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#Post#: 79--------------------------------------------------
Review: Interview With The Vamipre by Anne Rice
By: Althulas Date: January 23, 2018, 11:39 am
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So a little while ago I got over my hesitation about reading a
book about vampires... It was worth it! This novel swept me off
my feet with it's deep questions about what makes us good, what
drives us and how do we live when we have lost our faith. I say
faith so simply but the book tackles so many kinds of faith,
faith in a people, ourselves, good bad, society, law, god and
religion and I am sure that I am still missing a few! But for
the purpose of easy of writing I will just say faith.
In fact I think this book is less about vampires and more about
philosophical ideas about what makes us tick and are those that
lose faith (whatever manner that they lose it in) really just
the vampires of the world? Always taking but having nothing to
give in return.
This, I think is the main idea. All the characters have lost
their faith, this seems to be the defining thing that all
vampires have in common. A lack of belief, or rather a loss of
belief which leads to them being taken or falling for a vampire
and ultimately being turned into a vampire themselves. This
leads, after a period of freedom from those ideals and worldly
limitations that had held them before, to them questioning
themselves and in the end searching for an answer to the age old
question of what is life really all about and am I evil or good?
Their lives end up being an eternal search for meaning and
purpose. Something that they were robbed or when they lost their
faith.
The characters are now just as bound in their lack of faith,
their lack of meaning and purpose as well as a lack of a way to
know if they are good or evil, as they ever were by their human
limitations. By the end of the novel a lot had happened and it
sort of feels like it has defeated Louis. But isn’t that ever
life? Those moments when you are brought low by the event beyond
our control and the hands of others.
I feel like these novels are less, simply a good read about the
secret dark places of the world but rather about life. For all
the fact that they are now no longer human, the characters are
everything that we are.
The moral questions that lurk in their thoughts are ones that
humans have been asking since the first one had a moment to sit
and have a good long think. Their reactions, there wants, love,
knowledge, purpose, a reason why the things that happen, happen.
Even though they are often the thing that happens!
This is not to say (for those that want a good adventure with
vampires) that Interview does not have this in spades either.
There is a surprising amount of action, emotional ups and downs
and close calls for all involved. There are also plots, plans an
politics!
All in all it is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone,
even people who don't like vampires because these vampires
are... different. Also the questions explored in this novel are
well worth reading. It is a fascinating take on... well faith
and a lack there of, make this more than just an early version
of the vampire books you get today.
This is what those books wish they could be, like mortal men who
wish they were superheros.
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