I remember loving this book when I first read it and I'm happy to say that has not changed. This is still one of my favorite novels. This whole series is my favorite, if I'm being honest. Lestat is such a charming impulsive troublemaker that I can't help but want to know what he's going to get into next. Marius is a really interesting character to learn about and from in this particular volume as well. ( )

*4.5 *

but in honesty, i wasn't sold with interview with the vampire. but this, this, was fun. enough depth to glaze a donut, a million subtextual elements that go nowhere, and an equal amount of details that probably just clutter any theme that might have been present–put that together with a healthy queer veneer and honey, i'm wrapped around your little finger tighter than anne rice's copious copyright claims.

here's a dump of my thoughts below because there's really no fan community anymore and heck, may as well entertain one (1) of you.

• doesn't anne rice get tired of her own fucking voice sometimes ?? like queen of not understanding pacing we love 10 pages of describing the fire against the walls
• if i have to even see the word preternatural again i'm cutting someone
• the rockstar side mission was . ..... .. questionable
• the vampire bar in san francisco is on castro street ? CASTRO street ?? ANNE.
• we love 90% of the character development during the last 10 pages
• i think i genuinely miss claudia
• anne really comparing armand to a caravaggio angel every 5 damn seconds forgetting her basic art history and realizing caravaggio only came back from obscurity in the mid 20th century
• you'll never convince me armand wasn't wearing some tricked out dress at that ball... being compared to cinderella i'm just taking the logical conclusion 😤😤
• i want more discussions on religion. die mad.
• gabrielle is trans and you're never ripping that from my sad little hands
• gabrielle, in general, is the coolest fucking one of the lot

see ya next book losers ( )

The first of Anne Rice's vampire trilogy, Interview with a Vampire, is probably the most read and the most famous, but for those who liked that introduction, the second novel, The Vampire Lestat, to me at least, is even better. Lestat, the protagonist of the second book, is not the morose and overly sensitive type, like Luis who was interviewed in book one, but neither is he the shallow and narcissistic dilettante you're led to believe him to be in Interview. Rather, Lestat shares many qualities with Louis, his ambivalence about his nature, questions about good versus evil, and above all, a love for humanity even as he takes great pleasure in picking off prey (hopefully bad people) as he sates his thirst for human blood as he takes his nightly drink. Lestat is filled with action from start to finish and picks up some of the plot threads from the earlier novel such as fleshing out (no pun intended) the story of Armand. Claudia is gone for good, except for some references to her, but Louis makes a cameo at the end and you are also introduced to some new characters, most prominently Lestat's mother Gabrielle, Armand's maker Marius, a powerful Ancient One, and Akasha and Enkil, Those Who Must Be Kept, the progenitor of all the Dark Ones. Lestat turns out to be deeper than one expected, yet a humorous and more fun protagonist. How can you not love a guy who emerges from a deep sleep in 1984 after slumbering since 1929, only to decide his greatest wish is to form a gothic heavy metal rock band and become famous on MTV? Louis would not be amused. ( )

The Vampire Lestat is hands down my favorite book in this series, not only because of the great plot, but mainly because it's told from Lestat's perspective and I love that guy. He was a bit of a bastard in Interview with the Vampire, but here we saw his true self, and not Louis' version of him. I really enjoyed reading about his life as a human and later as a fledgling vampire — much more than about his 'rock star' career. Also, that reconciliation scene with Louis near the end was A.MA.ZING. ( )

Where Interview with the Vampire absolutely bores me, I really enjoy The Vampire Lestat. Lestat’s passion and vitality better embody what it means to be a vampire, at least in the popular sense of the word. Unlike Louis, he is curious and determined and emotional. Unlike his creations, Lestat has gone all over the world and discovered what it means to be a vampire, not just to be trapped as a vampire.

Like the rest of her Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice’s writing style is tedious and self-praising. While I will give her a credit for shaping the way we see vampires these days (excluding Twilight of course) it remains that her writing style is slow, overly explanatory, and rambles. The Vampire Lestat has no beginning, middle, and end. It is simply an expression of who Lestat is. It is not a story, it is a slice.

I have found it is best to take Anne Rice’s books as individual stories instead of greater parts of a whole. With that in mind, The Vampire Lestat is one of my favorites. This, and The Tale of the Body Thief have always captured my attention. While there are a lot of other more modern books available, if you want to read about traditional vampires at both their best and most vulnerable, this is a great start. Best of all? You don’t have to read Interview with the Vampire first. ( )