Customer Reviews

Vampires Anonymous

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read "Vampires Anonymous" for the first time about four years ago, and it spoiled me for just about every other vampire story. I have never laughed so much in all my life! Andrew is utterly impossible to describe - for a character who should, in the normal order of things, be the disfunctional misfit in society, you simply cannot help wondering how he retains his sanity as friends, enemies and acquaintances around him redefine what "abnormality" really means. And yet he somehow manages to remain perfectly debonair and beautifully dressed, with ready and acid wit to hand, as his colleagues (sometimes literally) lose their heads. You don't have to be gay to read this book, and you can't help but love this vampire. My only question, which I have been asking for the past four years - where's the sequel, Mr. McMahan? Please?

Better yet, let Andrew do it for you. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I bought this book just looking for an entertaining read and a few laughs. What I found was so much more engrossing, and I'm now well into reading the book for a third time.

VA picks up where McMahan's last book leaves off. Previously we had only seen glimpses of Andrew (the book's anti-hero) through short stories, little more than an introduction. But in VA, we get to explore Andrew's existence eight years after having been brought into the vampiric fold... and never was Lestat half as sharp with his tongue.

I hesitate to compare McMahan's style with Rice's, but it's the most commonly known reference I can think of. The prose in VA isn't as "pretty" as Rice's, instead it tends towards relatively clipped phrases, both harsh and poignant. Yet it's meant to be. Coming from a 1st person perspective, one is immersed not only in Andrew's world, but in his mind (as messed up and twisted as it might be.)

Additionally, the story provides an interesting metaphore for the so called Ex-Gay movement and conversion efforts through exploring the attempts of the Vampire's Anonymous "twelve-step" group to lead vampires back to a more "normal" unlife. McMahan doesn't allow himself to get caught up in a political statement, but the effect is still there, lurking in the background.

The book is an engrossing read, and I highly recommend it to fans of the vampire genre, whether the reader is gay or not.

If you squint your third eye a little bit, you can read this book as using "vampire" as a metaphor for "gay." Andrew, our undead hero, is unabashedly both of these, and takes us on a romp through his 'unlife' -- not as sensual as Lestat's merry band of neck-biters, and a little more disco. Nevertheless, the characters are well drawn--and you'll laugh, cry, fly and die with them. Great fun and highly recommended!

McMahan has done a wonder job with this gay vampire story, I just hate the story to end. Let's hope Mr. McMahan writes another real soon. Although, those that are looking for gore vampire, will find little of it here, this one is a bit more humorous, but still a very excellent read.

Alyson Publications primarily prints gay and lesbian fiction and non-fiction. So when I friend recently gave me his copy, I thought the book would be far more erotic and explicit than it is. In fact, compared to other Alyson books of this same period it was disappointing in that area. I'm assuming the target audience are people who read "Somewhere in the Night" by McMahan, a collection of short stories where the main vampiric character of this novel is introduced. I assume this because the novel just jumped into things with little background or character build-up; sadly resulting is little empathy for Andrew unless you've read the short stories. The plot is very complex -- 12-step program for vampires attacking its own kind, perhaps an attempt to kill homosexual vampires by it, an insane vampire hunter, romantic attractions, and the rather sudden addition of a child vampire at one point. It does all connect together at the end but it takes some effort to work through to that ending.

I was extremely disapointed in this book. The author's sole purpose for writing this novel appears to be striking back at members of society that disagree with a certain lifestyle. I bought this book to be entertained with a story of vampires and not to get drug down into a debate on morality or social choices. If you have a differing social opinion than the author you might very well find the novel unreadable. Please read everything writen on this page about this book before you buy it.