Interview with a Vampire

I've never seen the film adaptation of this story, but I have seen Queen of the Dammed, the adaptation of the sequel. The book was interesting, a unique tale (for its time) challenging the dark and horrific image of the vampire up until that point in time. This was no Dracula, no Blade, no Underworld, instead it introduced this romanticized image of what a vampire is. To my knowledge and experience, this story ushered in the age of romantic vampires, giving birth to Twilight and other vampire stories alike. This isn't really my kind of story, I feel that in only certain situations does the romanticized image of the vampire really work, and this is not one of them. It opens up this vulnerability and makes the character almost entirely about that weakness. I guess I am somewhat old school in saying that I like my vampires vicious, blood thirsty, and powerful. This is completely opposite of the image painted by Anne Rice in this novel, and where as I enjoy the fresh perspective, my bias wins out in the end. I do however enjoy the fact that she highlights the aspect that whereas a vampires body may be dead, but their minds are still very much human, and that the power and responsibility of the new state and what it takes to maintain are aspects that will ruin and drive that human component to madness and misery.