Rice, Anne

Average customer rating:

Let's not be silly
Not as bad as as I was
SExy!
Don't Read if you are not ready!
the claiming of sleeping beauty

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty
A. N. Roquelaure , and Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452281423

Book Description

Rice writing as A. N. Roquelaure.

In the traditional folk tale "Sleeping Beauty," the spell cast upon the lovely young princess and everyone in her castle can only be broken by the kiss of a Prince. Anne Rice's retelling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire.

Customer Reviews:

Let's not be silly.......2007-06-02

I wouldn't normally review a book which has already been so beaten into the ground with reviews (over 200 here) but many people have obviously missed the point. If you are going into this book with the expectation that it will be at all realistic or great literature, first of all you are out of your mind. This is not a work of literature, it is erotic fiction, and this is clearly stated either just before or just after the title page of the book if memory serves. This is "an erotic novel of tenderness and cruelty for the enjoyment of men and women." That is all you should expect it to be. It is more flowery, more poetic, better written than what you will find when you pick up a Harlequin novel, but it serves the same purpose.

Don't get all self-righteous and pretend you picked up this book as anything but masturbation fodder. Give me a break.

Not as bad as as I was.......2007-05-18

My friends warned me away from this book with the following: "nothing but spanking" or "nothing but femsub". Both are incorrect. There is more than spanking though that does dominate the book especially early on. As for pairings, they are all over the place as long as the Prince's kingdom is the one in the dominant position. However the sex and kink scenes are almost non-stop which really didn't allow me to develop much empathy for any character. After a while I just stopped caring about what was happening and to whom.

SExy!.......2007-05-10

Talk about your not so steriotypical fairytale. This book gives a whole new meaning to this enchanting fairytale. A must read. Rice is really creative in this book yet!

Don't Read if you are not ready!.......2007-04-20

Well the trilogy in all was very good reading for me, exciting and eehem..arousing. Of course Sleeping Beauty will never be the same after reading. For those who have read the vampire novels and think of the sex scenes to the 100th power x any freaking thing goes...and I do mean anything. If you don't like the 1st book dont bother reading the others..trust me.

the claiming of sleeping beauty.......2007-03-22

I love Anne Rice, but this book is a complete mess. It's bad porn. The sex didn't make me uncomfortable; it made me laugh at how ridiculous the scenarios were. Rice is trying too hard. This book would have been better off had it never seen the light of day. There are reasons why the original "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale uses sexual metaphors instead of actual sex. This book is one of those reasons.

Average customer rating:

Fiction gives color to history
kind of like the vampire ones
Elicits praise
Benign and Boring
Anne Rice has found the light

Christ the Lord Out of Egypt: A Novel
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345436830
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Having completed the two cycles of legend to which she has devoted her career so far, Anne Rice gives us now her most thoughtful and powerful book, a novel about the childhood of Christ the Lord based on the gospels and on the most respected New Testament scholarship.

The book’s power derives from the passion its author brings to the writing, and the way in which she summons up the voice, the presence, the words of the young Jesus who tells the story.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Anne Rice is the author of twenty-six books. She lives in La Jolla, California.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Fiction gives color to history.......2007-06-21

Between the Gospel accounts of Jesus' birth and his twelfth year there is a huge blank space in what we know about Him. Using history, fable, and a lot of imagination Anne Rice has filled in that blank with a fascinating look at what Jesus might have been like as a little boy.

The book opens with Jesus living with his parents, brother James, and extended family in Alexandria, Egypt. Mysterious things are happening around him that make him think he is not like the other kids. There are whispers of terrible things that made his family have to leave Bethlehem, where he was born, in a hurry. There are whispers that his birth was unusual and his parents never speak of it.

In "Christ Our Lord: Out of Egypt" we follow Jesus the boy as he tells of his family's journey from Egypt back to his parents' home town of Nazareth. Mrs. Rice takes us through a turbulant and meticulously researched Palestine of the first century to shed light on the context that makes Jesus' life so amazing and important to everyone who came after him. The story drags a little in places, but the inner turmoil of a boy who is God and doesn't know it and parents who struggle to raise a son who is destined to save His people in the face of enemies who would kill him makes the book compelling. This is fiction and there are things in this book that are not found in the pages of the bible, but it is definitely worth reading for a more vivid portrait of the man who is the center of history.

kind of like the vampire ones.......2007-06-17

i wasnt sure what to expect with anne rice being christianish now, but the book was good. it was like reading one of her vampire novels, only instead of drinking blood, the main character can heal or kill things. it is missing the eroticism. but other than that, a usual anne rice book, which means it's of course excellent.

Elicits praise.......2007-05-30

Great retelling.
Really highlights devotion, praise and worship.
A great addition to the christian library.

Benign and Boring.......2007-05-24

There was nothing remarkable about this book. It wasn't good; it wasn't bad. It wasn't exceptionally well written, but it also wasn't poorly written. I understand it was supposedly exhaustively researched, but I found nothing in it that I hadn't already known from my religious studies classes in college and independent reading of some of the non-canonical gospels. In short, I expected a lot more than what was delivered. It was dry and lacking any real emotional depth, which given that it was written from a child's POV is somewhat understandable - but still nothing that really made me sit up and take notice. The best I can say for this book is that it was an easy read and entirely benign.

Anne Rice has found the light.......2007-05-14

Ms. Rice has done her homework, and together with her poetic license and creative style does an excellent job of bring to life, and filling in the gaps of the Greatest Story ever told. Both I and my wife enjoyed this book tremendously and in a wonderful way helped us to meditate on the most important person in our lives. We are anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

Beauty's Release: The Conclusion of the Classic Erotic Trilogy of Sleeping Beauty

Average customer rating:

Oh my Beauty is released!
TOO FAR GONE!!
Tripe.
Love This Work
Don't read this while driving

Beauty's Release: The Conclusion of the Classic Erotic Trilogy of Sleeping Beauty
A. N. Roquelaure , and Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Exit to Eden

ASIN: 0452281458

Book Description

In the final volume of Anne Rice's deliciously tantalizing erotic trilogy, Beauty's adventures on the dark side of sexuality make her the bound captive of an Eastern Sultan and a prisoner in the exotic confines of the harem. In Beauty's Release, Anne Rice makes the forbidden side of passion a doorway into the hidden regions of the psyche and the heart.

Customer Reviews:

Oh my Beauty is released!.......2007-04-20

Finally the end of the sexcapades for beauty or is it..Although I enjoyed the trilogy..Im glad that it's over. I'm almost embarrassed by the thought of actually enjoying these books. But like I said in the last reviews....if you are timid don't bother reading this books. The vampire chronicles it is not.

