Product Description
In this mesmerizing novel, the acclaimed author of THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES and the LIVES OF THE MAYFAIR WITCHES makes real for us the exquisite and otherworldly society of the eighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe, men who lived as idols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yet shunned as half-men.
As we are drawn into their dark and luminous story, as the crowds of Venetians, Neopolitans, and Romans, noblemen and peasants, musicians, prelates, princes, saints, and intriguers swirl around them, Anne Rice brings us into the sweep of eighteenth-century Italian life, into the decadence beneath the shimmering surface of Venice, the wild frivolity of Naples, and the magnetic terror of its shadow, Vesuvius. It is a novel that only Anne Rice could have written, taking us into a heartbreaking and enchanting moment in history, a time of great ambition and great suffering--a tale that challenges our deepest images of the masculine and the feminine.
"To read Anne Rice is to become giddy as if spinning through the mind of time."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"Dazzling in its darkness...Spellbinding."
--The New York Times
Amazon.com Review
The acclaimed author of Servant of the Bonesmakes real for us the exquisite and otherworldly society of theeighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranoswhose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulationof the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe, men who lived asidols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yetshunned as half men. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (142)

A Voice in the Night
Wow! This was a surprise. Never knew Anne Rice existed until she joined a chat group and bought my book. I figured the least I could do was return the favor and buy a book of this author I had never heard of. Needless to say, she didn't need my favors. However, I am glad I did. My choice was "Cry to Heaven" as it fell into my realm of understanding; weaving its intricate web around the world of Italian opera in the 18th century. I was well aware of the castrati--castrated young males whose families, mostly impoverished, sacrificed their young boys with beautiful voices in the hopes of preserving the voice and securing a financially advantageous future. What I didn't know, and am still dubious of, is that a castrated male can still have an erection. Tonio, the aristocratic Venetian victim, is castrated by his jealous "brother" (really his banished father who returns to Venice after the death of HIS father) so he will be unable to procreate and therefore not be next in the royal lineage. Anne Rice makes no apologies and spares no details as she describes the services provided by Tonio to just about every male in the book that he encounters: classmate Domenico, teacher Guido, a young man on the street who he lures into his carriage, Vatican Cardinal, fencing partner...

She paints entrancing atmospheres in words: the byways and canals of Venice, the sounds of singing in the night air, the light of the water reflecting off the ceilings of the palaces. The kidnapping and forced castration of the young adolescent, with opium dulling the pain, are chillingly described. (One wonders how many of these unfortunate victims died of secondary infections.) One also wonders how she can make stuff like this up? It's a most twisted and unexpected plot at the beginning and never wastes a moment in mindless meandering. There is always a direction...a purpose to every phrase.

And it is almost as though Ms Rice knows what it is like to sing. She describes the training of the voice, the exercises, the excitement of the performance as though she was a singer in a past lifetime. Exemplary.

The end is for the reader to anticipate. Will Tonio accomplish his objective of sworn revenge upon his TRUE father who was banished from Venice for impregnating a "common" girl--Tonio's mother, or is it enough for him to have the world at his feet as its "Primo Uomo?"

Unexpected
It is a great novel, although it does not follow the gothic trend in Rice's books but the plot is great and the main's character story in itself is also amazing.

Wonderful Tale with Historical Context
I just finished this book a week ago and have thought about picking it up and reading it again already. A classic Rice work, her writing is so detailed you would think see wrote the book while watching all the events in the lives of the main characters Guido and Tonio unfold.

Provocatively accurate (I am sure) she details the "behind closed doors" activities of the famous Castrati of the 17th - 19th centuries. Detailing the loves, misgivings and deeds of each and how they interlace with one another. The Italian Opera with all its glorious voices, preparation and people add to the fascination behind the story.

The richly detailed descriptions of Venice, Rome and Naples allow the reader to visualize the scenery on their mind. The reader also comes to understand Tonio and slow, time-biding quest for revenge.

This is a wonderful piece of literature and as usual Rice doesn't disappoint.

Too many words
I like Anne Rice's writing. She's a master of plot and description, but in this case she over-wrote, filling page after page with unnecessary words. The relationship between the main character, Tonio, and Carlo didn't ring true. Carlo's motivation and actions weren't explained well enough to be understood by the reader. The numerous graphic sex scenes were overdone, and the character Christina was not developed as she should have been. Although the ending was somewhat satisfying, the reader is left hanging, with the feeling that serious problems lay ahead. All in all, a disappointment.

One of Rice's best
I love this book.I will say it again, I LOVE THIS BOOK.I have probably read it five times.As with all of Rice's books, her characters are so believable.When I first became interested in Anne Rice it was for her Mayfair Witches and Vampire Chronicles.This is probably my second favorite book of hers next to The Witching Hour.Read this book....do it! ... Read more

Product Description
"Who was she?" That was the first thought that came intomy mind when I saw her in the bookstore.

Who was shereally?

She's Belinda. She's sixteen years old. She's theobject of one man's ultimate fantasy. And she's one of the most"uniquely sensual and provocative" heroines to emerge from the"fearless" imagination of New York Times bestselling authorAnne Rice.

"Call her the It Girl of contemporaryfiction. Whatever the venue, she's never too squeamish to reach outand touch it."-Rolling Stone

"Her voluptuous prose draws readers into anerotic landscape where the sensual delights are dark-edged...andutterly compelling."-Village Voice"A wry and richly textureddiary of 'forbidden love.' A compelling blend of mystery andromance."-Kirkus Reviews

"Easily one of the most naturalstorytellers on the modern scene... Belinda is certainly her mostcontroversial to date."-San Francisco ChronicleAmazon.com Review
An erotic and controversial tale of seduction and obsessionfrom the best-selling author of Exit to Eden.Belinda isthe ultimate fantasy.A golden-haired object of desire, fresh anduninhibited.But to Jeremy Walker, a handsome and famous 44-year oldillustrator of children's books, Belinda is a forbidden passion, bothbeguiling and bewitching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (103)

Could've done without the...
..."and Introducing Belinda" section. How boring, drawn out. I understand the need for the concept of the letter/story Belinda sent Jeremy but I certainly don't understand the lengthiness of it all, presented in an absolutely dull version of stream of conciousness.

Otherwise, this taboo love story is mysterious, erotic, and entertaining. Though the metaphors, undertones, and such are shallow and obvious, surface, Anne Rice writes an entirely entertaining modern Lolita tale.

Loved this book!
This book has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for years. I finally decided to read it, and what an unexpected gem it was! I found myself totally engrossed in the story. I was so anxious to find out how things would turn out with Jeremy and Belinda, that I had to finish the book within a couple of days.Although the story is probably a bit far fetched, it is still capable of sweeping you away if you let it. I loved this book!

Beginning
It is a nice story, quite related to Nabokov's Lolita. This is not the Gothic Anne Rice" but it is very well written.

Awful!
My review of this book consists of the following adjectives: boring, mundane, tedious, stupid, pathetic.Worse - the protagonist is a self-pitying idiot!It was a complete waste of money!

One of Ms. Rice's better works
This is probably the last Anne Rice book I will ever read. I read all of her other works (even the Sleeping Beauty trilogy) with the exception of her new Christian novels. Belinda riveted me, and I kept wanting to read more and more, I was always disappointed when I had to set it down. For a love affair between a older man and a teenager, this really was well-written (not her best, but still rather good) and it saddens me to see that an author with such talent was reduced to writing the tripe of Blackwood Farm and Blood Canticle. ... Read more

Product Description
This tale of a tormented musical genius moves across time and place, from 19th-century New Orleans to the Rio de Janeiro of the late 1990s. It traces three charismatic figures, bound to one another by a passionate commitment to music as a means of rapture, seduction, or liberation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Don't bother
This book is terrible.I had to force myself to read it thinking it may get better.I like Anne Rice's books, but this one is just not worth reading.

Lovely
This Anne Rice book is very imaginative, creative on different levels and aspects, and beautiful in its poetic form.Triana and Stefan are the main characters in this book.Both of them have their own problems they have to deal with, and these problems are not little by any means.

