Interview with the Vampire

Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire, tells the tale of his life to a young, courageous journalist, Daniel Malloy and thereby narrates this dark, insightful, often elegant portrayal of vampires and vampire ‘life’. The reader is given a healthy dose of both the hedonistic indulgences and the solipsistic despair that it seems nearly all vampires experience. Louis is a particularly introspective vampire, and alas, he has a conscience. His reflections serve as a platform for the author, Anne Rice, to speculate on many diverse topics that include morality, indulgence, love, passion, time, and death.

Louis was made into a vampire by another vampire, Lestat de Lioncourt. Lestat, Louis’s teacher, proves to be unfit as a pedagogue when Louis’s desire to know the ‘why’ of vampire life, his desire to understand killing, his need for answers concerning—what are really questions we all have—the meaning of life, and what consequence to reality does the existence of vampires bring? These questions create a rift between Lestat and Louis. Louis becomes forlorn with despair, and Lestat appears to grow despotic and angry because, perhaps, he does not possess the answers Louis craves, or at least he does not seem willing to give such answers, or even to show patience for the questions.

To appease Louis and to keep Louis from leaving him, Lestat gives Louis a vampire daughter/lover, Claudia. Claudia, at only six years of age is turned into a vampire by Lestat (with the passive help of Louis). Claudia and Louis fall desperately in love. For some sixty-five years Lestat’s plan works: Louis remains with him, and the company of Claudia seems to bring them both happiness.

This peace is short lived however. Lestat, in his vulgar, unsympathetic way, begins to become to Claudia what he was, and hardly ceased to be, to Louis: a despotic tyrant who does not offer any answers, any explanations as to how they became who they are, and the meaning of it all. Claudia, still a six year old girl by all appearances (but a full grown woman mentally) performs the act that Louis could never bring himself to do. Claudia kills Lestat (with the passive help of Louis). The two flee together, hoping to begin a new life in a new place where they hope to find others ‘like them’ who can deliver to them their search for truth.

Louis and Claudia do find other vampires. These other vampires however operate in a society not unlike modern aristocratic society, complete with cliques, fashion, gossip, and snobbery. Louis, who after learning from one very powerful and ancient vampire, Armand, that indeed there are no answers to Louis’s questions turns to utter despair—all of it means absolutely nothing. There is no God, there is no life, no death—all is just pain and sorrow. Claudia, on the other hand, comfortable in her new surroundings is content to stay.

Things come to a climax however, when both Louis and Claudia are told by a treacherous vampire, Santiago, that ‘the penalty for killing another vampire is death’. Santiago says this to them both with a knowing glance. Both Louis and Claudia become frightened that Santiago knows something of their murder of Lestat.

When Lestat turns up, Louis’s and Claudia’s fears are confirmed. Santiago demands the death of Claudia and Louis for their murder of Lestat. Armand aids Louis's escape.

The story ends in a most poignant way. Daniel, the journalist who has been listening to this story the whole time-- this story of sadness, misery, and death-- asks Louis to turn him into a vampire. Louis is horrified that after he has explained in exstrutiating detail how depressing and ultimately futile the 'life' of a vampire is that Daniel would still want the same fate.

Daniel explains to him however, that the desire in humans/mortals for everlasting life is so strong and so transcendant that any human would be willing gamble on the horrors of the vampire life.

perhaps another way to put Daniel's sentiment into words is to say that every human is certainly capable if not willing to sacrafice even their very happiness for a season of sin.

Louis de Pointe du Lac

vampire 'son' of Lestat

Daniel Malloy

mortal (human) journalist who records Louis' story

Lestat de Lioncourt

vampire 'father' of Louis and Claudia

Claudia

vampire 'daughter' of Lestat and Louis

Armand

vampire 'master' of a Paris group of vampires

Santiago

vampire opposed to Louis and Claudia

This story is surprisingly very well told. Having never read anything of this sort before, I found it very entertaining and at times gave me pause to think. What more can you ask from a vampire book?