Book Review: The Queen of the Damned - Anne Rice (A Preface of Prefaces)

"What is the primary use of men now if it is not to protect women from other men?" -- Akasha, Queen of the Damned

I was robbed in my childhood. Right now, in this very moment, my inner child is laying on the cold, bare floor in the fetal position, weeping, holding onto her knees, rocking back and forth between sobs because everything she could have ever dreamed to create was already created before she was even conceived. Everything she has ever known to be true is a lie. The truth was right at the ends of her fingertips, desperately aching to be grasped, while sitting completely still, too close but yet too far to be reached, let alone touched.

I had no clue Anne Rice was such a literary goddess. As far as I know my mother, the most avid reader other than myself I've ever known, never read her works. I didn't even know The Interview with the Vampire series (mostly referred to as The Vampire Chronicles) was as in-depth and reverent as it is to vampire lore. I have been enraptured in the first three books since about a month ago. As soon as I heard news of Santa Rice's death, I purchased a copy of Interview with the Vampire on Audible. I had four or five credits at the time just sitting there, so I figured I'd just go ahead and get a copy out of respect. I mean, I'd always wanted to read it, but I didn't know much about it other than the once or twice I'd watched the movie adaptation. Queen of the Damned on the other hand? I know that movie like the back of my hand. I loved it. Aaliyah was a goddess. I don't care about the terrible CGI. I don't care about the shitty storyline or the less than stellar portrayal of some of the characters. Something is obviously off about it (I've refused to rewatch it while reading the books because I am absolutely one of those high-falluting literature purists who believes that movies will taint or tarnish the read experience), but as a piece of art I absolutely respect what they intended (or at least tried) to express. 

Queen of the Damned was, at best, the best of what the late-90's, early-00's had to offer. It was creative, it was daring, it tried to venture out and attempt things that were not easily or even believably executed in modern film for its time. And even now, as I'm reflecting on the book and have not even completely finished reading it, here I am gushing about how wonderful an experience it was reading it for the first time. The book? Completely incomparable. It is an amazing enrapturement (yes, I just made that up) of anticipation, wonder, mystery, philosophy and expectations. While I do not prefer to include spoilers in my reviews, because that would then rob the review-reader the joy of experiencing the work for themselves, I could not help but use that opening quote because my GOD. I have to laugh. Meeting Anne Rice would have been an amazingly pivotal moment of my life, and now I know I will die having so many unanswered questions about how she was able to completely encapsulate all of my ideas, questions, theories and gripes about vampire culture up until this point. I actually have three copies of The Vampire Chronicles series in my possession as of late, one hardbound anthology, the audiobook copies in my Audible library, and three copies on my iPad for me to reread, highlight, and take notes so as not to damage my hardbound anthology--I actually thought of buying two of the anthologies to save money on the cost of all three, but decided against it because carrying that entire thing to read one book at a time & take notes sounded a bit extreme--but I will probably still end up buying the individual paperback copies through Amazon or something later because I want to write in the margins, highlight the pages, and scribble questions and notes in every open space on the pages in my own handwriting eventually. So essentially, once I have achieved that I will have at least four copies each of the first three books, if that isn't a resounding declaration of the books' merits, I don't know what will be. 

At this point I haven't even written the book review for Interview with the Vampire yet. Honestly, as soon as I finished it I purchased the audiobook for The Vampire Lestat and got right to it. The insatiable thirst had gripped its icy fingers around my throat, sharp, pointed nails digging into my skin as I gasped for breath, and I wanted nothing more than to quench that thirst immediately. There wasn't a second thought. I tried to reread (relisten to) it so I could think with a more critical, analytical mind and, while I had taken some notes, the need to know what was going to happen next overcame my more practical and disciplined nature. Before I knew it I was pressing play to continue on my way, eventually resolving to then purchase hardcopies of the books to read myself, so as to still enjoy my own organic experience of seeing the words on paper and feeling the emotions--emphasis on absorbing the words in my own mind and not through someone else's interpretation of expression. 

I cannot speak highly enough of this book. I mean, if the fact that I've willingly and publicly admitted that I intend on owning four copies of a 40+ year old series isn't enough then I don't know what else to tell you. And honestly, confessing that I am this eager about it--considering I haven't even gotten into writing about the actual story yet--is a bit much for me. If I wasn't doing this for free and of my own volition, the imaginary editor and publisher I imagine myself submitting this to would be bankrupt after they paid me per word after this. I hope this review isn't as long as the book itself, but knowing me? I could make it possible. Either way, I had to put my thoughts in print because it was just way too much to hold in. The flooding of emotions and excitement seeing my thoughts and feelings reflected in such a great piece of fiction: the rage, the hope, the hopelessness, and the characters' quandry is masterfully articulated in a way I could only dream to be received. I almost wish it was real, and, I must say it again: I'm not even done yet.