It’s Armand and it’s actually canonand one of my favorite parts to visualize in QotD(although it’s honky-tonk not ragtime, but their styles are related) I mean, just imagine Daniel waking up to that, looking completely DONE.
Queen of the Damned, page 88
Seldom did I see my feet in black socks. I knew almost nothing personally about my feet. They looked rather small for the twenty-first century. Bad luck. But six feet was still a good height.
More seriously, since I saw the movie before reading the books, I pronounce the final “T” of Lestat, while it’s usually not the case in French. So, theoretically, in modern French, the pronunciation would be something like “lesta”. But it sounds kinda silly, and there is an awful lot of exceptions to the “t” rule. Furthermore, “Lestat” hugely looks like the Occitan word “estat”, prononced “S-taT”. And guess where Occitan, an old language still used nowadays, is spoken? In south France, which include Auvergne. So, in a very twisted way, “LestaT” as an old french name is making sense. At least if you accept the idea that “the state” is a decent name for a person.
OuO very informative.
AR says it was a typo of Lestan, “Le,” French for “The,” + “Stan” for her husband, Stan Rice, and the typo with the “T” stuck. In a way, Uncle Lestan is actually how AR intended his name to be.
In canon, Lestat explains in Blackwood Farm that his name is just the first letters of his siblings’ names:
“What an unusual name, Lestat,” she returned. “Does it have a meaning?”
“None whatsoever, Madam,” Lestat answered. “If memory serves me right, and it does less and less, the name’s compounded of the first letter of each of my six older brothers’ names, all of whom – the brothers and their names – I grew up to cheerfully and vigorously despise.”
^This could work, but we only know one of his brother’s names, Augustin.
Discussing this with viaticumforthemarquise-archive… maybe Augustin (or one of Lestat’s brothers) told him that just to hurt his feelings, like “YOU ARE SO WORTHLESS THAT AT BIRTH OUR PARENTS COULD ONLY MUSTER THE CREATIVITY TO TAKE A LETTER FROM EACH OF OUR NAMES” *SLAPS*
Lestat: *screaming internally*
They told him this at a young age … and he never questioned it ;A;
And then I saw her make the Sign of the Crass and walk back to her sisters within.
Louis de Pointe du Lac, (from an OCR text version of) Interview with the Vampire
There is something obscene about this novel. It makes the lives of these beings seem attractive. You don’t realize it at first; it’s a nightmare and you can’t get out of it. Then all of a sudden you’re comfortable there. You want to remain. Even the tragedy of Claudia isn’t really a deterrent.
I thought of how much I loved Louis, and had ever since I had become Lestat’s fledgling. I thought of how deeply I depended upon him, and what I would do for him. It was the love of Louis which had at times crippled Lestat, and enslaved Armand. Louis need have no consciousness of his own beauty, of his own obvious and natural charm.
//Sooo on my very stressful and not fun at all vacation I re-read Interview and TVL. I started QotD as well, but only got as far as Jesse’s introduction. Out of the series so far QotD remains my favorite. It’s masterfully put together, with each chapter/section the perfect length, all the while building proper suspense. It does perfectly what PL failed at, which is what disappoints me more about PL than any plot point.
As I read I highlighted passages [*pets my Kindle*] I found interesting/enlightening, especially since I’ve read all the VC books now and have 20/20 hindsight. Putting this under a read-more to save your dash.
Interview With the Vampire
“Hell is hatred, people living together in eternal hatred. We’re not in hell.” – Claudia
I love No Exit by Sartre, and this line reminds me so much of it. Just a line I adore, with so much truth.
“I was vaguely horrified at the thought of having an accent to my French, but this wasn’t my immediate concern.” – Louis
*pets Louis* That is all.
“ ‘Ah, but to cover up such curls,’ said Celeste, now playing with Claudia’s golden hair. And I realized what must have been obvious: that all of them had dyed their hair black, but for Armand…” – Louis
Hair dying Vampires is possible! We have canon proof. Look forward to Rose having oddly dyed ombre hair or something weird like pastel purple or pink.
“ ‘I want to burn the doll shop!’” – Madeleine
Obviously Louis’ fledgling.
“What would Christ need have done to make me follow Him like Matthew or Peter? Dress well, to begin with. And have a luxurious head of pampered yellow hair.” -Louis
Louis love for Lestat makes me want to cry.
The Vampire Lestat
“I felt inexpressible love for these men and women. They explained to me how each actor had his role for life, and how they did not use memorized words, but improvised everything on stage. You knew your name, your character, and you understood him and made him speak and act as you thought he should. That was the genius of it.” – Lestat
This reminds me so much of RPing. Rose and Seth are my main canon chars, but they’re my first in 13 years of RPing. I’m far more accustomed to OCs. No matter what you RP, this captures the essence of it to me.
“I’ll never know. I’ll never know what it is like to be human in any way, shape, or form again.” – Lestat
Oh, how young and naive you were Lestat.
“She didn’t even look disheveled so much as she looked impossible, a woman torn out of time and place, clad only in slippers and dress, no chains on her, free to soar.” – Lestat about Gabrielle
I wish we had more canon first-person VC chars. This quote makes me want a book written by Gabrielle, or Bianca, or ANY OF THEM. Yes, we have snippets in the anthology books, and Pandora, but Merrick was really David’s tale.
“ ‘You know the creatures of the night are ripe for a great leader,’ she said. ‘Not some superstitious mumbler of old rites, but a great dark monarch who will galvanize us according to new principles.’” – Gabrielle
I don’t think when Gabrielle said this, she had any inkling this leader would become her son.
“ ‘The truth is most women are weak, be they mortal or immortal. But when they are strong, they are absolutely unpredictable.’” – Marius
Do I blame this misogyny on Marius or on Anne?
It felt great to re-read these books. I’ve probably read IWTV 7 times and each time I discover new things. I’ve only read TVL once before. QotD I’ve read a few times, though now that I’m home I’ll probably go through it a little slower.
On an pure OOC note, my vaca was terrible except for how tan I am now. My arms and legs are 5 shades darker than they were, though I’m all sore from sunburn. Ah well, I brought it upon myself.
Thanks for sticking through this too long post!
Our emissary in Venice retrieved it from a burnt-out villa on the Grand Canal. These vampires are endlessly associated with fires, by the way. It is the one weapon they can use effectively against one another. There are always fires.
I-want-my-IWTV 