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armandulac's reviews
181 reviews
Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice
Didn’t really read this, read the important parts thanks to advice from a friend. Not reviewing since I didn’t fully read
The Tale of the Body Thief by Anne Rice
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This won't be as in-depth of a review as my other <i>The Vampire Chronicles</i> reviews, since it took me longer to finish this book than the others. Again, I preface these reviews by stating that my reading of them is coming from a huge fan of the AMC show, so that colors how I read and review these books. This book also depicts sexual assault, so please be aware of that before reading the book.
I did enjoy a lot of things from this book. Lestat learning how to be human is (for the most part) very humorous. I enjoyed the look we got into his view of his relationship and feelings about Claudia, since so far we have not seen Lestat's perspective on her yet. I also enjoyed the many Louis scenes in this book, far more Louis moments than the previous two! They were still fleeting, still not enough for my taste, and Lestat was very mean to him which I did not enjoy. I did enjoy their changed dynamic though, and I am excited for how they will adapt this book in the show. David was enjoyable towards the end, but I really struggled to like most of the other characters in this book.
I felt like the book dragged for so long until Lestat gets body-swapped, and that was part of the reason it took me so long to finish this book (the other part being grad school). I also thought that the twist was boring, and that Anne Rice could have done so much more with a thief being in Lestat's Akasha-blood powered body instead of having him kill random mortals. The suspense and terror was there with the murder of Lestat's New York banker, and it would have been more interesting to keep up that sense of intrigue and danger.
Overall, I think this book had a lot of promise but really failed to deliver. Onto Memnoch (sort of)!
I did enjoy a lot of things from this book. Lestat learning how to be human is (for the most part) very humorous. I enjoyed the look we got into his view of his relationship and feelings about Claudia, since so far we have not seen Lestat's perspective on her yet. I also enjoyed the many Louis scenes in this book, far more Louis moments than the previous two! They were still fleeting, still not enough for my taste, and Lestat was very mean to him which I did not enjoy. I did enjoy their changed dynamic though, and I am excited for how they will adapt this book in the show. David was enjoyable towards the end, but I really struggled to like most of the other characters in this book.
I felt like the book dragged for so long until Lestat gets body-swapped, and that was part of the reason it took me so long to finish this book (the other part being grad school). I also thought that the twist was boring, and that Anne Rice could have done so much more with a thief being in Lestat's Akasha-blood powered body instead of having him kill random mortals. The suspense and terror was there with the murder of Lestat's New York banker, and it would have been more interesting to keep up that sense of intrigue and danger.
Overall, I think this book had a lot of promise but really failed to deliver. Onto Memnoch (sort of)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Vomit
Nation to Nation: Treaties Between the United States and American Indians by W. Richard West Jr., Kevin Gover, Hank Adams, Suzan Shown Harjo, Philip Deloria
read for grad class
The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I mean just. Wow. What can I even say about this book!! Anne Rice you've done it.
This clarification is going to get shorter every time I do a review of a Vampire Chronicles novel, but I will do it anyways! I am coming to these books as a fan of the AMC+ adaptation of Interview with the Vampire and that absolutely coolers and changes my interpretation and enjoyment of the books compared to someone who reads them without this influence.
I was so so right to look forward to this book. A lot of this review is going to be me singing the praises of this book, but I might as well get the few criticisms I have out of the way. Firstly, there's just so little Louis! I knew this going into the book, and it's a thing I expected of the novels after Interview, but god I still do really miss his perspective and his character having an actual big presence in the narrative. Also, it's not an Anne Rice book if some of the ways she talks about race are weird, especially in regards to Akasha and Khayman who are two Egyptians that become white over the thousands and thousands of years of them being vampires. Because apparently it has to be a part of the vampire lore that it leaches the melanin from a non-white person's skin (Does Anne know there are statues made out of black stone? In fact, I'd argue there's probably more black statues than white in Ancient Egypt). The ways Anne talks about culture, archaeology, and the past sometimes do bother me since it is my own field of study, but it's not enough to really truly deeply upset me. Also, as a warning this novel does deal with repeated descriptions of a rape scene and cannibalism which I don't feel is a negative but should be something people are aware of before reading the book.