TOO FAR GONE!!.......2007-03-17

I'm about 3/4 the way through and I have to say..not so good. It's too much. I wasn't sure there could be a too much, but this is it. I don't want to hear about young boys fondleing and flogging men..the world is too full of grown men wishing for things that aren't real and can't be real. Some things are better left to the individuals imagination. I'm not sure why these things turn this woman on and I frankly don't want to wonder those things when I'm reading a book for the type of pleasure I'm seeking. I'm sure you'll see what I mean a few chapters into it. I like all this kind of "stuff"..but this, I didn't like. You'll see

Tripe........2007-01-25

I would give this zero stars if I could. I love most of Ms. Rice's books, and I also like reading erotica. But the trilogy was a effort to slog through, I only bought books 2 and 3 because I wondered whar would happen to Beauty. And i was dissappointed with what happened to Beauty. The ending was rather cliched, and the entire trilogy is just one big spankfest. If you want better erotica, go for a true classic, like the works of Anais Nin.

Love This Work.......2006-07-29

Again, Anne does it. I have read this one at least six times and am glad I own it. I do have some grave doubts in that I cannot see how a male can understand and appreciate this work as much as most females. This is erotica for girls, not guys. I don't think they have the capacity to truely understand the wonderfulness of this work.

Don't read this while driving.......2006-07-07

I was surprised that I'd like the series, as I had never read any erotic books before. Unfortunately I bought the audio tapes from Amazon rather than the actual book and listen to this stuff can really take your mind off the road. Wow. Hot!

Complete Vampire Chronicles (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the body Thief)

Average customer rating:

great books from anne rice
Thought provoking but belaboured
Good but murky reading, check out the other Rice (JEFF)
Always an Anne Rice fan
The beginning of great vampire tales

Complete Vampire Chronicles (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the body Thief)
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0345385403
Release Date: 1993-09-01

Amazon.com

For the first time you can find all your favorite night-stalking, blood-guzzling undead--Lestat, Claudia, Louis, Akasha, Armand, and Memnoch--all in the same place at the same time. Here, collected in one box-set, are the four bestselling, original titles of Anne Rice's sprawling vampire series.

Customer Reviews:

great books from anne rice.......2007-01-28

i bought these books for my teen she couldnt put them down till they were all read anne rice is a great author

Thought provoking but belaboured.......2006-09-29

I would certainly recommend anyone who has an interest in this genre to read these books. Rice raises some very interesting concepts from the mind of the vampire. My only gripe (and a friend feels the same way) is that Rice tends to ramble - padding out relatively meaningless stuff, or stuff that you've already gleaned the concept of after two lines. I found myself skipping paragraphs & pages, which was detrimental to the flow. With some judicious editing and condensing they would be worthy of 5 stars. The fourth book doesn't quite hold up to the stds set with the first three...might be worth finding the trilogy.

Good but murky reading, check out the other Rice (JEFF).......2006-03-08

I suspect I'd like this series better if it didn't go on and on as it does. Much like Jean Auel's Alya series it's wonderful at times but someday, sometime - get to the point!

Someone else suggested checking out Interview with the Vampire from your library. If you love it, then it probably makes sense to get this box set.

Actually it is Jeff Rice who has written the best vampire story of the 20th century. The Night Stalker (original title, The Kolchak Tapes) wipes the floor with Anne Rice's murky stuff. If you don't believe me ask Richard Matheson! (He fell all over himself to condense the book into the TV movie screenplay.) Superb, crisp writing - I wish (Jeff) Rice had more novels available.

Always an Anne Rice fan.......2005-10-31

I first heard of Anne Rice 11 years ago when her famous book was being released as a motion picture, Interview with the Vampire, of course. I was only 9 years old at the time, but I was already enthralled in the world of vampires, and I had to see the movie. My brother and I saw it 4 or 5 times in theatre alone, and ever since then I have been an Anne Rice fan.

Slowly through the past 11 years I've been reading the Vampire Chronicles. I own all 10 books of the Vampire Chronicles and the two New Tales of the Vampires books in both hardback and paperback. Currently I am almost half way through Blood and Gold and I'm just loving it, but let me get to these four books.

Interview with the Vampire - This book is narrated by the beautiful and self-piteous Louis who has lost all hope of life after the death of his brother whom he blames himself for (Apparently E. A Solinas was basing his Interview review off of the movie where indeed Louis was a widower, however in the book Louis had never been married and was suffering from the loss of his brother, as I said). This book is infinitely more intricately written and more detailed than the movie was, but the movie still had the Interview vibe, considering Anne Rice wrote the screen play (something she failed to do with The Queen of the Damned and it showed). I do not believe that my seeing the movie before reading the book hindered my ability to understand or accept the book any less than if I had read it first. While reading, I saw things that were not clearly explained in the movie, or not even mentioned or included at all. I received a better understanding of how much Claudia really hated both Lestat and Louis and how infinitely ignorant Louis found Lestat to be. And after reading the book, I can say that I enjoyed it more than the movie. This book introduces readers into the world of Anne Rice's vampires through Louis' eyes, and how distorted a world it is.

The Vampire Lestat - This book is the beginning of the saga of Lestat. While reading this book, readers will actually get to know Lestat for who he was as a man and an immortal through his eyes. It will open the world of Lestat that readers who read Interview with the Vampire first, did not even get a glimpse of with Louis' narrative. This was probably my favorite book of the series so far, because I love Lestat's character, and this book is what made me so familiar with him. Anne Rice's writing is also very detailed and stunning, as it always is. Through Lestat's words readers see his change from a man to an immortal and the world he enters into after having to destroy his master. He was not taught the ways of the vampires so he continues doing as he sees fit. Readers will follow him in his journey where he saves his mother, Gabrielle, makes a lunatic of his best friend, Nicolas, first encounters Armand, meets the mentor, Marius, and briefly describes his experience with Louis and Claudia, this is when you truly meet Lestat.

The Queen of the Damned - I'm not even going to mention the movie because I will spend two hours describing how TERRIBLY wrong the movie was. All I will say is that it does not follow the book whatsoever besides the character names and the OVERALL plot. The book, however, was just wonderful. This is the second story of Lestat, in which it is narrated rather strangely. The book begins with Lestat, of course, describing himself once again, and explaining to the reader that they will be taken into the stories of multiple blood drinkers and other people. After that, Anne Rice writes in many narratives to tell the numerous stories, including that of the red haired twins, Maharet and Mekare, a brief story of Pandora, Armand and Daniel, Khayman, Jesse and the Talamasca. She then continues with Lestat's narrative of the rest of the events that occurred with the Divine Mother, Akasha. This was a new style that Anne Rice used for the book, and I think it was very cunning. Readers get to see glimpses of other immortals and their history without an entire book being written. This book is where readers really get to know the most important of the blood drinkers.

