- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; First Edition edition (Oct 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 037541200X
- ISBN-13: 978-0375412004
- Product Dimensions: 16.7 x 3.2 x 24.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,126,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
Anne Rice's best selling Blackwood Farm and the recent film of Queen of the Damned have resulted in a resurgence of interest in Lestat, her all-powerful vampire creation. Rice has populated this latest instalment with a rich mix of well-conceived characters including Rowan Mayfair, brilliant neurosurgeon and true witch who finds herself dangerously drawn to Lestat, and Patsy Mayfair, a murdered country and western singer returning from the afterlife to avenge her own murder. At the heart of the novel is the enigmatic vampire himself, no longer the epitome of evil, but continuing the transformation begun in Memnoch the Devil from evil to goodness, battling between his own desires for gratification and his emerging desire for redemption. Assured and plot driven, this is bound to please Rice's readers and perform as well as previous Lestat adventures.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
Book Description
An erotic tale of a monster in love from Anne Rice, the mistress of the immortal
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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I WANT to be a saint. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
I WANT to be a saint. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
First off, can I just say that I adored the Vampire Chronicles up until Blackwood Farm came out. Even the smaller, minor-character-focused books were good in their own way. I loved Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, even Memnoch the Devil... But not this one.
Why?
* The plot. While there is some semblance of a plot in this novel, it's not really good enough to warrant a novel being written about it. Lestat is back, he has new vampire minions (who happen to be huge brats, and not in the way that Lestat was once called a brat by Marius), and the Mayfair family have brought their Taltos problems into the Vampire Chronicles. So what?
* The characters. Quinn was bearable. I read Blackwood Farm and didn't hate it completely, even though the Mayfairs were a part of it. And I even thought Mona was okay in the Mayfair series. But in this...Quinn and Mona turn into spoilt children. Mona becomes a shrieking, crying, spoilt brat, and Quinn will do anything she says. Not only that, but Lestat is virtually unrecognisable. He's turned to religion (much like Anne Rice herself) and wants to be a saint. He wants to be good. This is not Lestat. I loved Lestat as a character because of the arrogance, the good at being bad, the underneath-it-all I'm a good guy kind of thing, you know? Lestat wasn't perfect. He was a vampire, but we learnt to love him and sympathise with him. Now he wants to be human again. He wants to be a saint.
* The closure. I ask here: what closure? This is not closure. Not only does it make a mockery of all the previous vampire chronicles, but it makes a mockery of the Mayfair Trilogy as well. Tying two of your beloved series together to make a quick ending for them both is not a good idea. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and bought the book anyway. I was wrong. It's not closure even in the smallest sense of the word. Where are the rest of the vampires we've come to love? Louis, Armand, Marius, Pandora, Maharet, David... What happened to Louis and David after the events of Blackwood Farm? Did Armand and Marius remain friends after the events at the end of The Vampire Armand? Do Marius and Pandora remain together after Blood & Gold? What happened to Thorne and Maharet and Mekare? None of these questions are answered. Not a single one. Not only that, but I personally thought that the Mayfair Trilogy worked well as it was, and didn't need loose ends tying up. We didn't need to know the whole tragic ending of the Taltos that got away. We didn't need to know that Rowan was tired and disillusioned and unhappy with her life (and love). It had a sort of happy ending in Taltos, and now we are left with a tragic one (in every sense of the word).
So, if you were to ask me whether I would recommend the book or not, I would have to say "NO!" Read Blackwood Farm if you really must, but just leave Blood Canticle alone. It doesn't have a plot, the characters are butchered, it DID need some serious editing (despite what Ms Rice says to the contrary, every author should have an editor - constructive cricitism helps even the most genius authors), and it did not offer closure.
End of story.
Why?
* The plot. While there is some semblance of a plot in this novel, it's not really good enough to warrant a novel being written about it. Lestat is back, he has new vampire minions (who happen to be huge brats, and not in the way that Lestat was once called a brat by Marius), and the Mayfair family have brought their Taltos problems into the Vampire Chronicles. So what?
* The characters. Quinn was bearable. I read Blackwood Farm and didn't hate it completely, even though the Mayfairs were a part of it. And I even thought Mona was okay in the Mayfair series. But in this...Quinn and Mona turn into spoilt children. Mona becomes a shrieking, crying, spoilt brat, and Quinn will do anything she says. Not only that, but Lestat is virtually unrecognisable. He's turned to religion (much like Anne Rice herself) and wants to be a saint. He wants to be good. This is not Lestat. I loved Lestat as a character because of the arrogance, the good at being bad, the underneath-it-all I'm a good guy kind of thing, you know? Lestat wasn't perfect. He was a vampire, but we learnt to love him and sympathise with him. Now he wants to be human again. He wants to be a saint.
