A book a day: Anne Rice: Armand the vampire

It is true that guilty pleasures exist; It is also true that there are facets of our personality that we find difficult to understand, and we even reach a point where we could completely separate ourselves from them, not feeling them as our own. I don’t think even in these muddy fields I can find an explanation for my behavior, to explain to myself why I continue reading the Vampire chronicles: but the wheel keeps turning. And yet it moves.

The first thing I must say is that it is appreciated that Lestat does not appear in this novel; or rather, he does appear, but in a catatonic state and unable to receive external stimuli, sleeping on the floor of a chapel. Well. Let’s continue.

And I say that it is appreciated because, if Rice does something well in literature, it is creating characters. He is aware of this and does not miss the opportunity to give prominence to his supporting actors – and, why not say it, make money with new books -: Armand is one of the most interesting and mysterious (or will be until reading this novel). and in this volume we will be told his very extensive biography of 500 years, narrated through the pen of David Talbot, who previously had the opportunity to star in a novel of the Chronicles. By the way, Armand hadn’t died? No, better not, let’s pretend it never happened.

Well, okay, I must make a point here: if in previous installments I already bordered on it in a more or less concealed way, always playing with the obvious but at the same time forbidden vampire sexuality, this is clearly an erotic novel. Rice is lavish in describing the sexual incursions of her characters, and, as is the case in all of the ChroniclesAbsolutely all of them are bisexual, which considerably expands the map of possible relationships.

As I say, the author does not skimp on details when it comes to intimacy, and jealousy will be a fundamental part of the novel and the trigger for practically all the action that takes place in it. Go-go toxic relationships.

We will delve into Armand’s cursed and twisted personality, explaining his origin and past, his stormy relationship with Marius, how he became the leader of the Satanist sect in Paris and how he fell at the feet of Lestat.

It is notable that, when Armand (then Amadeo) was a teenager, this is when he was enslaved, transformed into a vampire and subjected to all the tortures? sexual parts of Marius at an age perhaps too tender for me to feel comfortable reading it. This trait, excessive youth, will be a characteristic feature from now on in Anne Rice’s work. And extremely unpleasant.

Otherwise, there is not much more to scratch. A fictionalized biography of an invented character; a biography, as I said before, of 500 years, which is not little.

Anyway, what do you want me to tell you, I have a desire for completeness and I will continue to be immersed in this vampire swamp that offers us so many good times. I’ll tell you.

Other works by Anne Rice at ULAD: Memnoch the Devil, Interview with the Vampire, The Queen of the Damned, Lestat the Vampire, The Body Snatcher