interview with vampire book review

The Vampire Chronicles #1

Interview with the vampire.

346 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 1976

About the author

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think? Rate this book Write a Review

Friends & Following

Community reviews.

He caminado por las calles de Nueva Orleans como el Segador Maldito y me he alimentado de vida humana para mantener mi propia existencia. No soy un mortal, padre; soy inmortal y condenado, como los ángeles puestos en el infierno por Dios. Soy un vampiro.

¿Qué significa morir cuando puedes vivir hasta el fin del mundo? ¿Y qué es "el fin del mundo" salvo una frase?; porque ¿quién sabe siquiera lo que es el mundo? Yo ya he vivido dos siglos, he visto las ilusiones de uno hechas trizas por otro, he sido eternamente joven y eternamente viejo, carente de ilusiones, viviendo de momento a momento de una manera que me hizo imaginar un reloj de plata repiqueteando en el vacío; con la superficie pintada, las manecillas delicadamente talladas sin que nadie las mirara, iluminado por una luz que no era luz, como la luz con la que Dios creó al mundo antes de que creara la luz. Latiendo, latiendo, latiendo, con la precisión del reloj, en una habitación tan vasta como el universo.

—El mal es un punto de vista —me susurró ahora—. Somos inmortales. Y lo que tenemos ante nosotros son las fiestas suntuosas que la conciencia no puede apreciar y que los seres humanos no pueden conocer sin arrepentirse. Dios asesina y nosotros también; indiscriminadamente. El arrasa a ricos y pobres y nosotros hacemos lo mismo; porque ninguna criatura es igual a nosotros, ninguna tan parecida a Él como nosotros, ángeles oscuros no confiados a los límites hediondos del infierno sino paseando por Su tierra y todos Sus reinos.

si crees que Dios creó a Satán, debes percatarte de que todo el poder de Satán proviene de Dios, y que Satán es simplemente una criatura de Dios, por lo que nosotros también somos criaturas de Dios. En realidad, no existen las criaturas de Satán.

La gente que deja de creer en Dios, o en la bondad, sigue creyendo en el demonio. No sé por qué. No; sé muy bien por qué. El mal siempre es posible. Y la bondad es eternamente difícil.

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for.

AMC’s ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Finds New Life in Historical Revamp of Anne Rice’s Iconic Novel: TV Review

By Caroline Framke

Caroline Framke

Chief TV Critic

• How Streaming TV Turned the Premier League Into a Great American Pastime 1 year ago
• FIFA, Qatar and Cowardly Hypocrisy Has Sucked the Joy Out of Watching the World Cup 1 year ago
• ‘Pitch Perfect: Bumper In Berlin’ Is a Spinoff Without A Purpose: TV Review 1 year ago

The new series tackles this crucial question head-on in its very first scene. Set 50 years after the events of the film, interviewer Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian, lately of “Succession”) has moved on from his youthful, drug-fueled San Francisco days to become a thoroughly jaded veteran reporter who could never quite crack the story of vampiric love and barbarism that the reclusive Louis de Pointe du Lac once tried to give him. Now, amid a pandemic that’s ripped apart the world’s sense of social order, Louis ( Jacob Anderson ) reaches back out in hopes that he and Molloy, older and ostensibly wiser, can find more truth and reconciliation in his story than they did the first time around.  

Louis’ sterile present-day life in a Dubai skyscraper — and his flatter affect, smoothed out of any Southern drawl — clashes harshly with the flashbacks he describes, which take us back to his life as a ruthless businessman in New Orleans. As much as he loves his sister (Kalyne Coleman), brother (Steven Norfleet), and mother (Rae Dawn Chong), Louis is tortured by the dueling conflicts of his dreams and his reality, in which his white investors will never see him as equal to them, and his homosexuality has no place out of the shadows. What Lestat promises, as embodied with suitable grandiosity by Reid, is a world in which neither his Blackness nor his queerness pose a bodily threat. In recasting Louis’ character in this way, AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” becomes newly rich with storytelling possibilities — and, contrary to the film’s reliance on homoerotic subtext, a willingness to make Louis and Lestat’s operatic relationship more explicitly romantic. Once Louis’ vampire “daughter” Claudia (a perfectly bratty Bailey Bass) joins the household, her Blackness also bonds her to Louis — and keeps Lestat at a distance — in the same way Rice’s original story foretold, but with an extra layer of meaning.  

As directed in the initial episodes by Alan Taylor (“Game of Thrones,” “The Many Saints of Newark”), and with Mara Lepere-Schloop’s intricate production design and Carol Cutshall’s meticulous costume design, there’s a confidence to this “Interview With the Vampire” that makes it worth the while even when it’s straining itself to hit all the biggest Gothic notes. Some later sequences, laden thick with melodrama, aim for the stars but land more thuddingly on the cobblestones. Far more often, though, the show’s commitment to its history in which it’s rooted, not to mention Anderon’s deft performance in a uniquely demanding role, justify its coming back from the dead.  

“Interview With the Vampire” premieres on AMC and AMC+ Sunday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. ET.

More From Our Brands

Jon stewart calls out u.s. support of israel amid solar eclipse frenzy, two restored barns add to the bucolic charm of this $12.5 million hamptons farmhouse, uconn hoops spending pays off with second straight ncaa title, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, fallout to get early full-season drop on amazon — find out when, verify it's you, please log in.

The Biggest Differences Between The Interview With The Vampire Books And The Series

Based on the 1976 gothic horror novel by Anne Rice, AMC's "Interview with the Vampire" is the saga of immortal lovers Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) and Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid). In the present day, journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) interviews the vampiric Louis, gaining insight into his life in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century, his seduction and turning at Lestat's hands, and their years raising the vampire child Claudia (Bailey Bass). Under Daniel's scrutiny, Louis is forced to confront his own devilish nature and make a shocking realization about his past.

"Interview with the Vampire" makes several changes to the source material and includes elements from later novels in Rice's long-running "Vampire Chronicles" series. In an interview with Den of Geek , show creator Rolin Jones acknowledged these differences, but also expressed his belief that fans will ultimately embrace the show's fealty to Rice's work. Indeed, while "Interview with the Vampire" is a largely faithful adaptation — every episode title, from "In Throes of Increasing Wonder" to "The Thing Lay Still," is taken from the book — it still takes plenty of creative liberties. We're here to examine some of the most major differences between Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" novel and the AMC television series.

It's an adaptation and a sequel

One of the most ingenious aspects of AMC's "Interview with the Vampire" is that it's both an adaptation of Anne Rice's famous novel and a direct sequel. Taking place in then-contemporary 1970s San Francisco, the book begins with the journalist Daniel Molloy tape-recording his conversation with the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac. Louis' entire life story unfolds in this single interview, which takes place over the course of one very long night. The "Interview with the Vampire" novel ends with Louis violently attacking Daniel (but ultimately sparing his life) after Daniel begs to be turned into a vampire.

Episode 1  of AMC's "Interview with the Vampire," "In Throes of Increasing Wonder," establishes that the 1973 San Francisco interview happened, but picks up almost 50 years later in 2022. Louis sends tapes of the original conversation to the much-older Daniel — who still bears the scars of Louis' assault — entreating him to meet in Dubai for a second interview.

This change is an olive branch to diehard fans of Rice's "Vampire Chronicles," acknowledging the original version of the story is still intact on the bookshelf. But it's also a bold move on the part of the show's creators. By making the series a sequel to the book, they're freed from the task of directly recreating it. The show revisits and recontextualizes key events from the novel, presenting a more nuanced portrait of the characters.

Daniel's life unfolds very differently

Of all the characters on "Interview with the Vampire," Daniel Molloy is one of the most drastically changed in the leap from page to screen. In the novel, he's a reporter known only as "the boy." The third book, "The Queen of the Damned," finds him 12 years later and reveals his name is Daniel Molloy. Daniel publishes "Interview with the Vampire" in-universe as a bestselling book, and becomes entangled with the vampire Armand. The two have an intense love affair, but Armand refuses to turn Daniel into a vampire, relenting only when Daniel is dying from the effects of alcoholism. Despite getting what he always wanted, Daniel's relationship with Armand remains turbulent for the rest of the series.

AMC's "Interview with the Vampire" goes in a different direction. Daniel survives his fateful 1973 interview but does not pursue vampires again until Louis contacts him in 2022. In the mean time, he becomes a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, grows estranged from his family, and begins living with Parkinson's disease. No longer the naïve boy of the book, Daniel is cynical and abrasive, but also a more active participant in the story. The season finale, "The Thing Lay Still," ends with Daniel face-to-face with Armand. Given their history in the novels, this sets up intriguing possibilities for Season 2.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

The story is updated to the 20th century

When fans of the "Vampire Chronicles" series saw the first trailer for the "Interview with the Vampire" television series, one significant change to the source material was immediately apparent: the time period. "It was 1910," Louis narrates over the footage, bringing the storyline of "Interview with the Vampire" over 100 years forward. In the novel, Louis is born in 1766, the eldest son of a French immigrant family that runs an indigo plantation in New Orleans. Though "Interview with the Vampire" features bloodthirsty monsters as the leads, vampires are fictional. Asking 2022 audiences to be sympathetic to a hero complicit in the horrors of slavery is a step too far.

"I didn't know how to tell the plantation owner story," Rolin Jones told Den of Geek , adding that moving the story to the early 20th century was a visual choice as well as a practical one. Louis' Season 1 story spans roughly 30 years, carrying the vampires through the Jazz Age and ending at the dawn of World War II. Louis is reimagined as a brothel owner in Storyville, New Orleans' red light district. Episode 3, "Is My Very Nature That of a Devil," takes inspiration from this era of Louisiana's history by incorporating the discriminatory Ordinance 4118 as a story element and featuring legendary jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton (Kyle Roussel) in a cameo.

The series is more diverse

Anne Rice's immortal book has been on the shelves for decades. While it continues to enthrall readers, the first installment of the "Vampire Chronicles" saga centers primarily around white male characters. Departing from both the novel and the Neil Jordan film, AMC's "Interview with the Vampire" embraces the diverse reality of New Orleans in the early 20th century.

Depicted in the novels as white, Louis and Claudia (Bailey Bass) of the show are both Black Creole. Their experiences in the Jim Crow South are essential to the narrative and inform how they embrace their vampiric powers. As Jacob Anderson told The Washington Post , "Louis' race changes the trajectory slightly of that character." For example, as a vampire, Louis is empowered to kill the racist businessmen and politicians who aim to disenfranchise him.

"Interview with the Vampire" features a wide array of performers, from the series' leads to supporting characters like Bricktop Williams (Dana Gourrier) and Peg Leg Doris (Rachel Handler). Assad Zaman plays the vampire Armand, a major presence going forward, and Antoine, Lestat's musician lover and fledgling, is reimagined as Antoinette (Maura Grace Athari), a torch singer. The show's diverse casting adds another dimension to Rice's work by shining a spotlight on people not often represented in vampire fiction.

Vampires are sexually active

Same-sex desire has always been closely intertwined with vampire fiction, from the gothic heroine of Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 horror novella "Carmilla" to the pansexual bloodsuckers of FX's "What We Do in The Shadows."  Part of the reason Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles" developed a devoted cult following is its complex depiction of LGBTQ characters, with Rice herself confirming in a 2015 Facebook post that beguiling antihero Lestat is bisexual.

Louis and Lestat are openly depicted as a romantic couple in later books, such as 1988's "The Queen of the Damned," but that part of their relationship is mostly subtextual in "Interview with the Vampire." Eagle-eyed readers can pick up on the significance of Lestat and Louis being parents to Claudia, but there's one major complication: Vampires can't have sex.

In Anne Rice's mythology, when a person dies and becomes a vampire, the transformation renders them unable to have physical intercourse, though shared blood-drinking operates as an intimate act. The "Interview with the Vampire" TV adaptation omits this limitation completely, with Season 1 containing multiple sex scenes between vampires and their partners. These added scenes are far from gratuitous; rather, they bring the book's LGBTQ themes out of the shadows and into the light. Lestat's dark seduction of Louis is as literal now as it is metaphorical, and an essential step in Louis embracing himself as a gay man.

Major book characters are cut

When adapting a centuries-spanning novel that finishes at over 300 pages, it's inevitable that some characters and events will end up on the cutting room floor. When Lestat first turns Louis and moves onto his indigo plantation in the "Interview with the Vampire" novel, he resentfully brings his elderly human father with him. During a slave uprising, Louis mercy-kills Lestat's father, but not before demanding that Lestat make begrudging peace with the old man. The AMC series' timeline shift to 1910 means that Lestat's father is dead. After revealing how his father mistreated him in his youth, Lestat confesses that he inherited his temper, foreshadowing the tragic relationship between Lestat and Claudia.

Also absent is Babette Freniere. In the book, Louis becomes enamored of Babette, and, after Lestat's murder of her brother, encourages her to manage her family's plantation, despite the era's deeply ingrained sexism. Babette is initially successful, but is horrified to learn that her mysterious benefactor is a vampire. Mentally tormented, she becomes a shadow of herself. Babette is a cautionary tale for Louis, driving him further away from human connections. But the shifting timeline, as well as a greater focus on Louis' relationship with his sister Grace, likely made Babette redundant in the TV series.

Lestat's past is revealed

The Lestat de Lioncourt who appears in Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" is a mystery. Cruel and vain, he serves mostly as an antagonist to Louis and Claudia. Lestat remains tight-lipped about his origins, unwilling to relinquish any knowledge of where vampires come from or why they exist. This refusal breeds resentment in his fledglings, and is one of the reasons why Claudia conspires to kill him.

"The Vampire Lestat," the 1985 sequel to "Interview with the Vampire," reframes Lestat as the protagonist of the "Vampire Chronicles" and Anne Rice's beloved "brat prince." The show draws on that book's characterization of Lestat, making him a more romantic figure who is open about his past. In Episode 1, he confides to Louis' family about how his father pulled him out of the monastery as a boy, killing his faith. Episode 6, "Like Angels Put in Hell by God," features Lestat's pained explanation of how he was turned into a vampire against his will by his sire Magnus, who then abandoned him.

