Once upon a time, there was a hot, sexy vampire book that was the talk of vampire enthusiasts everywhere. It made vampires sexy and mysterious and was the hot movie. Interview With a Vampire is arguably still the gold standard for vampire books. It is the first of Rice’s Vampire Chronicles (now up to ten books plus crossovers and spinoffs). Along with Dark Shadows, Anne Rice’s vampires changed the whole concept of a vampire, from a villain to a misunderstood anti-hero. So, who are our mysterious vampires?

Our story starts with a vampire and a boy in a dark room. The boy has a tape recorder and the vampire wants to tell his story. He starts off by announcing that he is a vampire and has been one since the year 1791. Our vampire hero, named Louis, was a tells his story about being a young plantation owner who has heartbreak around his brother’s death. His heartbreak led him to Lestat, who made him a vampire. Louis believes himself different than Lestat and tries to avoid feeding off humans. Louis slowly starts becoming more of a vampire (feeding off of humans), but wants to leave Lestat. Lestat is desperate for company, so he turns a young girl, Claudia, into a vampire as a daughter for them*, in hopes of keeping Louis around.

*Which makes me wonder if this is Rice’s way of writing a same sex couple only hiding it in vampire mythos. A spouse having a child to save the marriage is an idea that occurs to many feuding couples and is as successful here as it is in real life.

As Claudia grows, her frustration at being trapped in a little girl’s body grows and she share’s Louis hatred of Lestat. Together, Louis and Claudia attempt to kill Lestat and escape to Europe. In Europe, they find a coven of older vampires who flaunt their escapades. Of course, Lestat survived and his accusations of attempted murder lead the European vampires against Louis and Claudia.

The story is decent, but the characters and atmosphere make this book special. Louis is sulking and brooding, while Lestat is exciting and dangerous. The New Orleans and Paris settings add a wonderful gothic/romantic atmosphere to the book. Rice’s writing captures the excitement and danger of vampires better than almost anyone else has. More than any other image, her view of vampires has lasted in popular culture. And after reading this book, it’s easy to see why. Even if you dislike the Twilight-era vampires, you will enjoy Louis and Lestat and Claudia. Recommended.