Cody | CodysBookshelf's Reviews > The Vampire Lestat
The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, # 2)
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Dammit, I am now in love with Lestat de Lioncourt.
The second novel in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat, includes everything that worked in its predecessor, Interview with the Vampire while righting that book's wrongs. I felt that novel — IWTV — was good, but far from great. The characters Rice had created were intriguing, mysterious; she had obviously done her research into the history of the settings she explored in that narrative, making the locale described truly come alive . . . but the narrative was as dry as the 300-year-old bones of Lestat's victims. Sure, there was flair and pizzazz every now and again, but those moments were few and far between. I almost gave up reading Interview but pressed on. And I am so glad for that, for I was able to read its sequel: a book that does a fine job of pushing the pedal to the metal.
This novel is, of course, all about Lestat — his childhood, how he became a vampire, his comings to grips with having eternal life and what that entails. It's a heady first person account of the Vampire world. Lestat's journey is one of tragedy and excitement, of love and power. He comes in contact with vampires new and old, powerful and non-powerful. Lestat interested me in the previous novel; he truly comes to life in The Vampire Lestat. I'm not typically one for developing 'crushes' on book characters, but that has happened here. What an endlessly fascinating character Lestat is!
As far as pure writing goes, this is arguably the most beautifully written novel I've read this year. Yes, Rice is too wordy at times; yes, her plotting can be contrived and exhausting (hence my docking a star), but she has a grasp on the English language like no author I've read. Even if this story were pure shit, I would still have to award this one at least three stars for the sublime prose alone.
The Vampire Lestat is certainly a thrilling experience. I am glad I gave it a chance, and I cannot wait to read The Queen of the Damned.
The second novel in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series, The Vampire Lestat, includes everything that worked in its predecessor, Interview with the Vampire while righting that book's wrongs. I felt that novel — IWTV — was good, but far from great. The characters Rice had created were intriguing, mysterious; she had obviously done her research into the history of the settings she explored in that narrative, making the locale described truly come alive . . . but the narrative was as dry as the 300-year-old bones of Lestat's victims. Sure, there was flair and pizzazz every now and again, but those moments were few and far between. I almost gave up reading Interview but pressed on. And I am so glad for that, for I was able to read its sequel: a book that does a fine job of pushing the pedal to the metal.
This novel is, of course, all about Lestat — his childhood, how he became a vampire, his comings to grips with having eternal life and what that entails. It's a heady first person account of the Vampire world. Lestat's journey is one of tragedy and excitement, of love and power. He comes in contact with vampires new and old, powerful and non-powerful. Lestat interested me in the previous novel; he truly comes to life in The Vampire Lestat. I'm not typically one for developing 'crushes' on book characters, but that has happened here. What an endlessly fascinating character Lestat is!
As far as pure writing goes, this is arguably the most beautifully written novel I've read this year. Yes, Rice is too wordy at times; yes, her plotting can be contrived and exhausting (hence my docking a star), but she has a grasp on the English language like no author I've read. Even if this story were pure shit, I would still have to award this one at least three stars for the sublime prose alone.
The Vampire Lestat is certainly a thrilling experience. I am glad I gave it a chance, and I cannot wait to read The Queen of the Damned.
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