Review of Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Bear with me on this one, I'm sick and it may not all come out right.

From Amazon.com:

In the now-classic novel Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice refreshed the archetypal vampire myth for a late-20th-century audience. The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris. But a summary of this story bypasses the central attractions of the novel. First and foremost, the method Rice chose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to a skeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into a highly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure. Second, by entering the experience of an immortal character, one raised with a deep Catholic faith, Rice was able to explore profound philosophical concerns--the nature of evil, the reality of death, and the limits of human perception--in ways not possible from the perspective of a more finite narrator.

My Thoughts:

If you've never seen the movie (let's face it, though, who hasn't) this book is amazing. The picture that Louis sets when he describes where he is, or how it differs from today is just beautiful. The pacing can be a little slow in places, but its forgiveable with how much information your getting. It really helps to pull you into the story.

I love that throughout the whole story, when in present tense, the two in the room are always named the vampire and the boy. And though we learn the vampire's name, we never get a name for the boy. Mrs. Rice had a flare for this romantic horror that she brings through with her vampires. They're frightening to be sure, but you can't help but fall for them. I'm a fan, and I can't wait to get to "The Vampire Lestat"

Rating: R for adult themes

Recommended for: Anyone that needs a GOOD vampire novel with strong characters thats been thuroughly researched.

Not Recommended for: Children and young adults, anyone who needs constant fast pace in writing.

Stars: 4/5