This book is very carefully written.Triana is the first you learn about, and then Stefan's fantastic history is made to light later on in the book.But each character is connected by a perfect violin throughout.Eventually, their pains in life comes full circle at the end with resolve.

Their lives are fantastic and a bit unrealistic at the same time.But that is the gem of fiction.You can make the unrealistic realistic.

Mostly, I did enjoy the inclusion of great past figures like Mozart, Salieri, and even Beethoven.Music is the link between all these characters that are included.The music of a violin.

You might enjoy Triana in all her New Orleans glory and pain, and Stefan in his ghostly state.You might enjoy the descriptive poetry and lavish sights they take you to.Then again you might love the dream state the characters involve you in.Find your love in this book and enjoy your read.

Thanks,
Joy

keeps you guessing whats going to happen next
In life, a 19th-century Viennese aristocrat who studied the violin with Beethoven, Stefan Stefanovsky, torments Triana with her lack of talent, then transports her into his own past, where she witnesses his death and hears performances by Beethoven and Paganini. Returning to the present, Triana makes a journey to Brazil where she believes her daughter may be reincarnated.

This is a really excellent story.Once I started reading it I did not want to put it down.I could not be more impressed by a book. It was a book that dealt with all of my emotions. I was very moved by the powerful words she used. Another great thing about the book is it offers something for people of all ages. I myself am young and I couldn't enjoy a book more than I did Violin.

A Ghostly Serenade
This is an interesting tale, although at times I wanted to stop reading.The first third of the book bogs down a bit as we get long dialogues between Triana Becker and Stephan the ghost.It is a romantic kind of tale.Faced with the death of her second husband Karl from AIDS who left her a wealthy New Orleans widow, Triana lays in bed with the corpse for days lamenting until a mysterious stranger comes to serenade her with the beautiful violin.This is music so gorgeous, that it casts a spell that makes one seem to lose track of time and place.We discover as family comes and goes that the violinist is a ghost who was a pupil of Beethoven and died trying to rescue an especially rare long necked Stratavarius violin.Stephan sees into her mind, brings back memories of loss such as Triana's child Lily, her divorce from her first husband, the death of her alcoholic mother, the disappearance of her much-loved sister Faye, & the recriminations of her sister Katrinka.However, the haunting goes awry as Triana snatches the violin and will not return it.Here, the novel really picks up the pace as we are transported back centuries into Stephan's life in Vienna as the son of a wealthy Russian diplomat who funds Beethovan to educate his son.Triana and ghost Stephan step outside of this world of the past as they see the real-life memory Stephan rescue the violin from his father's burning palace, fight with his father when Stephan wants to study with Paganini, and murder his father after he smashes his fingers with a cane for the son's disobedience.We see Stephan murdered by guards and go through the discovery of his ghostly existence.All of this is punctuated by beautiful dream-like visions of Triana.Apparently, this is a contest of wills between the living and the dead.Triana is victorious and winds up mysteriously transported from her New Orleans home to Vienna, unable to explain the shadowland she has traversed.Triana becomes master of the violin, inherits Stephan's talent for music, and gives concerts globally.She becomes wealthy beyond her already considerable estate.The novel concludes in Rio, which is beautifully described.Ghostly dreams from the first part of the novel are brought into reality in Rio.Rice does a good job of bringing us through the second two-thirds of the book to the final resolution.While the pacing is not completely excellent, there is a lyrical quality to the way Anne describes the power of the music.All in all, this was an interesting tale, a mostly pleasant read.Enjoy!

The unlikely vampire story
This is my first book I read by Anne Rice.I decided to hear it on tape during my interstate trip by car.I was suprised to see that vampire character had a tortured past and that the enourmous suffering he encountered propelled him to cross roads with the middle aged woman from New Orleans horribly shaken by the losses in her life.The two are joined by their love for the violin and the wonderful music the instrument produces.It is an unlikely story of redemption for both characters and that is what I liked about this book. ... Read more

Product Description
The hypnotic, deeply seductive novels of Anne Rice have captivated millions of fans around the world. It all began a quarter of a century ago with Interview with the Vampire. Now, in one chilling volume, here are the first three classic novels of The Vampire Chronicles.

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
Witness the confessions of a vampire. A novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force, it is a story of danger and flight, love and loss, suspense and resolution, and the extraordinary power of the senses.

“A magnificent, compulsively readable thriller . . . Anne Rice begins where Bram Stoker and the Hollywood versions leave off and penetrates directly to the true fascination of the myth–the education of the vampire.”
–Chicago Tribune

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT
Once an aristocrat from pre-revolutionary France, now a rock star in the decadent 1980s, Lestat rushes through the centuries seeking to fathom the mystery of his existence. His is a mesmerizing story–passionate and thrilling.

“Frightening, sensual . . . A psychological, mythological sojourn . . . Anne Rice will live on through the ages of literature. . . . To read her is to become giddy as if spinning through the mind of time.”
–San Francisco Chronicle

QUEEN OF THE DAMNED
Akasha, the queen of the damned, has risen from a six-thousand-year sleep to let loose the powers of the night. She has a marvelously devious plan to “save” mankind–in this vivid novel of the erotic, electrifying world of the undead.

“With The Queen of the Damned, Anne Rice has created universes within universes, traveling back in time as far as ancient, pre-pyramidic Egypt and journeying from the frozen mountain peaks of Nepal to the crowded, sweating streets of southern Florida.”
–Los Angeles Times

Amazon.com Review
The ornate, casket-like packaging and neogothic graphic designof this immortal trilogy is eerily enticing on its own. But just liftthe lid, slide the first tape from its ghostly sleeve, and you'll soonembrace the hypnotic realm of the undead.

Book 1, Interview withthe Vampire, opens with the seductive purr of F. Murray Abraham(Amadeus) stating, "I was a 25-year-old man when I became avampire, and the year was 1791." And so our ultimate antihero, Louis,begins the elaborate retelling of his long, tortured life as avampire. Winding through the ages, from New Orleans to Paris, wefollow Louis and his undying mentor, Lestat, as they feed on humans,whet their carnal appetites, and uncover an underworld of vampirebrethren.

Book 2, The Vampire Lestat, brings us up to date,with Lestat waking from his earthen slumber to join the ranks of rocksuperstardom before sitting down to share the tale of his own hauntinginitiation into the vampire world. Michael York (Cabaret) putshis wonderfully fluid, cosmopolitan voice to good use, adding a dashof sly humor to this fast-paced, satisfying blend of sex and blood androck and roll.

Book 3, The Queen of the Damned, takes usback, all the way back to ancient Egypt, exposing the origins of thevampire way. Narrating in eerily serene and gracious tones, KateNelligan (The Prince of Tides) leads us gently down this bloodypath of immortal desires. David Purdham gives the voice of Lestat awistful quality, tinged with an evil relish that exposes the mastervampire's sanguine tastes.

Anne Rice has continued her VampireChronicles beyond these three novels, but that shouldn't make thiscollection any less tempting to either the undead initiate orcertified vampire junkie. --George Laney ... Read more

Customer Reviews (58)

jw
This was a christmas present for someone which I had recieved a used appearing book with the binding broken in when I had paid for a new one. The problem was addressed with a refund promptly.

Excellent books but recording is abridged.
All the positive reviews of these three Vampire Chronicles state the absolute truth about the books. AND about the unabridged recording of the Interview with the Vampire book that is NOT included in this set.

What people fail to mention about this set is that each book is reduced to only 2 hours of reading time each. The original Interview book was recorded on 13 CDs (that means Interview was recorded on 13 CDs for approximately 15 hours of unabridged story, versus 2 hours on these cassettes.)

How can you possibly do justice to these books in 1/8th of the time? That is only 1/8th of an incredibly rich story.

Just say no to this and read the book for yourself.