Now! Onto everything I liked!
I absolutely adore the way the story of this book is told and it's structure and the different perspectives and stories that we see. Yes, the novel fundamentally is still narrated by Lestat (who I do find annoying as a narrator) but it is dominated mainly by other narrators like Khayman, Marius, Jesse, and Daniel that Lestat just feels like another perspective and portion of the story. Anne Rice's talent as an author truly shines through in the writing of these perspectives, because it really does feel like there are distinct voices of these characters in their narration and because there are quite a few new characters it really helped me grasp them and come to love them.
I really enjoyed the short section of Baby Jenks and the Fang Gang, yes because it was such a tragic tale of the state of vampirism in the modern world but also because of the ways it becomes clear that the show adopted it into Claudia's story. I enjoyed Pandora's tale, and I wish we got more perspective from her!
Daniel's story was just utterly brilliant. I knew going in that I would love this portion of the novel, and I am not exaggerating when I say it is one my favorite things I have ever read. The explicit queerness and love between him and Armand makes their story is just so compelling and beautiful and one of the best queer things I have read. I adored getting to learn more about Daniel (who is the interviewer of IWTV) and about his life post-IWTV and his obsession with vampires (same, girl). I also just completely loved seeing Armand through his eyes and getting to deeply understand Armand as a character in day-to-day life, which is something we haven't really seen of him in the previous books. I could wax poetic about this chapter and their relationship all day long, especially if I got spoiler-y with it. But I will restrain myself!
Jesse's perspective was also super interesting, and I was just super compelled to read about this woman archaeologist (can I have a rich vampire aunt who funds my research please!!). I find her connection to the spirit world and the introduction of the Talamasca really compelling and I am excited to see where it goes in the next books. I just really related to her and I too would like to be an archaeologist and a vampire. Make that make sense!!
The rapid switching between perspectives during Lestat's concert really held the tension of that scene, and kept me engaged as I watched the other characters experience this moment I had already experienced but with much less context (about Akasha especially) than I had when reading this section. I also just think it's funny that the portions I wanted extended in The Vampire Lestat (being the end scenes) were literally what half of this book was about! I think that that section was just really well written and compelling.
I absolutely loved Akasha. I felt like she was a really compelling villain (and one of the original girlbosses! You would've loved radical feminism queen). I found her philosophy really interesting to explore and delve into, especially related to violence and gender and power. Do I think Lestat was the wrong audience for the message? Yes! Plan better queen! But I found the ways that she trapped him and also introduced powers to him to be really cool.
Maharet's story and the explanation of the twins that threads the whole book is quite compelling for the insights it gives us on her and Mekare, as well as on Khayman, Akasha, and Enkil. I especially found it compelling with how it relates to the end in the confrontation with Akasha. I think the philosophical confrontation of Akasha was one of the best moments of the book, and I especially enjoyed Louis and Akasha having a moment of ethical sparing.Mekare's return, beheading of Akasha, and then the twins cannibalizing her to transfer Amel was just engrossing to me especially with the connections it has to the failed mourning cannibalizing of their mother that Akasha ruined. I'm not sure I fully have the words to articulate how beautiful I find that scene and it's connotations in the wider story.
I thought the final 40ish pages were very fun, especially the way we get to see this cast of characters (and the only vampires left on Earth) intermingle with each other on Armand and Daniel's island as a coven. I would've loved to see more of it, since Lestat doesn't see much because of his trauma. I especially loved Louis and Lestat's return to New Orleans and their apartment on Rue Royale to reminisce about Claudia and their life there. I thought it was sweet, and for some reason it made me sob. I enjoyed Lestat's confrontation with David and I am excited to see how David and the Talamasca connect to the next book.
