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A review by franklloydweft
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
Once again raised my rating after having read more Anne Rice. I under appreciated the feeling that she injected here, and the transgressive themes still DO bother me but I consider that as something you just have to deal with when reading her.
Copied from fable:
The reason this gets 4 stars is the same reason it doesn’t get 4.5 or 5: Anne Rice. As much as I enjoyed her contemplative and descriptive prose and her conception of the vampire, she can’t help but introduce the problematic elements she’s come to be known for. Namely, the weirdly sexual relationship between Claudia and Louis unsettled me. Her description of enslaved people at the beginning of the novel was also notable in its seeming lack of empathy. There is definitely a reason this book revolutionized the genre, and I very much enjoyed it, but Rice’s penchant for the weird sometimes goes a bit too far for me. This is particularly because, unlike what I observed of Butler writing Fledgling, I believe she actually possessed some of these beliefs. Rice has said some concerning things regarding race and sexuality towards children that lead me to believe this aspect of her writing is not to make vampires seem more inhuman like Butler, but a reflection of her. Just something to chew on. The show is doing a wonderful job with the source material however!
Copied from fable:
The reason this gets 4 stars is the same reason it doesn’t get 4.5 or 5: Anne Rice. As much as I enjoyed her contemplative and descriptive prose and her conception of the vampire, she can’t help but introduce the problematic elements she’s come to be known for. Namely, the weirdly sexual relationship between Claudia and Louis unsettled me. Her description of enslaved people at the beginning of the novel was also notable in its seeming lack of empathy. There is definitely a reason this book revolutionized the genre, and I very much enjoyed it, but Rice’s penchant for the weird sometimes goes a bit too far for me. This is particularly because, unlike what I observed of Butler writing Fledgling, I believe she actually possessed some of these beliefs. Rice has said some concerning things regarding race and sexuality towards children that lead me to believe this aspect of her writing is not to make vampires seem more inhuman like Butler, but a reflection of her. Just something to chew on. The show is doing a wonderful job with the source material however!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, and Fire/Fire injury