Best Vampire Books You'll Ever Read
The three books in this volume are all AMAZING, and I'm proud to say that they are some of, if not my favorite books. They have so much substance to them, so much complexity and emotion. I haven't felt nearly as emotional while reading a book as I did while reading these. The characters dig into your heart and stay there forever.
Out of the three, I might say I liked "Queen of the Damned" the best, but only because there were just so many happy reunions and I loved how it had a nice, clean ending.. (Why, oh why couldn't it stop there?) I liked "The Vampire Lestat" too, a close second. "Interview with the Vampire" was just as good, but I have to say Lestat is a much more fun narrator. Lestat and Louis have got to be my favorite fictional characters of all time. Oh, I just love them both so much, I could go on forever! Their relationship is so tragically adorable.
This is a superb trilogy, with a solid ending. I laughed and I cried. They made me think, and I found so much inspiration in them. I will forever treasure them!
A note on this edition: I think it's perfect. In my opinion, the three books included in this are the only ones worth reading. :P

Three of the Greatest Vampire Novels Ever Written.
The Vampire Chronicles Vol.I holds three of Anne Rice's great vampiric masterpieces behind it's covers.

Interview With The Vampire tells the story of Louis, a plantation master outside of New Orleans who after the death of his brother spirals into depression. Enter the vampire Lestat who offers him the 'Dark Gift' of immortality and issues him forth into the world eternal life and unending hunger.

The Vampire Lestat, the second book, finds Lestat awoken in the modern era by the sound of 80's rock. Lestat takes over a band and uses his music to summon forth some old lovers and deadly enemies while telling the tale of how he came to be.

Queen of the Damned, the final book, finds Lestat and his immortal companions up against the mother of the vampires, Akasha. Told through the eyes of the ancients and newly turned vampires alike, Queen of the Damned chronicles the beginning of the vampire race and the clash against a Queen who would devour all of mankind.

A must have for all vampire fans!

For Anne Rice Fans
I would recommand this Book to anyone that Loves "Vampire's" and Anne Rice this collection of her Vampire chronicles is great you can have them all in one book and enjoy. I know i did. ... Read more

Product Description
Before the Civil War, there lived in Louisiana, people unique in Southern history. For though they were descended from African slaves, they were also descended from the French and Spanish who enslaved them. In this dazzling historical novel, Anne Rice chronicles four of these so-called Free People of Color--men and women caught periolously between the worlds of master and slave, privilege and oppression, passion and pain.
"Anne Rice seems to be at home everywhere....She makes us believe everything she sees."
THE NEW YORK TIMES
... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

Good value
I received the book in excellent condition.A very good value.Our book group gave this book a "10".A superior piece of writing by Anne Rice.

Like Wading Through Treacle or Drowning in Chocolate Cake
I am on page 200 and will probably not go on.I agree with the reader who said reading this book is almost painful, it is SO SLOW and there is so little PLOT.Just dense dense background and evocation of New Orleans in 1830.I love re visiting the New Orleans of 1830, but this novel is so artificially constructed.There are many build ups where the reader thinks: at last something is going to happen - only to have another very flat climax.On one page our 14 year old hero spoke "wearily" 3 times!!I too was speaking wearily after drudging through this book.Probably only for true Rice devotees.

A beautiful pleasure ...
I read this book when it first came out when I was 16 & loved it.I've re-read it periodically & still love it (I think this makes my fourth read).The good thing about re-reading books is all the different perspectives you bring & the new things you notice because you've grown & changed.

When I was 16 I was taken with the romanticism of the book - the free people of color, the world of Antebellum New Orleans, the various love stories - what teenager wouldn't swoon?At this point I still enjoy the romanticism, but the history means even more &, most of all, I love the search for identity & the love of books & learning that is evident throughout this story.

This is not Anne Rice writing poorly (or otherwise) about paranormal things.This is Anne Rice writing well about history.I've always thought she wrote 4 really good books:this one, plus Interview With the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, & Cry to Heaven.At some point she just started turning out page after page of garbage & I gave up on her.I return to this book often, though.Its characters & its sense of place & time draw me into its world & make me reluctant to leave.This is a good book.

Pure and simply... literature at its best.
This is pure and simply literature at its best. To me, this is her best work ever, as much as everyone thinks Interview is... forget it. This is literature that will go down in history to be read by future generations. This is the piece of work that will stand out from all the rest of her work, in 100 years from now. It's a masterpiece. It's perfection.

Though not perfect I'm glad I read it.
The Feast of All Saints is a book I will remember for sometime to come. But first off all let me get the things I didn't like out of the way. Some of the action feels too melodramatic. It does not have the typical story arc, which is fine in itself as other epic novels have taken that approach, but the overall structure just didn't work completely for me. And it's a depressing read much of the time. Many of the characters seem so unhappy so often that it was hard for me to read more than 20 or 25 pages at one sitting. I know these people were isolated, but I would think that isolation would bring them together more often instead of so much of the time being mean to each other.

Now to the good. This is a powerful novel with some very well done sequences of drama, and on a historical level it's absolutely fascinating how they bring this community, the gens de couleur, to life. They were a group of mixed race people in Louisiana before the civil war, who actually lived free in a community, albeit with less rights than the whites had. I'm sure Anne Rice did amazing research in preparing this historical fiction. This community is so vividly detailed that it forced me to believe even some of the more melodramatic parts.

These characters are for the most part well developed and pretty fascinating, especially the books main protagonist Marcel, and major characters Christophe and Anna Bella. Their internal struggles are done well, if a little too drawn out sometimes. As in any good book there are characters you love, and characters you hate, and both are important to the fates of everyone.

It's a terrific work of historical fiction but it will be hard for many people to get into, and hard for others to read on an emotional level. If you're a serious reader and give it a chance you'll probably come to enjoy it for what it is. It's an important untold part of history that will live on all the more thanks to Anne Rice.
... Read more

Product Description
A book of interviews with some of the masters of Christian horror, scifi, fantasy, and thriller fiction, including invaluable insights into the art of writing Christian fiction for a wide audience. Included among the honored guests are:

Angel Time authoress Anne Rice

Field of Blood author Eric Wilson

Scream author Mike Dellosso

Melanie Wells – author of My Soul to Keep

Daniel G. Keohane – author of Solomon’s Grave

Ellen C. Maze – author of Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider

Sean Casteel – author of The Excluded Books of the Bible

Knights of Breton Court author Maurice Broaddus

Shadowman author Kevin Maze

Distant Thunder author Jimmy Root Jr.

Day Omega author Craig Harms

Tim Powers – author of The Anubis Gates and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Strange Tides

G. P. Taylor -, author of Shadowmancer

Kirk Outerbridge - author of Eternity Falls

John Aubrey Anderson – author of The Cool Woman

Glenn Sasscer – author of Suffering Madness

Fred Warren - author of The Muse

Harry Kraus - author of The Six-Liter Club

Mike Angley – author of the Child Finder Trilogy

Robin Parrish – author of Offworld and The Dominion Trilogy

Michelle Levigne – creator of the Commonwealth Universe books

Jeffrey Overstreet -author of Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth and Evil at the Movies

Brandt Dodson – crime novelist





Stories of inspiration:

Taking Out the Trash / by Sarah Lewry

Inspirational Places / by Maurice Broaddus

The Sand Dollar / by Wesley B. Rose

My Father's Angels / by Kay Johnson McCrary

Why Won't You Bless Me? / by Paul D. Deleon
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

An AMAZING COLLECTION of Author Interviews!
David Boyer has collected interviews from some of the most amazing fiction writers in the world today, and I say that with all sincerity as I know a lot of these and am familiar with their work. I love the diversity of the interviews too--he asks questions that are apropos to the individual author, so no two interviews are alike. It's a real bonus that Boyer took the time to include really nice, large photographs of each author. He also allows plenty of wiggle room for the authors to be humorous or serious or downright silly--according to their personal style of writing. It's little touches like these that keep the book from being too dry, and shows you the professionalism and dedication to his work this author/editor has.

Bravo David! Well done!

Ellen C Maze
Author of Christian Horror/Paranormal Fiction

The PDF version has been replaced with an RTF, formatting is now fixed.
The PDF file of this Amazon Kindle has been replaced with an RTF version as of 06/16/2010. We apologize for any unsatisfied customers. We recommend requesting a refund and then reordering the improved file.

Sincerely,
Tamara Wilhite
Digital Publications Manager for Into the Light Productions

Great interviews, lousy formatting
The interviews in this e-book are great, many of the better "Christian" fiction-thriller writers out there, Eric Wilson, Robin Parrish, Anne Rice, Tim Powers, etc...

