Interview with the Vampire
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 First edition cover |
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| Author | Anne Rice |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Vampire Chronicles |
| Subject(s) | Vampires |
| Genre(s) | Horror fiction |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Released | April 12, 1976 |
| Pages | 340 |
| ISBN | 0394498216 |
| Followed by | The Vampire Lestat |
Interview with the Vampire is a vampire novel by Anne Rice written in 1973 and published in 1976. The novel, the first to feature the enigmatic vampire anti-hero Lestat, was followed by several sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles.
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[edit] Genesis of the novel
In 1972, author Anne Rice and her husband Stan lost their five-year-old daughter Michele to leukaemia. Suffering from a deep depression, Rice immersed herself in writing, expanding a previously-written 28-page short story to a full-length novel in five weeks in 1973.[1] The character of the child vampire Claudia was based on Michele, and the novel's central themes of immortality and loss reflected Rice's reaction to her death.
In 1974, whilst attending the Squaw Valley Writer's Conference, Rice met literary agent Phyllis Seidel, who agreed to represent her and sold her manuscript to publishers Alfred A. Knopf. Before publication, Rice decided to rewrite parts of the novel, adding the entire "Théâtre des Vampires" segment, and resurrecting Lestat from his apparent fiery death at the hands of Louis.[2] She also sold the film rights for Interview to Paramount Pictures for USD$150,000.[3]
[edit] Publication and critical reaction
Published in 1976, Interview with the Vampire quickly became a cult success, and a major influence on present Goth culture. The novel was set apart from its predecessors of the vampire genre by its confessional tone from the vampire's perspective, touching on existential despair and the sheer boredom of lifeless immortality.
Interview remains the best-selling and best-received of Rice's books.
[edit] Plot summary
In San Francisco, a vampire named Louis tells his life story to an interviewer (Daniel Molloy, although only referred to as "the boy" in the novel). Distraught and nearly suicidal over the death of his brother, Louis is approached by a vampire, Lestat, who desires his plantation. Lestat turns Louis into a vampire, and the two spend some time feeding off the local slaves until they are forced to leave when the slaves set Louis's mansion alight. Escaping to New Orleans, Louis kills a plague-ridden young girl, Claudia, although Lestat turns her into a vampire as a companion for them. Louis is horrified that Lestat has turned a child into a vampire, and although she takes to killing easily, Claudia begins to hate Lestat too as she realizes she can never grow up. She poisons him with absinthe and laudanum, and cuts his throat, the pair of them dumping his body in a swamp.
As Louis and Claudia prepare to flee to Europe, Lestat appears again and attacks them, although they escape leaving the furious Lestat in flames. Arriving in Europe, Louis and Claudia seek more of their kind. It is only when they reach Paris that Louis encounters the vampire Armand and his coven, the Théâtre des Vampires, and falls under his spell. Claudia convinces Louis to turn another woman, Madeleine, into a vampire, although all three are abducted by the Theatre vampires and Claudia and Madeleine are killed. Lestat arrives and tells Louis they must leave, but a furious Louis returns to the Theatre, burning it to the ground and killing all the vampires, and leaving with Armand.
Telling the boy of one more encounter with Lestat, Louis ends his tale. The boy begs to be made a vampire, but the angry Louis refuses and leaves. The boy notes the address of the house where Louis last saw Lestat in New Orleans, and jumps into his car...
[edit] Film adaptation
Before the novel's publication, Anne Rice had sold the film rights to Interview with the Vampire to Paramount Pictures, who did nothing with the property for the ten years of their contract. With Paramount's option expired, Rice moved the film rights to Lorimar Productions, which was taken over by Warner Bros. in 1988. Producer David Geffen purchased the rights for $500,000, and director Neil Jordan co-wrote the script with Rice, with her receiving the sole credit. The film was released in 1994 with Tom Cruise as Lestat, Brad Pitt as Louis, Christian Slater as the interviewer, and a young Kirsten Dunst as the child vampire Claudia.
The film was a major success, causing a resurgence of interest in the book and sending it back onto the bestseller lists. Rice initially voiced her objections to the casting of Tom Cruise as Lestat, but after seeing the finished film, she paid $7,740 for a two-page ad in Daily Variety praising his performance and apologising for her previous doubts about the film.[4] Yet Cruise's casting remains controversial among fans.
The sequel to this film is Queen of the Damned starring Aaliyah.
[edit] References
- ^ It Happened in History: Anne Rice, American Society of Authors and Writers
- ^ Bookshelf: Interview with the Vampire, annerice.com
- ^ Gelder, Ken (2005). Popular Fiction: the logics and practices of literary field. UK: Routledge. ISBN 0415356474.
- ^ Go Figure, Entertainment Weekly, 30 December 1994.
| The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice |
|---|
| Interview with the Vampire | The Vampire Lestat | The Queen of the Damned | The Tale of the Body Thief | Memnoch the Devil The Vampire Armand | Merrick | Blood and Gold | Blackwood Farm | Blood Canticle |
| New Tales of the Vampires |
| Pandora | Vittorio the Vampire |
| Characters |
| Lestat | Gabrielle | Louis | Claudia | Armand | Magnus | Those Who Must Be Kept | Maharet and Mekare | Marius | Pandora Bianca | David | Jesse | Khayman | Daniel | Mael |
