ANNE RICE TALKS TWILIGHT, VAMPIRES AND TRUE BLOOD

Alexandra Alter of The Wall Street Journal recently spoke with author Anne Rice about her upcoming novel Angel Time and the current vampire phenomena:

You continued to write the vampire series after you rejoined the Catholic Church more than a decade ago. Why did you decide to stop writing them a few years ago?

Vampires for me were always like feeling grief for my lost childhood faith, being cut off from that life. I reached the point where I didn’t have any more stories to tell from that point of view. Being on the side of the angels, it feels much better than being on the side of the vampires. Vampires were tortured, tragic figures.

Have you read any of Stephenie Meyer’s books?

No, I haven’t read any of the Twilight series, but I did see the film. I felt that it reflected the deep desire of young women to have the mystery and protection and wisdom of older men. I think many girls mature much earlier than boys, and they are frustrated when they approach young boys for love or protection. Hence the fantasy of a wise and protective vampire coming into the life of a young girl who, of course, appreciates him in a special way.

You can read the rest of the article here: Anne Rice on Twilight, True Blood and her new book Angel Time

I’m not sure that I agree that young women have a deep desire for older men but I do think she’s onto something. Perhaps it’s the nurturing nature of women that compels us to be driven towards these supposedly soulless creatures; a desire to care for those who have been shunned and left alone to deal with the curse laid upon them. We want to care for them and redeem them as we would want to for a “bad” boy because surely if “I” can help this being than I am special in a way that countless others are not.

What do you think?