I = Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

"They would use your life as if it were oil for a proper lamp. You must defy them, but you must defy them with purity and confidence." Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

This is the story of Louis, a vampire from New Orleans -- which is the perfect place for a vampire to come from IMHO. It’s of his maker, Lestat, and his companions Claudia and Armand.

I find there are two types of vampires in pop culture. The first type is the ruthless killer who embraces its vampire nature, like in classic story Dracula or newer NOS4A2. You also have the brooding vampire, overly emotional, like in Twilight or Vampire Diaries. Lestat is the former, Louis the latter.

Lestat is greedy, flamboyant, reveling in his own nature; coldly and sometimes erratically trying to teach Louis what it means to be a vampire. “Let the flesh instruct the mind.” Louis is aghast at what he’s become and hesitant to start killing humans because he’s retained more of his human nature… I say hesitant because he does not wholly abhor the act, he simply wishes his introduction to vampirehood had been softer. In the beginning, Louis meddles in the affairs of humans, trying to stop Lestat’s evil from spreading. Lestat, and later Armand, try to convince Louis that immortality is a gift, while he insists it’s a curse, and young Claudia who embraces instinct, partly agrees with Louis.

For the most part, I found this to be well written, intriguing, rich in descriptions and atmosphere, but it's going to miss out on a 5 or 4 store rating despite this.

Now I’ve seen the movie and the tv show. The movie implies that Lestat and Louis companionship is based on more than money, convenience, or dependence (unlike the book). The tv show takes that a step further, putting two vampires with wildly passionate sexual energy on the screen. But the book is disturbingly different. Louis and Lestat have no sexual energy, no true love, mostly they despise each other… in favor of children.

They’re pedophiles.

Anne Rice romanticized pedophilia.

The beginning reads like Louis is grooming Claudia, who is five years old, considering himself her father and her his child. But as the story progresses, his affections become increasingly inappropriate from what he kisses to his descriptions of her being, acting more like a lover than a father. A fact that Armand picks up on, calling Claudia a paramour which Louis denies.

And Lestat is much the same, “a fresh young girl,” being his preferred victim, preferring younger victims to enjoy stripping them of life. It isn’t just in the killing that attracts him to children… When presented with an offering of a young victim, Lestat places caresses and kisses, sexual in nature, on his victim before feeding.

Which is gross. And I don’t know how other people missed out on the fact that the main characters were attracted to children and not each other.

I won’t deny this book its due, it is a fine story. And as a general rule I don't believe in cancel culture, I find censorship as unappealing as pedophilia. I will not argue that you should not read the book because I found some of the content offensive. But I will say I found some of the content offensive and would never rate a book five stars when it glorifies the abuse of children.

I’ll generously award it a 3-star rating, of just ok. This book won't be for everyone.