Book Review: Interview with the Vampire

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I listened to Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice on audiobook awhile back. It took me an unreasonable amount of time to finish it, like 3 months or something. I felt the need read it for some time I have heard here and there that it was the first novel to really modernize vampires and make them relateable. Now, I don't know if that's true, but nonetheless this book been on my list for awhile. I'll be upfront I was overall disappointed with the story. There were parts that were fantastically done; Rice was able to craft complex rising actions within the plot but the climax between the two vampires, Louis and Lestat, lacked conclusion. 

I didn't realize at the time Interview with the Vampire was a beginning of a series but the first book did not wet my appetite for the rest of the series. I found the main character, Louis, lacking in depth and the antagonist, Lestat, had too much mystery about him that was never resolved. The only character that was really explained was Claudia the child that Louis and Lestat both had a hand in turning. She would have intrigued me more if she hadn't been so cold-hearted. That's my personal preference though and despite that I do think that she was the most well written of all three. Louis and Lestat were contrast of one another. Lestat embraced his vampirism with a passion and vitality while Louis just barely accepted it, but he do so with reverence. This made him unbelievably morose and also pompous thus construction the formula for an irksome and insipid narrator. Even when the plot got interesting or down right weird I had a hard time bringing myself to continue on due to the manner of which it was told.

This was the first book I've read by Ann Rice and even though it was certainly not my favorite I would still give her writing another try. Ultimately, she used a flawed device to tell her story but her writing was clever and skilled.