The Tale of the Body Thief - I really enjoyed this book, although it was probably my least favorite of the series, again out of what I've read so far. I still loved how it was written, another marvel of Anne Rice. In this book, readers will be taken into the third of Lestat's strange journeys. Here he meets a mysterious man who claims to be able to swap bodies. He teaches Lestat how to do such a thing, and gives him an offer he cannot refuse; the chance to be mortal again. There is no way that Lestat would pass this up, so of course, he does it. This time he gets himself into a serious predicament when the body swapper does not want to return Lestat's immortal self, and he is forced to turn to a member of the Talamasca, David, who Lestat had bonded with. Readers should know who David is by now if they have read Queen of the Damned before reading this. David cannot refuse to aid Lestat, but in the end he finds himself in an even stranger situation all in itself. While trying to retrieve Lestat's body, he was forced out of his own by the thief and had to take retreat into the body that had housed Lestat while he was a mortal man. Due to unfortunate circumstances, he is not able to return to his own body, and Lestat finds himself even more attracted to David now that he has the body of a much much younger man (when reading Queen of the Damned, readers find out that David is in his 70's), thus, forces David into the preternatural life against his will. As I said above, I thought this book was very well written, I just believe that I did not care about the story nearly as much as the others. I believe anyone who truly loves Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles will still enjoy reading this book, even if they don't find it as fascinating as the previous.

Of course, after this comes Memnoch the Devil, which I loved but was saddened that it was the last of Lestat's mystical and heroic stories because he goes into hibernation after the acts which take place in this book, until he returns for the finale, Blood Canticle. Following is The Vampire Armand which is a fast read. I also loved this book and it was definitely different because it was the first after four other books, to be narrated by someone other than Lestat. In this book, the reader really gets to know Armand, and a little bit of Marius. Merrick comes next. This book is all in itself, different. I thought that I would hate it and be bored by it when I first started reading. It is narrated by the above mentioned, David, who is now a vampire, telling the story of a witch, Merrick, whom he's asked to perform a spell for him and Louis. In this book, Lestat wakes from his hibernation and is finally his old self again... and it was about time! Now I am reading Blood and Gold, the story of Marius, and of course, I am just loving it. I have already read over 200 pages and I just started it, but I still have much more to go (it's 564 pages, one of the longest of the Vampire Chronicles), but I know I will enjoy it. Overall, these four books will definitely introduce a reader into the world of Anne Rice's preternatural brood, and if you don't like these first four, you won't like the rest. I'll keep reading until I'm done with the last of the New Tales of the Vampires, which is the story of a newly mentioned vampire, Vittorio. Until then, I'll enjoy every bit of the rest.

The beginning of great vampire tales.......2005-09-14

Anne Rice has truly created a world that is both captivating and emotional. Every character has a beautiful stroy that is told, and never have I seen a writer in this genre make such original and beautiful work before Anne Rice. I was a little disappointed that Memnoch the Devil was not in this box set, but the other books in the set will hook you to the chronicles and make you want to continue to read other Anne Rice books. Anne Rice has paved the way for how we look at the mythology of vampires. She also paved the way for new authors of this genre that are coming after her. If you think Lestat is amazing and you enjoy the vampire chronicles, you will truly want to check out a new author named D.N. Simmons and her tales of the vampires including Desires Unleashed and The Guilty Innocent as well. She creates memorable characters like Anne Rice and I believe that anyone who loves the vampire chronicles will love this new artist.

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, Beauty's Release (Boxed Set)

Average customer rating:

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: 3 book set
A Gift
Anne Rice is Amazing...
Delicious Guilty Pleasure
Wowwww

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment, Beauty's Release (Boxed Set)
A. N. Roquelaure , and Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452156610

Amazon.com

Anne Rice casts her lurid gaze upon the the traditional tale of "Sleeping Beauty" under the pen name of A.N. Roquelaure. Her re-telling of the Beauty story probes the unspoken implications of this lush, suggestive tale by exploring its undeniable connection to sexual desire. Reminiscent of the charged erotica of her novel Belinda.

Book Description

Celebrate the daring gifts of Anne Rice, writing as A. N. Roquelaure, with this beautifully repackaged boxed set of the three erotic novels in her acclaimed Sleeping Beauty trilogy.

Customer Reviews:

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: 3 book set.......2007-06-02

These books are by Ann Rice under her pseudonym. What else needs to be said! They are terrific. Although if you are looking for more vampires, these books are not for you. They are soft-core erotica written as only Ann Rice could!!

A Gift.......2007-03-12

I got this for my girldfriend for V-Day and she loves it. Not to mention all the other ladies around her want to steal the books for themselves. Its a great gift for a "active" woman.

Anne Rice is Amazing..........2007-03-06

I wasn't sure how to approach this series after reading just the first few pages of the first book, but I am glad that I pressed on, because this is one very good trilogy. The images that Anne Rice paints with her words are unforgettable, she is truly an artist to be read again and again. I am sure to read many more of her books in the future!

Delicious Guilty Pleasure.......2006-12-20

Fun, fun read. I love the sleeping beauty twist. Well written. Don't read unless you've got a significant other to enjoy afterwards though.

Wowwww.......2006-06-08

I was given this series to read and I normally would not like books like this but I loved it. Once I started reading these books I couldn't put them down. A "great" read!

Average customer rating:

Never read it
Don't buy this book!
3.5 stars
Merrick...
awesome

Merrick (Vampire/Witches Chronicles)
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345422406
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Amazon.com

Just when you thought it was safe for a bloodsucker to go out in the dark in New Orleans, along comes Merrick Mayfair, a sultry, hard-drinking octoroon beauty whose voodoo can turn the toughest vampire into a marionette dancing to her merry, scary tune. In Merrick, Anne Rice brings back three of her most wildly popular characters--the vampires Lestat and Louis and the dead vampire child Claudia--and introduces them to the world of her Mayfair Witches book series.

It is Louis who brings about the collision of the fang and voodoo universes. Louis made Claudia a vampire in Rice's classic Interview with the Vampire, in which she was destroyed, and now he's obsessed with raising her ghost to make amends and seek guidance from the beyond. (Claudia physically resembles Rice's young daughter who died of a blood-related illness. Rice nearly died of a diabetic coma in 1998, and writing Merrick turned her excruciating recovery into an exhilarating burst of creativity).

Vampire David Talbot lobbies Merrick to call Claudia's spirit and slake Louis's guilt, but Talbot winds up in the grip of an obsession with the witch. You see, Talbot, unlike most vampires, lived 70 years as a human, so his sexual response to humans is still as strong as his blood thirst. Merrick can cast spells to make men crave her, and Talbot is tormented. After she reads his palm, he muses, "I wanted to take her in my arms, not to feed from her, no, not harm her, only kiss her, only sink my fangs a very little, only taste her blood and her secrets, but this was dreadful and I wouldn't let it go on."