Now, let's go see Lestat and that body thief!
This clarification is going to get shorter every time I do a review of a Vampire Chronicles novel, but I will do it anyways! I am coming to these books as a fan of the AMC+ adaptation of Interview with the Vampire and that absolutely coolers and changes my interpretation and enjoyment of the books compared to someone who reads them without this influence.
I was so so right to look forward to this book. A lot of this review is going to be me singing the praises of this book, but I might as well get the few criticisms I have out of the way. Firstly, there's just so little Louis! I knew this going into the book, and it's a thing I expected of the novels after Interview, but god I still do really miss his perspective and his character having an actual big presence in the narrative. Also, it's not an Anne Rice book if some of the ways she talks about race are weird, especially in regards to Akasha and Khayman who are two Egyptians that become white over the thousands and thousands of years of them being vampires. Because apparently it has to be a part of the vampire lore that it leaches the melanin from a non-white person's skin (Does Anne know there are statues made out of black stone? In fact, I'd argue there's probably more black statues than white in Ancient Egypt). The ways Anne talks about culture, archaeology, and the past sometimes do bother me since it is my own field of study, but it's not enough to really truly deeply upset me. Also, as a warning this novel does deal with repeated descriptions of a rape scene and cannibalism which I don't feel is a negative but should be something people are aware of before reading the book.
Now! Onto everything I liked!
I absolutely adore the way the story of this book is told and it's structure and the different perspectives and stories that we see. Yes, the novel fundamentally is still narrated by Lestat (who I do find annoying as a narrator) but it is dominated mainly by other narrators like Khayman, Marius, Jesse, and Daniel that Lestat just feels like another perspective and portion of the story. Anne Rice's talent as an author truly shines through in the writing of these perspectives, because it really does feel like there are distinct voices of these characters in their narration and because there are quite a few new characters it really helped me grasp them and come to love them.
I really enjoyed the short section of Baby Jenks and the Fang Gang, yes because it was such a tragic tale of the state of vampirism in the modern world but also because of the ways it becomes clear that the show adopted it into Claudia's story. I enjoyed Pandora's tale, and I wish we got more perspective from her!
Daniel's story was just utterly brilliant. I knew going in that I would love this portion of the novel, and I am not exaggerating when I say it is one my favorite things I have ever read. The explicit queerness and love between him and Armand makes their story is just so compelling and beautiful and one of the best queer things I have read. I adored getting to learn more about Daniel (who is the interviewer of IWTV) and about his life post-IWTV and his obsession with vampires (same, girl). I also just completely loved seeing Armand through his eyes and getting to deeply understand Armand as a character in day-to-day life, which is something we haven't really seen of him in the previous books. I could wax poetic about this chapter and their relationship all day long, especially if I got spoiler-y with it. But I will restrain myself!
Jesse's perspective was also super interesting, and I was just super compelled to read about this woman archaeologist (can I have a rich vampire aunt who funds my research please!!). I find her connection to the spirit world and the introduction of the Talamasca really compelling and I am excited to see where it goes in the next books. I just really related to her and I too would like to be an archaeologist and a vampire. Make that make sense!!
The rapid switching between perspectives during Lestat's concert really held the tension of that scene, and kept me engaged as I watched the other characters experience this moment I had already experienced but with much less context (about Akasha especially) than I had when reading this section. I also just think it's funny that the portions I wanted extended in The Vampire Lestat (being the end scenes) were literally what half of this book was about! I think that that section was just really well written and compelling.
I absolutely loved Akasha. I felt like she was a really compelling villain (and one of the original girlbosses! You would've loved radical feminism queen). I found her philosophy really interesting to explore and delve into, especially related to violence and gender and power. Do I think Lestat was the wrong audience for the message? Yes! Plan better queen! But I found the ways that she trapped him and also introduced powers to him to be really cool.
