Why thank u dear, such a lovely compliment! I shall have to post more selfies… unless u are referring to my inner beauty of which I have an abundance *u*
I do ship L/L! Absolutely! However did u guess?? sometimes Louis doesn’t ship them but thats fine bc nobody ships L/L as hard as Lestat ships L/L.
I don’t remember when exactly, but I think AR did call Louis a “damaged pilgrim” at one point. There’s that.
If you want to cry over Louis, read Merrick, if you haven’t already. He has a lead role in that one ;] But be prepared because your feels will be squarely hit.
Hit the jump for my thoughts on why we don’t get much Louis action post-IWTV.
(ok because Louis spoke in English, and the French followed MOST of the same patterns in literary history, I’m going to base this mostly with British literature)
Yep! Louis manner of talking was much more flowery. It was lush and decorative without the higher philosophical trappings of the earlier 1800′s. Louis is more along the lines of the Oscar Wilde’s era of the very late 19th century, which is what most people think of today when they think “Victorian writing.” Similar in voice (though not subject) would also be Matthew Arnold (read some of his essays, and tell me that’s not how Louis talks), Wilkie Collins, and Henry James.
The trade mark of the era was the fading out in popularity of language for the sake of language: the British (and to a lesser extent the French) had a love for the intricacy of the language, how it all worked together, and (take a look at Charles Dickens for an Example of this) it would result in using several paragraphs to tell what could be summed up in a couple sentences.
The realists in France and a few in Russia (as the Russians idolized France in the 1800′s) were starting something new by the close of the century: keeping their prose short, sweet and to the point. With no less artistry they found beauty in a minimalistic approach: instead of “Roses of velvet that matched the shade the rubies dripping from the mark of the asp on Cleopatra’s breast,” for example, it was now “soft, bloody roses.”
They still evoke the same image, but not the same tone.
Going back to what this has to do with Louis: he’s not so much involved in human goings on, he’s aware of events and films, but still speaks in the language of the century where he spent the most time communicating with others–also he would not have lost his speech patterns over those decades with Armand because Armand was mostly isolated in his language circles. So we can look at all of that as to why Louis talks the way he does.
I’m sorry if that was incoherent and rambling; I’m cooking and writing at the same time.
^I knew I could count on annabellioncourt for some excellent points ❤
She also added: “Louis does show a HEAVY influence from the French symbolist poets (the school that Charles Baudelaire was from).”
Of course Louis would express himself in the language of the writers he enjoyed. OF COURSE HE WOULD. We all know he’s basically a big ol’ bookworm w/ fangs.
Why thank u dear, such a lovely compliment! I shall have to post more selfies… unless u are referring to my inner beauty of which I have an abundance *u*
I do ship L/L! Absolutely! However did u guess?? sometimes Louis doesn’t ship them but thats fine bc nobody ships L/L as hard as Lestat ships L/L.
I don’t remember when exactly, but I think AR did call Louis a “damaged pilgrim” at one point. There’s that.
If you want to cry over Louis, read Merrick, if you haven’t already. He has a lead role in that one ;] But be prepared because your feels will be squarely hit.
Hit the jump for my thoughts on why we don’t get much Louis action post-IWTV.
My theory re: Louis’ low profile is listed below. Because he had served his purpose with his major job (point 1), AR seemed not to need him as much. She kept him around for the same reason Akasha spares him QOTD, because the star of the show, Lestat, loves him.
1. Louis was AR’s vehicle through which to deal with the grief of the death of her daughter. Louis intended to kill Claudia.
Claudia was 5 yrs old, Michele Rice was 5 yrs old.
Claudia and Michele share a birthday (9/22, indicated in her diary entry in QOTD),
btw, Louis shares a birthday with AR (10/4, although I don’t think it’s in canon).
Louis was, in a way, Claudia’s mother: “You became my mother, and my father, and so I’m yours forever.” says movie!Claudia (which, let’s not forget, AR wrote the screenplay).
But more than all that, Louis was the one that AR wanted to interview, “Why did you kill my daughter? Did God, or the Devil, tell you to do so? What did she do wrong? What did we, as parents, do wrong?” Louis basically answered her that Claudia was just in the wrong place at the wrong time; he had no more contact with God or the Devil than AR does, and he was just a hungry animal in the savage garden, and Claudia was just an innocent victim.
2. Louis’ “voice” is rich and structured; IWTV emulated the (I think?) Victorian-era gothic novels (annabellioncourt might know the proper genre) that AR loved. His whole way of being is a quiet intensity, beauty that roils beneath the surface, and that is hard to write. Lestat’s easier, he’s a rollercoaster of egotistical bastard and cowering crybaby. Plus, when Louis is not the POV, you can have pages of other character’s swooning over him ❤
3. AR focused a number of the VC on other characters, and he’s peripheral to their stories. Louis does have some action and has a small section from his POV in PL, though!
I cannot even fathom that situation. I can only imagine that I would be immensely irritated at how such a thing would come to occur. I would inevitably have to babysit Lestat to ensure nothing embarrassing terrible would occur throughout the duration of him possessing my body.
Awww thank u for the compliments! I’m such a successful drug dealer, addicted a fresh victim to our beloved drug of choice, lovable dysfunctional vampires ♥u♥
shut up Claudia you know you love it you helped him WRITE that monologue…
Yes, I read all the books. Should you read all the books?
Well, if, for example, you’re not so interested in Armand as a character, I would recommend skipping TVA, bc it’s largely his story. BUT, you may miss good moments with other characters that you do like. Same goes for the other books past TVA.
