kittydanvers 's review for:

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

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

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 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.