Lestat also alludes to characters introduced in "The Vampire Lestat." Specifically, he mentions his mother, and later plays a song he wrote for a young violinist. Lestat turns his mother, the enigmatic Gabrielle de Lioncourt, into a vampire and his infrequent traveling companion. The violinist, Nicolas de Lenfent, is Lestat's childhood friend and first love. More than just Easter eggs for fans, Gabrielle and Nicolas could prove to be important characters in future seasons.

Claudia's new origin

"Claudia, for me, personally, is [Anne Rice's] greatest creation," "Interview with the Vampire" creator Rolin Jones told  Den of Geek . But the character has proved thorny for live-action adaptations. Turned at the age of five, Claudia's consciousness matures even though her body doesn't, which is a source of unending torment to her. In the 1994 film, Claudia is played by a young Kirsten Dunst. But the series goes farther by aging Claudia into an eternal teenager, portrayed by Bailey Bass. While child labor laws were an admitted factor in this casting, as Jones revealed to Syfy , this change opened the door for the show to reimagine Claudia's origin.

The novel introduces Claudia as an orphan who's found crying over her mother's plague-stricken corpse. In a moment of weakness, Louis bites and drains the girl; Lestat turns her into a vampire to manipulate the guilt-ridden Louis into staying with him. Episodes 3 and 4 dramatically change her story, and her dynamic with Lestat and Louis. When white mobs raze Storyville, Louis rescues Claudia from a burning boarding house. Bringing her back to their shared home, Louis begs Lestat to turn the badly-burned girl into a vampire and promises that she will be a daughter to them both. The change makes Louis and Lestat more sympathetic, while keeping them responsible for her fate. Claudia being a teenager also allows the TV series to explore storylines that would not be possible in the novel.

Claudia is older, but not necessarily wiser

Claudia is one of the most tragic characters in the "Vampire Chronicles." But being 14 forever, rather than eternally five, gives the TV Claudia more freedom. The novel's Claudia depends on Louis and Lestat because her small size makes it impossible for her to live alone. TV Claudia is granted more independence, explores the world outside New Orleans, and even narrates multiple episodes through her diary excerpts.

Claudia falls in love with a man named Charlie in Episode 4, "The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding." In a moment of passion, Claudia accidentally kills him. Lestat forces her to watch him burn Charlie's corpse in the incinerator as a lesson in getting too close to humans. This cruel moment has consequences that play out in Episode 5, "A Vile Hunger for Your Hammering Heart." Claudia indulges in a secret murder spree, taking trophies from the bodies and nearly exposing the vampires to the police. She then sets out on her own, posing as a university student, and encounters another vampire who is strongly implied to sexually assault her. AMC's Claudia has more agency, but even with all the powers of a vampire, she still finds the world a harsh and uncaring place.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Louis and Lestat's fight is a darker take on a later book scene

"Interview with the Vampire" fans will likely never forget the shocking conclusion to "A Vile Hunger for Your Hammering Heart." Now living in seclusion without Claudia, Louis' depression, as well as Lestat's ongoing affair with Antoinette, drives a wedge between the pair. When Claudia returns and asks Louis to leave with her, the scene erupts into violence.

Lestat attacks Louis with the full force of his vampiric strength, demolishing their house around them. He then reveals to Louis that he has the "Cloud Gift" — the power to fly — by carrying Louis hundreds of feet into the air. When Louis begs Lestat to let him go, Lestat takes him at his word: He drops and nearly kills him.

This disturbing scene was created for the TV series; despite Louis and Lestat's tempestuous relationship in the first novel, it never reaches this level of violence. However, the show possibly takes inspiration from a late scene in "The Queen of the Damned," where Lestat reveals his Cloud Gift in a much more romantic context by taking Louis flying with him. By putting a dark spin on this scene, the AMC series shows just how twisted and toxic their romance has become.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website .

The show includes surprise cameos

Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire" introduces only a handful of the dozens of blood-drinkers who populate the "Vampire Chronicles." Spanning 13 books , the series ends with 2018's "Blood Communion: A Tale of Prince Lestat," Rice's final book before her death in 2021 . AMC's series draws upon this rich history, introducing characters in what are essentially extended cameos and Easter eggs for fans. 

"A Vile Hunger for Your Hammering Heart" features Bruce (Damon Daunno), a vampire biker who encounters Claudia while she poses as a university student. Together, they kill a racist student who harassed Claudia. She suggests that "Killer" would be a more fitting name for Bruce, and they talk about forming a "fang gang" of vampires before he turns on her. On the page, Killer appears in 1988's "The Queen of the Damned" as the leader of the Fang Gang, rebellious young vamps who are violently dispatched by Queen Akasha.

The show reaches even deeper into "Vampire Chronicles" lore in "Like Angels Put in Hell by God" when Dr. Fareed Bhansali (Gopal Divan) administers medical care to Daniel. Though he appears human on the show, Fareed is a vampire who debuts in 2014's "Prince Lestat." There, Fareed uses his scientific genius to experiment on vampires, resulting in the birth of Lestat's biological son, Viktor. This event could be a fascinating plot development in a future season.

Lestat's death is now a party to die for

Lestat being Lestat, his death can be nothing less than spectacular. Taking place approximately halfway through the book, Louis and Claudia's attempted murder of their maker is dramatically heightened in the "Interview with the Vampire" season finale. In Rice's version, Claudia plots to poison Lestat by tricking him into drinking the dead blood of twin boys drugged with absinthe and laudanum. Despite Louis' pleas, Claudia slits Lestat's throat. They dispose of his body, but permanently killing a vampire is more difficult than they anticipated.

The series' murder plot is a much more elaborate affair that unfolds during a Mardi Gras masquerade. In "The Thing Lay Still," Claudia and Louis are co-conspirators, though Louis still feels the pull of his bond with Lestat. Louis distracts Lestat with a scandalous romantic waltz before their final feast. The two are dressed as 18th century nobility, a nod to the book's original setting. Luring unsuspecting guests to their home with the promise of sharing their secret to eternal life, the three vampires kill them. Lestat, aided by his fledgling Antoinette, anticipates the trap with the twins, but Claudia tricks him into drinking the poisoned blood of a man who slighted him earlier. 

In the show, Louis is the one who finishes Lestat by cutting his throat with the sword cane that initially drew Lestat to him. The sequence is a grisly, baroque masterpiece — and the ultimate break-up.

Rashid is a new ruse

The "Interview with the Vampire" season finale, "The Thing Lay Still," ends with a shocking cliffhanger: Louis' servant Rashid is revealed to be the ancient vampire Armand. But who are Rashid and Armand? This elaborate ruse is wholly original to the television series.

Rashid is introduced as Louis' personal assistant in Dubai. A quiet but forceful presence, Rashid is dedicated to his employer and springs to his defense against Daniel's journalistic probing. While Rashid appears to be human — at several points walking in direct sunlight — Daniel becomes suspicious. A dream about his first meeting with Louis stirs Daniel's memories, and he recalls that Rashid was Louis' companion 50 years earlier. Rashid reveals himself to be a 514-year-old vampire whose strength and age make him immune to sunlight. Louis introduces him as his lover Armand.

Portrayed by Antonio Banderas in the 1994 film, Armand is a deceptively youthful-looking vampire with a dark, obsessive personality. Armand runs the Théâtre des Vampires, which was inspired by longtime rival Lestat, and becomes — for a time — Louis' lover and companion. Season 1 of "Interview with the Vampire" ends before explaining the purpose of Armand's deception. The elder vampire originally appears in the second half of the novel, where he meets Louis and Claudia in Paris, so his presence at the very beginning of the series is itself a major departure.

The series is about the odyssey of recollection

Can a vampire be trusted to tell the truth? Or is memory itself the monster? "Interview with the Vampire" positions Louis as an unreliable narrator; despite his supernatural gifts, his memory is fallible. After decades of death and trauma, what Louis tells Daniel during their interview may not necessarily be what happened, or even what Louis thinks happened. The "odyssey of recollection," a phrase taken from a line in Daniel's memoir, is a powerful theme introduced in the show.

In Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire," Louis' story is presented as a long confession of guilt with near-religious overtones. Though Lestat raises objections about Louis' story in his self-titled sequel novel — possibly making him an unreliable narrator — the show brings unique focus to the idea. Daniel challenges Louis over his inconsistencies in their recordings, asking questions when they seem performative or rehearsed. When Daniel is gifted Claudia's diaries, pages have been removed in what could be seen as Louis' editorializing — or his censorship — of her life story. 

The psychological dam breaks in the Season 1 finale. Daniel accuses Louis of saving Lestat's life, effectively choosing him over Claudia. Louis appears to face painful memories of Lestat he'd locked away. The fact that Daniel himself seems to be recovering forgotten memories of his first encounter with the vampires adds another curious wrinkle. If one thing's clear, it's that the odyssey of recollection in "Interview with the Vampire" is far from over.

• Literature & Fiction
• Genre Fiction

Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery

Amazon Prime includes:

Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.

• Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
• Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
• Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
• Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
• Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access

Important:  Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.

Buy new: $8.99 $8.99 FREE delivery: Monday, April 15 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon. Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com

Return this item for free.

Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges

• Go to your orders and start the return
• Select the return method

Buy used: $6.54

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Interview with the Vampire Mass Market Paperback – September 13, 1991

Purchase options and add-ons.

• Book 1 of 13 Vampire Chronicles
• Print length 368 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Ballantine Books
• Publication date September 13, 1991
• Dimensions 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• ISBN-10 0345337662
• ISBN-13 978-0345337665
• Lexile measure 900L
• See all details

Frequently bought together

Similar items that may ship from close to you

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

From the inside flap, from the back cover, about the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books; Reissue edition (September 13, 1991)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345337662
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345337665
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 900L
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
• #9 in Vampire Horror
• #35 in Ghost Fiction
• #917 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)

Videos for this product

Click to play video

Interview With the Vampire Paperback Anne Rice Classic

Dark Side of the Library

A story from the viewpoint of the vampire.

Book Chat Live

About the author

Anne Rice was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, which provided the backdrop for many of her famous novels. She was the author of more than 30 books, including her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, which was published in 1976. It has since gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time, and was adapted into a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, and Antonio Banderas. In addition to The Vampire Chronicles, Anne was the author of several other best-selling supernatural series including Mayfair Witches, Queen of the Damned, the Wolf Gift, and Ramses the Damned. Under the pen name A.N. Roquelaure, Anne was the author of the erotic (BDSM) fantasy series, The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy. Under the pen name Anne Rampling she was the author of two erotic novels, Exit to Eden and Belinda. A groundbreaking artist whose work was widely beloved in popular culture, Anne had this to say of her work: "I have always written about outsiders, about outcasts, about those whom others tend to shun or persecute. And it does seem that I write a lot about their interaction with others like them and their struggle to find some community of their own. The supernatural novel is my favorite way of talking about my reality. I see vampires and witches and ghosts as metaphors for the outsider in each of us, the predator in each of us...the lonely one who must grapple day in and day out with cosmic uncertainty."

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Reviews with images

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Start Selling with Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

‘Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire’: Old Monsters, New Blood

AMC has a lot riding on the series, which makes major changes to the original story. Will the millions of Rice fans sink their teeth into it?

Jacob Anderson, left, and Sam Reid play Louis and Lestat in “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” in which their characters share a more overtly sexual bond than in the book. Credit... Clement Pascal for The New York Times

Supported by

• Share full article

By Erik Piepenburg

• Sept. 30, 2022

CHALMETTE, La. — The actors Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid had just finished filming a scene last March inside a cavernous studio here in the seat of St. Bernard Parish, about a 20-minute drive from the French Quarter of New Orleans. The evening air was steamy, and they looked exhausted from a shooting schedule that required them to keep vampire hours under hot lights.

As they spoke, they gave off a sparkle, and it wasn’t just because of the hand-painted contact lenses that made them look like tigers — or ravers.

It was also because they were in their sweet spot, having grown up as self-described outsiders with an affinity for the darker side of art — Poe’s literary demons for Reid, Portishead’s spectral soundtracks for Anderson. And here they were, years later, costumed in ragtime-era suiting to play two of popular culture’s most beloved misfits: Lestat and Louis from the Anne Rice novel “Interview With the Vampire,” a new series-length adaptation of which debuts Sunday on AMC.

“I’m a very proud nerd,” said Anderson, 32, who plays the reluctant bloodsucker Louis. “I love fantasy. I’m an emo. I’m a bit of a goth, I guess. This is a dream.” ( “Game of Thrones” fans know the actor, who is British, as Grey Worm , leader of the Unsullied.)

Reid, 35, had grown up with a similar sensibility. As a boy in Australia, he liked dressing up as a vampire for Halloween, and later devoured Rice’s sweeping blood-magic sagas. He said he felt a responsibility in playing the debonair Lestat to do right by the author, who died almost a year ago at 80.

“When you love the source material and you’re a fan yourself, you put the same pressure on yourself that other lovers of the book would do,” he said. “My own pressure is to do justice to something that I love very much.”

And there is pressure. In an era dominated by endlessly expandable telecinematic universes like Marvel and “Star Wars,” AMC has a lot riding on the show’s success; the network, which acquired the rights to “Interview” and 17 other Rice novels from two of her literary series, plans to spin that catalog into at least five new series over the next decade.

Maybe more important, the series has to try not to alienate a huge existing fan base. “Interview” is the first time Rice’s book has been made into a television series, and it’s the first major Rice adaptation since she died, leaving behind more than 40 genre-defining books and a very devoted — and very protective — readership. Based on episodes provided in advance, the series doesn’t just adapt the novel; it fundamentally alters it, shifting the central timeline forward by over a century, exchanging the book’s suggestive homoeroticism for outright gay sex and changing the racial identity of main characters, among other changes.

Given the pedantic and often racist pushback recently to Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings” prequel, “The Rings of Power,” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel, “House of the Dragon,” this new version of “Interview” is bound to bring out the trolls, as indeed it already has. The series also has to compete with Neil Jordan’s big-screen adaptation from 1994, which, whatever its faults, was wildly successful and helped cement the popular image of Lestat and Louis as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

Rolin Jones ( “Perry Mason,” “Weeds”), the show’s creator and showrunner, said in a video interview last month that he knew there would be haters. But he also insisted that the series remains “wildly reverential” to the spirit and prose of the book, which he called an “essential piece of American literature.”

