Customer Reviews

Cugel's Saga

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
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Vance smoothed and decorated a small niche of fantasy / sci-fi where overly-mannered, ceremonius language is put to comedic and adventurous use. Critics confuse Vance tales of lacking in plot. True, his books tend to lack subtle scheming and unforeen forces at work against the protagonist. However, the true plots are the rich settings themselves: Cugle is matching wits (often with negative results) with fantastic settings, creatures and customs that no rational person would conceive, let alone write about in brilliant tones. Cugles travels from episode, to episode, trying to get home.

Vance has thankfully chosen to render his artistry in a genre mocked and ignored by confused critics who dislike unfamiliarity.

I urge you to gather up this book, as well as the entire Dying Earth series, and without question read the "Demon Princes" series. You'll appreciate a true artist working in colors and hues rarely seen in fantasy or sci-fi.

One last recommendation: Michael Shea's "Incompleat Nifft" is a worthy homage to Cugel, with a hefty dose of Lovecraft. I highly recommend that book as well if you enjoyed The Dying Earth series.

Jack Vance's "Cugel's Saga" is my favourite fantasy novel (the other "Dying Earth" novels coming a close second) - his unique style of writing is unparalleled in fantasy fiction. How often have you read a fantasy novel that tried to furbish you with a so-so plot, but used a style of writing so hackneyed and drab that it hurt? In Vance, you not only get a lovable protagonist in ne'er-do-well Cugel, who's so utterly selfish and vainglorious that the reader can only be baffled and thoroughly amused, but you also get witty characterizations, weird plot turns and the most artistic dialogue you'd ever expect in a fantasy novel. Acidic irony, villainy carefully disguised under a mantle of impeccable (?) politeness, and enough high-brow expressions to fill a mid-level dictionary. The plot is basically a chain of unconnected "scenes", one more imaginative than the other, which could go on indefinitely, but sadly has to end at a point. And here we have the one downside to the book: Its end. Compared to the colorful happenings during the whole of the novel, the end is somewhat of an anticlimax. But Vance, who excels at creating highly complex and enjoyable mini-scenarios, can be forgiven the fact that epic plots are not one of his strengths. If you can get ahold of this out-of-print book, give it a try. Chances are that you will at least like it.

Continuing to explore the fantastic world first
seen in "The Dying Earth" and in the second volume of
the series, "The Eyes of the Overworld" (another
must-have!), Vance spins the tale of an ordinary
fellow, Cugel, of no great moral fiber, who ires the
wizard Iucounu, known as the Laughing Magician. The
mage then sends him on a quest, with an on-board
passenger named Firx (from Achernar, a far star) to
goad him. Intrigued? You should well be-- this is
one of Vance's greatest works, eclipsed in this
reviewer's estimation only by "The Eyes of the
Overworld" for pure picaresque adventure and humor.
Rogues tend to be Vance's funniest characters, and
Cugel is his best. Also highly recommended:
"Rhialto the Marvellous"

Set in the world of Vance's Dying Earth series, when the sun has all but sputtered out, this book, continues the story of Vance's anti-hero Cugel, a vain popinjay of a man who finds himself once again stranded half a world away from home by his arch-enemy Iocunnu (better known as the Laughing Magician because of his penchant for playing morbid jokes upon his enemies).

Vance's Dying Earth is a world of Machiavellian sorcery and science, where a person's every deed is viewed with suspicion - and a good deed even more so! Magicians and monsters vie with everyday mortals for power in the form of powerful runes, ancient amulets, otherworldly gems, etc. "Trust" and "compassion" are basically forgotten terms, as is "generosity" and "goodwill." How bad is this place? It can best be seen by the conversation between Cugel and the fiendish sorceror Fauculme (whom a suspicious Cugel ties up before even introducing himself):

Fauculme: How then is one to distinguish between enemy
and altruist?

Cugel: It is not an important distinction...

Cugel's adventures are absolutely hilarious, as he schemes and scams his way back home across a world of "dangers and woners abundant."

Many years ago, in the depths of a crushing depression, I picked up Cugel's Saga and began reading. Vance's sentences tolled like bells; his humor made me laugh in ways I never had before; his characterizations made real people seem shallow and indistinct. I got over the depression, but not Vance. Since then I've collected almost all his books - twice. Once I thought I was through with Vance and tossed the ragged paperbacks in the trash. Before long, however, I began sifting through dusty used bookstores literally coast to coast to replenish my shelves. It was worth every step, every penny and every sneeze. I will never let go of my Vances again. He is the best writer this writer and book reviewer has ever read. Cugel's Saga is his best book.

Cugel's Saga begins with "The eyes of the overworld" which is my favorite Jack Vance book, and I've read a lot of them. The title of the first book gave me no clue about what a blast it was. I actually didn't like the title, if it hadn't been Jack Vance, I wouldn't have got the book. Turns out, those eyes are an awesome and hilarious ploy!

"Cugel's Saga" is the second book of Cugel's involuntary travels, and it was no less of a page turner, save for the many moments I had to put the book down, cause I either couldn't stop laughing, or because I needed a moment to consider all the things I had been told between the lines. This is a little like Jack Vance's 1001 nights to me.

