Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire is a novel by Anne Rice written in 1973 and published in 1976 by Alfred A. Knopf. The book centres on themes of immortality, loss, sexuality and power. It quickly became a cult success and has had a huge influence on present Goth culture. It was followed by several sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles.

Synopsis

In present day San Francisco, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac tells the story of his life to a journalist. His story begins in 1791 when Louis is the owner of the Pointe du Lac plantation south of New Orleans. Having lost his wife in childbirth, Louis allows himself to waste away in his despair. He is then approach by the vampire Lestat, who offers to make him a vampire; Louis accepts. His soul, however, survives this transformation. Over many years, Louis tries to resist Lestat's attempts to corrupt him, refusing to take human life. Eventually, though, his vampiric hungers overtake him, and the pair become a two-man killing machine. Louis's servants begin to suspect something sinister with him; he does not come out during the day and he no longer eats food. One night he attempts to feed on a maid, but for some reason the maid finds the bite painful and recoils (normally, a vampire's bite sends his victim into calm ecstasy). This causes Louis to snap, and his burns down his manor, whilst an angry mob waits outside. Lestat and Louis flee to New Orleans.

Related Topics:
San Francisco - Journalist

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The one bright spot in Louis' life is the orphan Claudia, whom he and Lestat "made" and treat as a surrogate daughter. Louis fears that Lestat will corrupt her as he did him, however, and the two fight fiercely. Indeed, Claudia becomes quite a killer, childishly feeding on hired servants (despite Lestat's instructions never to feed at home). However, as Claudia's mind matures to adulthood, she remains trapped in the body of child, a condition she is very uncomfortable with.

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After living together in New Orleans for 65 years, Claudia rebels and tries to kill Lestat. Fearing Lestat's revenge, Louis and Claudia flee America. They search the world for others of their kind, but only encounter legend and supersition - until they arrive in Paris, where they meet a group of vampires who run a theatre - the Théâtre des Vampires - where they audaciously feed on living victims onstage in front of unsuspecting audiences. Armand believes himself to be the oldest living vampire and, much to Louis's disappointment, knows little more than he does about vampires and where they stand in the world. Armand, however, is smitten with Louis, because Louis has managed to retain his human passion, whilst his coterie has become decadent and stagnant.

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On the night Louis returns from his conversations with Armand, Claudia brings home a woman who wants to be turned into a vampire. Claudia is fed up with Louis's melancholies, and wants a new companion who will relish the vampiric life; the woman lost her own daughter and wants to adopt Claudia as a substitute. After a bitter argument, Louis agress and turns the woman into a vampire. The ritual is barely over when Armand's coterie raids their home and arrests them for the murder of Lestat and the turning of Claudia (turning a child into a vampire is taboo). Louis is entombed in a coffin, whilst Claudia and the woman are executed by exposure to sunlight. Armand frees Louis, who bitterly mourns Claudia's death. In revenge, Louis burns down the theatre during and overcast day, killing the vampires as they sleep. Louis is then rescued by Armand, who offers to make Louis his apprentice. Louis, however, calls Armand's bluff: he arranged everything from the start so that he could have Louis all to himself.

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Louis wanders the world aimlessly for hundreds of years, feeding on whoever is unlucky enough to trust him. Returning to New Orleans, he finds Lestat, who survived Claudia's murder attempt but was horribly disfigured. Louis turns his back on his friend and foil in pity and disgust.

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As Louis ends his story, the journalist, completely seduced, demands that Louis make him a vampire. Horrified, Louis refuses and flees. In the novel, the journalist then seeks out Lestat, but will only manage to get turned into a vampire in a later book (Queen of the Damned). In the film version, the journalist is attacked by Lestat, saying he will give him a choice.

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