But the formatting makes it nearly impossible to read!The interview questions are italicized and all run into each other so you can barely read it and the titles of each section are so badly done, it's hard to tell what the title is, because some words are repeated and some aren't. ... Read more

Product Description

Amazon.com Review
In the now-classic novel Interview with the Vampire,Anne Rice refreshed the archetypal vampire myth for alate-20th-century audience. The story is ostensibly a simple one:having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisianaplantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholicstupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, acharismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be hisfledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to ayoung girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancientvampire Armand) in Paris. But a summary of this story bypasses thecentral attractions of the novel. First and foremost, the method Ricechose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to askeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into ahighly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure. Second, byentering the experience of an immortal character, one raised with adeep Catholic faith, Rice was able to explore profound philosophicalconcerns--the nature of evil, the reality of death, and the limits ofhuman perception--in ways not possible from the perspective of a morefinite narrator.

While Rice has continued to investigate history, faith, and philosophyin subsequent Vampire novels (including The VampireLestat, TheQueen of the Damned, The Tale of the BodyThief, Memnochthe Devil, and The VampireArmand), Interview remains a treasured masterpiece. Itis that rare work that blends a childlike fascination for thesupernatural with a profound vision of the humancondition. --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (607)

Vapire Vamping
this book was my first experience w/vampires in literature. of course i've grown up w/vampires in the movies & on tv, but this was my first experience reading in depth about them as an adult. i love ann rice's historical & documanted "truths" within this story. she makes it real! i love this book, & i recommend it to everyone that hasn't read it & to those who have. it's a must read especially w/all the media hype surrounding this subject today!

A Real vampire story
All the hype over vampires made me read this book. I knew of course that Rice was in a different league than Stephenie Meyer, but I was even more pleasently surprised. This is a classic book with more depth than Meyer could shake a stick at. Anne Rice will always be the queen of the vampires to me. :)

Didn't have dust jacket
This book was perfect exept it didn't come with a dust jacket like It said it woul other than that great book loved it

I finally read the whole thing!
This is a tale more philosophical than active. While Rice has a rich mythology to draw from, she seems rather too preoccupied with the nature of the vampire vs. the nature of humanity. Is her protagonist damned at the start, or must he earn it?
While Part Three ends with a climax, and Part Four should contain a denouement, it's more a rambling about pain and loneliness than any kind of wrap-up of the book's plot. I only intend to read the rest of the series because I am quite taken with the Taltos and am aware that the series merge.

A TEDIOUS BORE!
I'm not sure where to start, really. A close friend of mine was desperately hooked on Twilight, and so I decided to pick this up in an attempt to show her what a "real" vampire book was like. Anne Rice is such a hero in the Genre, I thought I couldn't lose. Boy, was I wrong.

The entire book had a theme, I get that. Louis battles internally with the idea of being human vs being supernatural. But, his oversensitivity to every little detail is nothing short of ridiculous. For a vampire, Louis is, well... a wuss. He doesn't WANT to feed, but he does. He doesn't like his nature, but he revels in it. The tennis match going on in his head is exhausting, and it sets the tone for the entire piece.

Thankfully, this book is short of 350 pages. However, this book feels like War and Peace! I found myself reading this book in stages. 25 pages here, 10 pages there... it was a complete chore! The word boring doesn't do any justice to my true feelings for this book.

Lastly, the worst thing about this book is that it insists upon itself. The gothic style lends itself nicely to the dark nature of this book, which is a legitimate writing device, sure.. but that's all it is. Massive buildups that yield nothing fruitful in the way of action or any substantial turn of events.

I popped a cork after finishing this one! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

new tales of the vampires
Anne has done it again.This woman knows more about vampires than the Count does.Excellent book in that now these are not just names in the chronicles.

Extraordinary
This book is simply amazing. I give it 5 stars. A must-read, especially for vampire fans!

New yet old
Anne Rice started off with the tales of Louis and Lestat, but eventually branched out to include the "New Tales of the Vampires," stories about minor vampires who have their own stories to tell. Sadly, while "Pandora" is a decent vampire tale, "Vittorio" is an unfortunate stumble.

"Pandora" is given a journal to tell her story in -- and it's a wild tale. Reluctantly telling her story to new vampire David Talbot (a "chronicler" of vampire tales), Pandora describes her early life: a pampered Roman girl, who fled the destruction of her family. In Antioch she is saved by the ancient vampire Marius, who turns her into a vampire.

"Vittorio" is a heretofore unknown vampire: a beautiful, wealthy teenager living in Renaissance Italy, the middle of art and beauty in the 15th century. But when Vittorio's family is murdered by vampires, he alone is spared to become one of the undead, and the lover of beautiful vamp (in more than one sense) Ursula. But he tears away from her, and finds that vampires are not the only ones who can create horrors...

Anne Rice's more recent works suffer in comparison to her early Vampire Chronicles, and the "New Tales of the Vampires" fall victim to that. Taken alone, they're not half bad. "Pandora" is undoubtedly the stronger tale, with its more intelligent storyline and lesser focus on angst and religion (religion in books can be a good thing, but Rice smothers "Vittorio" in it). And at the end of the day, the books feel... like filler, something to hold over the fans.

Her writing is unquestionably beautiful -- Rice's prose is as rich and deep as fine velvet. And "Pandora" moves along at a slow but steady clip, well-written and apparently well-thought out; the only problem is that Rice could have expanded the book into a sprawling horror/historical drama... and didn't. "Vittorio" makes up for its lack of plot by being almost absurdly overwrought at times.

Anne Rice's books tend to focus more on men than on women, which makes Pandora all the more appealing -- she's strong, witty and intelligent. That also makes Vittorio all the more wimpy. Old characters like Marius pop up in "Pandora," making welcome appearances. But "Vittorio" has... nobody we already know. It's not a flaw in itself, but it may be a bit disorienting for fans.

"The New Tales of the Vampires" are not the best that Anne Rice has written, and far from the worst. The prettily written "Pandora" and overworked "Vittorio" are an interesting diversion, but they still feel like filler. ... Read more

Product Description
"The reader is held captive, and, ultimately, seduced."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Ramses the Great has awakened in Edwardian London. Having drunk the elixir of life, he is now Ramses the Damned, doomed forever to wander the earth, desperate to quell hungers that can never be satisfied. Although he pursues voluptuous aristocrat Julie Stratford, the woman for whom he desperately longs is Cleopatra. And his intense longing for her, undiminished over the centuries, will force him to commit an act that will place everyone around him in the gravest danger....
Amazon.com Review
InThe Mummy Anne Rice weaves the same magic for the world and history of mummies that she previouslydid for the worlds and mythologies ofvampires and witches.Ramses theGreat lives, but having drunk the elixir of life, he is now Ramses theDamned, doomed forever to wander the earth, desperate to quell certainmummy hungers that can never be satisfied! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (196)

Huge disappointment
I'd found Servant of the Bones (Mass Market Paperback) in my university library and had enjoyed it greatly, so I thought I'd let Anne Rice entertain me again with a book about one of my greatest interests, Egypt. She didn't.

Because of the settings and locations--early 1900s London and Egypt--and the characters--a murdered British archeologist and the main character, his Edwardian daughter--I kept thinking (or hoping) I was reading an Elizabeth Peters novel. But I every time I thought it, I was reminded that it sadly wasn't by the utter badness that was everywhere in this book. There was the badness of the writing, the characterization, the story, and probably other things that I can't even remember anymore. It was basically a romance novel.

just okay, especially for Rice, spoilers
the wrong man was killed early on leaving us with a truly lousy villain to deal with for most of the novel.The heroine is apparently in her mid twenties and has never had sex and holds out against the eon old pharoah love god for way too long.her inner dialogues on should she or shouldn't she are very annoying.the introduction of cleopatra was completely unnecessary and throws any sense of morality out the window as the confused damaged creature goes on a murder spree including the villain in a most unsatisfying fashion.the miracle potion is far too powerful to contemplate in any meaningful way.on the bright side the female lust is entertaining and Anne's picture on the back cover is pretty sexy

One of my favorites!
It has been along time since I read this book but it is one of my favorites!I highly recommend this read.In my opinion Anne Rice took the one monster who was a bit boring and never did much and turned it into a character as facinating and debonair as Count Dracula!She has done an excellent job of mixing romance and horror together.

