VITTORIO THE VAMPIRE: NEW TALES OF THE VAMPIRES [Hardcover]

Anne Rice (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Knopf/Book Club; Reprint edition (1991)
• ASIN: B00126S68E
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (262 customer reviews)

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

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anne weaves a masterful tale, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Vittorio the Vampire: New Tales of the Vampires (Hardcover)

I can hardly express how much I enjoyed Vittorio. I do have to say though, that I went into reading this amazing work NOT looking for Lestat, or the Witching Hour, or blood and gore. I read it with an open mind. It is NOT one of the Vampire Chronicles, and shouldn't be read as such. I'm dissapointed with the fans that couldn't grasp the concept that there are vampires outside of the small ring. It is wonderful, lush and rich on its own. Yes, it does paint a dark picture of Italy, but that is due to Vittorio's circumstances, having just witnessed the massacre of his family! How should he describe his world? And as for the book being mostly set in his mortal life, it is a change. And change is good. It is supposed to be the story of his early life, which is what it is. And it is amazing. I completely enjoyed the angels' involvement, it was a surprising and lucious twist. I would be greatly dissapointed if Anne didn't challenge what she has done before, and push the boundries of her own worlds, but she does. This is why I will continue to love her. She has never been a "Horror" writer for me, no one should pick up one of her novels expecting this, for you will only be dissapointed. She makes vampires human, giving them thoughts, feelings, and voices, each unique and individual. It's not just about the blood. The imagery in Vittorio is rich, and deep and it is a wonderful work all on its own. She made me really feel Vittorio's pain, and I almost dreaded the moment Ursula tricked him into the dark gift. Though it seems he should have been smarter, I think he really wanted to be fooled. Ah, well, what can I say...Anne has done it again. I think she is growing beyond the little world we've grown comfortable with, and I look forward to seeing what else lies in store.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous!, February 22, 2000

By 

Joan Aldin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vittorio the Vampire: New Tales of the Vampires (Hardcover)

As all of Anne's books are, not only was Vittorio the Vampire a story of adventure and revenge and vampires and religion, but it was also a book about love, the human character, and above all about passion and belief. Perhaps I'm too sentimental or imaginative, but who could not have fallen in love with Vittorio? His character, however short the book may be, was beautifully developed throughout the pages. Anne's romantic descriptions of Florence and of the arts of that time were beyond wonderful. Besides the sublimely fluid writing style, what attracted me most to the book was the conflict and the struggle for Vittorio between Good and Evil, between Heaven and Hell, between Love and Obligation. So greatly and so truly are Vittorio's emotions described that the novel reaches and touches the deepest parts of your soul, and questions your greatest beliefs. As Vittorio says, "Have I not rendered a conflict so full of torment that something looms here which is full of brilliance and color...?" The sentence captures the true essence of the book.

To add one more comment, Anne's angels were beautiful. Her descriptions of them, yes, but moreover their relationships with Vittorio, their, for lack of a better word, personalities, and their differences were absolutely intriguing. How can anyone who has not spent time pondering religion, life, and death not find their endless contributions to the depth of the story fascinating?

My last words here: Read Vittorio.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally...., April 25, 2002

By 

Ascension (Purgatory) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vittorio, the Vampire (Mass Market Paperback)

After the last couple Anne Rice disappointments this one is actually worth the read.