The Vampire Lestat (1985)

I felt like she did a lot of backtracking from the first book. ( )

My second reading (the first was about ten years ago) of Rice's second novel in her Vampire Chronicles. It's still amazing. I love authors who can develop their characters to such a fullness that you miss them when you finish the novel, and Rice does exactly that. (Another author that's great at this is John Irving)

The span of time and the sub-stories of Armand and Marius just make the work that much more epic. If I didn't have a ton of other subjects that I suddenly want to read up on, I would definitely re-read Queen of the Damned ( )

The Vampire Lestat
By Anne Rice
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf Inc
Published In: New York City, NY, USA
Date: 1985
Pgs: 481

REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
Lestat was born the last son of a French Maquis. Not inheritable. Not allowed to live a life of his choosing. A runaway, numerous times, the family always hunts him down and forces him back. Until he and his friend Nicolas, an outlier of a merchant family in the town the owes fealty to Lestat’s father, run away together to Paris. Where half starving, they make their way finding work in a theater. Before long, the star quality of Lestat brings him to the stage and the attention of a unique patron. The Dark Gift finds him in the bloom of his youth and the old vampire who gives him eternal life passes vast power to him. The older the vampire the more powerful the blood. Magnus, the old one, is also an outlier from the coven structure of vampire society. And thus, Lestat finds himself at odds again with life, the undead, and everything on his quest for understanding and his neverending quest to give the world the finger.

Genre:
fiction, vampire, horror, adventure

Why this book:
This is a re-read. One of my favs.

This Story is About:
sadness, finding one’s place, maturing

Favorite Character:
Lestat is a force of nature.

Marius, the wise mentor vampire, is an awesome character.

Least Favorite Character:
Nicolas, unable to overcome his personal darkness, but he stays true to his character unto his ultimate destiny.

Character I Most Identified With:
It’s hard to read this book and not think you are Lestat. Rice’s prose is immersive.

The Feel:
Sadness mixed with growth mixed with terrible destiny and the joy of discovery. The brew is a heady combination.

Favorite Scene:
The first performance of the Theater of Vampires
The making of Marius in the druid encampment
Armand’s exploration of Marius Venetian home
The sensuousness of the vampire perception as presented by Rice is incredible.
The whole of the Marius/Those Who Must Be Kept suite of scenes.

Settings:
France, Paris, ancient Gaul, Egypt, Cairo, Italy, New Orleans, San Francisco, Greece

Pacing:
The pace is great. Once you get past halfway, the book flies toward its conclusion.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
There is a spot where Lestat is wandering a small Greek city and, the next, he is back in Marius’s clifftop villa awakening in from his coffin.

Last Page Sound:
I hate the ending. Not because it’s a bad ending. Rather because it opens the door for The Queen of the Damned in its “to be continued” ending. Still fabulous.

Author Assessment:
I love Rice’s work. This book and Cry to Heaven are probably my favorites by her.

Editorial Assessment:
Well done.

Did the Book Cover Reflect the Story:
This hardback version has a white cover, fairly plain. The title is large with a huge V underneath it. Two statuary looking figures of monks frame the title.

Hmm Moments:
This is one of the few books that I wish I could give more than 5 stars.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
real classic

Disposition of Book:
Keep It

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
Wish there was a screenplay that stood closer to the source material.

Casting call:
I was less than pleased with Tom Cruise being cast as Lestat in the old Interview with the Vampire. The roles were backwards. Brad Pitt should have been Lestat.
And the Queen of the Damned movie that came out a few years later was even more miscast in relation to Lestat. Stuart Townsend while a good actor wasn’t right for this role.

Would recommend to:
friends, family, vampire lovers ( )

This would have to be one of the best vampires stories ever written (at least the ones I have read). ( )

Have not read this book yet.