This is the story of 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, defining crucial moments such as his discovery of the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her with the last breaths of humanity he has inside. Yet, he makes Claudia a vampire, trapping her womanly passion, will, and intelligence inside the body of a small child. Louis and Claudia form a seemingly unbreakable alliance and even "settle down" for a while in the opulent French Quarter. Louis remembers Claudia's struggle to understand herself and the hatred they both have for Lestat that sends them halfway across the world to seek others of their kind. Louis and Claudia are desperate to find somewhere they belong, to find others who understand, and someone who knows what and why they are.Louis and Claudia travel Europe, eventually coming to Paris and the ragingly successful Theatre des Vampires - a theatre of vampires pretending to be mortals pretending to be vampires. Here they meet the magnetic and ethereal Armand, who brings them into a whole society of vampires. But Louis and Claudia find that finding others like themselves provides no easy answers and in fact presents dangers they scarcely imagined.
Book Breakdown
So this is Louis' story, told by him. It's rich and dark. It's gothic literature at it's best. I will admit that some parts were rather boring but that's to be expected when telling one's own life story, not every moment of my life have I done great things... heck, most of my life has been boring so...
Moving on! I really like the character of Louis, more so in the end after the Paris burning. He became someone dark and sexy. Yeah, I liked him better after that, I do just feel bad that he was dead inside. I also really need to read the next one because as it is left, Lestat is kind of.... well, pathetic and I have no idea why he's so beloved. Hopefully the next will will tell me why.
My favorite part of this novel is the atmosphere, it's so dark and inviting, so gloriously devilish. That's what kept me reading, it was as if I was in trance, it was that alluring. I've also read a novel with this kind of format, it was different and at the start it bothered me and after a while, it was fine and dandy, no problem at all. This is a true modern classic. A must read.