Wonderful read
At 4.5/5 stars, the Mummy stands out as one of Ms. Rice's best standalone novels, and is even better than some of her Vampire books (the later ones, anyway) The read is entertaining and the characters are fluid. Not everyone might like this book, but the descriptions have the flair Ms. Rice used to have before her novels started to go sour (around Blackwood Farm/Blood Canticle) and I definitely loved reading this book. I would give this book a perfect 5 stars if Ms. Rice had gone through with her message at the end of this book and made a sequel.

Love My Mummy
I don't know why they never made a movie out of this book.I honestly believe that this is one of the bestest books I ever, ever read.I actually read it about four times before the cover fell off. ... Read more

Product Description

Educated in the Florence of Cosimo de' Medici, trained in knighthood at his father's mountaintop castle, Vittorio inhabits a world of courtly splendor and country pleasures--a world suddenly threatened when his entire family is confronted by an unholy power.

In the midst of this upheaval, Vittorio is seduced by the beautiful and sinister vampire Ursula--setting in motion a chilling chain of events that will mark his life for eternity. Against a backdrop of the wonders--both sacred and profane--and the beauty and ferocity of Renaissance Italy, Anne Rice creates a passionate and tragic legend of doomed young love and lost innocence.Amazon.com Review
Tired of the same old vampires? Check out Anne Rice's new raceof undead bloodsuckers, independent of the Lestat series. Heralterna-vamp books began with Pandora, but thesecond of her New Tales of the Vampires, Vittorio, istruly a new beginning--a more controlled story and probably the bestof her last half-dozen books.

Rice has called Vittorio her vampire version of Romeo andJuliet. The hunky Vittorio is sweet 16 and "incalculably rich" in15th-century Italy, the epoch of the Medicis and Vittorio's favoritepainter, madly passionate Filippo Lippi. Florence is toVittorio what New Orleans is to Interview with theVampire.

One night, Vittorio's family is butchered by vampires. The gorgeousUrsula spares Vittorio to make him her reluctant undyingsweetheart. Ursula's ravishings of Vittorio recall the erotica Ricewrote under her own name and the pen names Anne Rampling andA.N. Roquelaure.

Vittorio flees to the creepy town of Santa Maddalana, which has made apact to sacrifice its young to Lord Florian's vampire horde. Vittoriois bent on revenge as he invades the eerie Court of the Ruby Grail(i.e. blood), as angry with the child-sacrificing humans as he is withFlorian's fang gangsters. Torn between lust, murderous rage, andvampire thirst, Vittorio is one interestingly troubled soul.

Rice urges readers to enter Vittorio's world by reading the sourcesshe embroiders, FraFilippo Lippi and Public Life in RenaissanceFlorence, and to get a feel for the scary communion Vittoriosees in the Court of the Ruby Grail by listening to All Souls'Vespers. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (260)

great book!
One in the many of this series! Once you get to this one, you can't wait to find out what is happening. Very good book!

Best Anne Rice novel in years ...
Best Anne Rice novel in years ...

As good if not better than "Lestat, the Vampire" ... with the added benefit this novel doesn't go off (and on and on) on improbable crazy tangents that bore the reader to death.

Great read.Hard to put down.

Eh...
Vittorio The Vampire is one of Anne Rice's two 'New Tales of the vampires.'

Don't let the title fool you. It's just a Vampire Chronicle in disguise. It takes place in the same unvierse as her Vampire Chronicles, mentions the characters of The Vampire Chronicles and the other 'New Tales of the vampires' has to be read between certain two Vampire Chronicles in order to know what's going on with Lestat and Armand.

The only difference between The Vampire Chronicles and the New Tales of the vampires is the book shape. That's it. Anne Rice was under contract in the mid-nineties to write two books a year for about five years, one Vampire Chronicle and one other. These so-called 'New tales of the Vampires' are how she side stepped the contract. If you notice once the contract ran out she stopped writing the New Tales of the Vampires all together and stopped talking about them as if they were a separate series.

The full The Vampire Chronicles are

Interview with the vampire (Made into a film)

The Vampire Lestat (Adapted into two different plays called Lestat)

The queen of the damned (Not to be confused with the awful film of the same name)

Tale of the body thief

Memnoch The Devil

Pandora (New Tales of the vampires. It has to be read at this point in the books because it tells you that Armand is still alive, important to know before The Vampire Armand and Lestat's comditiion and that David Talbot is now collecting the stories.)

The Vampire Armand

Vittorio the vampire (New tales of the vampires)

(At this point it's best to have read The lives if the Mayfair witches which are The witching hour, Lasher and Taltos)

Merrick (Mayfair witches cross over)

Blood an gold

Blackwood Farm (Mayfair witches cross over)

Blood Canticle (Mayfair witches cross over)


----------------------------

Now on with the review. Vittorio is a teenage boy vampire whom while mortal was instructed by angels that came out of a painting (yes, angels that came out of a painting) to destroy some evil vampires that are keeping humans as drugged cattle. This is also ye 'ol 'You killed my father, prepare to die!' scenario.
Well, Vittorio does just that but there's one he spared. A teenage girl vampire named Ursula. Ursula is in love with Vittorio.
We get a very pointlessly detailed flashback of how when she was first turned into a vampire the other vampires would shove their cold, dead reproductive parts (that don't actually work, because Anne Rice's vampires can't have sex and don't crave sex) into her. That was... really pointless, Anne. You already established they were cruel and petty. This unromantic semi-sex scene was not necessary.

So she tricks our dim little hero by telling him 'If I drink your blood and then you drink the evil out of me, I will be free of this curse!' and Vittorio, whom apparently has never read any vampire story ever, and his angels are off... doing something else... is like 'Uhh... Okay!'

Needless to say he becomes a vampire. He forgives Ursula for tricking him into it and they live happily ever after. Yay! Oh, and the angels have decided to punish him for becoming a vampire by allowing him to see them but they will ignore him. Uh... Okay...

Vittorio was too easily tricked. He came off as an idiot to me. And his seeing angels kept making me think of the boy from sixth sense saying 'I see dead people.' The whole novel felt contrived and riddled with cliches besides very stupid (as in, I'm not sure how they know how to dress themselves) characters.

I read this novel back when it first came out. It's not horrible but by far I would never consider it a very good vampire story.

A treat to read and reread
Having read many of Anne Rice's works (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, Blood and Gold, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty), I can safely say that this is one of her most well-written and beautiful books.I think it took me the whole of about five days to read "Vittorio" from cover to cover, and like Rice's previous works, it didn't fail to mesmerize me.There is something different about this book, however, compared to the others I've read.

Like Rice's other characters, Vittorio is fully realized, coming to life in the reader's mind as he tells his story, but because of his uniqueness he will linger longer, in my mind at least, than even the charismatic Lestat.He is likeable in a way that Lestat could never be, because he is capable of gentleness and mercy, because he never loses his respect and love of humanity.He is not the jaded cynic that Lestat is, but a fragile, humble individual, with a mind hungry for knowledge and a fierce devotion to his family and God.

Always present in Rice's novels is her effortless inclusion of historical facts and period detail.Her writing never gets bogged down by its historical authenticity, though; it never descends into quasi-encyclopedic detail, like so many historical novels do.Rice's characters don't merely exist in their time period to tell of its rich history; they live in it and describe its qualities only to further color the picture of their story in the reader's imagination.In this aspect, Rice excels, and "Vittorio" is no exception.

Despite the fact that "Vittorio" follows Rice's formula of likeable vampire in historical setting, it strays from that formula in its treatment of the titular character. The events of the book revolve largely around supernatural/spiritual themes, yet the story that Vittorio tells is as believable as it is enthralling.Unlike the other books in the Vampire Chronicles series, in which the storyteller (be it Lestat, Louis, or Marius) is in his vampiric state for the bulk of the novel, Vittorio's story encompasses mainly his life as a human.Here is where this novel is unique in the Tales of the Vampires.