Maharet's story and the explanation of the twins that threads the whole book is quite compelling for the insights it gives us on her and Mekare, as well as on Khayman, Akasha, and Enkil. I especially found it compelling with how it relates to the end in the confrontation with Akasha. I think the philosophical confrontation of Akasha was one of the best moments of the book, and I especially enjoyed Louis and Akasha having a moment of ethical sparing.
I thought the final 40ish pages were very fun, especially the way we get to see this cast of characters (and the only vampires left on Earth) intermingle with each other on Armand and Daniel's island as a coven. I would've loved to see more of it, since Lestat doesn't see much because of his trauma. I especially loved Louis and Lestat's return to New Orleans and their apartment on Rue Royale to reminisce about Claudia and their life there. I thought it was sweet, and for some reason it made me sob. I enjoyed Lestat's confrontation with David and I am excited to see how David and the Talamasca connect to the next book.
Now, let's go see Lestat and that body thief!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Cannibalism
The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
3.5
As I stated in my review for Interview with the Vampire, I am reading this books mainly as a fan of the AMC+ show, and that absolutely changes how I view these books compared to someone who is coming to them independently. So, take this into account when reading my review!
Okay, so The Vampire Lestat is like. Vastly different from Interview with the Vampire. Lestat's perspective/writing style is very different from Louis' that we get in the previous book- that I know I sort of complained about in my last review. I take it back. Lestat's writing style can be very fast, and it does not go on those long, ponderings that Louis often does in the previous book. Instead, Lestat will write a lot about the scenery of wherever and whatever he is focused on. I think that his writing style led to me not enjoying the book as much, since he rarely focuses on the new characters of this story that are introduced, which led me to not connecting with them as much as I did the characters from IWTV. Because so much of the book focuses on new characters, this makes it hard to connect to the larger narrative. I felt like it was difficult for me to connect with Nicki and Gabrielle specifically, especially because Lestat doesn't spend much time on his relationship with Nicki besides moments here and there. Also, there was entirely too much time spent on Marius.
There were portions of this book that I did really enjoy though! Anytime Anne Rice writes a scene with vampires in a church, I lose my mind. It is well done, every single time and I really enjoy the religious imagery (like the beggar woman and baby in Notre Dame). Seeing Armand in this book and hearing his story was so fascinating, and it really helped put into perspective the Armand we see in IWTV and why he sought out Louis (and Claudia) as well as why that relationship comes to an end. I do appreciate all of the vampire lore that we get from this book as well. In IWTV, the vampire lore is not a focus or not something Louis understands, and this book gives us the TVC vampires that I am familiar with from the show. Also, it really shows just how much Lestat was hiding from Louis and Claudia in New Orleans because damn. He knew like everything. I thought Marius' advice was about the only interesting thing from that section, and it connected for me why Lestat turned Louis and why he avoids returning to Europe/Greece in the show.I really enjoyed the epilogues, they were fast paced, gave us Lestat's perspective on IWTV, provided Armandstat fighting which I love, Louis coming back (!!), and Lestat the rockstar performing and fighting like every vampire. The ending was a lot of fun, even if the way Lestat writes it can be cringe at times.
It may seem by looking at these paragraphs that there are more moments I enjoyed than those I didn't, but what isn't really shown is that the portions I did not like took up a majority of the book so sometimes it felt like a slog to get through. It sucks, because I think this book is necessary to understand the lore and Lestat and there was potential, but the characters I loved from the last book have such little presence that it is difficult to get through if you don't love Lestat. Which, maybe you do! I am just terribly neutral on him.
Queen of the Damned was the light at the end of the tunnel for me, so I am incredibly excited to read it next!
