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Anne Rice

I loved Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. I tried to go on but just lost interest. The only other Anne Rice book that I really enjoyed was Cry to Heaven, which was not a vampire or witch story at all. I've never tried the Mayfair Witches stories. Maybe I'll give the first one a try one of these days.
 
im a big anne rice fan, on my opinion the best ones are: the vampire lestat, menmoch, the witching hour and lasher the rest is ok, except for the "new tales of vampires" series, and the last three of the chronicles.

as for the christ book, im halfway through it, and im liking it so far, the pace is slower but you can see the research work, and she does a great story taking from the ofical gospels as well as the non oficial ones including the arabic ones and historic facts, i dont expect this book to be great by itself but i think the trilogy as a whole will be
 
Taken from Geisha girl's post in the Members Introduction forum:

The first one I wasn't to excited over was Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt and I think it wa The Vampire Armand one. I was never to partial to Armand but of course read it to read the series completely. With "Christ" it just felt like I was waiting for all the drama and excitement like in her other books and then next thing I knew it was finished. Basically, it was just a pretty normal kind of book.
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I didn't really enjoy those books either. The Vampire Armand was okay, but it felt like Rice was rushing to get the book in the stores as soon as possible. I would have liked to read more about Armand's mortal life and his experiences in the Theater of the Vampires. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be.
Also, the part where he tries to revive Claudia was weird and gratuitous. Why did we have to know that?

As for Christ the Lord, I agree with what you had to say about it. I was waiting for something to happen, but instead it was just people walking from one place to another. Very disappointing.

By the way, her follow-up to CTL comes out in March 2008. It's called The Road to Cana.
 
Queen of the Damned

This is my favorite vampire chronicle (followed closely by Interview and Lestat). I didn't really like Memnoch or any of the vampire chronicles that focused on just one vampire (Armand, Pandora, Merrick).

Hands down my fav book of hers is The Feast of All Saints. It is not about vampires, witches, or religon, which is refreshing from AR. The characters are great and has historical value.
 
I love The Vampire Chronicles. Up until Blackwood Farm. I cannot seem to finish it no matter how many times I try. However, Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors.

I hadn't heard anything at all about this turn in her career though. I do no think I'll be reading her new books.
 
I read CTL... and promptly forgot it. I would not recommend it to anyone, though my mom has since borrowed it (I told her to just keep it). It had a good basis to it, but it went nowhere. The only books of hers that I've really enjoyed were Interview and Servant of the Bones. I've never really been a fan, so I haven't read a great deal of her works, but I will not be spending my time reading the sequels to CTL.

As for her "finding God" and changing her writing, I will say that her statement will attract a good deal of people who were completely against her works about vampires. My parents are strong Christians and have started buying her books since her "religious breakthrough" when they condemned them prior.
 
I read some of Servant of the Bones some years ago and found the opening pretty memorable, but I've not really been tempted by any more of her books since.

Why shouldn't a Christian write fiction about vampires, though? Or perhaps a Christian shouldn't write fiction at all ...
 
Sybarite said:
Why shouldn't a Christian write fiction about vampires, though?
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Well, the orginal vampire tale speaks of a man who turned his back on God and announced his allegiance to "darkness", so I suppose, to many Christians, it would be wrong to make such a character a hero in a book when they are the epitome of everything which the Bible speaks against.
 
BeerWench13 said:
Well, the orginal vampire tale speaks of a man who turned his back on God and announced his allegiance to "darkness", so I suppose, to many Christians, it would be wrong to make such a character a hero in a book when they are the epitome of everything which the Bible speaks against.
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I think I mentioned it elsewhere, but there have been criticisms from Christian groups of CS Lewis, since his Narnia novels, although Christian allegories, have characters such as witches. Such people have even criticised The Screwtape Letters because the characters are devils; yet this is a book written with the sole aim of promoting the Christian religion.

My father, a clergyman (retired now) came from a background where one side of his family was linked with the Plymouth Brethren – a bunch of puritans. His early ministry was very much among fundamentalist evangelicals. While not as extremist as some of his relatives, he disliked and distrusted theatre, for instance, announcing to me once when, as a stage-struck child, that all actresses were whores. I've certainly heard the view that Christians should not read fiction (or presumably write it) at all, because it's a distraction from God/Christ.

And some people make the mistake of thinking that fundamentalism is only connected with Islam.

There are, of course, plenty of Christians (and other religions) who write fiction and do not seem to write with any obvious limits on their characters.
 
