Welcome to the tribute page of my latest obsession, Anne's Rice's Vampire Chronicles (no spoiler warnings here, so be aware). As you probably either know or have figured out from my (stolen) pictures, the first book in the series, Interview with the Vampire, has been made into a stunning film, which stars Brad Pitt in an unbelievable performance and Tom Cruise in a commendable one (I only like two movies out of his entire career, and this is one of them; the other is Rain Man).
There have been other movies made about the Ricean vampires, but I can't say I would recommend them (I can't actually profess to having seen them, either, so I oughtn't pass judgment).
But enough about the movies. The books are just as wonderful. There are four characters that truly stand out for me (I love them all, and could never choose a favorite).
Lestat de Lioncourt, the blond "brat prince" from pre-Revolutionary France, is Rice's anti-hero: he makes most of the younger vampires in the series and eventually becames a rock star in the eighties.
His beloved dark haired Louis de Pointe du Lac, the New Orleans native from the 1790's, is most famous for his stunning physical beauty, including his lovely green eyes; his weakness, being unable to read minds or defy gravity in any sense; and his innate sense of humanity.
Louis's one-time lover Armand, who is originally from Russia and becomes leader of covens in Rome and later Paris, was made at the age of seventeen in fifteenth century Venice, and with his long auburn curls and breathtaking youthful beauty has been called a Botticelli angel by most of the surviving vampires.
Marius de Romanus is Armand's maker, and of all the vampires he is the one most comfortable living among mortals. He was made by Druids at the beginning of the Christian era, and his beautiful blond hair and strong Roman features make him an imposing presence in the modern world.
I've read six books in the Vampire Chronicles series: Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch the Devil, and The Vampire Armand. I wouls recommend each and every one of them. Rice's series is a raw, sensual, dark, sexy, gothic ride through the centuries, and though the characters aren't mortal, their thoughts and emotions are very much those of humanity. |
