Interview with the Vampire
It was breathe-taking, pulse-quickening and blood-draining.
Figuratively, literally.
I got to know about this novel after watching the film on TV many years ago, and was captivated by the then-12-years-old Kirsten Durst. Her soulful portrayal of Claudia, the child vampire who will remain fixated physically as a doll, was immensely moving and convincing, especially when it comes to her sad eyes that reflected intelligence and maturity beyond her years.
The Novel
The novel itself was the cystalisation of the essense of being a vampire. Anne Rice painted a vastly rich and mysterious setting, yet the reader cannot help but feel a hue of despair underneath the decadence and luxurious indulgences. Is time a luxury, or a never-ending chain of meaninglessness? If meaning is constructed by the individual, then does individual put a halt on his actions because of the futility of them, or does he stop when he realises that there is no absolute truth to be had?
Personally, Rice won me over through the novel with her expert characterization. The three main characters are distinct in their differences, and the under currents in their relationships are subtle yet restless.
Characters
Lestat's flamboyance, dramatic antics, lack of knowledge and egoism do not make him a detestable character. Perhaps, everyone sees a Lestat in themselves, the wilful self that is like a child. Sigmund Freud once wrote, on narcissism, that a child's charms lie in his narcissism, his self-absorption. One feels sympathy for Lestat, for it is clear at the end, that his dominance over Louis and Claudia all stem from his loneliness, his need to be affirmed, to be looked up to as the leader. His torment is that he has to put up a facade of mysterious and powerful knowledge, so that his two companions will continue to have need of him, when in fact, he has nothing to give.
Louis' humanity, compassion and empathy make him the most human of the pseudo-family. Through his eyes, readers learn the secrets and despair of a vampiric existence, and experience a psychological roller-coaster with him. He started out as an idealistic and highly moral fallen angel, but as time goes by, he betrays more and more of his principles, until at the end, he has nothing left, except a walking husk, extraordinarily intriguing and wise, yet cold and empty, like the dead man he really is. His despair is convincing and infectious, and his philosophical musings make for real questions that inevitably make readers slow in their reading, and join him in the quest for meaning. His loneliness is overwhelming, in that he has no passion for love, for hatred, even for hunger at the end. In this sense, even the decaying Lestat is more fortunate, for at least he still feels joy at seeing Louis again, and feels disappointment upon the departure of Louis.
Claudia is raised as a vampire since she was five, and perhaps Rice created her this way to serve as a contrast to Louis. If Louis holds on to his humanity too stubbornly, here is a child who has never learnt what is humanity in the first place. The relationship between Claudia and Louis is intriguing and one of a kind, for they are both father and daughter, and lovers. The novel hints that Claudia does not love Louis the way he loves her, but surely, she loves him in her own way. It is her loneliness and frustration pushing him away from her, with her endless search for knowledge, companions, and the womanly charms that she can never have.
Queer
Critics have stated that this novel is homoerotic, and I agree that the undertone of the novel is sensuality and excitement of the senses. It is explicitly written that Lestat loves Louis, and Louis and Armand love each other. Further, the blood-draining process is akin to the human sexual experience, and hence when Louis agrees to give himself over to Lestat, it is somewhat like coming out of the closet, willing to be a social outcast, who cannot see the light of day, who will never be the same again. It is with this sense of intimacy inbuilt in the feeding, that even readers will feel that they are intruders into an extremely private world when we read about their bodily reactions as they drink the life out of their victims.
Back to the movie
The queer part first. Don't they make a beautiful pair?
Tom Cruise was a fantastic and hauntingly beautiful Lestat.
The young Johnny Depp was one of the choices for Lestat too.
There is talk of a remaking of the movie, with Robert Downey Jr., the world's favourite Iron Man as the new Lestat.
Robest Downey Jr. is a good-looker with a huge fan base, but I think Depp is still smoking and can still take up the role even after 16 years!
Figuratively, literally.
I got to know about this novel after watching the film on TV many years ago, and was captivated by the then-12-years-old Kirsten Durst. Her soulful portrayal of Claudia, the child vampire who will remain fixated physically as a doll, was immensely moving and convincing, especially when it comes to her sad eyes that reflected intelligence and maturity beyond her years.
The Novel
The novel itself was the cystalisation of the essense of being a vampire. Anne Rice painted a vastly rich and mysterious setting, yet the reader cannot help but feel a hue of despair underneath the decadence and luxurious indulgences. Is time a luxury, or a never-ending chain of meaninglessness? If meaning is constructed by the individual, then does individual put a halt on his actions because of the futility of them, or does he stop when he realises that there is no absolute truth to be had?
Personally, Rice won me over through the novel with her expert characterization. The three main characters are distinct in their differences, and the under currents in their relationships are subtle yet restless.
Characters
Lestat's flamboyance, dramatic antics, lack of knowledge and egoism do not make him a detestable character. Perhaps, everyone sees a Lestat in themselves, the wilful self that is like a child. Sigmund Freud once wrote, on narcissism, that a child's charms lie in his narcissism, his self-absorption. One feels sympathy for Lestat, for it is clear at the end, that his dominance over Louis and Claudia all stem from his loneliness, his need to be affirmed, to be looked up to as the leader. His torment is that he has to put up a facade of mysterious and powerful knowledge, so that his two companions will continue to have need of him, when in fact, he has nothing to give.
Louis' humanity, compassion and empathy make him the most human of the pseudo-family. Through his eyes, readers learn the secrets and despair of a vampiric existence, and experience a psychological roller-coaster with him. He started out as an idealistic and highly moral fallen angel, but as time goes by, he betrays more and more of his principles, until at the end, he has nothing left, except a walking husk, extraordinarily intriguing and wise, yet cold and empty, like the dead man he really is. His despair is convincing and infectious, and his philosophical musings make for real questions that inevitably make readers slow in their reading, and join him in the quest for meaning. His loneliness is overwhelming, in that he has no passion for love, for hatred, even for hunger at the end. In this sense, even the decaying Lestat is more fortunate, for at least he still feels joy at seeing Louis again, and feels disappointment upon the departure of Louis.
Claudia is raised as a vampire since she was five, and perhaps Rice created her this way to serve as a contrast to Louis. If Louis holds on to his humanity too stubbornly, here is a child who has never learnt what is humanity in the first place. The relationship between Claudia and Louis is intriguing and one of a kind, for they are both father and daughter, and lovers. The novel hints that Claudia does not love Louis the way he loves her, but surely, she loves him in her own way. It is her loneliness and frustration pushing him away from her, with her endless search for knowledge, companions, and the womanly charms that she can never have.Queer
Critics have stated that this novel is homoerotic, and I agree that the undertone of the novel is sensuality and excitement of the senses. It is explicitly written that Lestat loves Louis, and Louis and Armand love each other. Further, the blood-draining process is akin to the human sexual experience, and hence when Louis agrees to give himself over to Lestat, it is somewhat like coming out of the closet, willing to be a social outcast, who cannot see the light of day, who will never be the same again. It is with this sense of intimacy inbuilt in the feeding, that even readers will feel that they are intruders into an extremely private world when we read about their bodily reactions as they drink the life out of their victims.Back to the movie
The queer part first. Don't they make a beautiful pair?
Tom Cruise was a fantastic and hauntingly beautiful Lestat.
The young Johnny Depp was one of the choices for Lestat too.
There is talk of a remaking of the movie, with Robert Downey Jr., the world's favourite Iron Man as the new Lestat.
Robest Downey Jr. is a good-looker with a huge fan base, but I think Depp is still smoking and can still take up the role even after 16 years!
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