Belinda [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Anne Rampling (Author), Anne Rice (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425176657
• ASIN: B002RAR16M
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (107 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,289,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne Rice was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She holds a Master of Arts Degree in English and Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science.

She is the author of over 30 books, most recently the Toby O'Dare novels Of Love and Evil, and Angel Time; the memoir, Called Out of Darkness;and her two novels about Jesus, Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt and Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana,

Anne publicly broke with organized religion in July of 2010 on moral grounds, affirming her faith in God, but refusing any longer to be called "Christian." The story attracted surprising media attention, with Rice's remarks being quoted in stories all over the world.

Anne is very active on her FaceBook Fan Page and has over 550,000 followers. She answers questions every day on the page, and also posts on a variety of topics, including literature, film, music, politics, religion, and her own writings. She welcomes discussion there on numerous topics.

Her latest novel, The Wolf Gift, a werewolf story set in Northern California in the present time, will be published on February 14th, 2012. With this book, Anne returns to the classic monsters and themes of supernatural literature, similar to those she explored in her Vampire Chronicles, and tales of the Mayfair Witches.

Her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, was published in 1976 and has gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time. She continued her saga of the Vampire Lestat in a series of books, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles, which have had both great mainstream and cult followings.

Interview with the Vampire was made into a motion picture in 1994, starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas. Anne's novel, Feast of All Saints about the free people of color of ante-bellum New Orleans became a Showtime mini series in 2001.

Anne Rice is also the author of other novels, including The Witching Hour, Servant of the Bones, Merrick, Blackwood Farm, Blood Canticle, Violin, and Cry to Heaven. She lives in Palm Desert, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect blend of romance and mystery, February 19, 2005

By 

Clarissa "MoonGoddess" (Ontario, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Belinda (Paperback)

This book certainly doesn't waste any time. It begins with Jeremy Walker, a famous 44-year-old illustrator of children's books spotting beautiful sixteen-year-old Belinda smiling at him in a San Francisco bookstore at one of his many book signings. Dressed in a short Catholic school uniform he's already mesmerized by her, wondering what it would feel like to reach under her plaid skirt and... against his better judgment he sleeps with her during his press party only to awaken and find her gone. Unable to get her out of his mind he brings her into his home once found again, fascinated by who she is and where she comes from. As they grow closer he starts to photograph and paint her with a passion he's never felt before. Belinda is extremely carefree and uninhibited so most of them are taken nude (or partially so), but always with some kind of theme that many would deem kinky yet they consider to be art...a celebration of the body and the sensuality of their love. He soon discovers she's got many secrets, though, and is determined to learn what they are, despite her threats of leaving if he does...

I have tried and tried in the past to get into Anne Rice's vampire series but never could. I, however, still felt compelled to read "Belinda" as I've always had a weakness when it comes to forbidden love stories and this one did not disappoint! In fact, I haven't enjoyed a book as much as this one in quite a long time. It's an erotic story, yes, but don't expect sex on every page. It's actually very minimal and the details are rather vague. It is more so the factor of age difference and the circumstances they often find themselves in that are subtly erotic. And unlike some readers who found their relationship repulsive and even perverted, it is blatantly clear as the book progresses that they have genuinely deep feelings for one another so I didn't find their intimacy to be at all disturbing. Love is love, after all, and there is no boundaries nor constraints when it comes to the heart. It's also apparent that Belinda is very mature for her tender years, and understandably so given all she's been through in her life.

Anne Rice has admittedly created an intricately far-fetched story here but the character's are very believable. I even started thinking of them as real people a couple of times!

Now THAT is good storytelling... I highly recommend!

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belinda is a must read, January 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Belinda (Paperback)

Once I read Belinda, I practically forgot the Vampire Chronicles existed. Belinda is the best book I've ever read in my entire life (and I've read a few in my time!)

The narration, settings, and characters shift throughout the book, making it fascinatingly complex. First, you're carried through the lives of Belinda and Jeremy as they begin their life together, then there's the desperate mystery Jeremy tries to solve about Belinda's true identity, then the conclusion which brings the enormous cast of characters together for one last hurrah!

The characters are overwhelmingly original, unbelievable and fantastic. Rice paints each one with vibrant colors and tones that you won't see anywhere else. At some points, it seems as if everyone is suffering from an excess of personality, but as Rice indicates from the Stan Rice poem she chose to open with, excess is the point of the book. Excess is everwhere in Belinda, from the characters to the storyline to the backdrop of San Francisco-New Orleans-Europe. Rice painstakingly describes each detail: the lushness of New Orleans, the bright, cleanliness of San Francisco, the dusty childhood relics that make up Jeremy's life, the bitter heartache of his search for Belinda's identity, the beauty and relief he finds by painting her...

To the casual reader, the book might just seem like a cop-out of Lolita. But it's not. Here, the wiser, knowledgeable person is Belinda; the child is Jeremy. He learns from her what life is supposed to be about; together they overcome the secrets of their pasts and move on to new beginnings. For years, Jeremy was locked into painting images of little girls roaming through dark, eery houses. In reality, Jeremy and Belinda were both wandering through their own shadows, unable to shake the darkness of their past. Belinda brought light into Jeremy's world and he, in return, gave her the voice that was stolen from her by painting her pictures.

If you read this book and think it is lousy, then maybe you should read it again. Take time to enjoy the excess...

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Belinda is mesmerizing, September 15, 2003

By 

girldiver "Enjoy!" (tangled up in blue.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Belinda (Paperback)

I was drawn in by the casual and quiet observations that Jeremy makes when he first sees Belinda in the book store. Anne Rice wrote Jeremy as an unassuming person from a distance but completely complicated and simple at the same time.

This story is about a 40sh child book author who against his better judgment is deeply attracted to Belinda a sixteen year old child by law but woman at heart. He knows nothing of who Belinda is but is consumed by her and a need to know who she really is. This book cleverly unravels secrets old and new while painting you a picture of a life few people can imagine.

The book slowly reveals Jeremy's and Belindas secrets while taking you on a journey through this taboo subject of love, passion, and obsession with a minor.

This book was advertised as erotic but it certainly was not graphic sexually. I suppose the erotic was directed to the taboo subject of sex between a minor and legal adult. I was a little leary of the idea but as you read you question who is the adult in the relationship Jeremy or Belinda. Belinda clearly matured quickly and Jeremy is still struggling with his childhood memories and fears. Also, the subject of pornography versus art is an interesting subject considering most of the paintings Jeremy painted were of Belinda nude.

Whether Anne Rice intended it to be a topic in her book or not I read Belinda and wondered/questioned if the legal age in the USA should be 18. Lots of countries recognize younger people to be adults. Maturity is indivual and varies amoung all ages.

As I said before the sex was not written graphically but the entire romance was written so sensually you didn't need it to be graphic. Anne Rice certainly is a great example of wonderfull writing. You can feel the passion as you read.

I fell in love with Jeremy and Belinda and the entire book.