Bombast! Of a literary type!

[cupcake_goth]

As I mentioned in yesterday's "Name four comfort-reading books", I find Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles strangely soothing. But I haven't read all of them. I stopped reading them, I think, after Tale of the Body Thief.

Thanks to the Vampire Chronicles tumblr (clicky-link!), which sometimes post quotes from the books, I came to the realization that I wanted to catch up. One trip to Goodwill later, and I now have (first edition!) hardbacks of The Vampire Armand, Merrick, and Blood and Gold. Since I made my word count goal for writing last night, I rewarded myself by starting The Vampire Armand during bath time.

Whoo. Bombast! Lurid purple prose! Shimmering preternatural flesh and flashing jewels of eyes, all wrapped in gold tissue and red velvet! I am going to have all sorts of silly fun with these.

I think part of my fondness for bombast is because I love dipping my toes into a state of extremely heightened, overwhelming emotions, but I know I don't want to stay in that state. (In fact, I think it's safe to say that a lot of the REALLY STUPID AND CLUELESS decisions that I have made in my life, at the core, were about me trying to get a drama and bombast fix. Which is NOT sustainable or sane for extended periods in Real Life.) Books and music let me indulge in my fondness for such feelings, without the unfortunate repercussions OR feeling like a complete idiot. (Hey, I own my gothy clichés and am proud of it.)

So! 'Fess up, folks! What are your favorite Anne Rice books? What are your favorite bits of silly, bombastic escapist media?

Comments

Ummm. . . well, since you asked. . .

[boyastridgirl.livejournal.com]

:: mumbles into her chest :: The Beauty Trilogy.

Re: Ummm. . . well, since you asked. . .

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Awww! I haven't read those in YEARS.

Re: Ummm. . . well, since you asked. . .

[mistress-infy.livejournal.com]

Aieeee! I totally forgot about those! After reading them, I always wished she'd done a take on Snow White or Beauty and the Beast. *waggles eyebrows*

[mistress-infy.livejournal.com]

I'm intensely fond of Violin--not only does it have Phantom-y undertones, but I picked it up at a time that I was grieving really intensely for my own violin player and it just really struck a chord (Pun intended maybe?).

I like Memnoch the Devil for similar reasons in that I was questioning the intensely religious school of thought I'd been brought up with and was forming my own ideas about God and Hell and my place in the universe. There's something darkly humorous about the whole thing.

And, um, shamelessly love any of the Vampire Chronicles. I read the main three Witches of Mayfair books and it was all interesting from a history standpoint, but the incest just squicked me out kinda really a lot. Like really. At the same time, it reminded me of royal families going to extreme measures to keep bloodlines 'pure'.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

Should I pick up a copy of Violin? I think the thrift store I was at had one.

[icprncs.livejournal.com]

The Vampire Lestat. It's when she fully plunged over the edge to bombast but hadn't yet moved to batshit.

I also love the chapter early in Queen of the Damned about Daniel. The rest of that book, though, I am ashamed to have read.

I threw Tale of the Body Thief across the room, and that was 17 years ago. I can't bring myself to touch another one of her works.

We will not, however, discuss how many times I've read The Mists of Avalon.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

I've red Mists of Avalon plenty of times myself, but I just can't any more. I used to feel like there were good guys and bad guys in it. Now I just want to shake EVERYONE in the story for being STUPID.

[cmpriest.livejournal.com]

Interview, of course.
And coincidentally, I'm rereading it now :)

[corbaegirl.livejournal.com]

The Vampire Lestat. When I first read it (the week it came out, in hardback), my own Lestat was still very much in my life. 10 years later, just after he died, I picked it up again, and remembered him, and why I called him that, and grieved. I still pick it up from time to time to read and remember.

[theosakakoneko.livejournal.com]

When I was in high school I got really into the Witches series. I never read any of the Vampires except the first 3. But damn you, DAMN YOU DAMN YOU, you are going to make me want to read everything again now. I DON'T WANT TO BE 17 AGAIN but dammit now I wanna read Anne Rice again...
::plots a trip to the library::

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Cry to Heaven. Over-the-top emo m/m, teacher/student, genderfuckery liek whoa, and the usual florid purple prose. We will ignore the serious physical implausibilities committed in the furtherance of the smut. self-lubricating arseholes yeah right.

The Claudia bits in Interview with the Vampire and most of The Vampire Lestat, when I can get past the things that make me roll my eyes nearly out of their sockets. (Convenient trunks full of treasure? THAT IS HOW I PLAYED D&D WHEN I WAS TEN, you can do better than that!)

After Tale of the Body Thief I kind of gave up.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

We will ignore the serious physical implausibilities committed in the furtherance of the smut.

HA! Maybe that's where all the bad fanfic writers learned it from.

[trystbat.livejournal.com]

I can always go back to "Interview." And I have a weird fondness for "The Witching Hour," but not the rest of the Mayfair series.

[marc17.livejournal.com]

I like Interview and Lestat, but while Queen of the Damned wasn't bad, once she moved out 1st person, anything actually special left her writing. I've been warned not to even attempt her other books.

I still reread all my old VtM books for the setting info in them. 1E and 2E only. I have horrible things to say about the people who wrote Revised.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

The Stroppy One is going to a big gaming-specific yard sale this weekend, and I told him that if he finds a copy of 1E VtM, he needs to grab it for me.

