# Peter Brien — Short Fiction character guide

> Peter Brien in Short Fiction by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Peter, honest Peter

**First appearance:** 0003-the-drunkard-s-dream

## Snapshot

A good-natured idler who believes fortune owes him a living, and whose moonlit walk home leads him into the path of the uncanny.

## Who they are

Peter Brien is his grandmother Ally Moran's pride and burden—a young man who prefers wrestling, dancing, and whiskey-punch to honest labor, convinced he is destined for an heiress or a pot of gold. His cheerful idleness and political enthusiasms make him welcome everywhere, but his late-night walk home over Chapelizod bridge places him alone with the moonlight and whatever else may be stirring. His easy confidence and total unpreparedness make him the perfect vessel for a supernatural encounter.

## In the story

### [Billy Malowney's Taste of Love and Glory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/billy-malowney-s-taste-of-love-and-glory)

Mentioned as the horse-doctor who was never quite right in the head after the wedding festivities.

### [The Spectre Lovers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/chapters/the-spectre-lovers)

The protagonist, a lazy young man who sees a phantom regiment and later dies seeking treasure in the haunted house.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/characters/peter_brien
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_31_se/characters