The secrets of Merrick are dark and sensuous, but the book is a romp animated by Rice's feeling of coming back to life through the magic of a literary outpouring. The narrative flashes back to the past, to an Indiana Jones-ish adventure in a Guatemalan cave, and to scenes from many other Rice novels. It may be helpful to read Merrick with the Rice-approved guidebooks The Vampire Companion and The Witches' Companion at hand.

After many books, Rice's grand Vampire Chronicles tale was in peril of getting long in the tooth. Merrick Mayfair's magic represents an infusion of fresh blood. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

In this mesmerizing new novel, Anne Rice demonstrates once again her gift for spellbinding storytelling and the creation of myth and magic, as she weaves together two of her most compelling worlds? those of the Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair witches.

Download Description

At the center of Anne Rice's new novel is the beautiful, unconquerable Merrick, a child--a witch with the power and magical knowledge of a Medea and a Circe. She is a Mayfair of New Orleans, descendent of a family rich in its French and Spanish past, steeped in the age-old tradition of voodoo. Into this strange and exotic world comes David Talbot, hero, storyteller, adventurer, almost-mortal vampire, a visitor from another realm of the dark world.

Customer Reviews:

Never read it.......2007-06-24

I brought as a gift for my sister. I personally never read it but I am giving it 5 stars because I read and saw Interview with the Vampire. Anything Anne Rice outs out is excellent!

Don't buy this book!.......2007-03-23

I hated this book. I am a fan of Rice's Mayfair Witches series and enjoyed the early works in the Vampire Chronicles, but Rice's later works are long drawn-out snores. The only one of Rice's books that was more likely to induce catatonia was The Violin. I also didn't see the point of having Merrick related to the Mayfairs since the only thing they have in common is being witches. Using dreams of Oncle Julien as a plot device was a cheat and the story would have been better if the Mayfairs had been left out of it altogether. As for Louis and his melodrama, by the middle of the book, I was more than willing to help him commit suicide if for no other reason than I was tired of his incessent whining.

As for my recommendation: if you enjoy tedious whining from someone who chose to live forever, are a masochist, or are an insomniac needing a sleep remedy, then this is the book for you. I, on the other hand, would rather slit my own wrist than read another book by Rice.

3.5 stars.......2007-02-20

I liked this book better than Interview with a Vampire. Not as graphic and better written. I rated it 3.5 to 3.75 stars. It's about Merrick searching out to contact the spirit of Claudia, the child. I liked the story Much Much better than Interview with a Vampire.

Merrick..........2007-02-17

Although my knowlege of Anne Rice's characters are limited to Armand, Lestat (to a degree) and Marius, I found Merrick an entertaining read. You know the drill - once I started the book, I stayed up late a few nights to finish it. Well done, Ms. Rice - a good book (IMHO) is still one of life's pleasures. Get a copy and find out for yourself!

Five stars!

awesome.......2006-08-02

This book interweaves the vampires and the witches. I loved Merrick so much that i am buying all of her witch books. Very good book.

Average customer rating:

GREAT
Marius seemed almost real
pleasing!
Rambling Rampage Ad Nauseam
Tortured Marius

Blood and Gold (Vampire Chronicles)
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Similar Items:

Blackwood Farm (The Vampire Chronicles)
Merrick (Vampire/Witches Chronicles)
The Vampire Armand (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 6)
Blood Canticle (Vampire Chronicles)
Memnoch the Devil (Vampire Chronicles, No 5)

ASIN: 0345409329
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Amazon.com

Time heals all wounds, unless, of course, you're a vampire. Cuts may heal, burns vanish, limbs reattach, but for the "blood god," the wounds of the heart sometimes stay open and raw for centuries. So it is for Marius, Anne Rice's oft-mentioned and beloved scholar. We've heard parts of his tale in past volumes of the Vampire Chronicles, but never so completely and never from his own lips. In Blood and Gold, Rice mostly (but not entirely) avoids the danger of treading worn ground as she fills out the life and character of Marius the Lonely, the Disenchanted, the Heartsick--a 2,000-year-old vampire "with all the conviction of a mortal man."

Plucked from his beloved Rome in the prime of his life and forced into solitude as keeper of the vampire queen and king, Marius has never forgiven the injustice of his mortal death. Thousands of years later, he still seethes over his losses. Immortality for Marius is both a blessing and a curse--he bears "witness to all splendid and beautiful things human," yet is unable to engage in relationships for fear of revealing his burden.

New readers to the Chronicles may wish for a more fleshed-out, less introspective hero, but Rice's legions of devoted fans will recognize Blood and Gold for what it is: a love song to Marius the Wanderer, whose story reveals the complexities and limitations of eternal existence. --Daphne Durham

Book Description

“RICE WRITES WITH HER USUAL EROTIC AND HISTORICALLY EVOCATIVE FLAIR.”
–People

Once a proud Senator in Imperial Rome, Marius is kidnapped and forced into that dark realm of blood, where he is made a protector of the Queen and King of the vampires–in whom the core of the supernatural race resides. Through his eyes we see the fall of pagan Rome to the Emperor Constantine, the horrific sack of the Eternal City at the hands of the Visigoths, and the vile aftermath of the Black Death. Ultimately restored by the beauty of the Renaissance, Marius becomes a painter, living dangerously yet happily among mortals, and giving his heart to the great master Botticelli, to the bewitching courtesan Bianca, and to the mysterious young apprentice Armand. But it is in the present day, deep in the jungle, when Marius will meet his fate seeking justice from the oldest vampires in the world. . . .

Download Description

The Vampire Chronicles continue with Anne Rice's spellbinding new novel, in which the great vampire Marius returns.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT.......2007-01-05

I LOVE Anne Rice & have read EVERYTHING by her. To me this book is no different....exciting, suspenseful!

Marius seemed almost real.......2006-06-26

Marius has always been an interesting character to me ever since I saw the movie Queen of the Damned and read the book The Vampire Lestat. Although I read parts of his life in the book, The Vampire Lestat I had an urgency to know more about him. It seemed as though Anne Rice had forgotten Marius; I once thought to myself how wonderful it would be if she had wrote a book about his life in the big picture. However, it turns out she already did.I finally had the book about the ledgendary vampire who is revered and known by most vampires. I had it right in my hands which was enthralling. This is my first time to review a product so bear with me please.

The Story of Marius is filled with adventures, wealth, relationships, adventure, pain, loss, vanity, and abandonment. His life from imperial rome to modern times reflects something that is truly undeniable and that is life.

