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moppyy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can't believe Anne Rice just tricked me into reading the Bible and that Lestat drank the literal blood of Christ.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
joonjxne's review against another edition
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
pankadoll's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't know how to rate it for now. Reading it not knowing TVA will come out eventually must have been devastating. I loved it mainly because I've gone ahead to read the next parts. But it's also the first time I kinda regret I did. I can't understand what I feel about it separately from those.
upd:
Okay, I've taken a nap on it, and what the fuck. I can't look at it separately, so I won't. I still can see how obnoxious it was - to give the death of the character so little acknowledgement if it was considered to be the last part. I just can't back it with feelings because I've read further, I know there's more to it, so it doesn't affect my enjoyment that much. And she does stuff like that a lot in the whole series. She just kept getting away with it because the writing is THAT good.
I apparently think the more absurd Anne was the better, because the first 5 stars I gave to The Tale of the Body Thief, not the first trilogy. There's no logic in the common sense of it, but there's a lot of it emotionally. I like it when she takes me out of the rules by which the world works completely, still staying in that world. I can't help but take it as just an immersive experience, no questions asked. And I love Lestat more after this, what a joke. He's such a precious fool. That's a skill of all skills: to celebrate your own character so much it shines like a hundred suns and becomes contagious. The last scene where he just walks the street alone here? Yeah.
The religious musings hit me right in the chest too. Better made by that the story can still be a great lie. I felt what Lestat felt about that note Memnoch left for him, though. I'm not sure what was her intention with that. It made me so angry.
Overall, yes, I will reread it a thousand times.
upd:
Okay, I've taken a nap on it, and what the fuck. I can't look at it separately, so I won't. I still can see how obnoxious it was - to give the death of the character so little acknowledgement if it was considered to be the last part. I just can't back it with feelings because I've read further, I know there's more to it, so it doesn't affect my enjoyment that much. And she does stuff like that a lot in the whole series. She just kept getting away with it because the writing is THAT good.
I apparently think the more absurd Anne was the better, because the first 5 stars I gave to The Tale of the Body Thief, not the first trilogy. There's no logic in the common sense of it, but there's a lot of it emotionally. I like it when she takes me out of the rules by which the world works completely, still staying in that world. I can't help but take it as just an immersive experience, no questions asked. And I love Lestat more after this, what a joke. He's such a precious fool. That's a skill of all skills: to celebrate your own character so much it shines like a hundred suns and becomes contagious. The last scene where he just walks the street alone here? Yeah.
The religious musings hit me right in the chest too. Better made by that the story can still be a great lie. I felt what Lestat felt about that note Memnoch left for him, though. I'm not sure what was her intention with that. It made me so angry.
Overall, yes, I will reread it a thousand times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide attempt
carrionkid's review against another edition
3.5
Honestly I was surprised I liked this as much as I did but I guess it's easier to be more generous to mid to late TVC after seeing how bad body thief was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Murder
avie_j's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide and War
Minor: Confinement, Sexual content, Slavery, and Antisemitism
socialpsysteph's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I realized that I had never continued on with my re-read of the first half of the Vampire Chronicles series so that I could finally finish the series so I picked this one up on audiobook. I know that I have read this before and was much younger, but I don't remember it being so bad.
In this installment, Lestat becomes obsessed with a nun and her father, who is a criminal who also collects religious artifacts. Lestat is also being chased by a stranger and eventually, travels back in time to the time of Christ to watch the crucifixion, and also to visit Heaven and Hell.
It felt like I was sitting through the world's worst Sunday School lesson. Christianity has always played a part in these books but it's the ONLY plot in this one. Also, I just could not handle Lestat talking about Dora's menstrual cycle. He goes into detail about how he can smell it and sense the blood and then he eventually drinks from it, including a description of sucking the blood from her pad. Like, why? Why?!
I have already started listening to the next book and I'm really starting to reconsider this series.
In this installment, Lestat becomes obsessed with a nun and her father, who is a criminal who also collects religious artifacts. Lestat is also being chased by a stranger and eventually, travels back in time to the time of Christ to watch the crucifixion, and also to visit Heaven and Hell.
It felt like I was sitting through the world's worst Sunday School lesson. Christianity has always played a part in these books but it's the ONLY plot in this one. Also, I just could not handle Lestat talking about Dora's menstrual cycle. He goes into detail about how he can smell it and sense the blood and then he eventually drinks from it, including a description of sucking the blood from her pad. Like, why? Why?!
I have already started listening to the next book and I'm really starting to reconsider this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
cyberhavok's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
introverted_reads's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, Stalking, and War
ariel_is_a_dreamer's review against another edition
slow-paced
1.0
"My song was the only sad note in heaven"
I've never been christian, so I couldn't relate to pretty much anything in the book. I struggled to get through it. Not even Anne Rice's beautiful prose could save this book for me. It just made no sense, dreadfully boring, and reading with non-christian eyes, it looks silly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Rape and Sexism
reclusivebookslug's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I thought I would have to force my way through this one just because I wanted to read The Vampire Armand. The beginning failed to grab me, but eventually I became super interested in Rice's fictional versions of heaven and hell and morality. It feels like we're witnessing her faith crisis through her characters, even more so than in some of her earlier books. The notion of "forgiving God" feels very interesting and powerful to me, even as an atheist. I'm conflicted over the ending; I can't really think of what I'd rather had happened, but I found it confusing and disturbing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
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