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Interview with the Vampire

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When Louis, a New Orleans vampire, is interviewed by a young journalist, he seizes the opportunity to reveal the essence of his life, and that of vampires in general. Turned into a vampire by Lestat, whom he loathes, Louis is different from the typical vampire. Filled with scruples and feelings for those who could be his victims, he prefers to feed on the blood of animals, rather than on humans. When he feeds on the blood of a five-year-old orphan, Claudia, one night, he intentionally stops feeding before she dies. Lestat, however, finishes the job, then revives her with his own blood, turning her into a five-year-old vampire, a creature who gets older but who does not change physically. In time, Claudia, furious at her fate, decides to kills another vampire, which is the only real crime in the vampire "ethic."

As Louis unveils his deathless life, the reader is exposed to the vampire culture in New Orleans, to Louis's connections at the Theatre des Vampires in Paris (where vampires put on public performances in which humans are sacrificed), to his trip to Egypt with Armand of the Theatre des Vampires, and to his return to New Orleans and attempt to set his life right. Always, Louis stops short of behaving as a completely amoral vampire when it comes to human sacrifice. Though he sometimes must drink the blood of humans, he continues to try to learn about and change the vampire culture, and even to sacrifice vampire lives in an effort remake vampire society.

Creating a vampire who is at odds with his culture, author Anne Rice creates empathy for Louis, while showing "five-year-old" Claudia to be ruthless. The internecine rivalries and resentments within vampire culture parallel those in the real world of humans, though the powers of the vampire make their "wars" far more violent. Louis, lonely, guilt-ridden, and full of despair, tries to convey to the interviewer the horrors of his "existence," such as it is, along with its lack of "romance" and excitement, but he fails completely, as he also does with the reader, who cannot help but become caught up in the excitement of Louis's adventures. An excellent introduction to Rice's vampire cycle (and great escape reading) for those who have not yet become familiar with these stories. n Mary Whipple

The Vampire Lestat (Rice, Anne, Chronicles of the Vampires, 2nd Bk.)
The Queen of the Damned (Vampire Chronicles)
The Tale of the Body Thief (Rice, Anne, Vampire Chronicles, Bk. 4.)
Memnoch the Devil (Vampire Chronicles, No 5)
The Vampire Armand (Vampire Chronicles/Anne Rice)
Blood Canticle (Vampire Chronicles)