Here is a man (or vampire) who lived his life for 2000 years, filled with many things most men (and women) wish to have; Wealth, Power, Fame, Love, and adventure. But ironically as it turns out, Marius, who still lives on in the novel,still lives a wretched life in the inside and that is a feeling of loneliness and abandonment as the result of a break-up with Pandora, Bianca, Lestat, Mael, Avicus, and Zenobia. But How does this reflect the theme of life? That life is not like other typical novels with solid plots and happy endings. Instead Life is filled with personal (and big) events that are important to one who bears it. This isn't really a typical story, but a story with an authentic components of life; Pain from loss, loneliness, and abandonment. Joy with those who he loved and loved him back. Regrets when someone leaves the other. Loneliness which makes one long for love and an intimate relationship than the wealth of the world. Challanges he faced in his life. To me the life of Marius seemed real enough to come alive. Although there is no solid plot in the life of marius, I would like to argue in the book's defense that there is no life with a solid plot but only experience which one longs to tell as if it was a tale to tell.

To listen to a story of Marius would be like getting to know him personally. To listen to his story, you are actually listening to one of the most powerful and ancient vampires there is in the world of Anne Rice. You are only discovering his immortal past filled with the things I have listed above.
It's true that the book didn't have both a satisfying ending and a relevant title (Blood and Gold) that doesn't relates to Marius (Perhaps if one reads the book carefully maybe the title could be understood well enough), which were the only things I didn't have much fond of. But for those who are curious to know Marius I strongly recommend you read this book and I hope you will have no regrets reading it for it is truly an appreciative experience.

pleasing!.......2006-05-11

After being disappointed with the previous installment in the series(the vampire armand),this book is a huge come back.Miss Rice hasn't lost her touch.And if you are a fan of Marius then this is just the book for you.It is totally blinding and it leaves you frozen.This book contains the knowledge you probably have been seeking all along but did not get...It is definitely worth the read...
Here is the plot:The book begins with an ancient vampire of Nordic descent awaking after being frozen in a block of ice for hundreds of years. The vampire, Thorne, meets Marius de Romanus and enquires about Marius' past. Marius then provides his life story.

As a young Roman patrician, Marius was abducted by druids who were trying to find a replacement for their "god of the grove" - a vampire, kept locked inside a chamber underneath a tree, who took on the role of a god in a druidic religion. Marius does not want to receive the powers of the dying god, but is given them nonetheless.

Unable to face a life imprisoned in a tree, Marius escapes from the druids (one of whom is Mael). He embarks on a trip to Egypt, where he learns of Akasha and Enkil, the Mother and Father or Those Who Must Be Kept - the progenitors of all vampire-kind. He takes them back to Rome with him after learning that if they die then every other vampire in the world will suffer the same fate.

He falls in love with a mortal woman, Pandora, and turns her into a vampire. They live together happily for a long time, although they argue frequently. One day, their house is attacked by a group of vampires who want to know the secrets of Those Who Must Be Kept. Though they destroy the vampires, the attack leads to an argument between the two and Marius, filled with anger, leaves Pandora.

Marius then returns to Rome, where he creates a life for himself as a socialite, fraternising with mortals and practicing painting. It is here that he meets Mael and Avicus, the latter of which is a former god of the grove - a vampire older than Marius, but who does not seem to know his own power. There is still much enmity between Mael and Marius, and Marius asks them to leave. They do so, but remain in the city of Rome. Marius does not mind this, as they keep the city free from other blood-drinkers who may pry the secrets of Those Who Must Be Kept from his mind. Marius continues to live this way even as the Roman Empire splits, with its capital city moving to Constantinople.

Eventually, Marius, Mael, and Avicus leave Rome when it is sacked by barbarians. They travel to Constantinople, taking with them the Mother and Father. There they meet a powerful vampire named Eudoxia, who wants Marius to put Those Who Must Be Kept into her care. After praying to Those Who Must Be Kept for an answer, he relents just far enough to allow Eudoxia to see them. After a series of violent conflicts, Marius angrily drags Eudoxia back down into the shrine and casts her at Akasha, who suddenly awakens to destroy her.

Realising that he cannot live with other vampires due to his custody of the Divine Parents, Marius elects to return to Italy. He becomes disheartened by the horrors of the Black Death and sleeps for hundreds of years. He awakes again during the Renaissance and travels all around Italy, visiting Venice and Florence, admiring the art and culture. In Rome he meets the vampire Santino, who claims that Marius is living in sin by not serving Satan. Marius threatens him and tells Santino to never come near him again.

Marius decides to make his home in Venice, and he establishes himself as an amateur painter. His house is set up as a place where young boys can come and improve themselves, preparing to go to university or to become craftsmen. During this time, he also falls in love with the works of Botticelli, whom he briefly considers turning into a vampire.

It is in Venice that Marius meets Amadeo, who he discovers in a filthy cellar, waiting to become a prostitute in the city's brothels. He purchases the boy from the slave traders and takes him back to his house, where he bathes him and promises him a better life.

As the years pass Marius happily continues his life, disappearing occasionally to attend to the Divine Parents. Amadeo grows up, and the two often share a bed. Marius is sorely tempted to give Amadeo the Dark Gift, making him into a vampire, but he stops himself from doing so.

When Marius is away looking after the Divine Parents, his house is attacked by the Englishman Lord Harlech who became obsessed with Amadeo after sleeping with him. Amadeo manages to kill Harlech, but sustains several wounds from Harlech's poisoned blade. He slips into a fever. Marius arrives and is told that Amadeo will die as the poison is too strong. Marius turns Amadeo into a vampire in order to prevent the boy from dying. He teaches him to prey only on evildoers in order to save his conscience.

Some time after Amadeo becomes a vampire, the house is attacked by a large mob of Satan-worshipping vampires under the leadership of Santino. Marius is burnt and almost killed, but manages to save his own life by jumping into a canal. Nonetheless, he is severely wounded and believes that Amadeo will be killed.

He calls a woman named Bianca to his aid. The two have known each other for a number of years and have a close relationship. Marius is too weak to hunt, so he transforms Bianca into a vampire in order to have her help him to recover his strength. The two move to the shrine of Those Who Must Be Kept and live there for over a century, where Marius gradually recovers his strength by drinking from Akasha.

Hearing rumours that Pandora is being kept hostage by another vampire and moved around Europe and Russia, Marius decides to move to Dresden to try and meet with Pandora, who he still loves. He does not tell Bianca of this. Marius does indeed find Pandora there, but discovers that she does not want to live with him and Bianca and wants to stay with her travelling companion, who was not holding her hostage after all. Marius offers to leave Bianca for Pandora, but Pandora refuses this offer. When Marius sees Bianca the next day, she declares that she is leaving him because she overheard what he said to Pandora. Some time later, Marius discovers a letter from Pandora offering to live with him if he comes to collect her at a certain place, but it is too late and she is gone.

