I honestly think the 1992 theatrical version of

When we are born, we are as smart as ever. As we age, we trade intelligence for knowledge and experience. I read The Hobbit as a teen. When the movie came out, I finally figured out the book. The whole thing was a riddle. The book was about two guys living in a hole in the ground. These holes were not dank and wet, but wonderful places. Once hole warm and comfy with food and accommodations. The other was a nice dry place to seek refuge from the elements. Then a bunch of dwarves invade these holes. With Bilbo, family and neighbor broke in, and tried to take his stuff. With Smaug, the dwarves just moved in and made Smaug's home their own. When Bilbo came home, he set things right and took his home back. When Smaug returned home, he sent the dwarves packing. Stop and think about Smaug a bit. He didn't kill all the dwarves, he let them run away. Then he was a good neighbor to the Lake people. Never bothered the lake people, and minded his own business. Smaug only attacked the Lake people after they helped a band of thieves. rob his home. I've had bad neighbors. Smaug isn't one of those. They say, "There is never anything new in fiction." Yeah, no. I'm sure others had written vampires a people with a complex life, but Ann Rice was the first to do right. I read a handful of Ann's vampire books and realized her first book was the best. In the first book, Lesat was larger than life and a force of nature. In time, Lestat was worn down. Hey, if time can wear down mountains, what chance does a vampire have.? With most people, we change with time. I've seen creative people completely ruin older works of theirs. They think, "It's mine. I can do what I want." No, the younger version was a different person. You are ruining someone else's work. I think Ann Rice wanted to make a living. The book after, Interview with a Vampire was just fan fiction. Of late, Ann Rice has a bad reputation. They say she dox people who criticized her books. She did dox but it was against people who were homophobic and claimed to have committed violent crimes against people. I heard a recent interview with Salman Rushdie. He said, "I had such high hopes for the online generation. Now, all they do is ban books that have the smallest flaws in their eyes." Honestly? I think Ann's work Interview with a Vampire is a landmark in fiction.

I love Anne Rice's writing style. The Witching Hour is a Top 10 novel for me. I read Interview in 1976 when I was 10 and Lestat in 1985 when it was released. Loved them both, and stayed with the series until Blackwood Farm. It was a diminishing series after Queen of the Damned...

Great video! I loved the original trilogy but it all went downhill in terms of quality from then. The Vampire Lestat remains my favorite just because he is a badass vampire. The Witching Hour was so disappointing to me. People rave about it but I think aaah NO!

The Mummy she wrote was great and The Witching Hour.

I actually quitr like the TV show.

Oh, wow. I went to look her up because I remembered she'd had some sort of conversion to Christianity or at least Catholicism. (I haven't read her books, so I don't really follow her.) But I'm seeing that she posted something on Facebook that she changed her mind some years later. Sad.

Funny Body Thief is where I ended the first time. Last year started the series again, Blood Canticle I still need to read. I did skip ahead and read, Prince Lestat - as good as Interview, and nice summary of all the vampires from the chronicles, could read it without the others. Enjoy the chronicles 😎

I read it in the early 80s. I was in high school but even then I thought it was weak sauce. I thought it was pretty weak sauce. I bought Captain Blood at the same used bookstore trip. I was amazed at how well written Blood was and how old it was. Really showed me that newer doesn't mean better.

The Jesus era books are not good Michael. They are cringey. Very... very cringey. But I'm sure you've guessed that 😂. I didn't think the series went down hill. I read them all through Blood Canticle. I also read Merrick and Vitorio and Pandora which were also good. I assume they are not Vampire Chronicles because they are not about the main group of vampires. But who knows!

"she came to her senses" 🤣 that made me laugh.

I’ve read them all. Interview with the vampire and vampire Lestat were amazing. I was 13 the first time I read Anne Rice. Somebody had passed on the books to my grandma and I used to spend summers with her til my mom thought I was old enough to stay home and keep an eye on my dad and older brothers 😂 The multiple POV for Queen of the Damned wasn’t my thing. I loved Tale of the Body Thief and Memnoch the Devil, though there are various versions and some edit out my favorite part. She went off the rails and the first printing of Blood and Gold had some seriously messed up bits that have since been edited out. I loved the side series with Pandora. I used to have a tiny kitty that I named after her. Sadly Pandora was a completely different character when she came back to the vampire side after her religious break. Otherwise, I enjoyed her return for the most part. It was pretty wild. Good luck with your read through!

I was living off campus in a spooky old Victorian house with a bunch of other guys in an unofficial fraternity (think Animal House) where I read Interview With The Vampire which just made it spookier especially at night climbing those old creaky stairs to my room 🧛‍♂️

Have you considered that Wilkins may be practising to join the Anne Rice vampires? After all, he is showing certain symptoms.....

I love that photo art so much. Well done!

They're really fun up till "Memnoch The Devil". That one broke me of the series. I was working in a steel factory when I was reading them, and they were a great escape on my breaks up till that book, and then I was looking forward to getting back to work.

Good luck with the plan, Michael. I have struggled trying to find the perfect vampire novel. The vampires seem to go to extremes. They're either too monstrous with inhuman looks and behavior, or they're melodramatic 20-simethings with dialogue and/or plots ripped from a teenage drama tv series. Happy reading everyone.

Michael, you may have to consider becoming a vampire, yourself. You could use the whole "undead" thing/extended lifespan to tackle that TBR. Drastic times require drastic measures. Also, your blood soaked shirt is on point!

Read Interview last year is after watching the movie years ago, and the series. You have reminded me to pick up Vampire Lestat. Thanks Michael😀

Recommend Interview, The Vampire Lester then Prince Lestat would round off the Trilogy.