Rice's characters are almost always sympathetic to the reader on some level due to the fact that the vampire novels are written in first person, but this quality-- that Vittorio is human throughout most of the book -- lends this particular novel a beauty and heartrending realism that is not present, in my opinion, in the aforementioned others.Vittorio's character is multifaceted and nuanced, like the other vampires', but his human perspective gives him an innocent and courageous appeal that Lestat and Marius just don't have.

Vittorio's story is truly heartbreaking, breathtaking, and utterly believable, at least from a psychological perspective.If you can't reconcile the idea that demons and angels exist, you will certainly be able to identify with Vittorio's feelings of vengeance, wrath, loyalty, love, honor, and bravery.This one of those books that you won't want to put down, and when it's over, you'll wish you had read it more slowly.

Enjoyable
While this book isn't the best of the Chronicles, it's a nice, light read. There's not quite as much angst here - you could say it's a 'lite' Vampire Chronicle novel. Some readers might be dissatisfied by it, but I honestly enjoyed it. I do wish that there would have been more insight into the vampire world, much like Queen of the Damned or Blood and Gold. Still, it's a decent read, with a rather nice vampire. Overall three and a half stars. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Chronicles of the vampires
Anne Rice revamped the vampire-horror genre with the publication of "Interview with the Vampire," a supernational drama from the vampire's own mouth. It became an unexpected hit, and spawned a series of sequels that came to be known as the Vampire Chronicles. The first three books of the series are compiled here, and arguably remain her best.

"Interview With the Vampire" is the story of Louis, a grieving young widower and plantation owner, whose life is turned upside down when he meets the charming vampire Lestat. Lestat offers him a way out: become a vampire. Louis accepts, but once it's done, he finds that vampirism is more than he bargained for -- especially for his conscience.

"The Vampire Lestat" takes a totally different tack, showing us the world through the enigmatic, charming Lestat's eyes. After years of dormancy, Lestat wakes up in time for the early MTV years of the 1980s, becoming a rock star in the tradition of Ozzy and Black Sabbath. And like Louis, Lestat relates his long life's story -- how he became a vampire, his wanderings over the earth, and his investigations into the origins of vampirism itself...

"Queen of the Damned" builds on that research. Lestat's metal music has caused quite a bit of mayhem -- but not this much before: Akasha, Egyptian queen and mother of all vampires, has reawoken from her comalike sleep. The lesser vampires are having strange dreams, some are being murdered by the ruthless queen. Apparently she wants to kill virtually all men. What is more, Akasha has taken a shine to the roguish Lestat himself...

Vampiric autobiography is a given in Anne Rice's bibliography -- she has plenty of bloodsuckers telling us about their lives. But Lestat and Louis's were not just the first ones, but perhaps the most compelling and rich, especially since the two had such radically different viewpoints -- including of one another. Is Lestat a heartless fiend, or a roguish good-craving bad boy? I'd lean towards the latter, to be honest.

The first two books are quite personal -- one is Louis recounting his own miserable life and un-life. Then we get Lestat, a radically different viewpoint, a guy who enjoys his un-life even more than his mortal existance. Finally, there's an epic view of all vampires, throughout history, from the ancient Egyptian queen to the modern biker vamps. And it's rendered in lush, atmosphere-soaked prose that immerses you in the nightside of New Orleans.

Despite the more controversial recent novels, Anne Rice's first Vampire Chronicles are often reckoned to be modern horror/fantasy classics. Rich, intriguing and far deeper than you'd think vampire fiction would be.

Best Damn Vamp Book Period
Beautiful Hardcover edition!!
The book is similar to older (fine) books versus a newer hardcover

Stamped font and (graveyard gates) design on front/back cover and spine
Gold on edges of pages
A red ribbon attached to book that serves as a bookmark
fancy design on inside cover front and back

And the three following are all included
-Interview with the Vampire
-The Vampire Lestat
-The Queen of the Damned

Awesome collector's edition!

***** ALL THE WAY!!!

Purchased March 14th at Barnes and Noble on special- $20.00

gorgeous book!
I love that I can collect nice books like this.It is made beautifully with gold trim on the pages.I love the book!

Very Classy Edition
Very nice hardback with pretty endpapers and nice ribbon bookmark. Looks great on your shelf! A great collector's edition for fans of the series.

The Vampire Chronicles - Buy it!
Awesome book. This is among the best vampire stories ever written. If you're into vampires this is a must read.
Leatherbound is very classy. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1976, a uniquely seductive world of vampires was unveiled in the now-classic Interview with the Vampire . . . in 1985, a wild and voluptous voice spoke to us, telling the story of The Vampire Lestat.  In The Queen of the Damned, Anne Rice continues her extraordinary "Vampire Chronicles" in a feat of mesmeric storytelling, a chillingly hypnotic entertainment in which the oldest and most powerful forces of the night are unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

Three brilliantly colored narrative threads intertwine as the story unfolds:

- The rock star known as Vampire Lestat, worshipped by millions of spellbound fans, prepares for a concert in San Francisco.  Among the audience--pilgrims in a blind swoon of adoration--are hundreds of vampires, creatures who see Lestat as a "greedy fiend risking the secret prosperity of all his kind just to be loved and seen by mortals," fiends themselves who hate Lestat's power and who are determined to destroy him . . .

- The sleep of certain men and women--vampires and mortals scattered around the world--is haunted by a vivid, mysterious dream: of twins with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes who suffer an unspeakable tragedy.  It is a dream that slowly, tauntingly reveals its meaning to the dreamers as they make their way toward each other--some to be destroyed on the journey, some to face an even more terrifying fate at journey's end . . .

- Akasha--Queen of the Damned, mother of all vampires, rises after a 6,000 year sleep and puts into motion a heinous plan to "save" mankind from itself and make "all myths of the world real" by elevating herself and her chosen son/lover to the level of the gods: "I am the fulfillment and I shall from this moment be the cause" . . .

These narrative threads wind sinuously across a vast, richly detailed tapestry of the violent, sensual world of vampirism, taking us back 6,000 years to its beginnings.  As the stories of the "first brood" of blood drinkers are revealed, we are swept across the ages, from Egypt to South America to the Himalayas to all the shrouded corners of the globe where vampires have left their mark. Vampires are created--mortals succumbing to the sensation of "being enptied, of being devoured, of being nothing." Vampires are destroyed.  Dark rituals are performed--the rituals of ancient creatures prowling the modern world.  And, finally, we are brought to a moment in the twentieth century when, in an astonishing climax, the fate of the living dead--and perhaps of the living, all the living--will be decided.


From the Hardcover edition.Amazon.com Review
Did you ever wonder where all those mischievous vampiresroaming the globe in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles came from? Inthis, the third book in the series, we find out. That raucousrock-star vampire Lestat interrupts the 6,000-year slumber of the mamaof all bloodsuckers, Akasha, Queen of the Damned.

Akasha was once the queen of the Nile (she has a bit in common with theEgyptian goddess Isis), and it's unwise to rile her now that she's had 60centuries of practice being undead. She is so peeved about male violence thatshe might just have to kill most of them. And she has her eye on handsomeLestat with other ideas as well.

If you felt that the previous books in the series weren't gory anderotic enough, this one should quench your thirst (though it may causeyou to omit organ meats from your diet). It also boasts God's plentyof absorbing lore that enriches the tale that went before, includingthe back-story of the boy in Interview with theVampire and the ancient fellowship of the Talamasca, whichsnoops on paranormal phenomena. Mostly, the book spins the complexyarn of Akasha's eerie, brooding brood and her nemeses, the terrifyingsisters Maharet and Mekare. In one sense, Queen of the Damnedis the ultimate multigenerational saga. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (250)

Great service
Clearly the seller cares about providing good customer service. Book came as promised on time. Would order from them again for sure.

The Queen of the Damned
At the end of the second novel in the Vampire Chronicles, Lestat has awoken Akasha, the mother, with his music.Now, in the Queen of the Damned, the consequences of that action will become apparent to all vampires the world over as she makes her way to San Fransisco for Lestat's concert and to begin to put her plans into action.