The story then moves back to the present day, where Marius and Thorne are at a jungle hideaway with other old and powerful vampires - Amadeo (now going by the name Armand), Santino, Maharet, Mekare, and Pandora. Marius wants justice against Santino for taking Armand away from him, but Maharet refuses to let Marius kill Santino, who is weak. Thorne does not want to accept her decision and so kills Santino himself with the Fire Gift. In penance for his deed, he gives over his eyes to Maharet...Enjoy....Nigel

Rambling Rampage Ad Nauseam.......2006-04-18

This is not a well-rounded story centered on plot or adventure. This is a rambling rampage through meaningless and disconnected events, thoughts, and shady characters.

Anne introduces dozens of separate situations and characters and constructs a weak web around them. When the excitement in these mini-plots is building up, she completely ruins the story by Marius, the main character's, foolish immature whining and utter desolation of mind. Anne could have done so much with this story if she simply picked a plot line and followed through with it!
Whenever something interesting is about to happen, Marius begins to weep or have second thoughts, or he simply runs away and hides from the world. Terrible, really.
Marius's constant whining and heartache over Pandora, a former love of his, is not particularly believable. I find it silly how Marius, a godly and erudite vampire and former Roman Patrician, is incapable of getting over a lost love. Come on, what kind of fortitude and dignity is that when you can't forget about some woman you haven't seen or heard from in over a THOUSAND years? If Anne Rice would have been able to depict the romance between Pandora and Marius as though they were meant to be, as though they were absolute soulmates, then MAYBE Marius's annoying whining would have been tolerable. However, Anne Rice did the exact opposite. She didn't show love, she told love, and she did it very badly and once more played the 'ol "the world is pointless, I want to die" card.

Another thing that bothers me about this story is that there are no true antagonists, unless you count Marius's Jekyll and Hyde personality. Roger Ebert said of films that they are only as good as their own villain. I feel this is true of most contemporary fictions as well.

Anne Rice also awkwardly inserts personal obsessions (such as Botticelli) into the storyline; these additions add absolutely nothing to the story, and rather than making it more colorful or realistic or intense or ANYTHING positive, the story is diminished and becomes silly and tedious.

I rate Blood and Gold one star because it was poorly written and Anne Rice's fondess for the "breaking the fourth wall" literary technique irritated me to no end. Indeed, I must say that this was the worst book I have read in recent memory. I'm sorry for those who enjoyed it; I don't intend to offend, but I DO intend to write a review that mirrors my attitude towards this book correctly.

Tortured Marius.......2006-03-31

A fantastic addition to the Vampire Chronicles depicting the life/death and Undead times of Marius, the vampire guardian of Those Who Must Be Kept. As entertaining and enthralling as all the other installments!

The Vampire Armand (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 6)

Average customer rating:

WOW
Intresting.
Strong start, weak finish
nearly the worst of the vampire novels by Rice
Labored through this one

The Vampire Armand (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 6)
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345434803
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Amazon.com

In The Vampire Armand, Anne Rice returns to her indomitable Vampire Chronicles and recaptures the gothic horror and delight she first explored in her classic tale Interview with the Vampire (in which Armand, played by Antonio Banderas in the film version, made his first appearance as director of the Théâtre des Vampires).

The story begins in the aftermath of Memnoch the Devil. Vampires from all over the globe have gathered around Lestat, who lies prostrate on the floor of a cathedral. Dead? In a coma? As Armand reflects on Lestat's condition, he is drawn by David Talbot to tell the story of his own life. The narrative abruptly rushes back to 15th-century Constantinople, and the Armand of the present recounts the fragmented memories of his childhood abduction from Kiev. Eventually, he is sold to a Venetian artist (and vampire), Marius. Rice revels in descriptions of the sensual relationship between the young and still-mortal Armand and his vampiric mentor. But when Armand is finally transformed, the tone of the book dramatically shifts. Raw and sexually explicit scenes are displaced by Armand's introspective quest for a union of his Russian Orthodox childhood, his hedonistic life with Marius, and his newly acquired immortality. These final chapters remind one of the archetypal significance of Rice's vampires; at their best, Armand, Lestat, and Marius offer keen insights into the most human of concerns.

The Vampire Armand is richly intertextual; readers will relish the retelling of critical events from Lestat and Louis's narratives. Nevertheless, the novel is very much Armand's own tragic tale. Rice deftly integrates the necessary back-story for new readers to enter her epic series, and the introduction of a few new voices adds a fresh perspective--and the promise of provocative future installments. --Patrick O'Kelley

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Die-hard Anne Rice fans will enjoy listening to this unabridged version of her latest installment of The Vampire Chronicles--the tale of the soulful, eternally young, Botticelli-faced Armand. Reader Jonathan Marosz instills a lot of effort as well as time--a mind-blowing 16 hours--as he uses several voices to take us from modern-day New Orleans back through 500 years of history in this bodice ripper without bodices. Marosz deftly handles the anguished conversations, the bloody feedings, and the ripe homosexual erotica that is bound to turn ears red. Familiarity with Rice's earlier Vampire Chronicles works will help; new Vampire Chronicles listeners may find themselves hitting rewind frequently as they try to discern dialogue, character relationships, and history. (Running time: 16 hours, 10 cassettes) --Kimberly Heinrichs

Book Description

See the difference, read #1 bestselling author Anne Rice in Large Print

* About Large Print
All Random House Large Print editions are published in a 16-point typeface

In the latest installment of The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice summons up dazzling worlds to bring us the story of Armand - eternally young, with the face of a Botticelli angel. Armand, who first appeared in all his dark glory more than twenty years ago in the now-classic Interview with the Vampire, the first of The Vampire Chronicles, the novel that established its author worldwide as a magnificent storyteller and creator of magical realms.

Now, we go with Armand across the centuries to the Kiev Rus of his boyhood - a ruined city under Mongol dominion - and to ancient Constantinople, where Tartar raiders sell him into slavery. And in a magnificent palazzo in the Venice of the Renaissance we see him emotionally and intellectually in thrall to the great vampire Marius, who masquerades among humankind as a mysterious, reclusive painter and who will bestow upon Armand the gift of vampiric blood.

As the novel races to its climax, moving through scenes of luxury and elegance, of ambush, fire, and devil worship to nineteenth-century Paris and today's New Orleans, we see its eternally vulnerable and romantic hero forced to choose between his twilight immortality and the salvation of his immortal soul.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

WOW.......2007-05-19

"The Vampire Armand" By: Anne Rice
First, let me say that I love this book. Anne Rice has excellent word choice in this book. Everything about this book is great. The chapters had excellent endings and made me keep on reading, I actually had to make myself stop reading so I could go to sleep at night. This book also has an awesome lead in the beginning. The genres of this book are romance/adventure/inspirational.
Again, I can't stop complementing on the word choice, with almost every word that was written here's an example; "Strident perfume rose from the gardens right and left, from purple Four O' Clocks as mortals called them here, a rampant flower like unto weed, but defiantly sweet, and the wild irises stabbing upwards like blades out of the black mud, throaty petals monstrously big, battering themselves on old walls and concrete steps." I could easily picture all of these things in my head. It was practically like a movie playing because all of the words flow together. Anne Rice does such an excellent job in this and deserves 10 stars for this book.
If you like romance in you novels, along with a little bit of adventure, you should defiantly get this book and read it! A+ to this book and the author! This book will keep you up for hours. Anne Rice has the main character, Armand write his life story out for people to read it, and she has an excellent set up with the whole thing.

