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A review by lets_book
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
The narrative is told as an interview between a young man and a vampire named Louis, who recounts the events leading to and following his transformation into a vampire. This book is well-written, with charming descriptions of settings/locations and alluring dialogue between characters. Since the protagonists are immortal, they are able to formulate these incredibly philosophical concepts about life, nature, and god as it relates not just to their vampire nature, but to mortal humans as well.
Exhibit A:
“The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.”
Interpretation: The world changes in a continual effort to maintain survival due to unpredictable natural events, with species increasing fitness and others gradually reaching extinction. In this context, vampires are creatures of habit, with a relatively stagnant routine and precautions to evade human attention. If all things change and vampires do not, then their fitness in an ever-evolving environment becomes hindered over time.
Exhibit B:
“Evil is a point of view. We are immortal. And what we have before us are the rich feasts that conscience cannot appreciate and mortal men cannot know without regret. God kills, and so shall we; indiscriminately. He takes the richest and the poorest, and so shall we; for no creatures under God are as we are, none so like Him as ourselves, dark angels not confined to the stinking limits of hell but wandering His earth and all its kingdoms.”
Damn! This whole idea is extraordinarily thought-provoking. These vampires are playing God, who himself takes life without rhyme or reason. Yet humans perceive vampires as evil and of the devil. But if we’re God’s children and Lucifer was one of God’s creations who fell from grace for… defying his plan for wanting to remove the ability to sin against God and not need a savior, then Rice implies that vampires cannot be “of the Devil” because the Devil’s power came from God himself. Vampires are beings thrust into God’s role because they are immortal, embody the image of man, and kill people while sparing others at random. Oof.
So.. even though some points of the book were kinda cheesy and melodramatic, the writing quality and well-developed themes won me over completely!
Exhibit A:
“The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.”
Interpretation: The world changes in a continual effort to maintain survival due to unpredictable natural events, with species increasing fitness and others gradually reaching extinction. In this context, vampires are creatures of habit, with a relatively stagnant routine and precautions to evade human attention. If all things change and vampires do not, then their fitness in an ever-evolving environment becomes hindered over time.
Exhibit B:
“Evil is a point of view. We are immortal. And what we have before us are the rich feasts that conscience cannot appreciate and mortal men cannot know without regret. God kills, and so shall we; indiscriminately. He takes the richest and the poorest, and so shall we; for no creatures under God are as we are, none so like Him as ourselves, dark angels not confined to the stinking limits of hell but wandering His earth and all its kingdoms.”
Damn! This whole idea is extraordinarily thought-provoking. These vampires are playing God, who himself takes life without rhyme or reason. Yet humans perceive vampires as evil and of the devil. But if we’re God’s children and Lucifer was one of God’s creations who fell from grace for… defying his plan for wanting to remove the ability to sin against God and not need a savior, then Rice implies that vampires cannot be “of the Devil” because the Devil’s power came from God himself. Vampires are beings thrust into God’s role because they are immortal, embody the image of man, and kill people while sparing others at random. Oof.
So.. even though some points of the book were kinda cheesy and melodramatic, the writing quality and well-developed themes won me over completely!