In the days leading up to the concert, both vampires and humans have been experiencing a disturbing dream of red-haired twins and wish to know what it means.Some of these will be drawn to the concert for answers or to witness the events that will unfold, as vampire assassins will attempt to destroy Lestat.

Akasha saves Lestat and destroys many of his enemies that night, but takes Lestat with her when she leaves.In order to get Lestat back, his friends will need to delve deep into the history of the red-haired twins and of the Queen herself.

This novel had many separate storylines that interweave, with the reader being treated to them all coming together for the climax.There is Lestat and Akasha of course, but many old friends make appearances such as Louis, Armand, and Marius.There are also Khayman (an ancient), Maharet (another ancient), and Jesse, a human paranormal investigator with personal ties to the vampires introduced in this novel.I found this to be the most readable of the first three novels with a bit more action and a bit less philosophy.

Fills in a lot of the blanks about Vampires.
The Vampire Lestat awakens Akasha after several thousands of years of slumber.
Akasha takes Lestat on as a new love while destroying millions of lives in her quest to form a female dominated world.
A group of the smartest and eldest of vampires comes together to rid the Earth of her but, it takes the strength and hatred from one ancient person to conquer the ultimate evil.

great book!
This was a really great book, out of the whole series, this was one of the better books!

Painful to read
I found this book to be a pain and bore to finish. I found myself considering more than once to just put the book down and skip to the next book of the series however I made myself complete this one first. The story was a complete bore until the very end of the book. The history of the vampire in this book is sooooo boooooring. I could not wait to just get this one out of the way. I have now started the Tale of the Body Thief and as of now The Queen of the Damned is the worst book in the series for me I do not understand all of the high reviews of this novel. ... Read more

Product Description
Triana -que alguna vez sono con ser una eximia interprete de musica- y Stefan el diabolico violinista, el atormentado espiritu de un aristocrata ruso que comienza a perseguirla y a usar su violin magico para encantarla, luego para dominarla y por ultimo sumergirla en un estado de demencia a traves de la musica que ella ama.Amazon.com Review
If neatness counts for you, don't count on Anne Rice'smusical-ghost novel Violin. It is an eruption of the author'spersonal demons, as messy as the monster bursting from that poorfellow's chest in the movie Alien. Like Rice, the heroineTriana lives in New Orleans, mourns a dead young daughter and adrunken mother, and is subject to uncanny visions. A violin-virtuosoghost named Stefan time-trips and globetrots with Triana, taunting herfor her inability to play his Stradivarius--which echoes composerSalieri's jealousy in Amadeus and possibly Rice's jealousy ofher successful poet husband Stan Rice in the years before her ownflorid, lurid writing made her famous. The storytelling here is tooabstract, but the almost certainly autobiographical emotions could notbe more visceral. At one point, the narrator exclaims, "Shame,blame, maim, pain, vain!" But Rice's dip in the acid bath ofmemory was not in vain--she packs the pain of a lifetime into 289pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (258)

Hrm...
I received this book as a gift when the mass market paperback first came out since my aunt knew I liked Anne Rice. I was rather excited, and the start is good. However, the book quickly became plodding. There's a wholoe bunch of characters which really add nothing to the story or plot. Ms. Rice wrote some beautiful sentences and paragraphs and this book did have some good parts. I found the story of the Violin (the instrument in the book) and its origins to be interesting and the best part of the book. However, this book fell flat overall. The premise was interesting enough, but this book simply was not as good as her earlier works.

If you're a die-hard Anne Rice fan/completist, you will want to read this book, but otherwise, it's simply not worth your time if you're looking for something worthwhile and enjoyable to read. Without Ms. Rice's name, this book just wouldn't stand on its own.

Don't Let The Lukewarm Reviews Fool You
Anne Rice definitely delivers the goods with VIOLIN.It's all here, waiting for you - murder, suspense, supernatural characters.

Don't let the lacklustre reviews discourage you from reading this book, as I did for so many years.The beginning of the book spends the necessary time developing the characters in order for the novel's story line do deliver its full impact to the reader.It's called reading, folks.

This book is a fantastic read.If you enjoy Anne Rice, you'll love this book!

I can't seem to forget it.
I picked this novel up in a train station bookstore in Europe this summer and was captivated.It is as unusual as anything I've ever read and I'd actually have a hard time thinking of who to recommend it to, but to be honest I am totally unable to quit thinking about portions of it.Anne Rice has always had a style that I like, she is what I believe a true story teller should be..........smart, intuitive and blessed with a gift of description unlike few authors ever.

Courageous Novel
What a haunting and beautiful novel! I feel it's also a courageous one that deals with themes that cut close to the bone such as trauma, mourning and karmic responsibility.It also deals centrally with artistic inspiration, a theme that is deeply personal for many authors.This is one of Anne Rice's best books.

Slow In Its Development But Imaginative
It was nice that Anne Rice uncharacteristically wrapped up this story in a single volume. Also in light of what we've since come to know of her life at the time this was written, this was obviously a personal story for her to tell. The opening chapter in which the female protagonist lies in bed beside her dead husband's body, unwilling to give him up, is the sort of material that adheres to memory. Odd how this novel seems anachronistic today in light of Rice's current subject matter and what she has vowed she will spend the rest of her life writing. To be blunt I doubt she could have gotten this story published had she not been able to trade on her brand name status, but that's true of much of what exists on the market today. I did find this tale of loss, healing, and the haunting nature of love to be better than most of what is out there in this author's canon. Or at least among what she's written in the last twenty years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

disappointed with bookcover received
I ordered the trilogy here on Amazon after previously reading all three and falling in love with them. I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of each for myself. I ordered them thinking I would receive the discreet Black, Red, and White covers but instead received all three with naked ladies on the front. Now I am restricted to reading these at home, and I'm quite angry about it. I believe the listing should be qualified as false advertising.

Fabulous detail to punishment descriptions
I know some in the BDSM or sex servant lifestyle may have found this book to be too much in its description of punishment. But one must realize that the book is fiction, not fact. As a willing gay sex servant to a wonderful Master who also punishes me i found the book quite erotic. The sequals to the book even gave my Master some new ideas on how to treat me and i am enjoying it very much. Give the book a chance and read the whole thing before creating an opinion about it, you will be glad you did.

A Must Read
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty is the first in a three part series. The Novels are all worth the read. They take you through the life of sleeping beauty after she is awaken by a prince that then claims her. I truly enjoyedthe series if you read this you will be hooked.

i could NOT put it down
I absolutely LOVED this book! I couldn't put it down from the moment it came in the mail. I think, though, you would have to be open-minded to what the book has to offer to appreciate it. I love tales of medieval times and this book just absolutely made my day by offering much more than that :)

GENIUS
For many, the concept of this book will be a turn off. But wait! S & M is alive and well and living in the castle with Beauty. Expand your mind for a moment, though: it's fiction. It's out there. Only Anne Rice could depict such a crude, erotic and lustful tale with finesse. Brilliant! Open your mind, dear feminists. It's degrading and nasty ... and it's meant to be. You don't have to want to do these things ... or even be a sexual deviant. It's literature. Rice brings you into a world you'd be too frightened to enter in real life, and sorry to leave in the safe confines of your own room, sexual fantasy and fictionland. The third book of the trilogy is equally decadent: raw and fascinating. I loved these books and was sorry to see that others here didn't "get it". If you're ready to open your mind to beautiful, lyrical and wickedly sinful plot and prose, this trilogy is for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now Lestat is a rockstar in the demonic, shimmering 1980s. He rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his terrifying exsitence. His story, the second volume in Anne Rice's best-selling Vampire Chronicles, is mesmerizing, passionate, and thrilling.


From the Paperback edition.Amazon.com Review
After the spectacular debut of Interview with theVampire in 1976, Anne Rice put aside her vampires to exploreother literary interests--Italian castrati in Cry to Heaven and theFree People of Color in The Feast of AllSaints. But Lestat, the mischievous creator of Louis inInterview, finally emerged to tell his own story in the 1985sequel, The Vampire Lestat.

