The Hubris of an Empty Hand

by Mahyar A. Amouzegar

In eight ethereal stories, The Hubris in an Empty Hand encompasses the frailty and complexity of being human. When some divine gifts fall into decidedly earthly hands, the results are almost beyond reckoning for humans and gods both. Through its wide cast of characters and fascinating settings, terrestrial, divine, or somewhere in-between, Mayhar A. Amouzegar’s fourth book of fiction takes on timeless questions of love and its permanence, sacrifice, and the human desire to be remembered and known.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2021

About the author

Mahyar A. Amouzegar is the author of three novels, A Dark Sunny Afternoon,Pisgah Road and Dinner at 10:32. His short story, Tell Me More, appeared in the Anthology of Short Stories as part of the Reading Corner Series. Mahyar has been in love with literature since he was a child in Tehran, and continued this passion when he moved to San Francisco as a teenager. He has lived and worked on four different continents and currently resides in New Orleans with his wife and two daughters.

Reviews

[Lori]

Really excited to announce that I am partnering up with Mahyar and UNO Press to promote this deeply fascinating and philosophically twisted collection of interconnected stories! I've never experienced anything like this and I want to share it with you. Reach out if you're interested in reviewing, interview, or otherwise hyping this book!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My! I do declare this to be a bona fide masterpiece. Amouzegar gives us 8 stories, these stories are unusual, they will blow your mind, they will make you think and they will break your heart…this is a guarantee. Some short story collections can have little moments linking them together, they are almost like finding an easter egg and some collections are based on a theme or location, a little thing tying them all together….this book though is unlike anything else, it has been blended together by a master storyteller, words are beyond my ability to describe how it is.

The first story is strange, a gift has been passed, some kind of knowledge that isn’t shared with the reader, the second story is similar but with a different gift, at this point I was enjoying things, I do like it when the author leaves you in the dark to figure out things on your own. It is the third story where the book literally explodes, just before a major reveal linking everything together I had a thought and said “nah! No way that can be right” but it was and I instantly fell for this book, one moment of genius and we are in masterpiece territory.

The rest of the stories are filled by fantastic reveals, you read about events from different angles and you see more and more links that were there from the beginning. There is no way I can share the contents without spoiling the overall effect but know this, you’ll laugh at the funny bits and you’ll want to blubber at the heart breaking moments and you’ll want to give the author a slap with how characters are treated…if I get a chance I’ll go and do a Misery on Amouzegar. 🙂

You really really really need to read this book, I ain’t exaggerating how good it is and I pity the book I read after this.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...

[Beth Mowbray · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚B IS FOR BOOK REVIEW📚

📔Title: The Hubris of an Empty Hand
🖋Author: Mahyar A. Amouzegar
🗓Pub Date: 09.30.21

🗂Genre:
Short stories, literary fiction with a twist of fantasy

📖Plot:
This is the type of book that is so difficult for me to pare down into a synopsis … which is part of why I find it so fascinating! It is a collection of 8 short stories that follows a group of human characters who are confronted with the gifts of the gods (as well as the gods themselves), gifts which ultimately cause them to face the beauty and horror of their lives head on.

🗝Themes:
The complexities of humanity — strengths and weaknesses, knowledge and power, life and death, relationships and love, finding meaning in life, and much more

‼️ Trigger Warning:
Suicide, death

💭Thoughts:
I read this one in a rather choppy manner — because, hey, life is busy this time of year! While I am quite fond of it, I think I would have enjoyed it even more (and gotten more out of it) if I had read the entirety without anything else in between. So, that is my recommendation for you! I’m still puzzling over what exactly happened in the stories, and what they mean, which is a good sign in a book, for me at least … it sticks with you. The writing and storytelling will hook you into this unique collection. It is quite unlike anything else I have read, and I mean that in the best way!

🗣Recommended for those who like:
Dead Souls by Sam Riviere, Yelena Moskovich

Thanks to the publisher and publicist for gifting me an advance electronic copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

[Jee Hooked On Bookz · Rating 3 out of 5]

8 interconnected stories about the people who have been given the gift of gods who didn’t know what to do with the gifts and were faced with their own challenges. The gods ultimately decided that the humans weren’t ready for such gifts and wanted to take them back.

There’s a lot to digest in this book. Firstly there were many characters to keep up with. Secondly, it discussed really heavy themes like life and death, love and friendships, the power (or curse) of knowledge, and humanity. Lastly, it was the way the stories were written, the complexities of it; just too much for my tiny brain to grasp.

It had a promising start, then it dragged somewhat towards the middle; I found some parts repetitive, and then it introduced new characters in the last chapter which kind of put me off a little.

If you’re into anything philosophical, this book may be your cup of tea or in this case, coffee. I love coffee but maybe this flavor wasn’t for me.

Thank you Lori and publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Not Sarah Connor Writes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last book of 2021! I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought. The characters intrigued me and the stories kept me hooked. The dialogue was a bit awkward though.

Read the full review on my blog!