Intresting........2007-05-10

This book really clears up alot of missing info that we needed from Armand.

Strong start, weak finish.......2007-02-13

Armand, a minor figure in some of the previous Vampire Chronicles, fleshes out his backstory, filling in some of the gaps in what we know of him from the other novels. Raised a devout Eastern Orthodox Christian, a painter of ikons who is nearly sent to live in a monastery, Armand is kidnapped and ends up in the hands of the ancient vampire Marius, with whom he shares a hedonistic life of luxury. This early part of the novel, and Armand's subsequent imprisonment at the hands of the vampire Santino, are quite strong.

The last third of the novel is unfocused and confusing. I'm still not quite sure what happened to Lestat, and the fate of Armand's young friends, clearly intended to surprise us, seemed like an inevitability to me from the moment they were introduced. Anne Rice's prose is as effective and elegant as ever, and a growing concern with religion is becoming evident.

nearly the worst of the vampire novels by Rice.......2007-01-27

Outside of "Memnoch the Devil," this is the worst vampire novel written by Rice. It's basically homo erotica in the guise of a vampire story. It single handedly ruined the image of Armand I had (not that Rice had to write to my expectations!). Not only is it filled with homo erotica, it's filled with pedophilia. This ruined Marius for me, too. He's basically a child predator. He educates young boys in his home, where he and Armand begin to have a love affair. It's really full of deviant sexual imagery, and as I've mentioned before, what is Rice's obsession with male sexuality? There are never any depictions of lesbianism (that I remember), just extreme examples of gay, male sex, including Marius (a man) and Armand (a boy). It's revolting to read. Would women like to read about an older women preying on young girls? Her writing about men is twisted and severely distorted.

If you take out all of this deviance, the book has some beautiful descriptions of the settings in which the story takes place. This and the origins of Armand, are the sole redeeming values of this novel - and it's not quite so full of religious tripe as latter novels.

My advice is skip this and read other novels by her, except "Memnoch the Devil," which is even worse than this novel.

Labored through this one.......2007-01-03

I've been a fan of Anne's ever since I first saw "Interview" and have read the majority of the Vampire Series but this one was definitely a labor to get through. I only picked it up to read in between my more interesting novels. The book would probably be a lot smaller if she had edited out the majority of the unnecessary descriptive language. Yet the one thing I liked about Armand was his struggle with his innate sense of spirituality that stayed with him through his Undead Life. It made him more human than the other vampire characters we've come to know over the years. And I think it was this book where we first see Anne's progression from Athiest to Believer.

Average customer rating:

Addendum to Other Reviews
Competent plot and writing, but lacks memorability and impact. Hesitantly recommended as a fast, enjoyable, but forgettable read
One Of Rice's Two Best Books
"You Will Be the Man You Want to Be..."
a beautiful and emotional book

Cry to Heaven
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345396936
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The acclaimed author of Servant of the Bones makes real for us the exquisite and otherworldly society of the eighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe, men who lived as idols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yet shunned as half men.

Book Description

In this mesmerizing novel, the acclaimed author of THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES and the LIVES OF THE MAYFAIR WITCHES makes real for us the exquisite and otherworldly society of the eighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe, men who lived as idols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yet shunned as half-men.
As we are drawn into their dark and luminous story, as the crowds of Venetians, Neopolitans, and Romans, noblemen and peasants, musicians, prelates, princes, saints, and intriguers swirl around them, Anne Rice brings us into the sweep of eighteenth-century Italian life, into the decadence beneath the shimmering surface of Venice, the wild frivolity of Naples, and the magnetic terror of its shadow, Vesuvius. It is a novel that only Anne Rice could have written, taking us into a heartbreaking and enchanting moment in history, a time of great ambition and great suffering--a tale that challenges our deepest images of the masculine and the feminine.
"To read Anne Rice is to become giddy as if spinning through the mind of time."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"Dazzling in its darkness...Spellbinding."
--The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

Addendum to Other Reviews.......2007-03-22

The reviews of others, e.g., Chicago Dreamer and Fisher, are accurate, useful, and elegantly written; so I'll add only a few more thoughts. I avoided Rice and her vampire books mistakenly thinking that she was only a pulp/pop-fiction writer. When I read "Cry to Heaven," I was pleasantly surprised, even astonished. She obviously is intelligent, talented, and professional. My being an avid reader and member of a great-books discussion group for many years, I was impressed with her style and skill. Her detailed research into the era, locales, and the world of castrati was admirable. My having worked as a therapist for many years, I was profoundly touched by the insight and sensitivity with which Ann explored the thoughts and feelings of Tonio. My having been a life-long lover of serious music and also a researcher and lecturer into the subject of Baroque music and the castrati, I was impressed with her accuracy and understanding of this amazing phenomenon.

"Cry to Heaven" would make a unique and wonderful movie, but only if it were to be made very well, perhaps as a "labor of love" as was Visconti's "Death in Venice" and with an appropriate budget, time, and effort similar to Peter Jackson's, albeit longer, "Lord of the Ring" triology. Of course, there would be several difficulties to overcome.

First, Tonio grows from childhood into young adulthood, requiring perhaps three look-alike actors of special beauty, as described by Ann, and with convincing acting ability.

Second, the superlative castrato voice would have to be created most likely by using 21st-century technology (which would take time but should not be overly difficult) to cover the wide alto-to-soprano range plus the vocal strength suitable for the opera stage. Very importantly, the uninformed mistakes of the "Farinelli" producers would have to be avoided, i.e., using an average, female soprano with distinctly female timbre, breathiness, and technical imprecision along with an average countertenor with similar problems. For the alto range, superlative countertenor Andreas Scholl has the talent, experience, power, and voi-blanc sound required to approximate the castrato voice. Unfortunately, the perfect female soprano Gundula Janowitz no longer sings, but there may be one or two now available who have voices far superior to the one used in the 1994 "Farinelli." Also, natural male sopranos such as Jorge Cano or Radu Marian might be used. Then these voices could be electronically blended to form a consistent, ideal voice.

Third, the sex scenes in Ann's novel are not gratuitous and do explore the natural drives and emotional confusion of the castrati. They should not be avoided in a movie version and can be filmed tastefully so that they would not be offensive to anyone other than those persons who are horrified by sex and prefer to deny human nature.

