Unpopular opinion: I REALLY did not like “Interview with the Vampire”.
If this book had been named “Interview with the Pedophile”, it would have been just as fitting of a title.
This book, essentially, is about the overt sexualization of children. It is a “love” story between a grown man (vampire) and a five-year-old child. It is, many times, disturbing and disgusting. And left me feeling unsettled. Often, I wanted to stop reading this book because it was such a struggle. But I was buddy reading it with two people (who were also made uncomfortable while reading this), and I’ve heard so much love and praise for it that I wanted to finish it just to say that I gave it a fair shot. I had to switch to audiobook (it’s free on YouTube, as are many older books) because reading it was a chore.
Fans of Anne Rice and this book will be angry at what I’ve said above. They may say that I missed some essential point, or that I’m reading too much into certain aspects of the story and not taking others into account. To them I say, what I read/listened to was a five year old girl being described repeatedly as “sensual”, “seductive”, a “lover”, a “bride”. Descriptions of a grown ass man touching and lusting after her body. Kissing her neck. And it wasn’t just her.
What was also described in this book was a young boy’s “hard sex” pressed against this same grown man.
What I never ever ever ever ever need is any of that in my fiction. So, I’m all the way out on this series and on Anne Rice. Even without the gross pedo stuff, this book, while beautifully written, is kinda just rambling and boring.
I am NOT telling people they shouldn’t read this book. Or that you should feel bad if you enjoyed it. To each their own. I just have zero interest in whatever underlying message Anne Rice was going for, or what boundaries she was trying to push.
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Let me know your thoughts. And, before you think I’m being unfair, just Google Anne Rice + Pedophilia. I’m not the only one who had an issue with what she was putting out there. I’m just surprised that so few people mention this when they bring up how great Interview with the Vampire is.
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