Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice [Hardcover]

Katherine Ramsland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1991

Now completely updated, here is the fascinating biography of the woman behind the most richly conceived "children of the night" in the history of vampire literature. Includes new material on the writing of Lasher and the filming of Interview with the Vampire. 16 pages of photos.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Given the macabre and often lurid subject matter of Anne Rice's fiction, one would imagine that a good biography of her would uncover some pretty spicy details, and, in fact, Katherine Ramsland's Prism of the Night does a pretty good job of balancing analysis of Rice's work with a probing and revealing investigation of her life. Ramsland, a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, extensively interviewed Rice for the book, and Stan Rice (Anne's poet-husband) read the manuscript. Throughout, Ramsland fulfills the promise of her introduction: "My approach combines psychological interpretation with philosophical themes. As I read the novels, I looked for qualities that transcended genre, while also developing autobiographical sketches.... This book is the result of an involved and sincere attempt to trace in her writing elements of literary creativity manifested in psychological sources." Often, close readings of the fiction are coupled with commentary about the key events (emotional, personal, literary, etc.) in Rice's life that likely impacted her characters and plots. The section on the death of Rice's daughter as it manifests in Interview with the Vampire is especially wrenching. The book will be appreciated by fans for its extensive direct citation of Rice and her closest friends and relatives, and for its diverse collection of photographs. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The life of novelist Anne Rice ( Interview with the Vampire , etc.) is almost as unusual as her fiction. Her birthname was Howard Allen O'Brien, and she changed her first name to Anne before marrying Stan Rice. Born in 1941, she grew up in a New Orleans full of Southern gothic ambience; her father enjoyed taking her through cemeteries. The death of her alcoholic, highly religious mother, and the later loss of her own daughter to leukemia, plunged her into grief, obsessive-compulsive behavior and nearly fragmented her. Through her supernatural tales and erotica written under a number of pseudonyms, she explored her own masochistic impulses, "sought to unite the male and female within herself" and expressed her desire for humanity's "enlightenment free of religious tyranny," according to Ramsland, who teaches philosophy at Rutgers. In a revelatory, intimate biography that fans will relish, Ramsland interprets Rice's vampires as metaphors of seduction and submission to a higher mystery and power. Photos.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; 1St Edition edition (November 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525933700
• ISBN-13: 978-0525933700
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,609,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Katherine Ramsland began her career as a writer with Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice. She had a bestseller with The Vampire Companion. Since then, she has published 40 books and over 1,000 articles, reviews and short stories. From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, she has taken on a variety of dark subjects. She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, and philosophy. Currently, she teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. Her books include The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds, The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation, Inside the Minds of Serial Killers, Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators, and Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers. Her background in forensic studies positioned her to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, The Cases that Haunt Us, and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, The Unknown Darkness, as well as The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist with Henry C. Lee and A Voice for the Dead with James Starrs. She speaks internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More psychology than biography, February 3, 2004

By 

Jeffrey Leeper "kem2070" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice (Plume) (Mass Market Paperback)

A common adage for writers is "to write about what you know." Given that, Ramsland doesn't so much as give us a run-down on Anne Rice's life as give us an explanation of how her life has affected her stories. Not only does Rice consciously write about the things she has studied, but she subconsciously tells us about her life.

Ending just after "The Witching Hour" was published, this book is a little outdated. The final words from the author discuss some of the projects that Anne Rice was working on. From what is said here, Rice was not thinking about spending as much time with the vampires as she eventually did. She also was thinking of returning to the mummy; however, I have yet to see this happen.

The text gives an account of Anne Rice's childhood and influences, her relationship and marriage to Stan Rice, her daughter who died of leukemia, and her son. It also discusses some of the work she has done once she began to create a name for herself. As mentioned, this isn't the meat of the text.

The meat of the text is in showing how she is resolving personal and subconscious issues in her writing. She is also sharing her memories of New Orleans and San Francisco. Many of her characters reflect herself and people in her life.

Although this is fascinating, it leads to a "bogging down." To ensure that the readers remember the characters, Ramsland provides long summaries of the key texts from this time, including the Anne Rampling and A.N. Roquelaure novels. This disrupts the narrative and keeps the readers from truly connecting with the flow of Rice's life.

Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to young writers and fans of Anne Rice.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST OF RICE FANS, July 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice; Revised Edition (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a very good. IF you are a Rice fan and you dont have this, you will be sorry. The author writes with the cooperation with the family and Anne Rice. A very in-depth look at Rice's life and major events. A very in-depth look at the motivations of Rice what devices she uses for her books. A MUST FOR RICE FANS

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars anne rice, May 9, 2007

By 

Mary L. Mahaney "avid reader" (dunedin, fla) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice (Hardcover)

was disappointed...thought would be more on anne rice not rehash of her books.