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A review by erebus53
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was a bookclub read (that I nominated) for #FOMO club. As someone who was a goth kid in the 90s, I was already well familiar with the plot of the book, and the movie, and I had frequently listened to quotes and rants about it. I had learned much of the book from cultural immersion. As a result it's difficult to objectively review something that was just, Known, by my social group. It's like trying to review Princess Bride, or Star Wars.
There were a few little things that I picked up from this read through; for example, it rocks my world that there is a reference in the book about a lone leader who was the only one in the social group who didn't dye their hair black. If I had only read the book in 1996, I would have been able to quietly flex with all my baby bats... (as I didn't either).
Realistically though, the book has some very problematic and unsettling features. It's supposed to be gothic horror, and it gets that way by how it messes with people's heads. It's very dismissive of Consent, and it challenges Church and Morality. There is blood and booze, and debauchery. The main character comes across as remorseful and moody, but he is also inconsistent, and has low-key pedophilic vibes. The character is also fairly non-sexual.. being attracted more by beauty and vivacity, which I think leans a little into Acephobia, to try and un-human him.
As someone who was a LARPer (live action role player) I spent about a zillion nights in fancy dress playing at vampires. It was interesting to read about vampires who knew nothing about their own
kind because as a player of Vampire games and student of vampire myths, it makes anything these undead creatures do in a book seem familiar to ME, but they of course, having only just being reborn into night (muahahah) they don't know what they can or can't do, and have no words for the things they feel.
I think the book is clever in the way that it launched thousands of vampire fans, and in how the struggles of immortality are depicted, but as a story it kind of drags, and the characters aren't particularly loveable (I know... but it's _my_ opinion, and LeStat is a deadbeat dad, and Louis is a moper).
All in all it's a so-so story. It's not bad, but also not something I'd rush out and buy a copy of to lend to all my friends.
There were a few little things that I picked up from this read through; for example, it rocks my world that there is a reference in the book about a lone leader who was the only one in the social group who didn't dye their hair black. If I had only read the book in 1996, I would have been able to quietly flex with all my baby bats... (as I didn't either).
Realistically though, the book has some very problematic and unsettling features. It's supposed to be gothic horror, and it gets that way by how it messes with people's heads. It's very dismissive of Consent, and it challenges Church and Morality. There is blood and booze, and debauchery. The main character comes across as remorseful and moody, but he is also inconsistent, and has low-key pedophilic vibes. The character is also fairly non-sexual.. being attracted more by beauty and vivacity, which I think leans a little into Acephobia, to try and un-human him.
As someone who was a LARPer (live action role player) I spent about a zillion nights in fancy dress playing at vampires. It was interesting to read about vampires who knew nothing about their own
kind because as a player of Vampire games and student of vampire myths, it makes anything these undead creatures do in a book seem familiar to ME, but they of course, having only just being reborn into night (muahahah) they don't know what they can or can't do, and have no words for the things they feel.
I think the book is clever in the way that it launched thousands of vampire fans, and in how the struggles of immortality are depicted, but as a story it kind of drags, and the characters aren't particularly loveable (I know... but it's _my_ opinion, and LeStat is a deadbeat dad, and Louis is a moper).
All in all it's a so-so story. It's not bad, but also not something I'd rush out and buy a copy of to lend to all my friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Grief, Murder, Violence, Death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Slavery, and Racism