It's refreshing that Cugel lacks any morality pressed upon him from the outside, and all his episodes of victories and defeats turn out to be brilliant parables. Jack Vance is not some phony moralist, his stories embody something deeper. He shares his mind with us, but he doesn't seem at all concerned what exactly we will make of it.

These two books are as rich as any I've read. What you take away from reading them is up to you. Jack Vance is well beyond trying to get some sort of agreement for something from his readers. He just poses situations and actions and leaves the rest to you.

So far each of the books of the Dying Earth cycle have been wondrous gems that confirmed all the hype that I'd read about Jack Vance. He is in fact better than the hype. There's simply no other fantasy writer like him on grounds of sheer style. Beyond his flair for description of odd ornaments and color, there's also his remarkable ability to not-describe. He rarely gives us details about the randomly named animals of his beastiary, characters personality traits are never explicitly stated- only shown through the cracks between the lines of their arcane and ironic dialogue. There's an unusual pace to his stories- they are brisk to get to the plot hook, but he's almost at pains not to create a heroic climax, or give explicit descriptive detail of major actions or plot machinations. Mysteriously this style is unique and completley addictive- perhaps because you are invited to think so much for yourself.
This book was written much further into his career than the first two, and he's so relaxed in this book. It's such a pleasure to watch and read Vance as he masters the picaresque. It's an ancient story form, and endlessly amusing form- as both African and Native American tradition shows us with Anansi and Coyote stories respectively. Maybe its some sort of catharsis watching someone act without morals. You know that something nefarious will happen, some goofiness spilling from Cugel or his compatriot's greed, and you're free to be entertained by it instead of censuring it or comparing the wrong doers to a foil!
Many complained about the redux element of this novel since Cugel is basically retracing his steps from his last adventure. But those readers are looking for plot resolution, something Vance is simply not interested in exploring- at least in these books. It's about the pure pleasure of these mini-adventures he sets up, each one a unique set peice from anything that's gone before- and everything else that's happened in the cycle. "Eyes of the Overworld" was rich with pathos, it felt in parts like a meditation on man's hopeless quest for fulfillment in all the major areans- community, power, religion, and philosophy- all masking as a comedic romp. (Noone else was devasted by The Pilgrims?) That being said "Cugel's Saga" on the other hand is more assured for some reason. Perhaps because it was written as one novel, but also because Vance is a much more mature writer at this point. Instead of Cugel versus strange societies or magical mishaps, this is a book about manners, conversations, and transactions. It's hooks are in the real social world of narcicissts, self-interested schmucks, and haughty madams. It's a book that's very concerned with social order. Women finally make appearances, sex is present, Cugel makes more friends. Granted the casual cruelty of men against each other is universal in these worlds, and there's nothing that relieves that view point which does make for a certain emotional monotony. But if you're reading this for emotional trueness you're again missing the point. This is pure fantasy entertainment. Men sleep on columns, demons with talking tongues are kept in the basement, ships float over land. Bizarre set peice, after bizarre set peice, ironic humiliation after curious ironic humiliation, trickster gambit after trickster gambit Vance is assuredly leading you somewhere you've never gone before in literature, folk tales, or sci/fi fantasy. Just go with him, and you'll have a book you'll surely treasure as much as Cugel does his silly hat and his stolen terces.

Cugel's Saga is the sequel to Eyes of the Overworld. Jack Vance's questionable hero, Cugel, struggles southward to avenge himself upon the Laughing Magician, encountering some of the most inventive situations ever put to paper. Always self-centered and vain to a flaw, Cugel nevertheless is possessed of a cruel and delightful sense of justice. As he wreaks havoc, either intentionally or by blind dumb luck, on the deserving of the world, one cannot help but cheer the miscreant on. Jack Vance is the greatest fantasy writer of our time. This book is part of the Dying Earth series, including The Dying Earth, Eyes of the Overworld, and Rhialto the Marvelous.

this book is just so funny. i loved it. every page. every sentence. every bizarre character. i loved Cugel, who is not nice, or successfull, but so damn funny. Cugel is swept away far from his home by an evil wizard and tries to get home. and of course he tries to get rich, fool people and other things. i simply can not help finding it so funny. one of the best books i have ever read.
hmm. i know this wasn't a very descriptive review. but i'm counting on that you are reading all the other, long, reviews too. and i know that my english is that of a 12-year old swedish child.

I first read Cugel's Saga purely by accident. I had just read Micheal Shea's "A Quest for Simibils" and was surprised to find that he had based the tale upon the "Eyes of the Overworld" with kind permission from Jack Vance. 20 years later I still have a smirk upon my face whenever I think about the book. Jack Vance is a brilliant student of human nature and is fully aware of the often hidden machivellian depths that are usually masked by pretensions of decency. That Cugel is a rouge is never in question but when held up against his enemies and quite often his allies he is a proverbial knight in shining armour. Read how he schemes his way across the dying earth to frustrate the designs of Innoccu the laughing magician, and along the way enjoy the language and that impeccably dry sense of humour that is Jack Vance. The man is a master of minimalism when it comes to narrative prose a skill that mere mortals like myself should acquire and learn to apply.