maryartchy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
taliadev721's review against another edition
4.0
I have a very hard time reviewing Anne Rice's books. Part of me wants to give it fewer stars because of the questionable takes on pedophilia and incest present in the narrative but I also am a huge fan of the way she writes in general(not so much the topics chosen) and I really love how she writes about vampires.
So first, let me just mention the icks I have with this book.
In IWTV Claudia, a vampire in the body of a five year old, is consistently described as sensual and it's icky. It doesn't matter that her mind has aged to an adult, she's still in a child's body and no child should be described like that. The pedophilia continues into The Vampire Lestat where little boys are described as beautiful. Armand is 17 I believe which in the time period when Lestat meets him he's considered an adult, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth reading about how attracted Louis and Lestat are attracted to this teenager. There's a part where Lestat kills a woman and her infant child who tried to help him and he refers to their deaths as a rape, which is....so fucking gross. Then, of course, there's the relationship with Gabrielle. Gabrielle is Lestat's mother and while she's dying of consumption, he turns her into a vampire. In Anne Rice's universe, familial ties like that sort of disintegrate when you're made vampire, which I kind of understand since they're basically like some kind of alien species now but I could've done without them full on tongue making out while swapping bloody spit in a coffin.
I feel like it's a given reading any Anne Rice book that there is going to be some incredibly out of pocket shit happening. I haven't read Mayfair Witches yet but I know some of the nonsense that goes in that and I just think that if you're gonna read an Anne Rice book you better be ready to be grossed out. I do really love the prose she writes with, and I love the philosophical discussions. This is the kind of book you have to use your whole brain to read if you want to really understand wtf she's talking about.
I'm definitely going to continue the series mainly because I want to know what other wild shit is going to happen and also because like I said, the prose is beautiful and she paints a very vivid world. That's not to say that this book has some questionable content though, so if you intend to read it, just go in with that knowledge.
So first, let me just mention the icks I have with this book.
In IWTV Claudia, a vampire in the body of a five year old, is consistently described as sensual and it's icky. It doesn't matter that her mind has aged to an adult, she's still in a child's body and no child should be described like that. The pedophilia continues into The Vampire Lestat where little boys are described as beautiful. Armand is 17 I believe which in the time period when Lestat meets him he's considered an adult, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth reading about how attracted Louis and Lestat are attracted to this teenager. There's a part where Lestat kills a woman and her infant child who tried to help him and he refers to their deaths as a rape, which is....so fucking gross. Then, of course, there's the relationship with Gabrielle. Gabrielle is Lestat's mother and while she's dying of consumption, he turns her into a vampire. In Anne Rice's universe, familial ties like that sort of disintegrate when you're made vampire, which I kind of understand since they're basically like some kind of alien species now but I could've done without them full on tongue making out while swapping bloody spit in a coffin.
I feel like it's a given reading any Anne Rice book that there is going to be some incredibly out of pocket shit happening. I haven't read Mayfair Witches yet but I know some of the nonsense that goes in that and I just think that if you're gonna read an Anne Rice book you better be ready to be grossed out. I do really love the prose she writes with, and I love the philosophical discussions. This is the kind of book you have to use your whole brain to read if you want to really understand wtf she's talking about.
I'm definitely going to continue the series mainly because I want to know what other wild shit is going to happen and also because like I said, the prose is beautiful and she paints a very vivid world. That's not to say that this book has some questionable content though, so if you intend to read it, just go in with that knowledge.
jandi's review against another edition
4.0
One of the best books of the vampire chronicles, Lestat is an intriguing character, wild although a bit whiny. Rich descriptions and a very entertaining story line.
romanticallyours's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
absolutely loved it, could've gone without reading about lestat frenching his mother tho, also it is very hard to determine if the flaws of the main character are the focus if the character is the narrator, an unreliable at that, and incredibly obsessed with himself
redhead_bookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lbrambles's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kane44's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0