BPL Book Review: Interview with a Vampire

 

Most people my age were probably introduced to Anne Rice’s debut novel, Interview with a Vampire, through the movie that was released in 1994 and starred the heartthrobs of the day, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

The best-selling novel is in the news this week after Rice died this week at age 80.  

 It was several years before I realized that the movie was an adaption of a book series. While intrigued, I never quite got around to reading the books and they were always on my “to read” list. 

Over a year ago, I saw a posting by Rice saying that she has retained the rights to her novels and had plans to turn the story into a TV adaption. I was intrigued, but not hopeful. In this day and age, TV adaptions that are announced can quickly vanish. However, when I read another article saying that they were starting to cast for the roles in the novel and that this adaption had not lost steam and was moving forward, with a premiere date set in 2022, my interest in reading the novel that started it all was piqued once again.

 AMC announced in June that it is adapting the "Interview with a Vampire" books into a new series.

Interview with a Vampire is a novel that tells the story of Louis, through his own words and in modern times. Louis entrusts his story to a young, eager reporter Louis takes his time in describing the events of his life, from his mortal years to his rebirth as a creature of the night. 

All of this in done in wonderfully descriptive detail that makes you feel like you are back in 1700’s Louisiana with Louis. While telling his story, you can feel the range of emotions that spring from our main character as he recalls the highs and lows of his over 200 years of existence.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It filled in so many gaps that we left in the movie, of course because of time constraints. I had several “Ahhh” moments as I remembered scenes from the movie that made more sense now. 

After reading the first book in the eight-book series, I can honestly say that I am eager to move on to the next and continue on this journey. 

Unfortunately, Ms. Rice passed away recently and while it is a shame that she will not get to see her book turned into the version that she envisioned through its TV adaption, her books have always and will continue to be treasured and read by fans all over the world. 

If you are interested in checking out the Anne Rice "Interview with a Vampire" book series or movie, click here. They are available at several JCLC member libraries, including the Birmingham Public Library.

 By Pamela Jessie, Branch Manager, Southside Branch Library