Scan barcode
A review by arnrockwell
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Vampire Lestat picks up about a decade after Interview with the Vampire and, like the first book, this one was a re-read for me. It is a first-person gothic horror novel from the perspective of the title character. It serves as Lestat's autobiography, written in response to Interview with the Vampire, which also exists as it's own book in this world. It also happens to go really well with Lestat's budding career as an 80s rock star.
I touched on it briefly with my review for Interview with the Vampire, but this book is a major step up from an already great book. Rice wrote a few other novels in-between, and it really shows. That being said, a lot of it has to do with Lestat himself as a character.
Lestat is a well developed character that is the polar opposite of Louis in almost every way possible. He is optimistic, he is very confident is who he is as a person, he loves taking risks, and he loves being a vampire. Reading this book again, I can understand why so many people prefer this book over the last one. Lestat is a very likeable character, and very relatable. You learn a lot of things about vampires and the world they inhabit through him.
Lestat is a go-getter. While Louis just mopes and lets the world around him make decision for him, Lestat is a very active protagonist from start to finish. If he doesn't like something or wants to learn more about it, he will actively take steps almost immediately to get the result he wants. And he doesn't let anyone, no matter who they are, get in his way.
There are a few character introduced in Interview with the Vampire that make a return, notably Louis and Armand. Some new characters are introduced, most notably Gabrielle and Marius. I'm not going to say anything about Marius because it would be a spoiler, but I really, really love him. He's actually my favourite character in the series overall.
Timeline-wise, the majority of the book takes place before the events on Interview with the Vampire. It follows Lestat's journey across Europe and Egypt, long before he comes to America and meets Louis. It doesn't touch on the first book until about the end, and even then just a brief overview. I personally wouldn't have objected to a retelling of the first book with Lestat as the focus, but the fact is Lestat's story begins long before Louis's does. And knowing what takes place in that time frame explains a LOT about why Lestat acts the way he does in the first book.
While this book is the sequel to Interview with the Vampire, you don't necessarily have to read it first. That being said, I would highly recommend that you do. It answers pretty much all the questions posed by the first book, while posing its own questions, which are meant to be a lead-in to the third book.
If you liked Interview with the Vampire, this is more of the same but better. If you thought it was good but didn't like Louis' near constant complaining, you'll love this book more with Lestat as the focus. If you didn't like how the first book was written, again, this is more of the same so don't bother. All in all, The Vampire Lestat is a very strong entry in a great series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. An easy 5-stars. I highly recommend it.
I touched on it briefly with my review for Interview with the Vampire, but this book is a major step up from an already great book. Rice wrote a few other novels in-between, and it really shows. That being said, a lot of it has to do with Lestat himself as a character.
Lestat is a well developed character that is the polar opposite of Louis in almost every way possible. He is optimistic, he is very confident is who he is as a person, he loves taking risks, and he loves being a vampire. Reading this book again, I can understand why so many people prefer this book over the last one. Lestat is a very likeable character, and very relatable. You learn a lot of things about vampires and the world they inhabit through him.
Lestat is a go-getter. While Louis just mopes and lets the world around him make decision for him, Lestat is a very active protagonist from start to finish. If he doesn't like something or wants to learn more about it, he will actively take steps almost immediately to get the result he wants. And he doesn't let anyone, no matter who they are, get in his way.
There are a few character introduced in Interview with the Vampire that make a return, notably Louis and Armand. Some new characters are introduced, most notably Gabrielle and Marius. I'm not going to say anything about Marius because it would be a spoiler, but I really, really love him. He's actually my favourite character in the series overall.
Timeline-wise, the majority of the book takes place before the events on Interview with the Vampire. It follows Lestat's journey across Europe and Egypt, long before he comes to America and meets Louis. It doesn't touch on the first book until about the end, and even then just a brief overview. I personally wouldn't have objected to a retelling of the first book with Lestat as the focus, but the fact is Lestat's story begins long before Louis's does. And knowing what takes place in that time frame explains a LOT about why Lestat acts the way he does in the first book.
While this book is the sequel to Interview with the Vampire, you don't necessarily have to read it first. That being said, I would highly recommend that you do. It answers pretty much all the questions posed by the first book, while posing its own questions, which are meant to be a lead-in to the third book.
If you liked Interview with the Vampire, this is more of the same but better. If you thought it was good but didn't like Louis' near constant complaining, you'll love this book more with Lestat as the focus. If you didn't like how the first book was written, again, this is more of the same so don't bother. All in all, The Vampire Lestat is a very strong entry in a great series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. An easy 5-stars. I highly recommend it.