Okay, so The Vampire Lestat is like. Vastly different from Interview with the Vampire. Lestat's perspective/writing style is very different from Louis' that we get in the previous book- that I know I sort of complained about in my last review. I take it back. Lestat's writing style can be very fast, and it does not go on those long, ponderings that Louis often does in the previous book. Instead, Lestat will write a lot about the scenery of wherever and whatever he is focused on. I think that his writing style led to me not enjoying the book as much, since he rarely focuses on the new characters of this story that are introduced, which led me to not connecting with them as much as I did the characters from IWTV. Because so much of the book focuses on new characters, this makes it hard to connect to the larger narrative. I felt like it was difficult for me to connect with Nicki and Gabrielle specifically, especially because Lestat doesn't spend much time on his relationship with Nicki besides moments here and there. Also, there was entirely too much time spent on Marius.
There were portions of this book that I did really enjoy though! Anytime Anne Rice writes a scene with vampires in a church, I lose my mind. It is well done, every single time and I really enjoy the religious imagery (like the beggar woman and baby in Notre Dame). Seeing Armand in this book and hearing his story was so fascinating, and it really helped put into perspective the Armand we see in IWTV and why he sought out Louis (and Claudia) as well as why that relationship comes to an end. I do appreciate all of the vampire lore that we get from this book as well. In IWTV, the vampire lore is not a focus or not something Louis understands, and this book gives us the TVC vampires that I am familiar with from the show. Also, it really shows just how much Lestat was hiding from Louis and Claudia in New Orleans because damn. He knew like everything. I thought Marius' advice was about the only interesting thing from that section, and it connected for me why Lestat turned Louis and why he avoids returning to Europe/Greece in the show.
It may seem by looking at these paragraphs that there are more moments I enjoyed than those I didn't, but what isn't really shown is that the portions I did not like took up a majority of the book so sometimes it felt like a slog to get through. It sucks, because I think this book is necessary to understand the lore and Lestat and there was potential, but the characters I loved from the last book have such little presence that it is difficult to get through if you don't love Lestat. Which, maybe you do! I am just terribly neutral on him.
Queen of the Damned was the light at the end of the tunnel for me, so I am incredibly excited to read it next!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Okay so, I watched AMC's adaptation of Interview with the Vampire for the first time this October and became (understandably) obsessed with the show. Like, rewatch the first season seven times in three months obsessed. It is with this obsession and love of the show and characters that I came into this book with, which I know has colored my experience of it both positively and negatively and will be reflected in this review. If you're looking for an unbiased review of this book from someone with no background in Anne Rice's vampires, this is not that review.
With that out of the way, I absolutely loved reading this book. It was amazing to be able to connect these characters, their struggles, and scenes and dialogue from the book to the show. I felt like it gave me a better understanding of the show and the process of its creation and the story it is presenting, while recognizing that the two versions are meant to be different. I enjoyed reading the scenes post-New Orleans and thinking about how they will be developed/adapted in season 2. I did feel like it dragged in some places, particularly when Louis and Claudia went to Eastern Europe, and that the prose could often drag the story down. But, there were often times where I absolutely loved the prose, particularly the insight it gave to Louis' mind and relentless pondering. That pondering often provided some of my favorite Louis moments, granted me a much deeper understanding and connection to him, and really got to the core of some of the long-standing questions of this series (and the show).