As with the first book in the series, the novel begins with a framenarrative. After over a half century underground, Lestat awakens inthe 1980s to the cacophony of electronic sounds and images thatcharacterizes the MTV generation.Particularly, he is captivated by afledgling rock band named Satan's Night Out. Determined both toachieve international fame and end the centuries of self-imposedvampire silence, Lestat takes command of the band (now renamed "TheVampire Lestat") and pens his own autobiography. The remainder of thenovel purports to be that autobiography: the vampire traces his mortalyouth as the son of a marquis in pre-Revolutionary France, hisinitiation into vampirism at the hands of Magnus, and his quest forthe ultimate origins of his undead species.

While very different from the first novel in the Vampire Chronicles,The Vampire Lestat has proved to be the foundation for abroader range of narratives than is possible from Louis's brooding,passive perspective. The character of Lestat is one of Rice's mostcomplex and popular literary alter egos, and his Faustian strivingshave a mythopoeic resonance that links the novel to a grand traditionof spiritual and supernatural fiction. --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (381)

Read this. But dont expect much
This is the book where Anne turns from brilliant writer to mournful historian bored with her subject.

This book is definitely worth the read. But dont expect more than overly wordy pulp fiction. Whereas interview was brilliant as are some of her other books this surely had to be one of those publishers fantasies come true. After all who didnt want to learn more about the exciting, evil, brilliant, foolish, kind, brutal Lestat?

But Anne jumps the shark. With rockets. In this book anne hypersexualises Lestat while beating you over the head with the homosexual subtexts she so loves. And homosexual subtexts for physically nonsexual beings (read Interview) nontheless. But then she turns him into a superhero straight out of a marvel comic book. Evil vampires comign to get you? Why turn them to flame with your mind! Past history not exciting enough? Why turn him from a slightly old vampire into an "ancient" with super duper wonder ancientblood! Not enough of the backstory explained? Why somehow make lestat intricately important in it.. despite his not existing at the time.

This book was a crime. Anne should have let it stew til the time was right. But like King the 'publish publish publish" fetish took over. And thats a shame.

Lestat = Cool. Louis = Whiny.
This Lestat bears very little resemblance to the creature we are introduced to in Interview with the Vampire. I wanted to kick that Lestat in the crotch. This Lestat, I want to offer my neck to. While the author does try to explain pieces of his behavior in her last novel as misunderstandings and ignorance on the part of Louis, I don't really buy it. I think it would have been more congruent to character to introduce an entirely different vampire and ascribe these experiences to him.
I would have liked to have had more of this book take place in the present, as I feel the conception of his musical group and his reasons for wanting to reveal himself are not really explained. While I enjoyed very much the stories of Lestat's and Marius's pasts, I felt that they went on rather longer than necessary. I read this as an e-book and even in Microsoft Reader, it was 908 pages!
I am enthralled with Akasha, however, and am very much looking forward to reading Queen of the Damned.

Beautifully Written
Anne Rice is a writer with a brilliant command of language. The Vampire Lestat demonstrates her ability to control theme, mood, and setting through word choice and beautiful descriptors. It's a very introspective novel with a great detailing of Lestat's history and how his character developed.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, high action novel, this is not for you. It is dark, gothic fantasy at its finest. Who Lestat is, the things he makes happen, and the history of vampire-kind are laid out in prose that reels you in and makes you love Lestat and hate him at times. What the book lacked in plot, it made up for in beauty. 4 Stars.

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
The Vampire Lestat is a likable villian to many.After reading this book, Anne Rice conveys his hardship and pain so well I think that he is more like an "homme fatale" (newly coined term, huh?).Rice's ability to leap back and forth in time to tell the story as if it is a movie is very obvious.And the story is very engaging, and Lestat is very human.His life in France before becoming a vampire is interesting indeed.And his reasons for coming to America are too.He seems, from the author's description, to be a natural born actor.I certainly hope that any band he now created makes it.I hope it's not Satanic to Anne Rice any more.Just "fatale".This book makes me wonder how many fictional vampires are real.So Anne Rice has snagged my imagination.The book is entertaining and provocative.

Great Book
Lestat continues his adventures from the first book (Interview With The Vampire).

I've read the entire 'Vampire Chronicles' and can't remember what happened in each volume, specifically, now but, you will be drawn in as Lestat goes from rising to international fame and back into obscurity and finally to self-destruction and self-redemption over the course of the series.

In this series, Lestat becomes the rock star he's always wanted to be. It continues in "The Queen of the Damned". ... Read more

Product Description
"The Mayfair family is a huge imaginative refuge for me; it is living and growing in my mind all the time."
--Anne Rice
In the spellbinding tradition of her bestselling The Vampire Chronicles, the prolific Anne Rice has created the sensuous saga of the Mayfair witches. Resonant with supernatural suspense, mesmerizing eroticism, and lush detail, The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos have bewitched the imaginations of readers everywhere. Now comes the definitive touchstone guide to the history and mystery of this magnificent dynasty of witches.
Just as she did with The Vampire Companion, biographer and Anne Rice authority Katherine Ramsland presents a fascinating A-to-Z encyclopedia of information, interpretation, and analysis--this time devoted to the characters and key events, places and symbols, historical and mythological themes of the Lives of the Mayfair Witches novels. Created with the full cooperation of Anne Rice, The Witches' Companion features detailed character breakdowns, from the present-day enchantress Rowan Mayfair to the lustful spirit Lasher; a complete genealogy of the Mayfair family; a chronology of events; a guide to geographical locations; the intriguing origins of the Mayfairs' extraordinary clan; revealing observations from Anne Rice herself; and much more.
Illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos, drawings, and maps, The Witches' Companion will be every Anne Rice fan's inseparable companion in traveling through the unforgettable world of the Mayfair witches and their legacy.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Very disappointing.
When it was described as "Written in cooperation with Anne Rice," I expected information that Rice 'knew', but didn't include in the books (e.g. the name of Michael's mother, where did Nancy Mayfair come from?)There is little in the book that cannot be pulled from the trilogy.From flipping through and reading maybe 25-30% of the entries I have noticed errors of fact (the Chronology for 1936 says Ryan was born to Cortland and Amanda, but Ryan's father is the older Pierce--Cortland was his grandfather), mistakes in cross-referencing (the entry for 'Judith' directs the reader to 'Chris', but the entry 'Chris' simply redirects the reader to the preferred heading 'Little Chris'), and a number of over-simplifications and, in my opinion, misinterpretations of events.I have found it very disappointing, but it might be helpful for first time readers.

For hardcore fans only who like endless detail
This struck me as a blatant attempt to make more money off Rice's previous novels. It gives no information that fans can't get from simply re-reading the novels and reads like an encyclopedia. I recommend Ramsland's excellent bio of Anne Rice, "Prism of the Night" instead.

A Vital Reference Guide to the Mayfair Trilogy
"The Witches' Companion" is a very exhaustive encyclopedia of all the terms, characters, locations, and events in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy (The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos). Everything's included in this mammoth 500+-paged book: maps, illustrations and photos, a Mayfair family tree, bits of Anne Rice information, a chronology of important dates, in-depth character biographies, European and American history--the list goes on.

If you're an Anne Rice fan--and especially if you enjoyed the Mayfair trilogy--, then I highly recommend this official reference guide to her popular witch series. It's definitely worth owning, since it answers every question you've ever had about this trilogy and then some.

Also recommended: Katherine Ramsland's "The Vampire Companion".

A Must-Have for the trilogy
Unless you have an excellent photographic memory, you need this book. It straightens out and clarifies all of the family lineage, and gives you more background information on locations, people, and objects. It also givessome much needed info on the Talamasca, which is ever-present in Rice'snovels. Buy this if you like reading the Mayfair trilogy.

The Mayfair Witches Chronicles
These books are excellent.Anne Rice is a very believeable writer. The insight into the lives of Lasher and the other Mayfair Witches are spellbounding,I could not put the books down.If you would like to read abook that will keep you on the edge of your seat,and very hard to stopreading at bed time,read the Mayfair Witches chronicles. There needs to bemore of them! ... Read more

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