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Book One: Vampire Chronicles

Summary
This is the story of the Louis, as told in his own words, of his journey through mortal and immortal life. Louis recounts how he became a vampire at the hands of the radiant and sinister Lestat and how he became indoctrinated, unwillingly, into the vampire way of life. His story ebbs and flows through the streets of New Orleans, from his creation in 1791 until the present. (From annerice.com)

Review
I have to admit, I am somewhat biased when it comes to this book. Interview with the Vampire was my introduction to vampire literature, so it is the standard by which I measure every other vampire book that crosses my path. That being said, it isn’t just a good vampire novel. It’s beautifully written and exciting and reading it lets you experience the night world of Louis as well as New Orleans and Paris of the 18th century. Louis’ world is beautiful and intoxicating, and it makes you want to be a vampire, except for the anguish he goes through over the things he’s lost, the things he’ll never have, and things he’s done. Since the book is from a first person perspective, its character driven, but still full of action. It is the kind of book you read for hours, but it feels like minutes.

When it was published, Interview with a Vampire was the first of its kind with vampires who suffer from the human condition. Before Anne Rice vampires were the villains; Dracula and Nosferatu come to mind. This book gave them vulnerability; they still had the killer edge, but now there was something sexy about it. She changed the face of vampires forever.