I've just embarked on the Vampire Chronicles Series and I would love to have intellectual conversation about them. I've read Interview With The Vampire and have already started on The Vampire Lestat. Any thoughts no matter how meaningless would be appreciated. Oh and if you have any more suggestions on good books similar to Anne Rice's style i would be more than happy for the insight.

I've read most of Anne Rice's work, with the exception of BELINDA, MERRICk and BLOOD AND GOLD. The former is in my book collection in Holland, the latter two I've just not gotten around to buying yet (too much travel stuff, personal stuff and immigration stuff last year etc.).

Bear in mind that it's been several years since I read the books.

Of the Vampire Chronicles (INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, TALE OF THE BODY THIEF, MEMNOCH THE DEVIL, THE VAMPIRE ARMAND [1]) I think the first three are the best of them. MEMNOCH was not a favourite of mine, and probably my least favourite of them all. TOTBT wasn't her best work either, but I still enjoyed it at the time. THE VAMPIRE ARMAND seemed to edge to a "return to form".

My current complaint with her writing is that a lot of the newer books contain a lot of retreading of familiar ground which can be somewhat tiresome for followers of the series (especially if you've just re-read the preceeding volumes to prepare for the new installment), and also there's quite a lot of "art history" in the books, which, while some is good to evoke imagery and setting, too much seems like a lecture and distracts from the story. Rumours have it that she is now so popular that she refuses an editor. Bad move.

That said, she was my first foray into more "alternate" reading topics and many of the characters continue to hold my interest. Maybe it's because I've grown more fussy about what I like reading due to reading many many many more books since then, but I think she could do with honing the writing skills and getting back to what the first books did best for me... more story or plot driven over the descriptions of the persian carpets in Marius apartment etc.

Her Vamp Chron off-shoots NEW TALES OF THE VAMPIRES are quite good, PANDORA and VITTORIO, both novellas. PANDORA was only disappointing in the fact that I found it way too short and that it didn't deal by far (for me) with enough of Pandora's history. It was mainly the story of her transformation and life before that, and then skimmed over her 2000 year old existance as a vampire. Too much left unsaid for me. VITTORIO was 'fresh' as it was set outside the characters of the other Vamp Chrons, so interesting... and was also more story/plot driven due to not rehashing a lot of the older VC stuff.

Outside of her Vampire Chronicles there are also her Lives of the Mayfair Witches. The first of the three books comprising the Mayfair saga is by far the best, and I love it. A large book rich with the histories of the earliest Mayfairs, and enough present day goings-on to keep you reading. The two sequels are also enjoyable. It's been ages since I read the trilogy, and I'd love to re-read them, but of course, the books are on another continent. If I remember correctly the third volume allowed for another installment which would be good. MERRICK also apparantly ties both the Vamp Chrons to the Mayfairs... sounds interesting, I have yet to read it still.

Two of her earlier books, and also two of my favourites, are non-supernatural: THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS and CRY TO HEAVEN. The former deals with the people of mixed colour in New Orleans (the quadroons etc.), a very evocative story and one I enjoyed a lot. Her writing style is very rich in this novel. CRY TO HEAVEN is one of my favourites... set in Italy it's about castrato singers, boys who've been castrated before their voice broke in an attempt to maintain their high pure voices. This story also packs a nice revenge story line too and is lovely. Both highly recommended.

THE MUMMY (or RAMSES THE DAMNED) is a mummy/vampire tale. A very easy read, it was written originally to ultimately be turned into a movie if I remember correctly, it's also left wide open for a sequel, one that will apparantly never come according to her official website. It's a good read, enjoyable story.

She's also written erotica under a pseudonym, though they plaster "ANNE RICE" on the books nowadays anyway. The BEAUTY trilogy, which sets Sleeping Beauty in a "this is what happened after she woke" setting and stirring in a fair dose of BDSM stuff. EXIT TO EDEN also deals with the BDSM side of things. ETE was turned into a pretty horrifically cheesy movie with Rosie O'Donnell... nuff said. The books are all quite entertaining, if you like that sort of thing.

BELINDA I've not read, it's kind of Lolita-esque from what I understand in the way that it deals with a 40+ man and a teenage girl. Other than that, one friend read and enjoyed it, but I can't personally vouch for it.

I think that covers them all.

Lilith


[1] I'm not counting MERRICK and BLOOD AND GOLD as I've not read them yet.

Thanks Lil! Ally got me onto the Vampire Chronicles when i was at his house last and Ungod had mentioned The Mayfair trilogy so i'll definately look them up.

Often mentioned in the "If you like Anne, you might like..." try Poppy Z. Brite if you haven't already. Not for the homophobic or narrowminded by the way, though that's usually not too much of a problem within the Goth scene.

Only her first novel LOST SOULS [1] is a vampire story [2]. Very good, different. Worth reading. Fall in love with Ghost and Steve like the rest of us.

My personal favourite is DRAWING BLOOD, her second novel. It's more of a haunted house story. Richly written and detailed, I love it. Fall in love with Zach and Trevor, like the rest of us Poppy fans

EXQUISITE CORPSE is a gritty novel complete with gay necrophilliac serial-killers falling in love. No, really. It's quite excellent, and one of two books so far that have made my stomach roll. Recommended!

