Reviews - The Vampire Lestat

2.64k reviews for:

The Vampire Lestat

Anne Rice

3.99 AVERAGE

scifi_rat's review against another edition

2.75

dark reflective tense slow-paced

jrharris's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

eclecticemily's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Summary: This is the sequel to Interview with the Vampire and is framed as Lestat's response to Louis's story and also telling what happened after Louis told his story and had the book published. Most of it tells of Lestat's early life as a human in France and how he became a vampire. There are also sections that tell his side of the story told in Interview where he refutes some of Louis's negative portrayal of him. Then of course there's the sections about him becoming a rock star in the '80s.

Favorite Quote: Too much pain to be reinvoked. It was like taking pictures from the attic, cleaning away the dust and finding the colors still vibrant. And the pictures should have been portraits of dead ancestors and they were pictures of us. (pg. 460)

Review: I've read this book twice and both times I've sort of lost steam somewhere around the middle and had to take a break. The actual story is engaging enough, I think it just takes a bit too long ruminating on certain scenes/topics. The very end section picks back up again, there's just sort of a weird lull in the middle.

kittydanvers's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Where Interview is eerie and melancholic, The Vampire Lestat is all swagger and glittering ego. This is Lestat stepping out of the shadows and saying, “Actually, I’m the hero. Let me explain.”

And you know what? He kind of is.

Anne Rice writes like she’s composing a gothic opera—every sentence rich, every emotion dialed up to 100. We follow Lestat from his mortal beginnings in 18th-century France to his transformation into a vampire and beyond, as he searches for love, meaning, and immortality that isn’t just about surviving. It’s sprawling and decadent and occasionally frustrating—but in that gorgeous, indulgent way that makes you feel like you’re sipping blood and philosophy in velvet robes.

It doesn’t move fast, but that’s not the point. It’s about the journey, the flair, the performance. And Lestat? He’s an unreliable narrator with rockstar energy and a poet’s heart. You can’t help but be drawn in.

Why four stars? Sometimes the introspection drags, and Lestat’s arrogance can be a bit much (though let’s be honest, that’s part of the appeal). But the ambition and sensual beauty of the book? Undeniable.

nickygra's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

mspr2132's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

tonij319's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

yesse_martinez's review against another edition

3.0

The Vampire Lestat is one of those that you feel you have to read to get on with the chronicles but the whole ... want to be a rock star thing ... kind of killed it for me.