this book