Two short story collections: WORMWOOD (also known as SWAMP FOETUS) and ARE YOU LOATHSOME TONIGHT? (also known as SELF-MADE MAN depending on US/UK editions) collect a lot of her short fiction. "Optional Music for Voice and Piano" from WORMWOOD still rocks my world, it's an incredible story. But the collections are both very good, and there are many more stories I loved. Argh! I want to re-read the books now and I don't have them here *sob*.

Poppy also wrote THE LAZARUS HEART, a novel in The Crow series of novelisations. I know some people will probably be turned off by franchise fiction, but it's excellent and the characters hold a place in my heart, especially Lucrece. It probably comes a close second to DB. Poppy took the Crow universe and most certainly made it her own.

A lot of her other work is mainly small press stuff, limited editions etc. THE SEED OF LOST SOULS, PLASTIC JESUS, GUILTY AS SIN, PANSU, WRONG THINGS (a collaboration with Caitlín R. Kiernan, who also rocks!). Publishers of the aforementioned are Gauntlet Press and Subterranean Press. PANSU is availible through Camelot Books. I can vouch for the quality and service of all three above mentioned publishers/vendors (beware, book collecting is an expensive and consuming hobby).

And that's just one recommendation... of course I have many more, but I'll save those.

Lilith

[1] No, nothing to do with the movie of the same name starring Winona Ryder.
[2] The only resemblance between Poppy and Anne Rice is that they both live in New Orleans and have written about vampires, in Anne's case many many many books, in Poppy's case only once. Storywise and writing wise they don't share that much else.

Ah, Anne Rice. Love her work, definitely some awesome writing. I've read:

All of Vampire Chronicles- including Blood and Gold (just finished, great story- Marius' tale)
All of Mayfair Witches- you were right on the nub- first one was the best
All (I think) of the New Vampires series
Belinda

Merrick, I thought, was very cool. It built off both worlds- Mayfair and Vampire. The only thing I disliked about Mayfair Witches is in some ways it was what I dislike about most new horror- sex scenes just to be there. I mean, (rant) jesus-H-Christ-on-a-Po-Go-Stick, if I want to be scared, I want to be scared. I don't want to get a friggin' hard-on. (/rant)

That's why I like Douglas Clegg- he's a very good author and he follows the premise that I believe all authors should (but don't )- if it's important to plot/characterization, put it in. If not, don't.

But, I just finished Blood and Gold- which was real cool, what with Thornevald and Marius and the way it worked; and Black House (Stephen King and Peter Straub). BH was very cool, it was a sequel to Talisman and ties in very strongly with the whole Dark Tower series. Interesting way of writing, though. Present-tense narration. I usually dislike present-tense novels, that one I liked, though.

Later

Nothing wrong with being scared and turned on alternately

But, you have a point about having it be important to the development of the story and not just gratuitous. Granted, in some novels you don't really go for the hardcore literary advancements and it's just a fast fun read. Laurell K. Hamilton fits that bill for me... her work is fast, furious and funny dealing with the supernatural and vampires and also has large doses of sex too. It fits into the story. I'd almost liken the books to supernatural Jackie Collins books.

Sometimes I guess gratuitous sex is amusing, but it's better if it's relevant to the story and the characters. If done well it can add to a book and not just make it more juicy.

Lilith

Nothing wrong with being scared and turned on alternately

True, true I'm a fan of several dark erotic series. Good stuff, there

But, you have a point about having it be important to the development of the story and not just gratuitous. Granted, in some novels you don't really go for the hardcore literary advancements and it's just a fast fun read. Laurell K. Hamilton fits that bill for me... her work is fast, furious and funny dealing with the supernatural and vampires and also has large doses of sex too. It fits into the story. I'd almost liken the books to supernatural Jackie Collins books.

Also true. Hey, I read Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, for cryin' out loud. I'm absolutely sure you won't find The-Answer-To-The-Worlds-Problems in it Of course, I've also read Hess' "Siddhartha" and Heinleins "Stranger in a Strange Land."

Sometimes I guess gratuitous sex is amusing, but it's better if it's relevant to the story and the characters. If done well it can add to a book and not just make it more juicy.

The main problem -I- find is it's... distracting, let's leave it at that, shall we?

Like I said... nothing wrong with distraction *evilgrin*.

Lilith

Just finished Blood and Gold.. it filled in a lot of blanks for me.. I like getting the background of the story.. I did not like the story about the Castrata.. just not my kind of thing..I read the Beauty Series a long...long ....time ago.. Before anyone knew who Ann Rice was..I like that kind of stuff myself.. =:)
Cant be good all the time!

Castrata? What's that from?

From the book CRY TO HEAVEN. One of Anne's non-supernatural books. I explained it a bit in one of my earlier posts in this thread.



Lilith

Ah- one of the few books I have yet to read

I've only completly finished "Interview with The Vampire".
I was about 100 pages from the end of "Vampire Lestat" when the school library demanded it back, but I will most definatly finish that one as well.

Yesterday a friend of mine suggested Anne Rice was a crap, serial novelist, whos books were no better than daytime tv and whos success relied on her fans addiction to her characters and the gothic image her books seem to go hand in hand with.
Any opinions on that?
P.S. this is not something i agree with, i Love Anne Rices novels.

<insert two cents>
Nobody's mentioned Anne Rice's "Taltos" yet...
<end two cents>