What made the novel great “is the interior life,” he argued, but “that makes for poor drama almost all the time.” The trick, then, was to try to find new ways to externalize that drama for a modern TV audience, as he imagined Rice might have wanted. As he and the other writers worked, Jones kept this question in mind: “What would this savage writer in 1976 do if she were in this room right now?”

“There’s something inherent in this story that wants to be revisited every generation,” he added. Doing so, he said, was “a celebration of Anne, not a desecration.”

PUBLISHED IN 1976 , “Interview With the Vampire” is one of the world’s most widely-read vampire stories, and arguably the most influential since Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” from 1897. The story of the French nobleman Lestat de Lioncourt, a debonair seducer-tormenter, and Louis de Pointe du Lac, the younger man he transforms into his undead companion, has sold millions and spurred some dozen sequels, known collectively as The Vampire Chronicles, which have combined to sell tens of millions more.

Rice’s book broke ground by making vampires feel more human, said Stanley Stepanic, an assistant professor of Slavic languages and literature who teaches a class called “Dracula” at the University of Virginia. That’s especially true of Louis, its narrator.

“She told the story from a first-person perspective, through his voice, for the majority of the book,” Stepanic said. “He seems regretful.”

When AMC announced in 2020 that it had acquired the rights to “Interview,” Rice called it “one of the most significant and thrilling deals of my long career.” She wasn’t creatively involved with the series, but what has emerged two years later — its full title is “Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire” — is loyal to her source material in many ways. (Season 1 is based on a portion of the first novel.) There’s still an interview with a vampire, a treacherous eternal romance, an uncontrollable daughter and monstrous bloodsucking. New Orleans, Rice’s hometown, is a pivotal location.

But it’s also more romantic: Where the original book traded more in homoerotic undertones, Louis and Lestat are, unmistakably, a gay couple. The series is darkly comic, bloody, at times brutal and, depending on your tolerance for horror, terrifying. There’s gay and bisexual sex, grisly threesomes, lots of flesh. It’s very sweaty.

Jones described it as “Cassavetes with a lot of feelings and not a lot of edit buttons,” like “some nasty Fiona Apple album of a vampire story” but with gay vampire dads in “ the toxic relationship of 2022.” AMC, he said, “spent a whole boatload of money on a real strange beauty.”

During a leisurely evening walk-through of the set in March, Jones showed off some of the changes. The crew had built a street to look like Storyville, an upscale red-light district in New Orleans — in 1910, not the 18th century, as in the novel. Tall ceilings of a chic penthouse soared in what is was created to look like present-day Dubai, where Louis meets again with the reporter (played by Eric Bogosian) who in the book interviewed him decades earlier, in 1970s San Francisco.

Jones watched from a director’s chair as the actress Bailey Bass, then 18, played Claudia. In the novel, Claudia is a headstrong 5-year-old, whom Lestat turns into his and Louis’s vampire daughter of sorts. In the series, she is 14, left to mature emotionally while stuck in a body at the onset of puberty.

Then there is the characters’ racial makeup. Louis is no longer white, as he is very strongly implied to be in the novel. (He is a Louisiana plantation and slave owner when he meets Lestat in 1791.) In the show, Louis is a Creole brothel owner who travels in white circles, lamenting in the pilot that he can’t be an “openly gay Negro man.”

Lestat remains white, which makes their coupledom interracial. Jones said his changes overall were about what “works for a season and a series,” especially for Louis.

“You think not about the first episode but Season 5,” he said. “I wanted a very complicated and ultimately selfish person, not this nice and sweet innocent.”

Pitt played Louis as a reluctant vampire, as he is in the novel, but that wasn’t the main reason some fans, especially queer ones, disliked the film. Curtis Herr, an English professor at Kutztown University and the co-editor of The Journal of Dracula Studies , which publishes articles on vampire literature and history, said the movie had chickened out on telling the gay story “that’s very evident in the book.”

(In a brief phone interview, Jordan said that he had done nothing to intentionally downplay the gayness or anything else in the book. As for the gay content, he said: “If you read the book, it is as gay as the film.”

From what he‌ had surmised of the new series so far, Herr said, “We are going to get the ‘Interview With the Vampire’ that we deserve.”

RICE FANS HAVE BEEN EAGER for two years to discern what AMC’s series has in store, and as multiple trailers and various drips and drops about the production have trickled out, reactions on fan sites have ranged from fervor to fury. Some in one private Facebook group devoted to the Vampire Chronicles became so riled up that the administrator had to warn members that comments had “become too toxic when discussing the upcoming show.” (Neither the administrator nor several of the people who posted negative comments returned requests for comment.)

Others, like Mary Hütter, a video editor from Grand Rapids, Mich., and a Rice reader for most of her 46 years, said she was looking forward to the series. When it comes to the show, fans in the online Anne Rice communities she reads “are for the most part all about it being super gay,” she said. The hope, she added, is that the series is more “ethereal, gothy, with a very seductive, almost love story between Lestat and Louis.”

Jones said he would be apprehensive, too, if someone took a favorite book and made it into a new thing. And if Rice fans watch it and still don’t like “the grand design of what we did?”

“They can beat the crap out of me at the next ComicCon,” he said with a droll smile.

Whatever its tenor, fan chatter is almost certainly an advantage as “Interview” wades into an uncommonly deep pool of new vampire shows this season that, like “Interview,” update and diversify the ancient myth, including Showtime’s “ Let the Right One In ,” Peacock’s “ Vampire Academy ” and the Syfy comedy “ Reginald the Vampire .” The FX comedy “ What We Do in the Shadows ” remains popular, having already been renewed for a fifth and sixth season.

With its timeless themes, the vampire myth has obviously proved to be an exceptionally flexible and durable framework, ripe for endless shape-shifting — there can be a vampire story for everyone who feels like an outsider, as Anderson grew up feeling.

“I hope that people see in these characters, who feel so deeply about shame and grief and guilt, that they are not monsters, even though they feel like monsters,” he said in a follow-up video call in August. “I hope people see this is a celebration of searching for acceptance of yourself, and that searching for meaning is not an indulgence.”

Explore More in TV and Movies

Not sure what to watch next we can help..

Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig have wound in and out of each other’s lives and careers for decades. Now they are both headlining an Apple TV+ comedy of wealth and status .

Nicholas Galitzine, known for playing princes and their modern equivalents, hopes his steamy new drama, “Mary & George,” will change how Hollywood sees him .

Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth met while filming “Fargo” in 2017. Now married, they have reunited onscreen in “A Gentleman in Moscow.”

A reboot of “Gladiators,” the musclebound 1990s staple, has attracted millions of viewers in Britain. Is appointment television back ?

If you are overwhelmed by the endless options, don’t despair — we put together the best offerings   on Netflix , Max , Disney+ , Amazon Prime  and Hulu  to make choosing your next binge a little easier.

Sign up for our Watching newsletter  to get recommendations on the best films and TV shows to stream and watch, delivered to your inbox.

Advertisement

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

From the the vampire chronicles series.

by Anne Rice ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 5, 1976

The word is that readers will be "enrapt."

Pub Date: May 5, 1976

ISBN: 0345409647

Page Count: 392

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: April 9, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1976

GENERAL FICTION

Share your opinion of this book

More In The Series

BOOK REVIEW

by Anne Rice ; illustrated by Mark Edward Geyer

by Anne Rice

More by Anne Rice

by Anne Rice & Christopher Rice

More About This Book

BOOK TO SCREEN

IN THE NEWS

SEEN & HEARD

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

by Harper Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 11, 1960

A first novel, this is also a first person account of Scout's (Jean Louise) recall of the years that led to the ending of a mystery, the breaking of her brother Jem's elbow, the death of her father's enemy — and the close of childhood years. A widower, Atticus raises his children with legal dispassion and paternal intelligence, and is ably abetted by Calpurnia, the colored cook, while the Alabama town of Maycomb, in the 1930's, remains aloof to their divergence from its tribal patterns. Scout and Jem, with their summer-time companion, Dill, find their paths free from interference — but not from dangers; their curiosity about the imprisoned Boo, whose miserable past is incorporated in their play, results in a tentative friendliness; their fears of Atticus' lack of distinction is dissipated when he shoots a mad dog; his defense of a Negro accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell, is followed with avid interest and turns the rabble whites against him. Scout is the means of averting an attack on Atticus but when he loses the case it is Boo who saves Jem and Scout by killing Mayella's father when he attempts to murder them. The shadows of a beginning for black-white understanding, the persistent fight that Scout carries on against school, Jem's emergence into adulthood, Calpurnia's quiet power, and all the incidents touching on the children's "growing outward" have an attractive starchiness that keeps this southern picture pert and provocative. There is much advance interest in this book; it has been selected by the Literary Guild and Reader's Digest; it should win many friends.

Pub Date: July 11, 1960

ISBN: 0060935464

Page Count: 323

Publisher: Lippincott

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1960

More by Harper Lee

by Harper Lee

THE CATCHER IN THE RYE

by J.D. Salinger ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 15, 1951

A strict report, worthy of sympathy.

A violent surfacing of adolescence (which has little in common with Tarkington's earlier, broadly comic, Seventeen ) has a compulsive impact.

"Nobody big except me" is the dream world of Holden Caulfield and his first person story is down to the basic, drab English of the pre-collegiate. For Holden is now being bounced from fancy prep, and, after a vicious evening with hall- and roommates, heads for New York to try to keep his latest failure from his parents. He tries to have a wild evening (all he does is pay the check), is terrorized by the hotel elevator man and his on-call whore, has a date with a girl he likes—and hates, sees his 10 year old sister, Phoebe. He also visits a sympathetic English teacher after trying on a drunken session, and when he keeps his date with Phoebe, who turns up with her suitcase to join him on his flight, he heads home to a hospital siege. This is tender and true, and impossible, in its picture of the old hells of young boys, the lonesomeness and tentative attempts to be mature and secure, the awful block between youth and being grown-up, the fright and sickness that humans and their behavior cause the challenging, the dramatization of the big bang. It is a sorry little worm's view of the off-beat of adult pressure, of contemporary strictures and conformity, of sentiment….

Pub Date: June 15, 1951

ISBN: 0316769177

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: Nov. 2, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1951

More by J.D. Salinger

by J.D. Salinger

APPRECIATIONS

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

'Interview With The Vampire' Review: A Masterful Outlook on Immortality

As Collider revisits the cult classic catalogue, a 'Twilight' fan uncovers the roots of the vampire obsession.

Immortality has never looked so appealing and haunting at the same time. As someone who grew up with the notion that the Twilight saga and The Vampire Diaries were the ultimate blood thirsting examples to avouch for, watching the 1994 adaptation of Interview With the Vampire was an enlightening experience. Going into this gothic tale without much background knowledge about its story other than the fact that some of Hollywood's top-notch actors starred in it, I was captivated by Louis' ( Brad Pitt ) tragic recounting of his life post death. More specifically, I was drawn to how this film presents a non-idealistic portrayal of what it means to be young, beautiful, and ageless forever.

"So you want me to tell you the story of my life?" It is with this simple question that viewers are introduced to one of the films' protagonists, a so-called vampire who struggles to balance the remainder of his humanity with his urge to suck some fresh blood. Challenged by his prey to casually unveil the lengthy chapters of his 200-year journey on tape, the character takes a trip down memory lane. Before his transformation, Louis was a plantation owner living a dubious reality in which he awaited death to knock on his door. Little did he know that Lestat ( Tom Cruise ), a non-remorseful vampire that happens to read minds, would hear his prayer and reward (or punish) him with the choice to opt for a slow death or eternal youth and beauty. With only a few seconds on the clock to come up with a decision before it's too late, Louis says "yes" to Lestat's compelling proposition to remain alive.

Although the set of rules may diverge from the vampires present in this narrative to those in pop culture nowadays, the dread for dining on human blood and having to withstand the burden of time is a characteristic that continues to be universal. While Lestat has shed any glimpse of compassion for the living, Louis is plagued with the desire to kill an entire village when he tries as much as possible to resist the temptation. In one of his moments of weakness, he bites a young girl's neck and feels an instantaneous sorrow. Yet, Lestat gives the girl (Claudia, played by Kirsten Dunst ) the opportunity to become one of them and be the child that neither vampire had. At first, she quickly conforms to the "killing for living" reality, but later on she is much more drawn to the parental figure that has more redemptive qualities.

RELATED: ‘Interview With the Vampire’ Shows the Horror of Being a Child Vampire

The attention-grabbing script by Anne Rice , who is the author of the novel that inspired the film, keeps you engaged with the unsettling view of immortality that each character possesses. For Louis, it is hard to conform to the devil that he is now by nature. For Claudia, it is the dreadful notion that she will never grow past the 'playing with dolls' phase. For Lestat, it is the inability to comprehend both Louis and Claudia's view of eternal life as a life sentence. In a way, the reporter listening and recording the story represents the viewer and their thought process trying to come to their own conclusion about whether immortality would be worth considering. The power that the screenplay has to make you want to empathize with the monstrous figures at its core, is one of the reasons why this Neil Jordan -led project remains a cult classic.

In addition to the riveting telling of events, the acting is across the board electrifying. It is hard to believe that this was one of Dunst's earlier roles, given her easiness to tap into Claudia's angelical and devious sides. A standout scene from her is the one in which she finds out the real reason why she doesn't age. Cruise and Pitt are both remarkable at foiling each other's characters, making viewers despise one and fall for the other. Every time Lestat tries to lead his companion astray with the constant reminders that he is no longer human, the audience feels even more bitter about him. On the other hand, every time that Louis reflects on compassion, care, and humility (commendable human traits), viewers just sympathize with him that much more. Despite his limited appearance onscreen, it would be unfair to not cite Antonio Banderas wih an honorable mention when evaluating the ensemble's performance. He is both charming and mysterious as Armand, one of the few vampires to coexist with the main trio. The character plays a pivotal part in connecting the dots about the vampire history that Louis and Claudia long to know more about.

At the end, the audience never really uncovers the origin of these blood-craving creatures in the narrative, but they quickly grasp the meaning behind the common phrase "be careful with what you wish for." Although from the outside, vampires are attractive and almost never ponder the idea of death (other than their life as deadly beings), their qualities are a burden. Young and beautiful forever may sound like a nice saying on a t-shirt, but once you have the opportunity to really experience what that means, you will want what you will never have again. A family, the wrinkles forming from aging, and enjoying life as if there were no tomorrow. Quoting one of my favorite non-vampire films, "life moves on pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around you might miss it." Who would ever think that having this motto would be such a perk.