To get into specifics, I found the New Orleans/Louisiana section to often be dull at times. This might be because of my own comparisons with the show, but I would maintain that this section is not as compelling as other portions of the novel. Louis and Lestat's first meeting and their time on the plantation is boring, and it feels very obvious that Louis is not being entirely truthful about what occurred nor about his feelings regarding Lestat. The only section of this that was interesting were Louis family, which was little developed in my opinion, and Lestat's father dynamics that Louis cannot provide full understanding of. Additionally, the way that enslaved people are discussed in this section is often deeply racist, especially in some of Louis' ramblings about their "superstitious nature". This part of the novel really picks up after they move to New Orleans and create Claudia (my beloved) but I still felt like something in the way Louis describes their dynamics and relationship between Lestat, Claudia, and himself to be lacking. I think this is purposeful, Louis is not a trustworthy narrator, but it was my thoughts during this section regardless. The arguments and dynamics between Louis and Lestat and Louis and Claudia are the most interesting parts of this segment of the book. Claudia and Louis' murder of Lestat was compelling to me, given the connections and changes the show makes while at the same time Louis is entirely conflicted though we as the audience don't really understand why, outside of his guilt surrounding killing. What entirely saved this part for me, and was one of my favorite moments of the entire novel, was when Louis entered the Catholic Church in New Orleans, invisions multiple different funeral processions that he feels guilty/responsible for, gets called to confession by the priest, and then kills the priest on the altar like it is some sort of vampiric communion. Truly, this scene was such a beautiful way to establish how his religious upbringing STILL deeply affects Louis' life as a vampire and how the Catholic guilt he lives with eats away at him. As a queer person that was raised Catholic, this scene rocked me to my core and I absolutely loved it.
As I stated before, the Eastern European portion of this novel was boring and I'm glad it's been cut out of like every adaptation of this novel. When Louis and Claudia arrive in Paris, this novel becomes just breathtakingly beautiful and interesting to me. We get to see their dynamics at their most bare, with Louis' philosophical pondering eating away at him and Claudia (rightfully so) embracing her hatred of Louis for his part in making her what she is. The Théâtre des Vampires is so engrossing, their performance is deeply compelling and the view we get of other vampires highlights how human Louis still is. The philosophical debates Louis and Armand have upon meeting, but also at other points during this section, are so interesting and lay bare the questions on Louis' mind that plague his existence. The obsession they have with each other is really interesting, and Louis' ease at admitting his love for Armand just further brings into question what and why he was hiding with Lestat and New Orleans. Just kind of obsessed with loving a person because you are both evil, so you cannot imagine anyone else should/will love you. Claudia and Madeleine are really interesting, and I wish Anne Rice spent more time focusing on their relationship because it's just fascinating. I am excited for how the show will develop it.The return of Lestat, and the deaths of Claudia and Madeleine are heart wrenching, tragic moments to read. To watch them die, entirely out of Louis' control but caused by two people he deeply loves (Lestat and Armand) just rips out your heart and stomps on it. The fire of the Théâtre des Vampires feels good in it's revenge for the pain that Louis holds, and that I as the reader share (and I am excited for this adaptation in the show as well). The way that the murder of Claudia just absolutely destroys any human quality Louis had left, his passion most notably, is a sad, beautiful reflection of the enormity of his grief and his capacity for love that he lost. It forever connects him to Armand, but it seems to the displeasure of them both. Also, I was intrigued by Armand as a sadistic person. His involvement in Madeleine's turning! Him telling Louis to jump off the tower! His clear desire to completely isolate Louis, just so compelling to me as a reader.
The return to New Orleans with the decaying, depressed Lestat is another sad reflection of grief and love lost that I found compelling and beautiful. Armand and Louis' final discussion in the park, where Armand admits his involvement in the events in Paris and that he never expected it to utterly destroy the passion he loved most in Louis is touching and highlights again the extent of Louis' grief and how it changed him. His final confrontation with Daniel, and Daniel beginning to search for Lestat is a beautiful way to end the book and showed again Louis' detachment from humanity that has been caused by his grief and the vampires in his life.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the insight it gave me into the show and these characters, who I've come to love in their book form. I really enjoyed reading this with a lot of my friends at the same time (unintentionally lol)! Onto the second book!
