What happened to Anne Rice?

[Diana Levin]

I have always admired Anne Rice as a writer. I loved her eariler works; the Vampire Chronicls and Mayfair witches. But now she is all Christian now writing christian literature. Im somewhat disappointed and surprised. Maybe a little disturbed. Not that I have anything against Christian literature. I have always known she had this other side to her books. But how does a gothic/horror writer make such a dramatic switch? I don't really understand.
How do others feel about this?

 

[manephelien]

Lots of people go insane when they get converted to a religion. Although if she's always had that other side, maybe something in her life changed and she wanted to get away from the goth side, either temporarily or permanently. I don't know enough about her or her books to judge.

 

[Lith]

My understanding is she re-converted to Christianity after years of lapsed faith. Which is a pretty common thing for people to do. Can't comment on the quality of her new work, but the little I've read of the vampire stuff, I can only applaud the change- I felt something really evil when I tried to read Interview.

 

[Pyan]

I agree - I tried to read Lasher recently, and if her return to the Christian fold inspires her to write better, then I can only applaud.........

 

[Diana Levin]

My understanding is she re-converted to Christianity after years of lapsed faith. Which is a pretty common thing for people to do. Can't comment on the quality of her new work, but the little I've read of the vampire stuff, I can only applaud the change- I felt something really evil when I tried to read Interview.

Why do you think its so "evil"?

 

[Lith]

I don't know if I can put it to any reason- but I got a distinctly menacing, evil feeling from reading it, which I've never felt in any book before or since. And it wasn't because it was a horror novel, either.

 

[Diana Levin]

I don't know if I can put it to any reason- but I got a distinctly menacing, evil feeling from reading it, which I've never felt in any book before or since. And it wasn't because it was a horror novel, either.

hmmmm....thats a very strange reaction.

 

[Marvolo]

Lots of people go insane when they get converted to a religion. Although if she's always had that other side, maybe something in her life changed and she wanted to get away from the goth side, either temporarily or permanently. I don't know enough about her or her books to judge.

Wow, go "insane" is a strong descriptor.

I'm glad she's converted. Now maybe her books won't run rampant with male on male sex scenes.

 

[ravenus]

Thank God for her new found Christiantity...no more pansy whiny vampire wannabes.

 

[The Ace]

Does this mean I won't have to take six baths after reading one of her books now ?

 

[manephelien]

Wow, go "insane" is a strong descriptor.

I'm glad she's converted. Now maybe her books won't run rampant with male on male sex scenes.

What's wrong with male on male sex scenes? Or female on female ones for that matter? Why should they be worse than straight sex scenes?

 

[Diana Levin]

Wow, by opening this thread, I was hoping to get people who actually like reading her Vampire series. But aside from Manephelien, I think I just landed in a total Christian zone.

Does anyone out there actually like her Gothic literature?

 

[The Ace]

It's nothing to do with christianity, I always thought she wrote very bad stories and tried to compensate by mingling sex and violence in a way that made my skin crawl.

 

[murphy]

Wow, by opening this thread, I was hoping to get people who actually like reading her Vampire series. But aside from Manephelien, I think I just landed in a total Christian zone.

Does anyone out there actually like her Gothic literature?

I'm not especially Christian, but the only book of hers I really liked was the Mummy. I had a friend I argued with over her books. Her vampires kill people. I prefer to read about vampires that don't. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Count St. Germaine comes to mind.

 

[Diana Levin]

It's nothing to do with christianity, I always thought she wrote very bad stories and tried to compensate by mingling sex and violence in a way that made my skin crawl.

Than why read them at all if all you don't like them?
Besides all the best dramas in history were always about sex and violence.

 

[Diana Levin]

I'm not especially Christian, but the only book of hers I really liked was the Mummy. I had a friend I argued with over her books. Her vampires kill people. I prefer to read about vampires that don't. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Count St. Germaine comes to mind.

Yeah her vampires kill people, because that what they do. How can you have vampire that doesn't. By definition isn't that what vampires are.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

hmmmm....thats a very strange reaction.

Since Rice was trying very hard to evoke a feeling of menace and deathless wickedness, it seems like a very natural reaction to me. Anyone who imagines the books are supposed to be fun and sexy, for instance, would be missing the point.


Anyway, she didn't just suddenly convert. She was born and raised in an Irish-Catholic family, spent most of her adult life as an atheist, and then returned to the Catholic Church in 1998.

 

[The Ace]

Than why read them at all if all you don't like them?
Besides all the best dramas in history were always about sex and violence.

Yes, but not simultaneously.

I read several of her books with an open mind, I prefer to form my own opinions of authors rather than just accept what I was told. Unfortunately, I found them devoid of any discernible merit.

 

[clovis-man]

I don't know if I can put it to any reason- but I got a distinctly menacing, evil feeling from reading it, which I've never felt in any book before or since. And it wasn't because it was a horror novel, either.

I think it has to do with lionizing characters who engage in despicable and horrific acts. If you go along with it, you're bound to feel a little stained. But what would you expect from vampires?

Reading much of Rice's work has been like reading many other authors who follow a common theme, e.g., Clancy, Grisham, etc. After getting a few books under my belt, I simply lost interest.

Regards,

Jim

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

But what would you expect from vampires?

Fictional vampires -- including Anne Rice's -- have strayed so far from their folkloric roots, one hardly knows what to expect of them these days.