Personally, I don't think that a fictional work should be viewed as anything but what it is - fiction. It's a completely false story that was created in the mind of one or more human beings and should be taken at face value. There are times when the weakminded will make a book out to be more than an imaginative tale, but I don't think it should be a reflection on the author, but rather on the reader that took it to be a serious work of truth instead of a fictional work written for entertainment.

Of course, I don't believe in organized religion either, so that may affect my thoughts on the subject a great deal.
 
BeerWench13 said:
Personally, I don't think that a fictional work should be viewed as anything but what it is - fiction. It's a completely false story that was created in the mind of one or more human beings and should be taken at face value. There are times when the weakminded will make a book out to be more than an imaginative tale, but I don't think it should be a reflection on the author, but rather on the reader that took it to be a serious work of truth instead of a fictional work written for entertainment...
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I'd agree ... but that does raise the question of how much responsibility an author of fiction has for what they write. Should a writer sit down and think: 'oh, I can't write about X in such-and-such a way – it might be taken the wrong way/upset people/influence someone'?

BeerWench13 said:
Of course, I don't believe in organized religion either, so that may affect my thoughts on the subject a great deal.
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:)
 
Sybarite said:
Should a writer sit down and think: 'oh, I can't write about X in such-and-such a way – it might be taken the wrong way/upset people/influence someone'?
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In my personal opinion, no. Absolutely not. Some of the greatest works of literature have offended someone, somewhere along the way. I can only imagine the creativity that would be quelled at having that type of limitation on the imagination of an author.
 
Sybarite said:
I'd agree ... but that does raise the question of how much responsibility an author of fiction has for what they write. Should a writer sit down and think: 'oh, I can't write about X in such-and-such a way – it might be taken the wrong way/upset people/influence someone'?:)
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Tricky. Thinking of the Danish Mohammed cartoon debate, I tend to think an author does have a certain responsibility for what (s)he writes. Just because the writer has the RIGHT to be nasty/contemptuous/demeaning (a right to be defended at all costs), it does not mean (s)he has an OBLIGATION to be - and the readers have just as much right to be pissed off.

It is a bit like management: the author is in charge of every letter (s)he chooses to publish. Being in charge means being responsible, with no caveats.

I am aware that it does not work like that in management (golden parachutes and all that). But I for one think it should.
 
HeathBar said:
Hands down my fav book of hers is The Feast of All Saints. It is not about vampires, witches, or religon, which is refreshing from AR. The characters are great and has historical value.
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I agree with you there, HealthBar, goodworks.. it's hight time AR Be given a break. In the same way she shouldn't be labled a 'heathen' for her darker works, she can't really be called a 'fanatic' for her new genre. In a similar way, I'm not a 'fan' despite my readership

though CTL may be her best one yet, bar none, it breaks up in more places near the beggining. however, it come together in the end, which is a small noticable difference between her religious and her vampire novels, which come apart at the end, to get her into trouble as an author
 
chuephödli said:
Tricky. Thinking of the Danish Mohammed cartoon debate, I tend to think an author does have a certain responsibility for what (s)he writes. Just because the writer has the RIGHT to be nasty/contemptuous/demeaning (a right to be defended at all costs), it does not mean (s)he has an OBLIGATION to be - and the readers have just as much right to be pissed off.

It is a bit like management: the author is in charge of every letter (s)he chooses to publish. Being in charge means being responsible, with no caveats.

I am aware that it does not work like that in management (golden parachutes and all that). But I for one think it should.
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hey chueophodli,
(s)hut up, will ya?

MUCH OBLIGED
 
Anne Rice..

I'm apparently bored out of my mind.. and decided to make a list of every book I've read.. or atleast of the ones I can remember. And.. I hit a rough spot! I went through a faze with Anne Rice.. And honestly, I can't tell which I've read, and which I havent.. because theyre all practically the same thing...

Does anyone know which one of here books involves something to do with.. Egyptian paintings.. coming to life?

Or something to do with switching bodies?

I know lestat it in them both.. but who the hell can tell the difference?







I look forward to the day someone asks something I actually know, rather than just constantly pestering you guys with random questions.. lol.
 
I've tried read several of her books, but I get bored out of my mind with them so I've never finished a single one. The switching bodies comment... you mean The Body Thief? I remember Lestat switched bodies with someone, but I barely got past that part before giving up.
 
I agree. It would take me ages to finish one of her books. I'm still not sure why I forced myself to read so many.
I'd assume it was that one, considering the name and all, but I have no idea.. Thanks :)




Typos, typos! and no edit button!
 
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