6.27.2011
The Vampire Lestat
by Anne Rice, 550pgs, paperback
Series: The Vampire Chronicles book 2
Overall Grade: A-
Much better than 'Interview with the Vampire' in my opinion. This time around, we get the first-person narrative of Lestat, starting with him awakening in the (then) present-day shortly after 'IwtV' is published, and he joins a metal band. Well, if Louis can get away with his whiny biography, then so can Lestat.
The narrative quickly jumps us back to Lestat's pre-vampire life as rural gentry in 19th century France. He kills a pack of wolves all by himself, befriends Nicholas, they move to Paris, discover the arts, music, theater. Lestat is abducted and turned by an old vampire named Magnus. Spends some time revelling in his new status, turns his only mother, Gabrielle, into a vampire at the very brink of death. Together they confront the Paris coven, led by Armand, and destroy it. Lestat turns his friend Nicholas into a vampire, Nicholas is still looney. Armand spills his whole history out for Lestat & Gabrielle. Lestat sets up Armand, Nicholas and the remnants of the Paris coven as the Theatre of the Vampires (last seen in IwtV), before he and his mother go further and further abroad looking for the ancient vampire, Marius, and his mysterious charges Those Who Must Be Kept.
Labels: genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: historical, media: book, series: Vampire Chronicles
