Vampire novels have always been popular and many authors have taken a swing at it. Today, we will be reviewing Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice and see whether or not you should add this novel to your reading list!
Interview with a Vampire Summary
Louis de Pointe du Lac, a 200-year-old vampire, is in a room with a boy. The boy is recording his interview with the vampire as Louis shares his story that spans two centuries.
The story starts with a young Louis, who owns a plantation in Louisiana in 1791. The death of his younger brother impacts him gravely and he is in suffering. One day, he meets a Vampire named Lestat who turns Louis into a vampire so that Lestat can access Louis’ wealth and plantation.
Louis learns how to live like a vampire but he is hesitant to kill people. Instead, he drinks the blood of animals to survive while Lestat goes around killing slaves. Now that louis is a vampire, he sees Lestat for who he is and ends up despising him.
As their relationship starts to strain, Lestat preys on Loius’ weakness and bonds him with the addition of a new vampire into their family. As the dynamic changes over the decades, the trio cannot stand each other.
A fire and a trip to Europe to seek answers leads to even more questions. As Louis tries to figure out the meaning of his new life, new friends and enemies arise. Will Louis find the answers he is looking for and at what cost?
Commentary
When this novel was first published in 1976, it received mixed reception. But as Rice released sequels to the novel, they saw a lot of success and the reputation of her first book changed. As someone that isn’t fond of critics, I am not surprised. If they get something wrong, they just change their thoughts on it.
The novel is brilliant, and Louis is an interesting character. While he may be a vampire, he still holds onto his morality. The questions of damnation and temptation are asked throughout the novel and death plays a big part. Louis is a tormented vampire who wants to know if there is a purpose to his life or will he live on forever preying on humans every night.
The strength of this novel is the great characters and what drives them. We know little about Lestat and what we do learn doesn’t give us the big picture. With future novels that talk more about them, it is not surprising to see why they have been popular with the masses.
Conclusion
If you love vampire novels and philosophical novels, then this is a must read. The writing is great and the characters are memorable with an interesting take on vampires. Happy reading!
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