Stephy Read Interview With the Vampire

 

 “For what can the damned really have to say to the damned?”

 

 About/Summary

Published in 1967, Interview With the Vampire is the first book of the Vampire Chronicles. The book focuses on a vampire, Louis, telling his "life" story to a reporter. 

Content/Trigger Warnings

Death

Child Death

 Slavery

Underage vampire (this gets a warning because sometimes it gets a little weird when you remember Claudia has the body of a five-year-old)

Lestat (he gets his own warning... like seriously)

Emotional manipulation

Characters

I'm sorry, but the characters in this book are all horrible. Just, horrible little creatures that entertain me greatly. Like, who knows what kind of shit Lestat is going to get up to. He doesn't even know! It might be heartbreaking, it could be hilarious, but no matter what you will not be able to look away cause that man is a car crash.

Also, I love Armand. He is baby. I love him.

And one of the main characters is just called The Boy through the entire book. Which, rude, Louis. Ask for his name before whining to him for 10 fucking hours straight.

 

Setting

Book is mainly set is New Orleans and Paris. And technically San Francisco cause that's where the room is where Louis whines at Daniel (that is the reporter's name, unlike Louis's rude ass, I care) for an entire night. 

Writing

Anne Rice's writing isn't for everyone. Sometimes it's not even for me, if I am perfectly honest. I am not saying it is bad. I am saying some people might not enjoy it. 

Plot

The entire plot was Louis, a 200-year-old vampire, telling a random guy how shitty it is being a vampire. That's it.That's the plot. I mean, other things happen, but the main plot is vampire is whining about his existence.

Romance

Louis and Lestat were totally a couple. A toxic couple. But still a couple. 

How diverse is it?

The only people of color were slaves.

 

Overall Thoughts

No thoughts about this book will ever top when my kid was reading it, they burst into my room and shouted "Lestat baby-trapped Louis!" You could have the most thought-provoking insight for this book and I will look you straight in the eye and go "Lemme tell you about the time my kid was reading this book". 

But aside from that... This isn't my favorite book from the Vampire Chronicles. I enjoy it, but I tend to find myself thinking "oh gods, shut up Louis..." a lot while reading it. 

Another thing, I need to know how long Louis and Armand traveled together. How long did Armand have to deal with Louis just... going through the motions and probably talking constantly about how beautiful Lestat was? Poor Armand for dealing with that. 

Also, I need to know is how long Lestat, Louis and Claudia stayed in New Orleans. And if it was longer than five years, how did nobody notice the three weirdos that didn't age? And did anyone notice the amount of death that happened? Louis says they have to kill to feed, which, fine, whatever. So that was at least three dead people a night. At least 90 dead people a month. That's over a thousand people a year. I know this took place way back in the day, and the mortality rate was higher back then, but still. That is a lot of dead people that no one seemed to notice or care about. 

 

I think that's about it... Stay tuned for me to ramble about the drama that is Lestat de Lioncourt some more. Cause that boy is just drama in human form.

Stephy Reading Challenge - Book 22

 

Vittorio, the Vampire by Anne Rice

I spent a lot of time while reading this book rolling my eyes at Vittorio. Because teenagers thinking they know best is apparently not a modern trope.

When Vittorio was 16, his entire family was slaughtered by vampires. An attractive female vampire, Ursula, allows him to live though. Which... Stupid...

Vittorio travels to a town, trying to find a way to have his revenge on those vampires. After a nightly visit from Ursula (when I think they had sex...), Vittorio learns that the town gives their undesirables to the vampires.

So, Vittorio goes vampire hunting.

And fails.

The vampires capture him and feed him a bit of vampire blood, which, I think Ursula did before... Anyway. It's a vampire court... A Satanic vampire court.

Ursula begs Florian (the leader) to turn Vittorio. Which doesn't happen. Instead, Vittorio passes out and wakes up in Florence (I think it was Florence...) where, holy shit, he can see angels now! At first, he just sees Fra Filippo Lippi's guardian angels. Then another angel. Then finally his own guardian angels. He convinces the angels to help him destroy the vampires. They agree, with the vow that he will kill all the vampires.

The angels take him to the vampire's castle, help him enter their daytime resting place. Where he slaughters the vampires. Well... All but Ursula.

He tells the angels that he's going to redeem Ursula's soul.

Ursula wakes up and tricks Vittorio and makes him a vampire. Because of course she does.

Together they slaughter the captive humans at the castle and most of that town that Vittorio stayed at before. 

They make their way back to Florence (I think...) where, hey, it's the angels! Since Vittorio broke his promise to the angels, they punish him by making it so he can see people's souls. 

And, that's the book.

I enjoyed it, but... I had some issues. Mostly the Vittorio and Ursula romance. He meets her when she is trying to steal away his younger brother and sister. Then the next night he's all "Monster! Let's kiss!" And the next night they're all "I love you!" Seems... Weird to me... But whatever.

Good side story to the Vampire Chronicles.