With that out of the way, I absolutely loved reading this book. It was amazing to be able to connect these characters, their struggles, and scenes and dialogue from the book to the show. I felt like it gave me a better understanding of the show and the process of its creation and the story it is presenting, while recognizing that the two versions are meant to be different. I enjoyed reading the scenes post-New Orleans and thinking about how they will be developed/adapted in season 2. I did feel like it dragged in some places, particularly when Louis and Claudia went to Eastern Europe, and that the prose could often drag the story down. But, there were often times where I absolutely loved the prose, particularly the insight it gave to Louis' mind and relentless pondering. That pondering often provided some of my favorite Louis moments, granted me a much deeper understanding and connection to him, and really got to the core of some of the long-standing questions of this series (and the show).
To get into specifics, I found the New Orleans/Louisiana section to often be dull at times. This might be because of my own comparisons with the show, but I would maintain that this section is not as compelling as other portions of the novel. Louis and Lestat's first meeting and their time on the plantation is boring, and it feels very obvious that Louis is not being entirely truthful about what occurred nor about his feelings regarding Lestat. The only section of this that was interesting were Louis family, which was little developed in my opinion, and Lestat's father dynamics that Louis cannot provide full understanding of. Additionally, the way that enslaved people are discussed in this section is often deeply racist, especially in some of Louis' ramblings about their "superstitious nature". This part of the novel really picks up after they move to New Orleans and create Claudia (my beloved) but I still felt like something in the way Louis describes their dynamics and relationship between Lestat, Claudia, and himself to be lacking. I think this is purposeful, Louis is not a trustworthy narrator, but it was my thoughts during this section regardless. The arguments and dynamics between Louis and Lestat and Louis and Claudia are the most interesting parts of this segment of the book. Claudia and Louis' murder of Lestat was compelling to me, given the connections and changes the show makes while at the same time Louis is entirely conflicted though we as the audience don't really understand why, outside of his guilt surrounding killing. What entirely saved this part for me, and was one of my favorite moments of the entire novel, was when Louis entered the Catholic Church in New Orleans, invisions multiple different funeral processions that he feels guilty/responsible for, gets called to confession by the priest, and then kills the priest on the altar like it is some sort of vampiric communion. Truly, this scene was such a beautiful way to establish how his religious upbringing STILL deeply affects Louis' life as a vampire and how the Catholic guilt he lives with eats away at him. As a queer person that was raised Catholic, this scene rocked me to my core and I absolutely loved it.
As I stated before, the Eastern European portion of this novel was boring and I'm glad it's been cut out of like every adaptation of this novel. When Louis and Claudia arrive in Paris, this novel becomes just breathtakingly beautiful and interesting to me. We get to see their dynamics at their most bare, with Louis' philosophical pondering eating away at him and Claudia (rightfully so) embracing her hatred of Louis for his part in making her what she is. The Théâtre des Vampires is so engrossing, their performance is deeply compelling and the view we get of other vampires highlights how human Louis still is. The philosophical debates Louis and Armand have upon meeting, but also at other points during this section, are so interesting and lay bare the questions on Louis' mind that plague his existence. The obsession they have with each other is really interesting, and Louis' ease at admitting his love for Armand just further brings into question what and why he was hiding with Lestat and New Orleans. Just kind of obsessed with loving a person because you are both evil, so you cannot imagine anyone else should/will love you. Claudia and Madeleine are really interesting, and I wish Anne Rice spent more time focusing on their relationship because it's just fascinating. I am excited for how the show will develop it.
The return to New Orleans with the decaying, depressed Lestat is another sad reflection of grief and love lost that I found compelling and beautiful. Armand and Louis' final discussion in the park, where Armand admits his involvement in the events in Paris and that he never expected it to utterly destroy the passion he loved most in Louis is touching and highlights again the extent of Louis' grief and how it changed him. His final confrontation with Daniel, and Daniel beginning to search for Lestat is a beautiful way to end the book and showed again Louis' detachment from humanity that has been caused by his grief and the vampires in his life.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the insight it gave me into the show and these characters, who I've come to love in their book form. I really enjoyed reading this with a lot of my friends at the same time (unintentionally lol)! Onto the second book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism