Interview with the Vampire is the first book in Anne Rice’s
adult horror fantasy Vampire Chronicles series.
When a young reporter gets a chance to interview with the
enigmatic, pale man that claims to be a vampire, he takes it. Such begins the
long, harrowing tale of Louis, his maker Lestat and his “child” Claudia.
Sweeping from pre-civil war Louisiana to the mists of
Europe, Louis weaves his life story for the reporter from the tragic, defining
moments before his transition and those bloody, unsettling moments immediately
following his meeting with the vampire Lestat – and beyond.
Anyone who has seen the film starring Brad Pitt, Tom
Cruise and a young Kirsten Dunst may know many details of the turns the novel
will take – as it is a fairly strong adaptation, likely due to the fact that
Anne Rice herself penned it. However, here we have the original book form where
Rice lends that miserable, contemplative, gloomy voice of Louis who is a
reluctant vampire, to put it lightly.
Desperately trying to hang on to his humanity, Louis is a
conflicted character who is torn between caring for, and being dependent on,
his relationships with Lestat and Claudia, while also being horrified by their
easy killing and lack of conscience. He is, quite simply, not built to be a
vampire but doomed to its fate.
Without providing further plot details, I will say that
Interview with the Vampire had gorgeous descriptions and an eloquent, poetic
language that was both very enveloping and also, at times, probably more than
necessary. I won’t deny occasionally skimming some of the more longwinded
narration describing the countryside or what have you.
However, the prose was affective in creating an absorbing
atmosphere, a distinct first-person voice and some occasionally powerful
emotional punches – from strangely, almost involuntarily, erotic to
heartbreaking, tormenting sorrow.
Though Louis’s journey through vampirism was hypnotic,
and its eventual conclusion titillated me on a pure character development
level, I have been assured by a friend that the next books in the Vampire
Chronicles series are far more satisfying. It sounds as though Lestat becomes
much more in the spotlight and creates a vibe a little less depressive and a
little more fun.
Either way, though, Interview with the Vampire was
definitely worth the read and was a great experience. I would strongly
recommend bibliophiles with an enjoyment of gothic stories to check it out! I
look forward to diving into more novels in the series as soon as I am able.
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