Interview with the Vampire - Book Review

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice is an exciting horror story told by the main character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, who experiences becoming and living as a vampire. 

The story is told through an interview by Daniel Molloy, who is a journalist who works during the night. He is also referred to as “the boy,” although both men are grown adults. He interviews Louis, a vampire, late one night in an old building to learn about his unnatural life. He brings a tape recorder, and a handkerchief. Louis’ striking appearance and horrifying nature cause Daniel to sweat profusely, and constantly rub the handkerchief across his forehead. 

Louis’ story starts out with him as a mortal human during the 1700’s, before he turned into a vampire. He lived on a plantation, with his brother, sister, and mother. The defining moment that drives Louis into vampire life is his brother, Paul. He sees holy visions that tell him to sell the plantation and move to France. Louis refuses, as he is the owner of the plantation and has no interest in moving, which causes Paul to end his own life. This traumatizing event, coupled with the fact most people assume Louis is at fault, causes him to become an alcoholic. When he is close to death, and has mostly given up on life, a strange creature breaks into his home during the middle of the night. Lestat de Lioncourt, a vampire, bites down on Louis’ neck, and then has Louis drink from his wrist. This turns Louis into a vampire.

Louis is forced to view the world in a new way: one of a hunter, which is extremely troubling to the kindhearted Louis, who believes the life of a vampire is immoral. He struggles with accepting his new identity and the acts he must do to survive. 

What I most love about this book is the way the story is told. Everything about the story is a continuous dialogue between Louis and Daniel Molloy. The reader is placed into the shoes of the interviewer, and can practically feel his nervousness as he speaks to the vampire. As Louis recites the story, Daniel asks questions that the reader might ask, providing further clarity and understanding of the story.

The story has recently risen in popularity as season one of a new TV series, Interview with the Vampire, came out on October 2nd, 2022 on AMC, and season two came out on May 12th, 2024.