Overall, Interview With the Vampire is an exquisite analysis on what it means to wish for what you can't take back. Through a well-rounded storyline that challenges the viewer to consider every single perception portrayed onscreen, this film excels in never losing its train of thought. On the contrary, it utilizes its plot to reinforce the themes of youth, immortality, and values. Even if it doesn't come as a surprise that every cast member delivers a worthwhile performance, this is a major factor that contributes to viewers being invested in this tale from start to finish. As a first-time viewer, it served me well in looking at vampirism with loathing, instead of craving.

• Currently Reading
• Book-To-Movie
• Party Ideas
• Book Club Gossip
• Stuff We Love
• Contributors
• CURRENTLY READING
• BOOK-TO-MOVIE
• PARTY IDEAS
• BOOK CLUB GOSSIP
• STUFF WE LOVE
• CONTRIBUTORS

Thursday, November 11, 2010

"interview with the vampire" {by anne rice} book review.

2 comments :

I really enjoyed reading through your wonderful review Bethany, you did an amazing job! I loved seeing the evolution of vampire fiction through your comparisons and learning more abou those zomibie vampires, interesting. Thank you for doing this review, it's perfect!

Wow...that's an amazing review. You did some indepth research. I liked your insight and conclusions. Thanks for the post!

Post a Comment

Book Review: Anne Rice’s ‘Interview With The Vampire’

Share this:

This is the book that started it all. Nearly 50 years ago Anne Rice penned the tragic tale of Louis, Lestat, and Claudia and rekindled our love for vampires which is still going strong today. Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire was so loved by fans that it kicked off a 15-book series chronicling Louis, Lestat, and their fellow vampires. It also spawned two movies based on those books. And now an AMC+ streaming series is set to air beginning on October 2nd based on these beloved characters. And those are just the projects from Anne Rice , every Vampire Diaries and Twilight fan owes Interview With The Vampire some thanks.

[ W arning: My review of Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire contains some spoilers!]

In Interview With The Vampire, a long relationship begins

As a kid (no kidding, I was only about eleven when I read Interview With The Vampire for the first time) these books made a big impression on me. I reread them over and over. The story of Louis, a southern land owner who lived outside of New Orleans back when New Orleans still belonged to France was captivating to me. The story begins in 1791 when Louis’ brother passes away and Louis has a very hard time dealing with it. He wishes to die but is too cowardly to do it himself. Enter Lestat, a beautiful man who makes extraordinary claims to Louis.

Lestat claims he is a vampire and that he can make Louis a vampire too. He then goes to work selling him hard on the vampire life. Lestat is physically dazzling with his vampire beauty and grace. Furthermore, he promises Louis that the world will be theirs and all his problems will disappear. All he asks in return is for Louis to simply provides a place for Lestat’s aging mortal father to live on his plantation. In Louis’s fragile mental state he is easy to manipulate so Lestat moves his father into the Pointe du Lac plantation and turned Louis into a vampire.  

To say that Lestat failed as a mentor is an understatement and Louis quickly realizes that not only did he not like Lestat but he actively disliked, even despised him. He stays with Lestat for years because he believes that Lestat holds the knowledge about vampirism that he needs. Eventually, Louis concludes that Lestat knows nothing of value and decides to leave. In a desperate bid to keep Louis, Lestat turns a little girl, Claudia, and declares them a family. Louis feels compelled to stay and they pass nearly 70 years in the glory of New Orleans’ nightlife.

Eventually the relationship sours

But all good things come to an end, and devilish things too. You see Claudia’s body died the night she was turned into a vampire but her mind stayed alive and active. Eventually, she was a full-grown woman who had passed an entire lifetime as a five-year-old. This was obviously hard on her and she grew to hate the confines of her world. She also was able to clearly see the horrible way Lestat treated her and Louis and she wanted to leave. Convinced that he would never allow them to go willingly, she concluded that he had to die and devised a plan to accomplish just that.

Claudia put her plan in motion and after he seems dead she convinces Louis, whom she loves and doesn’t blame for anything, to help her dispose of Lestat’s body in the swamp. Claudia and Louis make plans to leave America (as New Orleans has become part of America by now) to search for vampires in Europe. But vampires are called immortal for a reason and Lestat comes back before they can depart. There is a second fight that culminates in their townhouse catching fire and they are pretty positive Lestat is dead this time. However, they leave America that night just to be sure.

Claudia and Louis travel Eastern Europe for years searching for vampires. Claudia is sure that they will find them there because most Vampire folklore is centered there. But all they find can best be described as zombie vampires. Nowhere do they find vampires like themselves and they begin to despair. 

Just when you stop looking

Finally, they decide to give up the search and head to Paris. And just when they stop looking the vampires find them. Louis is followed by some of the vampires one night and they invite him and Claudia to a performance at the Théâtre des Vampires and some socializing after the show. At first, he and Claudia are overjoyed to have finally found vampires like them and are eager for any answers they may have. It quickly becomes apparent though that they do not have answers. What’s more, they are shallow and narcissistic. Louis and Claudia searched the world for vampires and when they finally find some they are disappointed, to say the least.

What’s worse, it quickly becomes apparent that they are in danger from these new vampires. Some of them suspect Louis and Claudia of killing their maker, the only crime a vampire can commit. And one, Armand, wants Louis to himself at any cost.

Another death in   Interview With The Vampire

Things come to a head when Lestat reappears and accuses Claudia of attempted vampiricide. The Théâtre vampires haul her and Louis in to be punished. Louis is locked in a lead coffin and bricked in a wall Edgar Allen Poe style. Armand comes to “save” Louis the next night but he claims it was too late for him to help Claudia. She was burned alive by the sunlight that morning.

After Claudia’s death, something in Louis snaps. He takes his revenge on the Théâtre vampires, burning down the whole theater with them trapped inside just before sunrise the next morning. Armand is the only one to escape, having been warned by Louis the previous night. Louis and Armand leave Paris together and travel the world together but Louis is never himself again and both are unhappy. 

Finally, Louis and Armand return to New Orleans. Louis finds Lestat there and finds him a decrepit old man in vampire form. Lestat has been unable to adapt to the modern world and stays cloistered in a run-down old house being reluctantly tended to by a newborn vampire. Louis pities Lestat and if he doesn’t exactly forgive him for what happens in Paris, he at least lets go of it. After that, he leaves Armand and then decides to tell Daniel, the reporter he has been relating all this to, his story.

An odd trio in Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire

I can’t say I ever understood people’s obsession with Lestat, I always saw him as a selfish jerk and didn’t like him. Louis was a more interesting character. I initially felt so bad for him but over time and multiple rereads I began to find him whiny. He refuses to take responsibility for his own role in his unhappiness and that began to grate on me.

Hands down, my favorite character has always been Claudia. Of all the vampires she may have been the most vicious, but that’s because she was turned when she was only 4 or 5. She had no real memories of being a human and no real connections to humans to nurture her compassion. All she ever knew humans as food. Lestat provided a dismal example of how to behave and while Louis loved art and culture, there is no evidence that charity was ever thought of by him. 

A sad story for the vampire named Claudia

Still, that was not why I love Claudia so much. I love her the most because she is the most deserving of sympathy. She never asked to become a vampire and she had absolutely no say in it.

To make matters worse, she was trapped for the rest of her life by this one decision that someone else made for her. Her mind grew and expanded but because her body was incapable of change the rest of the world forever saw her as a child and treated her as such. But she never gives up. She fights to try and escape her plight and take back control of her life and that is what I really love about her. Because she could have rolled over and been this sad tragic doll but instead she becomes a powerful woman whom even the great Armand saw as a threat.

Claudia is really the female existence boiled down to one tiny little story. A man liked her looks and used her how he wanted based on that and without her permission. Another man decided that because of the first man’s choice to make a second, permanent, choice about her body. And she had to spend the rest of her life trapped by the ramifications of those actions, which neither man had bothered to think through. Never able to change, move on, or better herself because everyone always judged her for something that was done to her and wasn’t her choice or fault.

Still, she fights on and does the best she can with the hand she was dealt. Claudia’s story hits especially hard in this post-Roe v. Wade world. I think a lot of people, especially women, can relate to Claudia and everything she suffers through in Interview With The Vampire .

A troubled relationship

As I said earlier, I first read Interview With The Vampire when I was eleven. Needless to say, I didn’t really have the emotional intelligence to understand everything that was going on. As I got older I began to see how messed up the relationship between Louis and Lestat was but I still didn’t really have words for it.

On this read-through, I realized that they have a rather abusive relationship and that’s probably why I grew to dislike the story over time. Lestat is a classic abuser. He met Louis when he was at a very low emotional point in his life and told Louis that only he could solve all his problems. He then used information to control Louis. Lestat constantly hinted that he knew things Louis could never learn without him. Further, he insisted that without this knowledge Louis would die.

When he sensed that Louis was pulling away he introduced a child into the relationship, another classic abuser move. And it worked and pulled Louis back in. Lestat is constantly belittling Louis. He makes fun of him for not being a good enough vampire but never tries to help him become more. He calls him names and tells him he cannot survive without him. Occasionally he even gets violent. After his outbursts, he comes back and is sweet and loving and the cycle begins again. 

It takes Louis a hundred years to escape this abusive relationship, and another hundred to completely release Lestat’s hold on him. I am very glad that he does finally escape this horrible relationship. This read-through was the first time I really recognized the dynamics of Louis and Lestat’s relationship. Interestingly, once I realized this I felt more kindly towards Louis and I didn’t find him so whiny. I think there’s a lesson there, at least for me, if you find out what’s really going on with people you can be more understanding.

An enjoyable read again

So as the story goes, you can never read the same story twice because you are never the same person twice. Originally I loved Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire . As I aged I began to dislike the book. Now I have more sympathy for the characters and I enjoyed it again.

I would definitely not recommend anyone read this when they’re eleven. You just need more emotional maturity to really understand and connect to the characters. Adults reading Interview With The Vampire should be able to see what’s happening with clearer eyes and enjoy a richer story for it. In short, this tale has stood the test of time.

Those who have already read Interview With The Vampire will be pleased by a reread and those who haven’t read it in the past will find a nuanced story to digest. And please, if you have seen the Interview With The Vampire movie, please read the book for an infinitely deeper story. I promise it’s worth it.

My rating for this book: 7/10  

Interview With The Vampire  by Anne Rice is currently available at most booksellers.

The newest adaption of   Interview With The Vampire begins October 2 on AMC and AMC+ . Have you read Interview With The Vampire ? What did you think of the novel? Let us know in the comments or over on Twitter! If you haven’t already, check out my review of The Devourer Below: An Arkham Horror Novel edited by Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells !

Book Review: The Devourer Below: An Arkham Horror Novel edited by Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells

Luna Gauthier

I've always been a bookworm and fantasy is my favortie genre. I never imagined (okay, I imagined but I didn't think) that I could get those books sent to me for just my opinion. Now I am a very happy bookworm! @Lunagauthier19 on Twitter

Luna Gauthier has 210 posts and counting. See all posts by Luna Gauthier

Interview with the Vampire book review

Posted August 22, 2020 by Jordann @thebookbloglife in 3 star , book reviews / 2 Comments

This is the story of Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. Louis recounts how he became a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life. His story ebbs and flows through the streets of New Orleans, defining crucial moments such as his discovery of the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside. Yet, he makes Claudia a vampire, trapping her womanly passion, will, and intelligence inside the body of a small child. Louis and Claudia form a seemingly unbreakable alliance and even "settle down" for a while in the opulent French Quarter. Louis remembers Claudia's struggle to understand herself and the hatred they both have for Lestat that sends them halfway across the world to seek others of their kind. Louis and Claudia are desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand, and someone who knows what and why they are. Louis and Claudia travel Europe, eventually coming to Paris and the ragingly successful Theatre des Vampires--a theatre of vampires pretending to be mortals pretending to be vampires. Here they meet the magnetic and ethereal Armand, who brings them into a whole society of vampires. But Louis and Claudia find that finding others like themselves provides no easy answers and in fact presents dangers they scarcely imagined. Originally begun as a short story, the book took off as Anne wrote it, spinning the tragic and triumphant life experiences of a soul. As well as the struggles of its characters, Interview captures the political and social changes of two continents. The novel also introduces Lestat, Anne's most enduring character, a heady mixture of attraction and revulsion. The book, full of lush description, centers on the themes of immortality, change, loss, sexuality, and power.source: annerice.com

Interview with the Vampire was a reread for me and I thought I was going to enjoy it way more than I actually did. I really wanted to love this one because I have previously read it and thought it was amazing but for some reason, this fell short. It took so long for me to read this and I just didn’t enjoy it, it felt like a slog to get through and I cannot even talk about how wordy some of this was. I really wanted there to be more action and for me to be more invested in the story and the characters but so much time was spent on philosophy I lost sight of everything else because I was SO bored. I definitely think there was more that could have been done and I just think this one wasn’t one that has grown with me.

The main characters in Interview with the Vampire are Louis, Lestat and Claudia. I suppose they make up a dysfunctional version of the perfect family. I think the characters had great potential but I think there was too much talking about things that didn’t necessarily matter or could have been handled on one page instead of 50 pages. I would have loved to see more of Claudia and have more development of her as a character and her growth as a vampire. I thought that apart from Louis CONSTANT whining the other characters were sort of sidelined and I wish there was more of focus on the others and what they were dealing with. I think this was the one downside of it being an interview rather than an actual story.

The best bits for me were definitely the time they spent in New Orleans as a threesome, there was definitely more action and enjoyment within this section of the book than any others. I would have loved to see more of these interactions all the way through Interview with the Vampire, they made the storyline more bearable and a lot easier to read about. I enjoyed the superstition that surrounded the vampires at the beginning and the way it all ended up working out.

