CLASSICS
I'm always reading about references being made to the classic vampire tales, but I hadn't read any of them. I wanted to be able to appreciate a reference, so I decided on a few classics to add to my list. So these are the few that I've read so far.
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (The Vampire Chronicles #1)
Written by: Anne Rice
Publication date: March 18, 1997 (first published in 1976)
Released in Paperback and Hardcover
THE VAMPIRE LESTAT (The Vampire Chronicles #2)Written by: Anne Rice
Publication date: November 29, 1997 (first published in 1985)
Released in Paperback and Hardcover
3 stars and let me tell you why. Even though I didn't really care for this (I didn't even finish it) it is a classic; an original. The writing is masterful and I don't think you should skip it all together. They say to appreciate the future, you must first learn from your past. I don't know if anybody ever said that, but it sounds good!
Synopsis: find synopsis on http://www.goodreads.com/
My Review: In addition to Interview with the Vampire, this book was also amazingly descriptive. It had its "wow" moments but again, too slowly paced. I felt like Rice didn't have enough story to fill the page requirement so she used up a lot of space describing things for two or three paragraphs. I didn't like how Lestat seemed to be a completely different person than Louis depicted him in Interview. I don't know how it all turned out, if Lestat ended up becoming what I expected, because I just couldn't endure it all the way to the end.
I kept stopping to read other books and starting again. It took me weeks just to make it halfway!
Who Should Read This: I don't often read a book that I encourage people not to read, but this one was just painful. I honestly couldn't get through to the end, only about half way. It was too boring, too slowly paced.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Written by: Anne Rice
Publication date: March 18, 1997 (first published in 1976)
Released in Paperback and Hardcover
2 1/2 stars
Synopsis: find synopsis on http://www.goodreads.com/
My Review: There were parts of this book that I enjoyed but mostly I was bored and disappointed. I guess it made a much better movie than novel. I found Louis to be whiney, depressing and a drag to be around. He marveled in his ability to see things the way they really were with his new vampire eyes, but he sulked in his immortality. He never learned how to make the best of a bad situation. He spent centuries complaining about something that could never change. He should have changed his company a long time ago. Basically, he was the most depressing vampire I'd ever read about; and maybe that was the point, but for me, it didn't make a very good read. A lot of events happened in the book that shocked and surprised me and things that were interesting, but these moments were too far between.
There was one element of this novel that I loved and hated. Anne Rice can describe a scene with such detail, you know how many tables are in a room and what is on each table. I love just enough detail to make me feel as though I'm part of the story but I felt this story had way too much detail! I often skipped paragraphs and paragraphs of details because it was just never ending. There was more description than there was story, at times.
Who Should Read This: I guess if you're interested in reading it, it was just okay. Have patience and persistence.
My Review: There were parts of this book that I enjoyed but mostly I was bored and disappointed. I guess it made a much better movie than novel. I found Louis to be whiney, depressing and a drag to be around. He marveled in his ability to see things the way they really were with his new vampire eyes, but he sulked in his immortality. He never learned how to make the best of a bad situation. He spent centuries complaining about something that could never change. He should have changed his company a long time ago. Basically, he was the most depressing vampire I'd ever read about; and maybe that was the point, but for me, it didn't make a very good read. A lot of events happened in the book that shocked and surprised me and things that were interesting, but these moments were too far between.
There was one element of this novel that I loved and hated. Anne Rice can describe a scene with such detail, you know how many tables are in a room and what is on each table. I love just enough detail to make me feel as though I'm part of the story but I felt this story had way too much detail! I often skipped paragraphs and paragraphs of details because it was just never ending. There was more description than there was story, at times.
Who Should Read This: I guess if you're interested in reading it, it was just okay. Have patience and persistence.
THE VAMPIRE LESTAT (The Vampire Chronicles #2)Written by: Anne Rice
Publication date: November 29, 1997 (first published in 1985)
Released in Paperback and Hardcover
3 stars and let me tell you why. Even though I didn't really care for this (I didn't even finish it) it is a classic; an original. The writing is masterful and I don't think you should skip it all together. They say to appreciate the future, you must first learn from your past. I don't know if anybody ever said that, but it sounds good!
Synopsis: find synopsis on http://www.goodreads.com/
My Review: In addition to Interview with the Vampire, this book was also amazingly descriptive. It had its "wow" moments but again, too slowly paced. I felt like Rice didn't have enough story to fill the page requirement so she used up a lot of space describing things for two or three paragraphs. I didn't like how Lestat seemed to be a completely different person than Louis depicted him in Interview. I don't know how it all turned out, if Lestat ended up becoming what I expected, because I just couldn't endure it all the way to the end.
I kept stopping to read other books and starting again. It took me weeks just to make it halfway!
Who Should Read This: I don't often read a book that I encourage people not to read, but this one was just painful. I honestly couldn't get through to the end, only about half way. It was too boring, too slowly paced.
These are some other classices I plan to read:
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
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