I actually had Anne Rice books laying around my house for a few years before I decided to pick one up and read it. When I finally did I couldn't let go of this book. I stayed up all night trying to finish it. It stole my heart and my guts and played tricks with it. After I finished reading it I felt like crying because my NORMAL HUMAN NON-VAMPIRE NON SENSUAL SO SHORT LIFE IS SO BORING!!!

I've been a reader of Anne Rice for years and Interview with the vampire is still my personal favorie. The story is of the newly awakened Vampire Louis, tellind a curios boy interviewing him, of the challenges he endures. Rice definatly brings the classic idea of blood draining vamps back to life. Her usage of more then one vamp travling togather left me hanging on every last word written andthe ending itself throws quite a twist. The most inspiering thing done is the constant shift from first to third person narritive. Definatly a must read for my fellow Vampires.

With Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice begins a powerful series with the life (or death if you will) of Louis Pointe du Lac. As you probably infer from the title, Louis is a Vampire. Now I am sure all of the reviews you have read about this book have sung nothing but praise for this extraordinary book. Now don't get me wrong, this is a beautifuly written book with exquisite detail and dialog more sensual than any man in the world. But I warn you reader, this beauty is hidden by the long and boring nature of this book. Now I may only be 17 but I have been an avid reader since the age of 3 and I know a good book when I see one, I love all of Anne Rice's books that I have had the pleasure of reading so far...except this one. My reccomendation reader, is that you skip this book all together and rent the movie from Blockbuster. I know that sounds horrid but it's true. You will get the gist of the book without the boring fluff. Then you may proceed to the more exciting books "written" by the sexy fine vampire Lestat!

Journeying through the epic tale of Louis the Vampire's horrific story in Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice, the reader discovers many intriguing incidents, pains of sorrow, and joy. The boy interviewing the Vampire was looking for a short interview but he ended up using four tapes to hear Louis the Vampire's life story; with the main characters consisting of the boy and four vampires named Armand, Lestat, Claudia, and obviously Louis.

The novel begins with Louis still as a human and he is a prosperous plantation owner with a sister, brother, and mom. The plantation and his many town houses are located in New Orleans, were the story starts and ends. Once the vampire Lestat convenes himself into Louis's life the novel suddenly becomes frightfully exciting. Claudia, a young child and Louis are made into vampires by the malicious Lestat; Lestat made Louis and Claudia into vampires in order to live with someone else of his kind. Claudia becomes Louis's love and companion through the many perilous adventures they share.

As the two set off on a journey away from New Orleans they meet the unique ancient vampire named Armand. In Paris they have a whole troupe of vampires that live in a theatre were they perform interesting shows. Armand the leader of the group makes yet another of the many life-changing events occur. The setting for most of Interview with the Vampire is in Paris and New Orleans in various town houses and hotels.

Interview with the Vampire, kept me turning the pages non-stop. This terrific novel is filled with excruciating details of Louis the Vampire's many life-changing experiences. Though this particular book's genre is horror, it did not inflict nightmares on me or my colleagues, that have also read this superb novel. Ann Rice's book held a secret meaning, to enjoy life and to regard life with solemn respect.

Rice's first book is now well established as a contemporary horror/American classic. In it her narrator, Louis, gives an eyewitness account of his own life and how he was initiated into the vampire underworld where the exchange for eternal life is to bring to others eternal death. Louis is compassionate, but self-centered and filled with existential self-loathing that (amazingly) doesn't cause the reader to become repelled by his continually depressing tone even though we follow him through decade after decade of history which spans nearly two hundred years. His vampire maker, Lestat, is more typical of Stoker's "DRACULA" (and the real Vlad The Impaler whom Stoker used as the model for his demonic count): an egotistical, spoiled brat who revels in his own monstrous capabilities and lavish taste, and who doesn't give a damn about losing his soul as long as he can gain the whole world. As a symbol of unabashed evil, he is an amazing creation and a suitable counterbalance to Louis' endless brooding. Their life together climaxes with Louis threatening to leave Lestat, and Lestat turning a little girl into a vampire which forces Louis to stay and take care of her. The life of little Claudia the vampire girl is a story unto itself as she shares Louis' love of books and art as well as Lestat's delight in ruthless killing. What happens to them is captivating, repulsive, and as hallucinatory as a nightmare. Throughout the book Louis seems desperate to find some good in all of this evil, but comes to a complete understanding of just how selfish he is and that there is no light to be found in deeds of darkness. That is why an act of goodness must be done by a person who enacts the good of Christ, and an act of evil can only be done by a person who is willing to enact the the evil of Satan. There are no gray areas of debate when it comes to the heart of the matter. Unfortunately, many teenagers and young kids find solace in Louis' alienation and feelings of being an outcast even to the point of wishing they could be a vampire like him (or worse, as they drift off into the self-absorbed world of the occult where Wicca and black magick and Satanism can turn you into a god of nothing) which is doubly sad and not to be blamed on Anne Rice ("THE CATCHER IN THE RYE" endured similar controversy for its seamy portrayal of a young, troubled soul whose adventures were argued to be a bad influence on the reading public). Louis' epiphany at the end saves the book, and helps to shake off any intimations of immorality or the embracing of such immorality as a viable way of life. As a Christian I find that commendable. BIOGRAPHICAL SIDENOTE: Rice's five-year-old daughter Michele died from leukemia. A fact which spurred the author to write "INTERVIEW" in five weeks even though she denies that her daughter's death and her grief didn't inspire the creation of Claudia, a sickly, six-year-old child who is resurrected into an immortal vampire. HARSH LANGUAGE: about 25 words, VIOLENCE: about 43 scenes, SEXUAL REFERENCES: about 3 instances and an undercurrent of homo-erotic love between Louis and Armand.