I was basically disappointed all the way through Interview with the Vampire, I felt as though I was constantly waiting for the climax or for something exciting to happen. It just felt as though I was listening to one character moan about their life for 300 pages, and there was no kind of redeeming factors throughout this. I have mentioned above that there seemed to be missing information and potential throughout the book, for example there was a lot of development missing in both Lestat and Claudia characters and growth. I would have loved to see more of the interactions and see some sort of relationship grow rather than the lax effort that was centred around whining. Plus the last 2 parts of this book went by SO fast like unbelievably so I felt kind of like I had whiplash with no real understanding.

I don’t think I would recommend this book, I really didn’t enjoy it and I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time on it. I think I will be unhauling it and moving on relatively quickly.

Have you read this one? What did you think? Let me know!

Share this:

2 responses to “ interview with the vampire book review ”.

Rereads can be disappointing. I loved Even Cowgirls Get the Blues the first time I read it, but the second time I wondered what I’d seen in it.

[…] Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice | Another reread for me, however this one took me SO long to read and it really threw me off this month it was just super boring. […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Den of Geek

Interview with the Vampire Review: The Best Anne Rice Adaptation Ever Made

AMC’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire differs from the book, but makes for quality horror TV.

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

This Interview with the Vampire review contains no spoilers.

Late Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice was never completely onboard with the 1994 film adaptation of her book: Interview with the Vampire , which starred Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Taking issue with casting and other certain liberties, Rice ultimately endorsed it, but denounced its 2002 sequel, Queen of the Damned , with Aaliyah in the title role. Rice and her son Christopher have been involved with AMC’s Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire through its own tortured journey to series adaptation, so it seems any changes to the source material come with tacit pre-approval.

The stakes are high for AMC, about to come off its Walking Dead era (though in true zombie fashion, spinoffs will continue on), and concluding the sagas of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul . The network is entering its Anne Rice Era, turning her pages into its own next chapter, and already at work on adapting her The Lives of the Mayfair Witches book series. Most Vampire Chronicles fans want to see the novels presented accurately and epically, which is a mixed bag in Interview with the Vampire . Many others want it to fail outright. Not this reviewer, especially after seeing the first four episodes.

There are differences. Timelines shift, ages change, and ethnicities reflect a diverse world -and a new political undercurrent than the original 1976 novel. Starring Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, and Bailey Bass as Claudia, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire is not the same story as Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire . Writer/creator Rolin Jones updated it to a modern vampire tale, and possibly should have rethought which of Rice’s characters to bring to the small screen. That doesn’t mean it isn’t an extremely well-crafted, nuanced, and rehearsed vampire story. It is one of the best vampire series TV has had to offer, even if it is not quite what it promised.

Ad – content continues below

This schism is itself addressed in the third episode. Contradictions abound, and when Eric Bogosian’s now-aged interviewer Daniel Molloy clobbers the vampiric interviewee about revisionist history, the fangs come out and the tapes get burned. In the first part of the novel, Louis hates Lestat. In the series, Daniel plays a portion of the original 1973 tapes where Louis calls himself Lestat’s “complete superior,” and concludes he had been “sadly cheated in having him for a teacher.”

By taking the issue on, the show redeems its mixed message. It also does it with a sense of humor sadly missing from the films, and underplayed in the books. Louis and Lestat may be deadly serious and seriously deadly, but their true talents lie in lethal assessments, snide asides, and wry takedowns.

Who would have thought Anderson, who frowned on trivial things like jokes when he played Grey Worm on Game of Thrones , could hurl straight lines with such comic accuracy? The repartee between Louis and all characters is a highlight, from the bitter banter with the jaded Daniel to the indulgent insolence reserved for the troubled teen Claudia. Lestat may get the better lines, and Reid excels in underplaying his caustic wit, but he thinks of himself as the more dangerous creature. He’s not, it’s Louis.

Anderson’s Louis is in a state of flux in many ways. Not only is there new blood pumping in his veins, but revolutionary thoughts in his psyche. In life, Louis has a good reputation as a man who runs a house of ill-repute. His undead street cred is a bit more complicated. Louis is a virtual vampire vegetarian, feeding on animals, as if stray cats don’t have families to grieve for them.

As a badass living brothel owner in New Orleans’ red-light district of Storyville, Louis maintained as brutal a hold as was necessary to ensure his business thrived. As a Black man in the south, regardless of his success, he’d been eating Jim Crow laws so long he barely noticed the bitter taste of the strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees. But once he tastes blood, he bites the hand that feeds him. Anderson’s Grey Worm urged slaves to “kill the masters” on Game of Thrones . His newly turned vampire gets to savor that kill.

In the book, Louis is a white slave-owner with a sugar plantation, something his father ran to the ground before the events of the series. Slavery mildly flavors Rice’s Interview with the Vampire , where Lestat also feeds off slaves, but the aftertaste lingers. Race plays a far larger role in the series, at least in the beginning, while Louis still has ties to the human community he leaves behind in the book.

The series remains faithful to the atmosphere and the devil-may-care blasphemy of Rice’s books. Louis is making confession when taken by Lestat in the opening episode. Dead priests lay scattered in the pews. In the series, the de Point du Lacs are a holy family, very spiritual, loving of God, hateful of sin, bloody with Christ. Louis’ own mother, played by Rae Dawn Chong, calls her evolving son “the devil.” His sister Grace (Kalyne Coleman), runs out of patience, but is forced to leave her door open.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

While the viewers know Louis will ultimately out-“live” his family, there are some surprisingly premature burials, or burnings. Louis and Lestat keep an incinerator for body disposal because wakes were designed by people who live in colder climates than New Orleans.

One of the fires can’t be contained, which leads to the introduction of Claudia. In his conversation with Den of Geek , Jones called this character Rice’s “greatest creation.” The author wrote the character after the death of her six-year-old daughter, who succumbed to acute granulocytic leukemia in 1970. In the book, Claudia has fair skin, long curly hair and blue eyes. She is mourning over her mother when Louis finds her in the year 1794. Rice’s literary version of Claudia is a child-vampire, eternally five years old in body, but with a quickly developing mind and desires.

Kirsten Dunst was eleven years old when she played Claudia in the film. Bailey Bass plays her as a 14-year-old. “It was very important for us to shoot in New Orleans, where child labor laws say your actor can only work so many hours,” Jones told Den of Geek . “We decided to make her trapped in all the chemical excitements of puberty.” Claudia is not quite of the Twilight teen scene, angsty for self-discovery, but she does keep a diary.

“Rolin Jones has made some changes that I think deepen and do some very intriguing things with the basic story,” Alan Taylor, who sets the tone directing the first episode, told Den of Geek . Other episodic directors include Levan Akin and Keith Powell.

Surrounding the proceedings, the settings are beautifully rendered, whether we see the opulence of the vampire lifestyle, the ecclesiastical hue of a church, or the grit and mud of the backstreets. All of which come to life when splattered with the red vino on tap. The framings are exquisite, and the tapestry of shooting styles merge into a unified landscape, from the bayous to Dubai. The score is so exciting, Louis is moved to do a soft-shoe. Another highlight is seeing the classically-trained musician Lestat boogie-woogie his way through a jazz set.

One of the ways the series best succeeds is in telling a love story. Lestat is not the same neglectful narcissist with the cruel streak presented in the 1976 book, and the series’ 1973 tape collection which tries to keep the series honest. Reid’s Lestat is a different cruel narcissist, but Louis gives back as good as he gets, growing defiant, angry, and romantically jealous. This is a trait shared by both lead characters, and as they sneak into one coffin while Claudia pretends to rest, it is not the dysfunctional couple of the first novel. For reanimated corpses, they get pretty hot.

Anne Rice purists will have their gripes, all of which are justified, but Interview with the Vampire does the spirit of the source material justice. This is the more nuanced or rehearsed version of the story, as Louis and Daniel debate. The series takes on social, economic, and political issues which may or may not have bearing on vampires, but add layers to the characters, who will grow into themselves. Or die, again, trying. The adaptation is changed, but still sucks you in.

Interview with the Vampire premieres Oct. 2 on AMC and AMC+.

Tony Sokol | @tsokol

Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. He is the TV Editor at Entertainment…

Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire review: a feast for the senses

Interview with the vampire kicks off the anne rice immortal universe at amc..

What to Watch Verdict

There's no doubt these vampires will be around for a very long time.

The cast is chef's kiss perfection

It's a loving and faithful adaptation

As a series, the characters have space to develop and we get to watch

We need more than seven episodes in the first season.

Anne Rice's world of vampires comes to life with an inspired new vision — a vision that sinks its teeth in and never let's go. An absolute feast for the senses, Interview with the Vampire pulls you into a visually stunning and evocative world that you won’t want to leave. Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, Bailey Bass and Eric Bogosian deliver rousing performances that usher in what is sure to be the hottest new franchise for the network. 

Interview with the Vampire is the story of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson), a vampire who recounted his tale to reporter Daniel Molloy (Bogosian) in 1973. Now, 50 years later, Louis wants to meet with the now seasoned journalist Daniel once again to set the record straight. 

Louis is a Black Creole businessman in New Orleans’ Storyville in 1910. He catches the eye of the enigmatic Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), who eventually reveals his vampire nature and makes Louis into his vampire companion. Eventually, they bring the vampire child Claudia (Bass) into the fold so that they become one happy vampire family. At least, for a little while.

Interview with the Vampire (1976) is one of the most beloved books in Rice’s pantheon, but it’s also the most narratively challenging story because it’s told from Louis’ perspective while the majority of the Vampire Chronicles are told from Lestat’s point of view. 

Over the years fans have been presented with very different perspectives on the characters thanks to the books that came later in the Vampire Chronicles. It’s no wonder that showrunner and writer Rolin Jones advises fans to read Prince Lestat (2014), The Vampire Lestat (1985) and The Vampire Armand (1998) to help them along the way.  

One thing is painstakingly clear about Interview with the Vampire : the cast and the crew are absolutely dedicated to Anne Rice and to being faithful stewards of her work. Reid spoke of this dedication in a Q&A on AMC’s press site. “I hope [fans] see that we are honoring what Anne Rice wrote. There's a huge amount of respect for what she created. We are always referring to her words and bringing in all of the elements as honestly and truthfully and as blatantly as she wanted. That world that she created is right at the front of our hearts.”

With Rice’s words guiding the story, there are two elements that make the series as evocative and alluring as it is: the cast and the production design. To prepare for their roles, Anderson, Reid and Bass had to learn French, use a new accent and take dance, singing and music lessons in order to bring an even deeper authenticity to their roles. 

Anderson ( Game of Thrones ) embraces the full gamut of emotions to depict Louis’ human side while portraying a newly born vampire trying to understand his new nature, on top of dealing with the racism that pervades society at that moment in time. It takes a lot to stand up to a character as bold and brazen as Lestat, and Anderson’s Louis holds his own beautifully. What’s more is that this version of Louis has a lot more confidence than Brad Pitt’s version, largely because he comes from a very different background. The juxtaposition of 1910 Louis and modern-day Louis gives Anderson lots of space to really show the depth of his character.

Reid’s ( The Newsreader ) Lestat is a man of the ages, having been made a vampire in the 1700s and moving to the New World to start a new life. Unlike Louis, Lestat is gregarious and ebullient, possessing a joie de vivre that most people — vampires and humans alike — can only dream of. His charisma and charm shine through and make him so much fun to watch. This Lestat is different from Tom Cruise’s portrayal because we get to see the Brat Prince in action as he not only interacts with Claudia and Louis, but with the people around them as well. He’s charming and cruel in the same breath; Reid plays him so very well that it’s hard to hate him and easy to forgive him, even when he’s at his very worst. 

Bailey Bass ( Avatar: The Way of Water ) has the challenging task of portraying Louis and Lestat’s vampire daughter, Claudia. Trapped forever in the body of a 14 year old girl, Claudia has to figure out how she fits in a world where she’ll never grow up to experience life as an adult. Bass relies on her facial expressions and tone to capture Claudia’s angst in a powerfully poignant way. She literally transforms before our eyes without changing her physical appearance. It’s an inspired performance that will leave fans in awe of her immense talent. 

We think Eric Bogosian channeled his character from Succession to bring Daniel Molloy to life. Daniel was an immature young man the first time he met Louis; now, the tables have turned somewhat and as a veteran journalist he knows that this story is far too important to not do it properly. He challenges Louis at every turn. Though Louis could easily kill him, older Daniel never backs down. Bogosian’s steely voice, calm but witty demeanor and dry humor give Daniel the depth he never had before. 

Louis, Lestat and Claudia couldn’t come to life without Carol Cutshall’s costuming and production designer Mara LePere Schloop’s vision for 1910s New Orleans. It’s easy to get lost in the detail of the wallpaper, the texture of a coat or the decor that accentuates the Rue Royale flat fans know so well.

Showrunner and writer Rolin Jones and executive producer Mark Johnson understand how much these stories mean to legions of Anne Rice fans all over the globe. Bringing the story to life as faithfully as possible was incredibly important, and that includes ensuring that Louis and Lestat’s relationship is at the heart of the story in ways that weren’t possible in the 1994 film. They don’t have to hide their sexuality; Lestat joyfully embraces his bisexuality and Louis slowly comes to terms with being a gay man, even though being openly gay was frowned upon at the time.  

Interview with the Vampire might look a little different, but trust us when we say that all of the major themes of Anne Rice’s work — loneliness, love, the nature of goodness and evil, sexuality, being an outsider, among others — they’re all there. 

There is so much emotion and heart in this series that longtime fans will be overjoyed and newcomers to the series will be left in awe. It’s prestige television at its finest and sure to become the next big thing for AMC as part of the Anne Rice Immortal Universe .

Interview with the Vampire debuts October 2 on AMC. There's currently no UK release date.

Sarabeth joined the What to Watch team in May 2022. An avid TV and movie fan, her perennial favorites are The Walking Dead, American Horror Story , true crime documentaries on Netflix and anything from Passionflix. You’ve Got Mail , Ocean's Eleven and Signs are movies that she can watch all day long. She's also a huge baseball fan, and hockey is a new favorite.  

When she's not working, Sarabeth hosts the My Nights Are Booked Podcast and a blog dedicated to books and interviews with authors and actors. She also published her first novel, Once Upon an Interview , in 2022. 

The Cuckoo episode 1 recap: Sian joins the family but who is she?

Meet DI Mackenzie Clarke! First picture of ex-Home and Away star in new Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise

Casualty spoilers: Teddy Gowan confronts callous attacker in heartbreaking scenes

Most Popular

By Michael Balderston March 13, 2024

By Lucy Buglass March 12, 2024

By Martin Shore March 09, 2024

By Michael Balderston March 06, 2024

By Jason Best February 26, 2024

By Tom Bedford February 24, 2024

By Martin Shore February 22, 2024

By Michael Balderston February 21, 2024

By Tom Bedford February 20, 2024

By Sarabeth Pollock February 14, 2024

By Michael Balderston February 13, 2024

Book Review: Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles Book 1) by Anne Rice

There’s nothing I can say about this book that hasn’t been said already and said far more eloquently. But I’m going to talk about it anyway because it’s special to me. This book was the book—the one that started my love for vampire books.

I read this for the first time when I was 14, and then proceeded to read the rest of the 11 or so Vampire Chronicles books (plus the New Tales ones) available at the time. When I think of high school, these are the books that come to mind. I have a lot of memories of reading these books. They mean something to me. They shaped me as a reader and, maybe in some ways, as a person.

So, 8 or so years later, I decided I wanted to revisit this book that meant so much to me as a teen and to refresh my memory before finally reading Claudia’s Story. My first attempt didn’t go well—I DNFed around 20%—but a few years after that , I found myself thinking about this book more and more until one day I came upon some fan art and was suddenly filled with this excitement and desire to reread the book immediately, and I think being in the right mood made all the difference. I really enjoyed it, to the point that I actually want to continue rereading the series—I hadn’t been expecting that.

But anyway… I’ve decided my reviews for this series aren’t going to be reviews so much as just a way for me to track and discuss my thoughts. So the likes/dislikes might be helpful for people considering the book, but the rest will be better for anyone who’s already read it or is just curious. Also, I just want to note that I’m basing these thoughts on THIS BOOK ONLY, not any of the later books.

Things I Disliked/Things I Didn’t Mind but Others Might Dislike:

– The interview style of the book was weird since technically it was 3rd person omniscient set in the present, but, since most of the book was Louis talking, it felt more like 1st person set in the past. It sounds like something that be distracting, but I still kept getting lost in the story regardless.

– There was a lot of flowery language and description. Sometimes it drew me into the story, other times it was too much.

– Descriptions of characters and random humans was… strangely sensual in a way that I sometimes found kind of unsettling. Maybe it was because, instead of noticing typical things, Louis noticed things like the plumpness of someone’s cheeks. Seriously, the word ‘plump’ was used five times which doesn’t seem like a lot, but it sure seems that way while you’re reading. It was like everyone described came from a cherubic Renaissance painting (though I feel like this might just be Anne Rice’s writing style). Although, I suppose it makes sense that a vampire would describe people with a word more often used to describe food.

– There was no goal to work toward. It was literally just a vampire explaining everything that happened in his life.

– There weren’t regular chapters , just four parts.

– Louis and Armand kept tossing around the word ‘love’ like candy almost as soon as they met. But Armand himself said he only wanted Louis because Louis would be the one to revitalize him and keep him from falling into despair from the immortality. And Louis, well, he was clearly just enamored by the way someone was finally willing to give him answers and talk with him and listen while he brooded aloud.

Things I Liked:

– I will always love this portrayal of vampires. I mean, I do like reading about sex + biting, but, for these vampires, feeding and killing IS sex, and I can appreciate that. (I still remember the first time I read a book in which the vampires had sex though, I hated it and was like, “No! That’s not how it’s supposed to be!” Lol.) The biting still has this sensual/erotic aspect to it at times. And I just like these beautiful yet deadly vampires. They’re human, yet they’re not human.

– The characterization was fantastic. None of the characters were particularly likeable, but they were so well-written, and that made me kind of like them anyway. Sometimes I feel like a lot of the characters I read about are bland or super similar to other characters, but both Louis and Lestat were so different from each other and also unique in their own rights.

– There were some unconventional relationships. I found them thought-provoking (more on this below).

– The whole book had a dark, atmospheric feel.

My Thoughts on the Characters (there might be *SPOILERS* in this section):

– Armand. I feel like I still don’t know much about Armand. He seemed pretty inhuman and emotionless. But he also seemed like someone you could talk to for a long time, and he was a great listener.

– Claudia. Everyone knows about the tragic child vampire, trapped forever in the body of a child, never able to be independent, never able to live or be treated like an adult. But what was so interesting about her was the fact that, for all intents and purposes, she didn’t have a human life before becoming a vampire. She was only five years old, so, unlike others, Claudia didn’t have a humanity to remember and to influence her. She was turned before she even understood right from wrong, before she understood the value of life. And because of that, she was… different. Cold, cruel, and vicious in her own unique ways, but also suffering.

– Louis. Ah… I’m not sure how I feel about him. He was not without his flaws, like kind of only seeing what he wanted to see (especially when it came to Armand and Claudia), but he was far more likeable to me than the others as a person (well, vampire) because he wasn’t as cruel. I would much rather have Louis as my companion than Lestat, Claudia, or Armand. Louis is an introspective, a thinker, a seeker of knowledge, an appreciator of beauty, and I can relate to all those things to some degree. I also felt for him, stuck with Lestat of all people as his maker. Lestat was a horrible mentor, so I could understand Louis being upset about that. I could also understand why Louis stayed with him (more on this below). But Louis’s brooding did eventually get to be a bit much. All he did was dwell in negatives and pain. He said he wanted to appreciate things with his new vampire life, but it didn’t seem like he ever actually did that. And then, by the end, this vampire who had been the most in tune with his humanity became numb and more detached from life than even Lestat or Armand. But who knows, any one of us might turn out the same if we were turned into monsters, hated what we were, were emotionally abused and manipulated, lost the person we loved, and were alive for centuries. So I don’t dislike him. I do feel sad for him though.

– Lestat. Oh, Lestat. He was abusive, manipulative, greedy, controlling, and temperamental, and he wouldn’t let Louis leave because he was afraid of being alone. He was terrible toward Louis and Claudia, and he was cruel to the humans and would terrorize them before killing or would make them fall in love with him so that he could add betrayal to their pain when he killed them. The one word I’d use to describe him though is ‘pathetic.’ Lestat was terrible, abusive, and cruel, and then, when those he treated terribly finally wanted nothing more to do with him, he was weak, scared, lost, lonely, and wanted them back. He might not actually be that simple, I guess I will find out when I keep reading, but that’s how I feel about him based on how he was portrayed through Louis’s POV. Don’t get me wrong, he was interesting as a character, just not likeable as a person. Ironically though, he seemed to have more humanity than any of the others in one sense of the word—he still felt emotions and passions and life in a way that the others didn’t seem to.

My Thoughts on the Relationships (there might be *SPOILERS* in this section):

– Louis and Claudia’s was the strangest because he raised her as a father, then he became her lover (minus the sex), but he still kind of thought of her as a child and treated her like a child because she looked like one. Louis himself literally described them as: “Father and Daughter. Lover and Lover.”

– Then there was Louis and Lestat who most certainly did not love each other (or if they did, it was definitely not in a healthy way) but who stayed together regardless and raised a vampire child together. They even had discussions about Claudia’s “acting out” as though she were really their child, and Lestat would storm out, telling Louis to talk to her because he couldn’t deal with her. They made their own little dysfunctional family. But this wasn’t a cute, funny thing—their relationship was abusive, and I can understand Louis’s side to an extent. Lestat was the epitome of an abusive parent/partner/friend/whatever. Lestat constantly belittled Louis, he made Louis believe that he (Louis) needed him (Lestat), he even made a child with Louis in order to manipulate him into staying because he knew Louis wanted to leave him. Anyone who’s never dealt with a person like that might think the solution is really simple—Louis should’ve just stopped whining and left—but 1) he didn’t know if there were other vampires, and he didn’t want to be alone either, 2) Lestat was his maker, which probably gave them some sort of bond, and 3) Lestat was manipulative, controlling, and physically more powerful than Louis. In abusive relationships, it’s not always as simple as just leaving. So I do believe that Louis hated Lestat, but I believe his feelings were more complex than that, which is realistic. As for Lestat’s feelings for Louis… I honestly don’t know. That’s still an enigma to me. I wanted to talk about this though because I’ve seen people talk about romance/love/batting eyes at each other/etc. in this book between Louis and Lestat, but all I could really see was how abusive and manipulative Lestat’s actions and words were.

– I’m not sure I even understand what Louis’s relationship was with Armand. They traveled the world together, but Louis had become numb already by that point, and he said something about going off on his own for long periods of time before returning to Armand.

Overall Thoughts:

Even though this book had a lot of description and a few other things that would normally put me off a book, it’s a vampire classic, it means something to me because of how much it’s influenced my reading habits, and I found myself being drawn in by the great characterization!

*I’ve read this book multiple times. This review was written after my 2nd read.*

Reread Ratings: No Rating (1st Read – mid/late 2000s) 4 Stars (2nd Read – 2017)

Recommended For:

Anyone who likes beautiful yet deadly vampires, descriptive writing, and amazingly complex characters.

You Can Also Find My Review Here:

Goodreads | Amazon

More Books in the Series:

Graphic Novel Review: Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story by Anne Rice & Ashley Marie Witter

Book Review: The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles Book 2) by Anne Rice

Book Review: The Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles Book 3) by Anne Rice

Book Review: The Tale of the Body Thief (The Vampire Chronicles Book 4) by Anne Rice

Book Review: Memnoch the Devil (The Vampire Chronicles Book 5) by Anne Rice

Book Author: Anne Rice Publisher: Ballantine Books Series: The Vampire Chronicles Genre: Fantasy , Historical Fantasy , LGBTQIA , Low/Paranormal/Urban Fantasy My Rating: 4 Series/Standalone: Part of a Series

More Info (Possible Spoilers)

LGBT+ Rep: Bisexual (Main Character) Non-Human Type: Vampires Relationships/Sex: M-F , M-M

Talk to me!

Have you read interview with the vampire by anne rice what's one book that made you fall in love with a certain genre or that shaped your reading, related posts.

Your Thoughts

45 thoughts on “ book review: interview with the vampire (the vampire chronicles book 1) by anne rice ”.

I'd love if you'd share your thoughts, too!

Reading your comments makes me a very happy blogger! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I have read the privacy policy and consent to the storage and handling of my data by this website. *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

I never read the book, but I remember watching the movie at the theater when I was in high school (the 90s). Don’t remember many details, though. Claudia was only 5 when turned in the book? Wasn’t she older in the movie? And that’s just weird, about her and Louis. Glad you were able to enjoy it on your reread.

Yeah, they made her older in the movie. It’s definitely a weird kind of relationship, but somehow it doesn’t feel out of place in the dark atmosphere of the story. Thanks!

It wasn’t that long! 🙂

I do think this book would frustrate me. There’s no goal? At all? It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the movie, so I can’t remember how it ends. Does the book or movie just end on a thought? I feel like I would need someone to achieve something eventually.

I suppose the goal was eventually to find other vampires in the world. But I mean, it kind of does end on a thought since it’s just Louis telling his life story up to that point. Normally that would bother me, but I think the fact that I knew generally what the plot was helped since I kind of had things to look forward to and knew that some things would happen eventually, if that makes sense.

It does! I might see if my library has a copy.

I hope you’re able to find a copy 🙂

Oh wow, this sounds like a very special series for you. I can relate. I have some titles that remind me of my childhood/teenage life. Ahh you make me want to reread them. I miss them. Anyway, awesome review. I’ll check out this series. Thanks for sharing. ?❤️

Yeah, those reads that remind us of our childhood/teen years always have a special place in our hearts <3 You should totally reread some of your old favorites!

I’m pretty sure I read this around the same age you did. I have hopes of reading it again one day and then continuing on. However, I do love her other series. I devours The Mayfair Witches books and loved the first werewolf book she wrote, although I need to finish that series. I hate to say it but Tom Cruise sort of ruined this series for me. I thought he made an awful vampire.

I’ve never read her other series, just the vampires. I didn’t even know she had werewolf books, interesting! Idk, I saw the movie before reading the book and it was what made me want to read the book in the first place, so Tom Cruise was the version of Lestat I first saw. (The weirdest casting in that movie was definitely Antonio Banderas for Armand!)

I read this book years and years ago now, and barely remember it, but I *do* remember an overall feeling of liking it. When I tried to read The Vampire Lestat straight after though…let’s just say, there was a bookmark half way through that novel for 10 years before I gave up and got rid of the books I’d bought (I’m an all or nothing kind of girl, I didn’t buy the whole series but it was more than 2 lol)

Anne Rice’s writing is sort of…flowery to me? There’s just…something about it I cannot get into completely. Weirdly, I’ve actually been thinking about re-reading this lately. But I’m not sure…I love the movie though.

Yep, that was how I felt before rereading. I remembered liking it but barely remembered the actual book. But I guess I must’ve enjoyed all the rest in the series as well. I’m curious to see how many more I’ll end up reading this time.

Oh, there’s definitely a lot of description and floweriness. That was my biggest issue, I think. But I think you give the reread a go anyway 😉

I’ll give her a try at one point or another. I had this vampire phase at one point so I am surprised that I never read her. Glad you enjoyed it so much, despite the fact that the same thing that drew you to the book at certain points also did not work at others

Well if you ever find yourself in another vampire phase, maybe you’ll give this book a try 🙂 Thanks!

I’ve actually never read the book but the movie was so epic and as a kid it made me love vampires so freaking much. I guess its one of those books I’m terrified to read because I loved the movie which is crazy because how can the book be worst, great review!

It was actually the movie that made me want to read the book in the first place! I have had occasions when the movie ended up being better, but I think they’re both good in this case. Thanks!

Thank you for a wonderfully detailed and readable review, Kristen. I’ve never read this book and you gave me plenty of information as to whether this one is for me or not:)

Thanks, glad it was helpful!

I’ve literally had this book sitting on my shelves for YEARS (I got it as a hand me down from a relative) but I haven’t worked up the nerve to read it because I’m scared it will be too scary for me (I get nightmares easily). I hear the movie is really excellent too!

I can’t promise it won’t give you nightmares (I mean, I’ve had random nightmares from non-horror books lol), but I can promise it’s not at all a scary or creepy book. It’s just vampires 🙂 And yes the movie is also great!

It’s great (and sometimes not great) when you revisit an old favourite. I read this years ago, and i’d forgotten so much of what you described, but also you’ve given me a new way of looking at Louis and Claudia especially — thank you!

It’s risky rereading old favorites, so I was glad that this one went well! Thanks, glad you liked my review 🙂

I ADORED this movie! On emy all-time favorite! and not only in the horror/vampire gene but ALL TIME. The actors??? omg [clears her throat] LOL so I always wanted to read the book. Glad to hear is good!

It’s a great movie as well! Lol yeah it doesn’t hurt that it has both Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise 😉 Although now they’re the ones I picture when I read lol.

It’s so awesome that you got a chance to reread the book which began your love for vampires! I love books which influence you as a reader (for me, there are a whole bunch of different reasons). I’m not a massive vampire reader so I kind of know I’ll never read this series (the number of books is also offputting) but I get that it is a classic in its own way. The style of writing would totally not work for me but the characters are interesting and this is kind of the standard idea of how vampires act.

Yeah, prob not the series for you. The number of books would normally be daunting for me, but I already own like ten of them and my library has ebooks of the newer ones I don’t own, so I don’t have to worry about the money. And though I plan to continue, I’m not gonna force myself to keep going if I reach a point where I get tired of it. But yeah, this was a big influence on the modern portrayal of vampires!

I’m kind of afraid to re-read this now. I read it almost 10 years ago maybe and I was sooooo in love with Louie and intrigued by Claudia & Armand and I don’t want it to be ruined if I feel differently.

I re-read it dozens of times back then but stopped once I started blogging and had too many other books to read.

For What It’s Worth

I get it, it’s nerve-wracking rereading old favorites since you might end up liking them less. That’s why I’m glad this one turned out well for me!

I definitely felt the same way as you did when I first read the book back in high school. 1994! Oh man, that was eons ago, and the movie came out in the fall of that same year. Over the years I followed it up with the other books in the Vampire Chronicles, able to see more and more of Lestat’s backstory and motivations, though Louis stays the same and honestly, that got boring. I think Queen of the Damned is the best book out of that series.

Oh that’s cool that you read it before the movie! I read it after seeing the movie, so I just have Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt stuck in my head as the characters lol. I don’t remember much about the later books, but I do remember that Lestat changes a lot. I think I remember Queen of the Damned the best, or at least bits and pieces of it. I remember the climax being really intense!

Wow – this WAS a long review! 🙂 But I liked it!

I read this book a very, very long time ago and I think there was a lot that I missed out on because of that. I think I might have to do a reread.

What did you think of the movie??

Lol it really was, but I couldn’t bring myself to remove anything! Thanks, glad you liked it 🙂

Sometimes I kind of regret that I didn’t keep any notes about my thoughts on books when I was in middle and high school. I just wonder how much I actually noticed or paid attention to, what I took from books, how I felt about them. I might’ve missed out on a lot too when I first read this, or maybe I felt the exact same way. I guess I’ll never know. But you should totally do a reread 😉

I think the movie is great too! It was actually the movie that made me interested in the book in the first place.

I read this book after I read The Vampire Lestat and other books in the series. I think I read this when I ran out of series to read and so…I am a bit biased toward Louis. I read it and thought the whole time how Louis was a liar and such a whiny Vampire that he took his gift for granted. I read Interview with a Vampire through Lestat’s eyes because for me he was everything. My favorite bits of this book were the bits involving Claudia as she became the one subject Lestat was always reluctant to talk about. I think you summed this up very well. It is such an engrossing tale and it has so many subjects that were hard to relate to that it could really only get 4 stars from me either. Fantastic review!

*I have to admit I read your review the day it hit my email and then forgot to stop by and comment. That was stupid as the email got buried until just now for me. I did start reading The Vampire Lestat as soon as I read your review. Maybe only because I couldn’t wait to read it since the minute we talked about it. I can’t believe how much I forgot, including the fact that Armand loved Lestat first. Hopefully I will be finishing Lestat sometime next week.

Ok now your comment has me itching to get to the next book because I don’t remember any of these things and I want to what Louis lied about?! I wonder how much an impact it makes reading the series in a different order. Like, I sympathized with Louis while reading this, yet you sympathized with Lestat. I’m really curious to see if my opinion will change as I read more. But gah, I still have other books to read before getting back to this series!

ARGH YOU DID THE THING!!!! XD

I personally did sympathise with Louis, but also found him quite whiny sometimes. Like dude, you’re a freaking vampire – maybe appreciate that once in a while!

Lestat… he’s not a good person. But I adore him. The force of his emotions (plus his drama – he’s the f**king queen honey!) always made me love him. Plus, he’s so sad! Someone can’t be that sad without me wanting to hug them, ok? 😉 <3

I just love the whole gothic-ness of these books. And Anne Rice's writing is officially the sh**! Lol.

I agree, I sympathize, but he also could do with a little less whining and a little more doing.

I am curious to see if my opinion of Lestat changes when I read more of the series. Whether I like him as a person will depend on whether he changes or not. But I can dislike a char as a person and still love them as a char if they’re interesting/complex/realistic enough.

I have a confession to make. I haven’t fully read Interview with the Vampire. I gave up on it halfway through when I was thirteen because I thought it was SO boring, but I want to pick it back up and give it another shot. Great review!

It does have a lot of flowery description. But maybe you’ll enjoy it more if you give it another go!

I think I saw the movie from this one, and I did like it. Once day I will read the book, I think. I remember being soooo sorry for Claudia though. Sucks for her. Forever a child.

The movie it great too! I think it’s impossible not to feel terrible for Claudia :-/

My cousin gave me this book and it was my first vampire book. I didn’t read Dracula until last year.. Ha ha. I was used to reading SciFi and High Fantasy, so reading this book was very different for me and I loved it. I am so glad your re-read attempt was a success this time because it is wonderful being able to revisit old favorites, especially ones that have an extra special place in your heart. ☺

This was also my first vampire book, and I didn’t read Dracula until last year either, haha, so we have that in common! Thanks 🙂 It’s nerve-wracking visiting old favorites though since sometimes it doesn’t go so well!

And there you were saying this would be the review that no one would read but I see a lot of lovely comments! I can’t say too much as I haven’t read this book before… I do love vampires though – admittedly because of Stephanie Meyer (I gather you’re not a fan… because that breaks all the vampire rules) but I should read this one because it sounds like it really deals with a classic vampire and kind of does it in a unique way? The writing style and format of the book sounds different. I realise I don’t mind flowery language as long as I am invested in a book enough before it shows up, so I don’t think I’ll mind that.

Believe it or not, I read all the Twilight books, so I must’ve liked something about them. But I read them after Anne Rice’s books, and so I felt like Meyer’s vampires were all wrong, and I think it might’ve been those books that made me stop reading about vampires for years lol. But now I like seeing how diff authors portray them, and I respect every author’s right to make vampires however they want as long as they still drink blood 🙂 (and every reader’s right to enjoy whatever books they want!)

I think it was these books that kind of set the standard for the modern vampire portrayal. If you like vampires and don’t mind flowery language, then I def suggest giving this a try!

Pingback: 9 books and reviews that will make you consider Paranormal Romance - BOOKIVERSE

Interview with the Vampire: AMC Show Review

• Amelia Cameron
• December 29, 2023

AMC show Interview with the Vampire is a reworking of Anne Rice’s novel for the modern age, featuring one of the most human interpretations of vampires yet.

Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire has returned to the small screen after almost 30 years . Following on from the success of the novels and the cult 1994 film starring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise , AMC revamped the story in 2022, and it was later acquired by the BBC. The 2022 series follows a similar plot to both the novel and the film, but there are still welcome changes given that it has been nearly 30 years since the film’s release, and almost 50 from the initial book’s release.

The series takes place across two time periods : modern day Dubai, where main character Louis De Pointe Du Lac (Jacob Anderson) now resides, and early 1900s New Orleans, specifically the Storyville neighborhood during the time of widespread prohibition and Jim Crow laws. We are introduced to the interviewer , who in the series benefits from being more fleshed out than the film, Daniel Malloy (Eric Bogosian), a once relevant journalist who we learn previously attempted to  interview Louis when starting his career in 1973 – an interaction which did not end well.

This is the second time this interview has been attempted, something which reveals itself to be a key fact later in the series establishing Louis as an unreliable narrator . Once the interview begins, we are teleported back to 1920s New Orleans, where Louis recalls his life before his first meeting with Lestat De Lioncourt (Sam Reid), and what led to his transformation. The plot continues to whisk us through the extravagant lives of Louis and Lestat , as Louis’ underground business booms and he climbs the social ladder.

In the novel, Louis is a white plantation owner, but the show opts to change this, instead we are given a Louis who is a Black business owner running an underground business . There is an exploration of this in the series that the original novels and film obviously do not have. Louis, while a successful business man with a level of social mobility he has worked for, is still seen as inferior by those he has worked to be around. The dynamic is furthered with the introduction of Lestat and his interactions with characters other than Louis, the wealthy foreign aristocratic dandy who saunters into the spaces that Louis has had to work his way into. Louis’s transformation now carries more weight in the show than it did previously: being turned into a vampire makes him more than human, but he is still seen as less than human by those around him in the Jim Crow Era South. It’s a bold change to make, but it pays off, adding a rich extra layer to both the characters and the world in which the story takes place.

The show’s plot runs somewhat smoothly, melodrama and murder aside, until the introduction of Claudia ( Bailey Bass ), who introduces the largest conflict into the plot. Among the talented cast, Bass stands out with her portrayal of a slightly aged up Claudia, who in the series is fifteen, opposed to five, as she was in the novel and previous film. The fifteen year old is one of the show’s most compelling characters, doomed to forever look fifteen while she ages mentally. Her complexities feel endless and lead to some of the show’s most climatic and shocking moments . Bass completely embodies the role of a teen vampire as she goes from reveling in her new life to despising the physical limits it has doomed her with.

Once Claudia is introduced to the show, we switch from Louis’ point of view to Claudia’s through Daniel’s reading of her diaries , which in 2022, Louis still has possession of. We flash between the modern day interview and Claudia’s recounts of New Orleans as the plot reaches its boiling point in the relationship of Louis and Lestat. This is the point at which the show benefits most from its dual narrative structure; the tension builds in both the past and the present, with Claudia coming between Louis and Lestat in the past and Louis and Daniel in the present. It is evident that Daniel begins questioning Louis’ reliability now that he is seeing a different point of view into the relationship. Until now, our understanding of the relationship dynamic between Louis and Lestat had been swayed by Louis’ retelling; Claudia’s diaries recount an abusive manipulative situation that Louis’ has somewhat downplayed. 

Not only is Interview with the Vampire an absolutely mesmerizing take on a story that has been adapted before and is clearly well loved by many fans, but it’s a unique portrayal of a supernatural creature we have seen time and time again. Interview with the Vampire presents to us one of the most human interpretations of vampires yet . The show prioritizes the psychological experience of being turned into an undead over to the physical element that so many other portrayals have opted for. While the vampires in the AMC series feature most of the typical vampire traits – bloody drinking, an adverse reaction to the sun and superspeed, these vampires can also stop time and telepathically communicate with each other.

Lestat presents a vampire who’s too far gone and completely disconnected from humanity. This clashes with Louis’ struggle to leave his humanity behind , as he tries his best to maintain his relationship with his family and later establishes morals around his consumption of blood. Claudia functions as a median between the two: at first she is willing to lean into the animalistic violent nature that Lestat perpetuates and let go of her humanity, but as the series progresses, Claudia begins to turn against her eternal life and the one who gave it to her. Realizing that she will never age, and therefore feeling that she will never love and be loved, she tries to run away multiple times but always finds herself returning to the toxic dynamic of the three vampires .

The series has everything that fans of the book and the 1994 adaptation could have wished for . Even with the changes, Interview with the Vampire continues to be captivating to old and new audiences. Anderson and Reid act as if these were roles they had spent their entire careers anticipating. There are moments of drama, melancholy, comedy, violence, and a few scenes that make the 1994 film look like it was made in the days of the hays code. This makes the series stand out when compared to any other shows of a similar nature. This range within Interview with the Vampire also makes it evident that the actors truly, no pun intended, sunk their teeth into their roles, and deliver portrayals which are enthralling to watch.

Season 1 of AMC show Interview with the Vampire is now available to watch on digital and on demand. Season 2 will be released on AMC and AMC+ in 2024.

• Films , Must Watch

Civil War Review: A Dark Look at a Divided Nation

• Joseph Tomastik
• April 9, 2024

The Regime: Series Finale Review

• Clotilde Chinnici

Birdeater Review: Treacherous Toxic Masculinity

• April 8, 2024

Sasquatch Sunset Review: Examination of Primal Nature 

• Hayley Croke

Irena’s Vow Review: Grounded & gripping drama

• Branyan Towe

LaRoy, Texas Review: Small-Time Crime Comedy

Latest posts.

Books of Brilliance

The latest book reviews and book news.

Book Talk , News

Interview with a Vampire: Book Review 

Interview with a Vampire book review

Vampire novels have always been popular and many authors have taken a swing at it. Today, we will be reviewing Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice and see whether or not you should add this novel to your reading list! 

Interview with a Vampire Summary 

Louis de Pointe du Lac, a 200-year-old vampire, is in a room with a boy. The boy is recording his interview with the vampire as Louis shares his story that spans two centuries. 

The story starts with a young Louis, who owns a plantation in Louisiana in 1791. The death of his younger brother impacts him gravely and he is in suffering. One day, he meets a Vampire named Lestat who turns Louis into a vampire so that Lestat can access Louis’ wealth and plantation. 

Louis learns how to live like a vampire but he is hesitant to kill people. Instead, he drinks the blood of animals to survive while Lestat goes around killing slaves. Now that louis is a vampire, he sees Lestat for who he is and ends up despising him.  

As their relationship starts to strain, Lestat preys on Loius’ weakness and bonds him with the addition of a new vampire into their family. As the dynamic changes over the decades, the trio cannot stand each other. 

A fire and a trip to Europe to seek answers leads to even more questions. As Louis tries to figure out the meaning of his new life, new friends and enemies arise. Will Louis find the answers he is looking for and at what cost? 