[roberts-muse.livejournal.com]

Having read almost the entire Vampire Chronicles, here's a brief rundown:
Interview--Still one of my all time top favourites. It's what introduced me to the beauty in darkness.
Lestat--How can you not adore Lestat? Bombast, indeed--in all it's grandeur!
Queen of the Damned--I actually quite liked this--esp. the relationship btwn Armand and Daniel. I agree that parts of it were extraneous, though.
Tail of the Body Thief--Not one of my favourites. The only parts I liked were the ones with David Talbot. I thought the entire premise was dumb and not entirely in character with Lestat.
Memnoch the Devil--This premise I liked. However, I do think it's not up to par with the first 3 books.
The Vampire Armand--Loved this one too! The imagery--so colourful and I was glad to finally hear Armand's story.
Merrick--This one didn't really stay with me. I know I read it, but it left no lasting impression.
Blood and Gold--A worthy read. I was glad to finally hear Marius' story.
Blackwood Farm--Another one that didn't leave much of an impression.
Blood Canticle--I didn't read this one. I think it was because I wasn't enthralled with Blackwood Farm.
I've also read Cry to Heaven--which I liked although I agree with the post above.
The Beauty Series was great. Belinda wasn't too bad, but I've only read it once or twice. It's not on my list of favourites. Exit to Eden was interesting, but the movie version has forever ruined the book for me now.
I've not read any of her newest works as they're all about the early life of Jesus, and I find Anne Rice rather boring since her Catholic rebirth.
So, that's my 2 cents on the subject. I'll go back to lurk mode now. Lol!

[satellite6.livejournal.com]

Of all Anne Rice's books, I still like The Vampire Lestat best. My favorite bombastic, over-the-top, emotionally wrenching, drama queen media are VC Andrews' Flowers in the Attic, True Blood (don't laugh), My Chemical Romance (I'm probably the world's oldest fan of theirs), and Ellora's Cave SciFi/Horror/Romantica.

[cupcake-goth.livejournal.com]

I somehow doubt you are the world's oldest MCR fan. :) I'm rather, erm, infamous for my geebling fangirl devotion to them. (AAAAUGH THEY JUST NEED TO RELEASE THE NEW ALBUM. I WANT NEW SONGS AND A TOUR, DAMMIT!)

[mahariel.livejournal.com]

My favorite of her books has always been The Feast of All Saints. I'd go for Lestat as the second favorite.

[caleidescopeyes.livejournal.com]

I, too, am a lover of the BEAUTY trilogy. Of the Vampire Chronicles, ARMAND is my favourite. :)

[bee-yes.livejournal.com]

I love The Vampire Chronicles! I read them all in high school and when Twilight came out I read the first one and was like, "Meh, this is what passes for a vampire these days?" Interview is classic and always good for a re-read, but The Vampire Lestat will always be my favorite, because even though the language is often ridiculously florid, Lestat is such a great character.

I also read Cry to Heaven in college, right when I started to read about castrati (and heard a recording of Alessandro Moreschi, OMG). Crazyyyy!

[mina5643.livejournal.com]

Seconded. The Vampire Lestat was my favorite, and he'll always be my favorite vampire, secretly.

Queen of the Damned was woven quite well, and I like to give it that merit, but it didn't hold me all the way through like Lestat did.

[darkpath30.livejournal.com]

Alas no one has mentioned Ramses the Damned. Definitely a personal favourite...thinking I may have to re-read it now, it's been so long.

[crowgirl13.livejournal.com]

THIS IS MY FAVORITE TOO!

[I was just scrolling down to see if anyone had mentioned it before commenting. :D]

Best book about mummies EVER. \o/

[sophiabrooks.livejournal.com]

I loved Interview, but The Vampire Lestat is probably the favorite. Say what you will about Anne Rice's talent, but the way she broke expectations and had Lestat (rather than Louis) be the more interesting and likable character was really interesting to me. I sympathized SO MUCH with Louis and then that was turned on its head.

[a-papier-mache.livejournal.com]

Funny, I started packing today and made a remark about all the Anne Rice books we have. SO MANY!
Favorite: Queen of the Damned

[bijouxdejais.livejournal.com]

I've only read one Anne Rice novel, Feast of All Saints, and I quite liked it. I have a (well-earned) fascination with African American historical drama, both realistic and fantastic. Think Toni Morrison, Pauline Hopkins and Octavia Butler. Stories like those involve a different kind of horror, one which I get a rise out of experiencing in a book, but one which I'm glad I never had to actually experience beyond the pages of a book.
My favorite silly media is actually cartoons. Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, Pink Panther and so on...utterly silly comfort watching. I refuse to give up cartoons. :o)

[moonxpearl.livejournal.com]

I think "The Vampire Armand" was my favorite. But it's been so long since I read Anne Rice... Probably a good two or three years.

I hated "Tale of the Body Thief" too. But I had to finish it because I'd waited until the last minute to choose a book to do a report on and didn't have time to read anything that was over 200 pages or so. And I never did reports on books under 300 pages.

[cherry-faery.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that the first two books in the Vampire Chronicles are gooders. I love the fact that Lestat became a rock star but it lost the magic for me at Queen of the Damned.

[tzuki17.livejournal.com]

I liked 'Queen of the Damned', and the movie version is one of favourite things to watch if I am ill!

As comfort-reading however, I almost always turn to Tanith Lee and especially her books about the Scarabae, and , 'Carmilla'...I re-read that regularly especially if I've had a miserable day & cheering up...oh and 'Anno Dracula'..that puts a smile on my face too!

[blutsauger.livejournal.com]

I think, Interview is the best of them all, just because the further her universe evolved it became more and more ridiculous. She really could have engaged an editor, as Lestat switches between body heights and hair/eye colours. *shakes head* I read Lestat and several others, but honestly, I couldn't find any good in them anymore.

My personal favourite in books is the Inheritance cycle by Paolini. (The books, of course. The movie was beyond awful!) I'm already counting the days until the release of book four! (Which doesn't have a release date yet. Ahum.) It's said to be released about the end of the year but omg that's still so much time to go! Gah!