* The closure. I ask here: what closure? This is not closure. Not only does it make a mockery of all the previous vampire chronicles, but it makes a mockery of the Mayfair Trilogy as well. Tying two of your beloved series together to make a quick ending for them both is not a good idea. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt and bought the book anyway. I was wrong. It's not closure even in the smallest sense of the word. Where are the rest of the vampires we've come to love? Louis, Armand, Marius, Pandora, Maharet, David... What happened to Louis and David after the events of Blackwood Farm? Did Armand and Marius remain friends after the events at the end of The Vampire Armand? Do Marius and Pandora remain together after Blood & Gold? What happened to Thorne and Maharet and Mekare? None of these questions are answered. Not a single one. Not only that, but I personally thought that the Mayfair Trilogy worked well as it was, and didn't need loose ends tying up. We didn't need to know the whole tragic ending of the Taltos that got away. We didn't need to know that Rowan was tired and disillusioned and unhappy with her life (and love). It had a sort of happy ending in Taltos, and now we are left with a tragic one (in every sense of the word).
So, if you were to ask me whether I would recommend the book or not, I would have to say "NO!" Read Blackwood Farm if you really must, but just leave Blood Canticle alone. It doesn't have a plot, the characters are butchered, it DID need some serious editing (despite what Ms Rice says to the contrary, every author should have an editor - constructive cricitism helps even the most genius authors), and it did not offer closure.
End of story.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've read plenty of review for this book and they've all told me that it's awful. But nether the less I decided to read it despite so that I could make up my mind.
Sadly all the reviews were rite.
This story lacks a plot. I read the thing in 2 nights waiting for the plot to kick in and then the book ended.
It's an appalling mockery of the former glory reached with Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat and Queen of the Damned.
Like one of the other reviewers says - AVOID! Avoid like the plague.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've read this twice now. Contrary to popular opinion, I think it is very good. No, it's not her best work, but I love both the Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches, so this was a great crossover. Rice puts so much of herself into her novels and we see Lestat struggling with eternal philosophical questions and deep religious theological issues. This will turn off some readers, but for me it gave a very poetic and thoughtful picture of the supernatural. I'm sad to see my favorite vampires go, but I am also very understanding of the personal struggles and tough decisions Anne has had to make as an author. Her writing skills are exceptional and they are well-served in her more recent publications on Christ. I continue to be a fan....
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A magnificent masterpiece The Q ueen Anne of the ruler of the Coven...
WARNING! Those that haven't read Blackwood Farm or this novel pleased be advised that this review contains "SPOILERS! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Sean de Lyon
Bloody bad Canticle
Anne Rice has written some stinkers in her time -- "Memnoch the Devil," "Servant of the Bones" and "Violin" amongst them. Read more
Published 3 months ago by E. A Solinas
Excellent book
This is the concluding book in the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, and if you are a fan of her books you wont be disappointed. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kay
I Miss the Old Lestat...
I am a fan of the original 'Interview' and 'The Vampire Lestat', which followed it. But - oh dear - Anne Rice has spent the subsequent decades since her moment of invention slowly... Read more
Published 16 months ago by CalUKGR
There are no words.
Seriously, no words at all to describe how incredibly awful this book is.
I have read all the Vampire Chronicles and I will agree with most that the first three are the... Read more
I have read all the Vampire Chronicles and I will agree with most that the first three are the... Read more
Published on 26 May 2010 by miaowface
the end but not as it should have been
Anne Rice could have made this book the best of all her work. Instead she has given us this lame ending to an otherwise very enjoyable set of works. Read more
Published on 24 Oct 2009 by munnsbooks
Shame on you Anne Rice for publishing this rubbish
I can't belive this trash was actually printed under Anne Rice's name... there is no way this was actually written by her. Read more
Published on 30 Aug 2009 by Mrs. A. L. Greaves
Utter drivel
ALbert Einstein is often cited as expressing his extreme regret at the way in which his scientific research led, indirectly, to the production of atomic bombs. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2009 by Mr. S. Armitag
Please complete these beautiful chronicles for yourself and don't let...
This is a review for Blood Canticle and Blackwood Farm as i think they must be treated as one.
This book along with the Blackwood Farm is fantastic and part of the most... Read more
This book along with the Blackwood Farm is fantastic and part of the most... Read more
Published on 28 July 2008 by Ms. L. Pitchford
Time for another 'pre-ternatural' snooze?
Anne Rice has succeeded in killing that which cannot be killed by yet again dragging our old friend Lestat up by the scruff of his neck and hawking yet another drippy tale to... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2008 by K. WYNNE
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