Short answer is: give it all a chance, skim if you must, and decide for yourself, it’s meant to be fun, it’s not a religion, there are no chants to memorize, you will not be quizzed next Monday ;]
Y’know, that is a good question but also a tough one to answer. I’m sure there are academic articles on it (here’s one I skimmed, looks intriguing, thanks to takemetocoffin-or-losemeforever for the link!), and I did a movie!IWTV kill tally (according to the tally, 73% of the on-screen mortals killed were Caucasian).
I percolated on this with coldinhumanity, and the short answer is: Maybe, but if so, it’s unintentional. These are 200+ yr old vampires, and they have outdated conceptions of things.
In movie!IWTV: Louis kills Yvette, a poc, it was accidental. We see him struggling with it and trying to make Yvette leave him alone, but she seems to actually care about him, “Are you still our master at all? You must send away this friend of yours… they’re frightened of him. And they’re frightened of you.” I headcanon that they had a good relationship prior to his turning, maybe the best possible relationship under the circumstances.
Not saying that Louis was a fantastic slave owner, but we aren’t told negative things about him in that role, only that movie!Yvette (and I think it’s in book!IWTV, too) NOTICED his daytime absence in the fields, and seemed to want him back out there.
I think Anne Rice attempts to consider political concepts and weave them into her work if possible, but it’s not her main focus. Akasha’s idea for world peace was presented, and refuted. Was Akasha a misandrist? That’s not racism, but it’s hatred of a group of people who all share a certain characteristic having and/or being a dick, and AR strove to show us how impractical it was to try to remove them, 40% of the world’s population, in order to “improve” the remainder.
In the books, I’d say that:
Anne Rice began the first one in the style of the Victorian-era gothic novels she loved, and emulated the way those novels exoticised anything that could be exoticised, such as, exotic people.
The whole series are basically white men from the capitals of Europe.
She has had some non-Caucasian vampires (I won’t spoil anything by mentioning them by name), who are typically from places that western history acknowledge as good and impressive, like Ancient Egypt and India.
I don’t think she intends to be racist, and her characters rarely have dialogue that would explicitly state such. In the narration, however, one could argue that there are implied racial opinions.
((My blog is perfect, indeed. Pffft must pretend to have some level of humility! Thank u *u* ))
Starting TOBT, you’re still on the more sane side of canon. JUST YOU WAIT.
When to read Pandora and Vittorio? That’s a good question. Other ppl may have different answers for you, so anyone feel free to reblog this w/ commentary or send me a message on this.
Pandora
This is the story of Pandora, who was with Marius for quite some time, so I would read this one right before Blood and Gold (which is Marius’ story) so that her perspective is fresh in your mind when Marius starts talking smack about her. AR wrote Blood and Gold after Pandora, so she had to keep that information in mind, too.
Vittorio
HONESTLY, I don’t see that Vittorio really fits into canon at all, I think the Coven of the Articulate are mentioned briefly in his book? His story won’t spoil any of the other books, bc it’s completely separate from theirs, so I’d leave it till later. After Blood and Gold. Maybe even after Prince Lestat, since he’s not in that book, either.
When I started the series, the first 4 had already been published, and I read the fresh VC in the order they were released. This meant that I read Pandora between MtD and TVA, not really ideal placement, as, if I recall correctly, she has only brief cameos in those. I read Vittorio between TVA and Merrick, and I don’t think he appears in either.
Back then we read everything immediately, fearing every VC novel would be the last; trying times. Hope this helped ^______^
//My dear anon, I have not forgotten thee. This will take a little longer for I have found quite much Armand and cats have in common. I’ll upload the whole comic strip as soon as I get to finish and color it.
(I think u mean Blood Paradise;The Vampire Lestat was published in 1985.)
We waited 7 years between Blood Canticle and Prince Lestat, not even expecting that there would ever be another VC! Supposedly they’re also working on adapting TVL and/or TOBT for the big screeeeen, so I think we can wait for BP ;]
Not a silly question! There are 11 VC books now (13 if you include the New Tales’Pandora and Vittorio) THATS A LOT OF STORY (just imagine this gif 11-13 times bc I don’t wanna actually throw it in 11-13 times not aesthetically pleasing)
What is being part of a fandom?
Everyone’s idea of this is different.
The short answer is simply: You’ve read enough to be part of the fandom! Welcome! I, Mater Fabuloso, decree you worthy.
As far as the later books having a bad reputation…
Yes! Some of them are so crazy and wildly cracky! That’s why we also call them the #Vampire Crackicles. It’s a term of endearment. The crazy is a big part of why we enjoy it. Dysfunctional vampires! The first 3-4 books in the series seem to be the more highly regarded, VC-fandom-wide, maybe bc the crazy was better woven in.
If you liked the first 3 – and some others – enough to reread them, you must also enjoy the sense of humor that’s mixed in with the angst, the love, the overall crazy! The bad-reputation VC have some silly/angsty/etc. quotes and scenes that are not to be missed (like that quote about Lestat’s foot size insecurity pfffft).
Short answer is: give it all a chance, skim if you must, and decide for yourself, it’s meant to be fun, it’s not a religion, there are no chants to memorize, you will not be quizzed next Monday ;]
Personally, and I hope this goes for others, I welcome anyone into the fandom who loves any of the characters. Maybe someone’s gateway drug was movie!IWTV. Maybe it was Claudia’s Story (graphic novel). Any combination of VC books/media counts!
I sound like a broken record bc I write this SO OFTEN: my idea of being “part of the fandom” just means engaging in discussions about the series, making fanworks, and making friendships with ppl who share your interests. I don’t know how other fandoms behave, but that’s a summary of my positive experiences in the VC fandom.
I-want-my-IWTV 