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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Chronicles of the vampires, 31 Dec 2005
Anne Rice revamped the vampire-horror genre with the publication of "Interview with the Vampire," a supernational drama from the vampire's own mouth. It became an unexpected hit, and spawned a series of sequels that came to be known as the Vampire Chronicles. The first four books of the series are compiled here, although the fourth is not up to the excellent standards of the first three.
"Interview With the Vampire" is the story of Louis, a grieving young widower and plantation owner, whose life is turned upside down when he meets the charming vampire Lestat. Lestat offers him a way out: become a vampire. Louis accepts, but once it's done, he finds that vampirism is more than he bargained for -- especially for his conscience.
"The Vampire Lestat" takes a totally different tack, showing us the world through the enigmatic, charming Lestat's eyes. After years of dormancy, Lestat wakes up in time for the early MTV years of the 1980s, becoming a rock star in the tradition of Ozzy and Black Sabbath. And like Louis, Lestat relates his long life's story -- how he became a vampire, his wanderings over the earth, and his investigations into the origins of vampirism itself...
"Queen of the Damned" builds on that research. Lestat's metal music has caused quite a bit of mayhem -- but not this much before: Akasha, Egyptian queen and mother of all vampires, has reawoken from her comalike sleep. The lesser vampires are having strange dreams, some are being murdered by the ruthless queen. Apparently she wants to kill all men. What is more, Akasha has taken a shine to the roguish Lestat himself...
"The Tale of the Body Thief" opens with lonely anti-hero Lestat deciding that he wants to be mortal again. At least temporarily. So he engages in some corpus-swapping with a con man (Danger! Danger, Will Lestat!), and rediscovers the joys (romance with a nun) and miseries (excretion) of being a human being again. The problem is, said con man is not eager to return Lestat's attractive and immortal body once he has it...
Vampiric autobiography is a given in Anne Rice's bibliography -- she has plenty of bloodsuckers telling us about their lives. But Lestat and Louis's were not just the first ones, but perhaps the most compelling and rich, especially since the two had such radically different viewpoints -- including of one another. Is Lestat a heartless fiend, or a roguish good-craving bad boy? I'd lean towards the latter, to be honest.
Rice does stumble in "Tales of the Body Thief," which seems like too flimsy a plot for Lestat and Co., has an unnecessary nun romance, and which has some very gross moments. However, it does give a stunning look at how a vampire would see the everyday life of a human -- all the problems, discomforts, annoyances and loneliness that we all ignore because we're used to it. It's a more personal story than the epic "Queen of the Damned," which deals with all of vampirekind all through history. (In one book!)
Despite the more controversial recent novels, Anne Rice's first Vampire Chronicles are often reckoned to be modern horror classics. Rich, intriguing and far deeper than you'd think vampire fiction would be.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of the most breath-taking books I've ever read!!, 2 Mar 1997
By A Customer
Having been an avid reader of gothic type stories that center around vampires and the like .... I was absolutely captivated by Anne Rice's vampire stories.
"Interview with the Vampire" and "The Vampire Lestat" take you into the deep and mysterious world of the night creatures - vampires. The author doesn't just tell you a story, she brings you into the story to the point where you may find yourself compelled to go out and track down a vampire so you too could experience the sensuality and pleasures reserved for these night creatures. I am certainly on the lookout for a vampire!
"Queen of the Damned" presents a truly believable guide to how vampires came into existence. Again the story makes you feel a part of every high and every low throughout. And again the author has given her all to make the reader see and hear everything.
Each story had me entranced and unable to put the book down until I had finished it. Do yourself a favour and read these books - but be warned - you may start to have vampiric desires!
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I am in love with The Vampire Lestat!, 31 Aug 2000
By A Customer
I have read many novels from many genres over the years and until now never found a 'favourite author'. Anne Rice has become that very person. I haven't the words to describe how good her books are! The characters are fabulous, the historical background interesting and the dialogue brilliant, particuarly any conversations between the main characters Lestat, Louis and Armand. I found a copy of Interview with the Vampire a few months ago by accident and although I had liked the film with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, I hadn't read the book, but once I started I just couldn't put it down until the very last page. I have since bought every one of her Vampire books and love them all! Although if I had to recommend her best I would say Interview with the Vampire, Tale of the Body Thief, The Vampire Lestat and The Vampire Armand, in that order. I am now intending to read her Witches books too, as well as visiting New Orleans in October and hopefully attending the Coven Ball! I am also creating a website very soon about all things Vampiric, I have been totally inspired.
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