Commentary 

When this novel was first published in 1976, it received mixed reception. But as Rice released sequels to the novel, they saw a lot of success and the reputation of her first book changed. As someone that isn’t fond of critics, I am not surprised. If they get something wrong, they just change their thoughts on it.  

The novel is brilliant, and Louis is an interesting character. While he may be a vampire, he still holds onto his morality. The questions of damnation and temptation are asked throughout the novel and death plays a big part. Louis is a tormented vampire who wants to know if there is a purpose to his life or will he live on forever preying on humans every night.  

The strength of this novel is the great characters and what drives them. We know little about Lestat and what we do learn doesn’t give us the big picture. With future novels that talk more about them, it is not surprising to see why they have been popular with the masses. 

Conclusion 

If you love vampire novels and philosophical novels, then this is a must read. The writing is great and the characters are memorable with an interesting take on vampires. Happy reading! 

Follow us on  Instagram  and  Facebook  

Share this:, 4 thoughts on “ interview with a vampire: book review  ”.

Add Comment

• Pingback: Books I Read in May 
• Pingback: These are The Ten Best Books I Read This Year!
• Pingback: Find out Which 7 Books That I Read This Year That I Loved!
• Pingback: The 20 Best Books I Read in 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from books of brilliance.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘We shot it in the murder capital of the world’ … how we made The Lost Boys

‘I had no interest in teen vampire films and turned it down five times. But Joel Schumacher promised I wouldn’t have to wear the makeup and teeth, or have to fly around. Of course, he lied’

Jason Patric, played Michael

Joel Schumacher, the director, wanted me in the movie right from the first time we met. But the script I read was nothing like the magical movie it would become after rewrites and production, and I had no interest in teenage vampire films. So I turned it down about five times – but Joel was determined. He spent weeks explaining his vision, a mix of horror and comedy, and eventually wore me down. We made a deal: he promised I wouldn’t have to wear the makeup, the teeth or have to fly around. Of course, he lied.

All these great people signed up: Dianne Wiest, who was about to win an Oscar for Hannah and Her Sisters , Edward Herrmann, Barnard Hughes, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. It was being shot by Michael Chapman, the cinematographer on Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. I had worked with Jami Gertz and put her forward to play Star. The role had been conceived of as a blond, waifish girl; I told Joel she could bring a sexy, darker quality to the film.

We shot in Santa Cruz, California, for about a month. In the late 70s it was the murder capital of the world and had a bad reputation. The excitement of the boardwalk and homelessness across the city merged to create a creepy, carnival quality, like you might find a freak show around every corner.

I’d seen Corey (Haim) in Lucas. He was a big talent and had this open, affable personality. We read together for the part of my brother Sam and I told Joel: “That’s the guy.” He’d come over to my house and we’d play baseball and go to the pier, which created an unsaid physicality. We had a close bond and he was wonderfully imaginative in an improvisational way. We played off each other.

Joel and I thought my character Michael should be the centre of the film and hold the fantasy, family and sexual elements together. This kid is an outsider, he’s about to become a man and has to leave the family and he gets involved in this group that seems sexy and dangerous. It’s a drug analogy: he drinks the blood and there’s something addictive about it. His personality begins to change and there are things going on he doesn’t understand.

In part, Joel was the classic cliche of a screaming and authoritarian director, but he was also a great listener, and gave the young actors the freedom to create their characters. There wasn’t a scene with Corey where we didn’t discuss how to develop their relationship. It was the John Hughes era, when kids were the stars and not just supporting parts: the entire business paradigm shifted in the mid-80s.

The iconic scene where we’re hanging from a bridge was shot through the night on a real trestle near LA. We were about 100 feet up with a platform underneath us and the stage below was filled with smoke to create the fog clouds we fell through. It was exhausting.

The Lost Boys has become The Wizard of Oz of horror movies – it’s something that completely holds up today and that people watch every year. They feel a sense of kinship because it’s about the idea of teen alienation.

James Jeremias, writer

I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and worked at Warner Bros as a grip on films including Blade Runner and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid. Janice Fischer and I had met studying cinema together in LA, we wrote the script for The Lost Boys in about five months during 1984. We bought Syd Field’s book Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting and drew a paradigm of our story across his three-act structure.

after newsletter promotion

I’d read Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice and was inspired by the little girl, Claudia, trapped in the body of a five-year-old for eternity. It got me thinking about JM Barrie’s Peter Pan – where our title came from. What if the reason he came out at night, could fly and didn’t grow up was because he was a vampire? We took a fictional character and put him in a new light. What if it wasn’t all goodness and there was some evil intent?

Warner Bros paid us $375,000 for the script. About a year later, we had a meeting with [original director, later executive producer] Richard Donner about rewrites. It was brutal. We had designed the film to be a boy’s adventure, set in a time before sex rears its head. But that’s not what the studio wanted. Donner wanted the boys to be old enough to drive. What he meant was old enough to fuck. He also wanted Star – whom we’d written as a boy – to change sex and be the love interest. He was turning our story into a teenage vampire movie. Once we sold the script it was out of our hands.

During filming, I went down to the Warner Bros lot. I was told it was a closed set and was asked to leave. But I was invited to the official cast and crew screening when it came out in 1987. I remember marvelling at it being the culmination of me sitting on my couch, smoking a joint and dreaming up this idea. The script had gone through a lot of changes but our story was still there.

• How we made
• Comedy films
• Horror films
• Teen movies

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes
• Entertainment

Kirsten Dunst Says Brad Pitt 'Was Like an Older Brother to Me' on Interview with the Vampire Set

"Yes, it was a virtually all-male set, but everyone was very gentle and kind, and nothing ever felt weird," Dunst told 'The Telegraph'

Gilbert Flores/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty; Rebecca Sapp/Getty

Kirsten Dunst had some major support early in her career.

Speaking with U.K. outlet The Telegraph amid the upcoming release of her new movie Civil War , the actress recalled her Interview with the Vampire costar Brad Pitt being "like an older brother to me" on the set of the 1994 gothic horror film.

"[I was] treated like a princess," said Dunst, 41. "Yes, it was a virtually all-male set, but everyone was very gentle and kind, and nothing ever felt weird."

As for their costar Tom Cruise , Dunst had similar praise for his treatment of the then-child actress, who later earned rave reviews for her breakout role in the film.

"One morning, around Christmas , I remember going into my dressing room at Pinewood and he’d set up a beautiful tree in there for me, covered in ornaments," she shared.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Francois Duhamel/Sygma via Getty

Based on Anne Rice 's book of the same name from a screenplay by the late author, Interview with the Vampire starred Christian Slater as a young journalist named Daniel interviewing Pitt's character Louis de Pointe du Lac, decades after the start of the movie.

It also featured Cruise, now 61, as Lestat, and Antonio Banderas as another vampire, Armand. Dunst earned a Golden Globe nod for best supporting actress in a drama, for her performance as newly turned child vampire Claudia.

During a 2019 appearance on the  Late Show with Stephen Colbert , the host asked if she remembered feeling how big of a deal it was to act opposite Cruise and Pitt, now 60.

“I did, but I was also very innocent,” Dunst said of starring with the heartthrobs as a preteen. “I feel like I watched Brad in  A River Runs Through  and Tom was in  Far and Away , which I loved."

She continued, "They treated me like a little sister . It was very sweet, I was a very innocent 12-year-old. I was just doing my job, and they were very sweet to me.”

Francois Duhamel/Sygma/Sygma via Getty

Dunst had to kiss Pitt in the film, and she was asked about it while she was promoting the movie back in 1994. More recently, the actress was shown a clip of her reacting to the kiss by  Entertainment Tonight   — and she stood by her initial reaction.

“Yeah, it was gross! I stand by that. It would have been so much creepier if an 11-year-old was like, ‘It was great.’ You’d be like, ‘There’s something wrong with this child,' ” she told the outlet in August 2019, after watching the video of her younger self saying the kiss was “gross.”

“They were so sweet to me,” she added of Pitt and Cruise. “I mean, listen, that production, that film, was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced — maybe   Marie Antoinette ,  because of where we shot. Other than that, they just don’t make movies like that anymore.”

In a more recent interview with Variety , published Wednesday, the Oscar nominee was asked about getting to kiss Pitt for Interview with the Vampire — to which she quipped in response, laughing, "How about Brad Pitt got to kiss me?"

Civil War is in theaters April 12.

Related Articles

Screen Rant

Interview with the vampire season 2 trailer: louis confronts what really happened with claudia.

The Interview with the Vampire season 2 trailer teases Louis and Claudia's time in Paris and hints at Louis remembering what really happened there.

• Interview with the Vampire season 2 delves into Louis and Claudia's time in Paris.
• The trailer teases Louis' memories in Paris and hints at Claudia's unexpected betrayal.
• The season 2 trailer also includes new actor Delainey Hayles as Claudia and Armand's increased significance.

The Interview with the Vampire season 2 trailer shows Louis confronting what really happened with Claudia. Based on Anne Rice's 1976 novel of the same name, which was previously adapted into the 1994 film starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, the AMC series follows Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) as he recounts his life, including his tumultuous relationship with his former lover Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), to the journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). The cast also includes Delainey Hayles taking over the role of Claudia from Bailey Bass for season 2.

Today, AMC+ shared the official trailer for Interview with the Vampire season 2 . Watch it below:

The official season 2 trailer teases Louis and Claudia's time in Paris and hints at Louis remembering what really happened there.

8 Interview With The Vampire Book Moments We Can't Wait To See In Season 2

Everything we know about interview with the vampire season 2.

As the third Interview with the Vampire season 2 trailer , this is just the latest footage to hint at what happened to Louis and Claudia following their surprising betrayal of Lestat during the season 1 ending . The trailers have also unsurprisingly brought back the show's signature interview format, but more interestingly, Armand's increased significance in season 2's story has also been spotlighted. As the third one, this should be the final trailer for Interview with the Vampire season 2 before it premieres on May 12.

Other than Anderson as Louis and Reid as Lestat, the returning cast and characters for season 2 also include Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, who may not be around once the show finishes adapting the first book in The Vampire Chronicles . Assad Zama also returns as Armand, who will become a crucial character despite his small role in season 1. Ben Daniels is back as Santiago, though the tragic vampire character Claudia, originally played by Bass, will be played by Hayles in season 2 .

Season 1 adapted the first half of Interview with the Vampire and ended on a significant cliffhanger as Claudia convinces Louis to help her murder Lestat. However, Louis ultimately spares Lestat by confining him to a coffin, secured from the inside, in a rat-infested area to allow him to recuperate over time. The first season also saw Louis misleading Daniel on multiple occasions, casting doubt on his reliability as a narrator and revealing that Rashid is actually Armand, creating plenty of new possibilities as Interview with the Vampire season 2 adapts the second half of Anne Rice's novel.

Interview with the Vampire season 1 is streaming on AMC+.

Source: AMC+

Interview with the Vampire

*Availability in US

Not available

Based on Anne Rice's novel series that began in 1976, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror fantasy series that explores the life of Louis de Pointe du Lac through an interview with a journalist. Told through flashbacks of Louis' life during the interview, the series examines Louis' relationship with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt, and a teenage girl named Claudia, whom he turns. The series is the first of Anne Rice's Immortal Universe media franchise.

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 - Official Trailer

Check out the new trailer for Season 2 of Interview with the Vampire. The series stars Jacob Anderson, along with Sam Reid, Eric Bogosian, Assad Zaman, Delainey Hayles and Ben Daniels.

The interview continues in season two. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand (Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.

Season two of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire is executive produced by award-winning producer Mark Johnson, creator and showrunner Rolin Jones, Mark Taylor, along with Christopher Rice and the late Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire Season Two premieres on May 12 on AMC and AMC+

Did you enjoy this video?

In this video.

Interview With the Vampire Season 2 Trailer Delves Into Louis' Memories

A MC has released a new lengthy I nterview With the Vampire Season 2 trailer for the next installment in the Anne Rice adaptation . The new season is set to debut on AMC and AMC+ on May 12.

"In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy. Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt , Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia,” reads the synopsis.

“It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand. Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories."

You can watch the new Interview With the Vampire Season 2 trailer on YouTube below ( watch more trailers ):

Who stars in Interview With the Vampire Season 2?

Interview With the Vampire is written and executive produced by Emmy nominee Rolin Jones, who also serves as the showrunner. Season 2 stars Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, Delainey Hayles as Claudia, Ben Daniels as Santiago, Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, Assad Zaman as Armand, and more. It is executive produced by Mark Johnson and Christopher Rice.

The post Interview With the Vampire Season 2 Trailer Delves Into Louis’ Memories appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More .

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Interview with the Vampire gets a new season 2 trailer

April 1, 2024 by Amie Cranswick

Ahead of its premiere this May, AMC has released another trailer for season 2 of the of the acclaimed Anne Rice adaptation Interview with the Vampire which will follow Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia’s (Delainey Hayles) adventures through Europe, during their visit to he Theatre Des Vampires in Paris and their quest to discover the Old World Vampires; watch it below…

“In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Delainey Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.”

Interview with the Vampire  stars Jacob Anderson as Louis de Point du Lac, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, Delainey Hayles as Claudia, Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, Assad Zaman as Rashid/Armand, Ben Daniels as Santiago, Roxane Duran as Madeleine and Bally Gill as Real Rashid.

Interview with the Vampire returns to AMC and AMC+ on May 12th.

About Amie Cranswick

Amie Cranswick has been part of Flickering Myth’s editorial and management team for over a decade. She has a background in publishing and copyediting and has served as Editor-in-Chief of FlickeringMyth.com since 2023.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Great Movies Guaranteed To Creep You Out

Philip K. Dick & Hollywood: The Essential Movie Adaptations

Fantastical, Flawed and Madcap: 80s British Horror Cinema

The 10 Best Villains in Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies

10 Actors Quentin Tarantino Needs In His Final Film

Characters Appearances We Want To See In Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four Movie

Forgotten Horror Classics Of The Past Decade

Horror Video Games We Need As Movies

Ten Essential Films of the 1940s

The Essential Man vs Machine Sci-Fi B-Movies

• Comic Books
• Video Games
• Toys & Collectibles
• Articles and Opinions
• About Flickering Myth
• Write for Flickering Myth
• Advertise on Flickering Myth
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy