Interview with the Vampire discussion

I wasn't sure if it was worth reading or not. I see alot of mixed reviews on here.

I wanted to read this series so bad...but stopped short of Queen of the Damned! But I tell you if you read the first two books....you'll really enjoy them!!!

Back in the day, hell yes! I doubt it has the same impact on readers now. This was the ultimate in the genre..a cult kinda thing as the genre was small.

I think there might be something to what Alice says about this series. Back in the day this was the best vampire story to have been written (in my opinion). I also don't know what sort of an impact it has on the current generation of readers interested in vampire literature, mainly because I haven't read any current vampire literature. The Anne Rice novels were written for a mature audience, and not because of sex and gore, but because of some of the deeper philosophical issues that were explored in the books. They are well written and the stories are solid, but they are books that force the reader to think about death and loss. I have only read the first three and I thought they were great, I hope to return to the series someday.

I'd say anyone should give it a try, you can make your own opinions then. I love all the twilight and other newer vampire books that are out at the moment, but I prefer Anne Rice's Chronicles. They are more about vampires and myths etc than the whole teenage vampire/love thing we're surrounded by today.

Interview with a vampire isn't the best in the series in my opinion, but I'd definitely recommend giving them a try, so if you don't get on with Interview with a Vampire, try one of the others and then go back if you wish - it still works.

Christine wrote: "I wanted to read this series so bad...but stopped short of Queen of the Damned! But I tell you if you read the first two books....you'll really enjoy them!!!"

I agree. The first two books are definitely worth a read, and are some of my personal favorites in the vampire subgenre, but the series kind of goes downhill from there and IMO gets downright silly at points. I quit about halfway thriugh Tale of Body Thief.

Elia wrote: "Christine wrote: "I wanted to read this series so bad...but stopped short of Queen of the Damned! But I tell you if you read the first two books....you'll really enjoy them!!!"

I agree. The fir..."

I loved the Body Thief. I found it to be well written and quite engaging. I also Rice's Witch series and Taltos was quite good. After that the books, to me, got to be too much philosophizing and I was no longer entertained.

These are the best traditional vampires! I love Lestat and Armand (oh my!) anyway. These are traditional vampires!!! Not sparkly and touchy, feely (well except sort of Louis in his own way) sexed up males and females. They are what I think of had Dracula had kids (hehe.) So don't expect to go into these books with J. R. Ward's or Stephanie Myers' point of view of the vampire world. If you're going to read Anne Rice's Vampire Series, you really need to go in with the idea that they are very traditional, territorial, pissed at the world, I will eat you for dinner because I am a Vampire types. I have every one of her books. Even the naughty ones. But I would recommend the series, yes.

Renee wrote: "These are the best traditional vampires! I love Lestat and Armand (oh my!) anyway. These are traditional vampires!!! Not sparkly and touchy, feely (well except sort of Louis in his own way) sexed..."

Yes, definitely not for the sparkly-vampire-fangirls that wander around so much these days.

by Amber > If there was a way to "like" this, I would.



LOL!! Thanks :)

Renee wrote: "These are the best traditional vampires! I love Lestat and Armand (oh my!) anyway. These are traditional vampires!!! Not sparkly and touchy, feely (well except sort of Louis in his own way) sexed..."

Amen sister! No pansy teenybopper crap here. These boys have fangs and like to use them! =D

I understand that this is considered The Vampire Series but I really can't get into them. They' unnecessarily descriptive, and the characters branch off in so many directions it's hard to keep track of how they got to where they are at any given point. And while I have no issue with sex in books or movies (or at all, really) the inclusion of it in the books is just...not needed. It felt overdone and thrown in as a wow factor or something along those lines. Personally, I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone I know. I have, in fact, warned several people away from it.

I read all the vampire books and the witch series. I liked them all. The last one, Blood Canticle, was probably the weakest.

Yes, I love the series. These are the true and original vampires!

I've only read the first book so far, but I loved it! It is exactly what I think of when I think of the traditional vampire before we had Edward and his sparkling family. I will have to admit I saw the movie first and then read the book, which I think ruined the book a little bit for me since I kept comparing parts at times. The book over all is great and the vampires have characters that the readers can really feel for. I can't wait to read The Vampire Lestat, but I'm waiting for the summer when I'm out of college because Interview took me some time to read when I was in school at the same time.

I definitely think the first 3 books are worth reading and perhaps a few more. It's an excellent series considering Interview was written as a 'stand alone' and only years later was The Vampire Lestat written. The change in perspectives in these 2 books makes it worth the read to me. Queen of the Damned just continues the tale. Body Thief and Memnoch the Devil are also of the same quality.

I really want to read this because ive seen the film and i loved it but i was always curious about the book , as a 14 year old do you think i would waste my time reading this book or do you think i should read it ? Anyways no matter what i'll still probably read it :P

I would recommend it, but only if you have a lot of patience.

Niran.k wrote: "I really want to read this because ive seen the film and i loved it but i was always curious about the book , as a 14 year old do you think i would waste my time reading this book or do you think i..."

I read Interview with a Vampire when I was in my early teens--I think there are aspects you'll appreciate even more being 14 than an adult can.

I found Interview With a Vampire on a table at WaldenBooks filled with Halloween themed books in October 1989, way before the genre became saturated with new aged vampires. Thought the premise was interesting and I am happy to say I wasn't disappointed. There is so much detail - which I love and the New Orleanian backdrop pulled me in. It was the beginning of my immersion into the world of Lestat. Just like everything else, my opinions are subjective. Not all things will interest everyone. I was less than thrilled with the film. Tom Cruise did not do the character of Lestat justice (again, my opinion). Really, not many movies can compare with the actual novel. The series is not light and fluffy and again, is quite detail oriented. Take a chance and check it out.

Donna wrote: "I found Interview With a Vampire on a table at WaldenBooks filled with Halloween themed books in October 1989, way before the genre became saturated with new aged vampires. Thought the premise was..."

Have you read all the books in that series?
Do you think it gets better with the rest of the books, or just the first ones are worth it? :)

Nope...
Rice truly destroyed the vicious image of the vampire and opened the door for cheap vampire soft porn novels. "The sexy vampire?" PLEASE!!!!

Kevin wrote: "Nope...
Rice truly destroyed the vicious image of the vampire and opened the door for cheap vampire soft porn novels. "The sexy vampire?" PLEASE!!!!"

Kevin, I bet you haven't read the Twilight series...Because those are gay vampires...

Renee wrote: "These are the best traditional vampires! I love Lestat and Armand (oh my!) anyway. These are traditional vampires!!! Not sparkly and touchy, feely (well except sort of Louis in his own way) sexed..."

I'm "like"ing this as well :D

Marnie wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Nope...
Rice truly destroyed the vicious image of the vampire and opened the door for cheap vampire soft porn novels. "The sexy vampire?" PLEASE!!!!"

Kevin, I bet you haven't read t..."

LOL...i really did just laugh out loud, my secretary now thinks i'm crazy :)

Donna wrote: "I found Interview With a Vampire on a table at WaldenBooks filled with Halloween themed books in October 1989, way before the genre became saturated with new aged vampires. Thought the premise was..."

I have read them all, but the last one that held my interest was Memnoch the Devil. After that, it was all down hill. I understand that during that portion of her career, her husband was terminally ill. I didn't know that at the time, but it make sense as her writings(IMO) declined quite drastically. I'm pretty sure most people's work would suffer in that sort of situation. It's too bad though, because after that series was finished, she decided that she would no longer write in the genre because of he renewed religious beliefs.

I loved the series and every couple of Octobers I reread them in order. Pandora was my personal favorite but I think it’s because I’m also a historical fiction fan. Pandora’s story isn’t so much about being a vampire as it is about being a Roman woman during the Roman Empire. I only wish Rice would have given more details about Pandora’s 17th century companion, Arjun. I’d love to know his story.
I also, enjoy the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but I wouldn’t compare the two, they’re just very different and I read that series purely for the sex. (I haven’t read Twilight. If it’s not meant for an adult audience I’m not going to bother.) I say read Interview with the Vampire and then take it from there.
I also hit the “like” button for Renee ;)

I would recommend the first three books, at least. Interview with the Vampire is old enough now that it's innovation seems like cliche today. However, it broke new ground in as much a way as Dracula or (to a lesser extent) 30 Days of Night did. Anne Rice took the vampire myth and used it to tell a new type of story - one of alienation, loss and cruelty. I can't stand the whole 'sparkling' vampire teen cr*p that is the current trend, but at least they're innovating again. Ann Rice (in at least the first three book of the Chronicles) broke new ground that was actually interesting to explore.

It is a valid criticism, though, to suggest that the latter books in the series drug one and seemed forced or much less innovative. I loved Tale of the Body Thief because it was her homage to H. P. Lovecraft, of whom I'm a huge fan, and Memnoch the Devil because it was an original twist on the Fallen Angel story. Even with these books though, the vampire element is downplayed to tell another story while milking the license.

Renee wrote: "Marnie wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Nope...
Rice truly destroyed the vicious image of the vampire and opened the door for cheap vampire soft porn novels. "The sexy vampire?" PLEASE!!!!"

Kevin, I bet you..."

LOL....

Either way, the true image of the vampire has been derailed.

Sharon wrote: "If you truly want to get away from the "touchy-feely" image of the vampire; try "Let the Right One In". I'm about half way thru & am truly horrified!!"

sounds good...who's it by?

Adriana wrote: "I loved the series and every couple of Octobers I reread them in order. Pandora was my personal favorite but I think it’s because I’m also a historical fiction fan. Pandora’s story isn’t so much ab..."

I have to agree with Adriana - I love the entire series for the historical perspectives. Rice makes any point in history come alive for the reader. If you are a history buff at all, you'll enjoy the series.

On a side note - Rice is returning to the genre. She has a book coming out in February that's about werewolves - The Wolf Gift. My TBR list keeps growing....

I second the vote for Let the Right One In. The book was really good at turning the monster concept around without making the vampire weak or glistening.

Marnie wrote: "Kevin wrote: "Nope...
Rice truly destroyed the vicious image of the vampire and opened the door for cheap vampire soft porn novels. "The sexy vampire?" PLEASE!!!!"

Kevin, I bet you haven't read t..."

Are you using the term 'gay vampires' in referring to Twilight as in lame vampires? If so, I agree. Just a heads up, there's definitely a cast of homoeroticism in Rice's vampire books although no overt sex. It always made sense that vampire attraction would not be gender-focused as vampire reproduction is not like human reproduction.

Interview with a Vampire was the book that got me into the paranormal world, so to speak. I started reading them when I was in my early teens & they never felt like too much for me (I was very mature for my age). Memnoch the Devil is in my top 5 favorite books of all time still. Blood & Gold (Marius' story) is another that I simply love. I agree with the poster that said read them for yourself & draw your own conclusions. They are not for everybody, but personally I loved the series. The biggest issue I had with it was near the end when she brought the 2 series together (The Mayfair Witches). That is where I felt the decline in quality was the most obvious. The 1st movie was not all that bad (but no Tom Cruise really does not do Lestat justice) but the second film was a tragedy. Just terrible. Don't use that as a basis to judge the original material. I agree that the stories about history that flow through these books are certainly one of the most compelling parts. But again, read them for yourself.

Another question :P how many series of the books are there ? And thank you to people who recommended it to me :D

There are 10 Books in the Interview series, 2 in Tails of the New Vampires, & if you count the Mayfair Witches there are 3 more....

The Vampire Chronicles
Interview with the Vampire (1976)
The Vampire Lestat (1985)
The Queen of the Damned (1988)
The Tale of the Body Thief (1992)
Memnoch the Devil (1995)
The Vampire Armand (1998)
Merrick (2000)
Blood and Gold (2001)
Blackwood Farm (2002)
Blood Canticle (2003)
New Tales of the Vampires
Pandora (1998)
Vittorio the Vampire (1999)
The Witching Hour (1990)
Lasher (1993)
Taltos (1994)


Blackwood Farm & Blood Canticle are crossovers
***The original trio of the Mayfair Witches were the first books to legitimatly scare me.

Loved the Vampire series. ADORED the Mayfair Witches. Have read them all twice.

I now have the first three novels on my iPod narrated by Simon Vance, unabridged. Back when they came out, F. Murray Abraham and Michael York narrated the abridged versions and I really wished that they were the completed book. Very glad to hear someone's interpretation of one of my favorite series complete in audio.

I think it's pretty close to universally acknowledged that the first two books are the best. I recommend them as worth reading even to fairly snobbish readers.

And if you like them, keep going until you don't!

What's less universally acknowledged, sadly, is that Rice's books are far better than the more recent (and currently more popular) vampire crop, which is actually pretty derivative of Rice's work. So if you like that material (which is fine -- more power to you), try the source!

I thought the first one, interview with the vampire was a bit slow, but man the rest are amazing. Really I depth descriptive writing. Lest at is a full on character. When they link up with the Mayfair witches and the taltos, those were my favourites right up to black wood farm. I would really recommend this series, but it is definitely for the faint hearted, these vamps are bloody scary, they'll kill you, don't doubt it.
nothing twilight about these books at all.

Own all of them. If you like the idea that vampires are just like us(good or bad), with the exception that they have to drink blood to survive, then these books are for you. I was extremely pleased with Anne Rice' take on how vampires came to be. Thought it was unique and original.

*laugh* You noticed how widely reviews differ. That's because Rice refuses editing, and writes completely based on her feelings; thus, her books resonate with readers or they don't.

For me, "Interview" is the best. Rice wrote it after her baby daughter had died, and she was mad with grief and drugging herself almost to death; Louis was the personification of that agony. Readers who can't relate to such pain call Louis "whiny"; those of us who can were--and still are--moved by that book, and its very accurate look at loss.

Then Rice healed and grew more attached to the charismatic Lestat. I don't like Lestat, so I don't like those books. Readers who are drawn to him, and to Anne's feelings as she wrote, do.

Whether you like the books will depend on the same. :)

was a disturbing vampire story. The movies are good, too! I liked the Swedish version better. The book has a twist that is missing from both film versions.

I would recommend „Interview” because it has a great story and great character development. I also think that Louis is a much better protagonist than Lestat .
The first major problem I have with the following books is the drastic change she made with Lestat. The Lestat in „Interview” was cruel and enjoyed being a vampire. He was a real monster and a contrast to the very human Louis. In „The Vampire Lestat” she turned him into a guy who constantly complains what happened to him and that he only fed of bad people. The second problem is that he gets everything without doing anything for it.

My undertanding of difference between the first and the second books is that the first is Louis' perspective and the second is Lestat's. Subsequent books follow their main characters too. Lestat is the main character in several, so the tone doesn't seem to change for a while.

I read Interview a very long time ago and thought it was just OK. Louis's whining kind of got to me. For years my husband and my sister raved about Anne Rice and I just nodded and smiled and read something else. Then he MADE me read Rice's "The Mummy." I then went through all of the available vampire books in a week and then started on the witch books. "Memnoch the Devil" is probably my favorite. With the exception of "Feast of All Saints" I enjoyed all of her books. Some were better than others, but if Interview does not do it for you, pick up The Vampire Lestat and you will probably be hooked.

I love this book. Truly do. No sparkling vampires who dance around in the sun having a family picnic.
Marvelous tortured creatures with the sanity that is more like insanity. Have read it this book twice and then two other books in the series. Will read more.

I haven't read Blood Canticle (the last in the Vampire Chronicles) probably because I could barely get through Blackwood Farm. At first, I was excited to see that Rice was blending the Witches Trilogy with the Vampire Chronicles, but was disappointed with the result. I would say read them all. It's a great series as a whole, and you'll definitely have your favorites (mine were Blood and Gold and Tale of the Body Thief). Definitely read the Witches Trilogy; I absolutely loved that series.

I would give it a try and see what you think. It's very well-written.

I read it up Tale of the Body Thief. I got bored after Queen of the Damned. Of the first four, Interview with the Vampire is, in my opinion, the weakest. It's a very depressing story. However, it's also brilliantly written and worth the time if you want to see what started the vampire craze.

My favorite was The Vampire Lestat. In Interview, his pragmatism comes across as monstrous because that's how Louis sees him. In his own book, seeing things from his perspective, I realized he does care. But he's a survivor and views the world with less idealism than Louis. In my opinion, that made him a richer character and more fun to read.