Perhaps a dedicated film maker such as Visconti or Jackson will have the courage, support, and budget to make a quality film version of Ann's book. In the meantime, this book should be a must-read for anyone who is interested in the subject and also is looking for a good, dramatic tale.

Competent plot and writing, but lacks memorability and impact. Hesitantly recommended as a fast, enjoyable, but forgettable read.......2006-10-28

Tonio Treschi is a growing boy, the heir a small but noble Venetian family, and he has the singing voice of an angel. Guido Maffeo is a grown castrato who lost his singing voice in adolescence and now teaches young castrati and composes music. When Tonio is castrated at the order of a jealous and vengeful relative, he is forced into Guido's care and banished from Venice. Guido takes him to the school for castrati where he himself was taught, and endeavors to train Tonio's voice and make him into the best singer the world has ever seen. Old enough to know the world of men, but now removed from it forever, Tonio is caught between a desire to avenge the crime against him, mourning for what he has lost, and the first chance at happiness that he has ever know. Cry to Heaven is a well-plotted story and competently told, but lacks the sincerity to make it truly meaningful or memorable. The characters aren't nearly as compelling as some of the others in Rice's books, and the issues within the book are generally dealt with too bluntly and without much thought or detail. It is a fast, entertaining read and never becomes difficult or slow, but its lasting impact is somewhat limited. As a result, I recommend this book only hesitantly.

There isn't much more to say about Cry to Heaven. It is neither disappointing nor impressive, and neither good or bad. The plot and writing style are more than competent, keeping the book moving at a good pace, introducing plenty of problems and resolutions in the plot and working its way up to one major climax at the end of the book. My only compliant with the writing itself is the lack of emotional resolution at the end of the book--the action builds up nicely, but the actual conclusion to the book seems a little empty and unexplored, especially in comparison to the character insight in the body of the text. Other than that detail, all of the necessary authorial techniques are there and the book is approachable, holds the reader's attention, and has a strong plot.

But outside of plot devices and action, there isn't much to this book, leaving the reader with nothing memorable or though-provoking. Rice may not be a particularly "deep" writer, but some of her other books prove that she is capable of creating and exploring complex moral situations, emotions, and ideas. The underlying ideas upon which Rice tries to and could have expanded upon are present, specifically the gender ambiguity and third-gender roles of the castrati, but Rice approaches them too bluntly to make the issues detailed or thoughtful. She rushes into sexual situations, cross-dressing, and androgyny too quickly and easily and her approach to the subject becomes repetitive: repeat sexual encounters, repeat manliness angst, and not much more. If explored in more depth, the contents and characters of this book would probably be much more meaningful; as it is, they are interesting while reading but have no long-term impact on the reader.

I recommend this book as a quick, enjoyable, attention-grabbing read, but I don't recommend it very strongly. It won't be a book that I come back to, and I would recommend some of Rice's other books before this one. The text isn't worth seeking out, but if you stumble upon it like I did (for fifty cents at a library sale), then by all means give it a go.

One Of Rice's Two Best Books.......2006-09-06

Out of everything Anne Rice has written in a thirty-year career of widely-varying quality, only Interview With A Vampire outranks this novel. Set in the realm of music in eighteenth-century Italy among the fabled castrati, the story here is about a young man named Antonio, a beautiful boy with an angelic face and a perfect singing voice. Antonio's early life is spent in a secluded villa, surrounded by the glories of music, and dominated by a loving but strangely reticent elderly father figure, a melancholy, alcoholic mother, and a mysterious man whose intrusions into Antonio's childhood disrupted the fabric of life within his entire family. The revelation of exactly who this mysterious, bitterly angry man happens to be provides the heat in the first half of this book. Antonio's fate and his rise to prominence among the musical hierarchy make up the heart of this tale of revenge, glory, love, and tragedy in the age of opera.

"You Will Be the Man You Want to Be...".......2006-05-16

Anne Rice is best known for her "The Vampire Chronicles" and "The Lives of the Mayfair Witches" series, but she has written several stand-alone novels in which supernatural components are completely absent. "Cry to Heaven" is one of these, which explores the fascinating sub-world of the Castrati, though it keeps many of Rice's other trademark features; her attention to opulent detail, her rather graphic sex scenes and her dark themes of revenge, lust, ambition and dark human relations.

Marc Antonio Treschi ("Tonio" for short) is the heir of the ancient Treschi house, the son of the elderly Andrea and the youthful, beautiful, drunken Marianne. As the last surviving son of Andrea, his safety and well-being are paramount to the continuation of the family, and though he has every available luxury at his fingertips he feels constrained and trapped by his limitations. As his mother's only companion, Tonio spends his days caring for her - trying to ignore the permeating feeling of an unspoken threat that fills the household.

Finally the truth emerges; Tonio has another brother who was exiled to Istanbul before he was born. Despised by his father Andrea, Carlos Treschi has been wiped from the household and the records, and Tonio is made the sole heir of the estate. But on his father's death, Carlos returns from exile to reveal the terrible truth of Tonio's existence, and to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his. Concocting a plan that will rid himself of Tonio, Carlos has him kidnapped and castrated, and taken to Naples to resume training as a castrati. Robbed of any chance of having children of his own, and feeling himself less that what he once was, Tonio rebels against any training even when put into the care of Guido Maffeo. Guido was castrated at a young age but nonetheless experienced a voice-change during puberty, which caused him to attempt suicide. Now he acts as teacher to those new recruits and sees enormous potential in young Tonio.

Although Tonio is surrounded by fellow eunuchs (who he regards as freaks), and carries the heavy burden of his hate toward Carlos, he gradually comes to embrace the life of the castrati and the gift of his soprano voice. Finding love, fame, skill and friendship in his new life, he finds himself balancing his happiness with his desire for revenge. As his success grows, he faces the choice of his lifetime as he chases fame and success; on whether or not he should return to Venice and take vengeance.

The story itself is a little predictable; especially in the case of some of the family dynamics that Tonio is faced with (I guessed Carlos's connection to Tonio long before it was made explicit). However, this hardly matters as the strength of the novel is in characters and their relationships, particularly in the conceit of Tonio's inner conflict. Rice describes his pain as twins that exist within Tonio; one which adores life and happiness, and the other which is bent on revenge, both of whom are warring for supremacy of Tonio's mind. Throughout the novel he is a likeable, engaging, interesting character, though Guido is a little less appealing and much more enigmatic, and a third character - Christina - comes into play a little too late to make any real impact. However, Tonio is enough to sustain the book, and his scenario an interesting one: as he builds up a family of friends and lovers, the cost of vengeance becomes greater and greater, till he's nearly split in two.

An amazing amount of research must have gone into recreating the world of the castrati, as Rice spends pages on the way in which members of the castrati live out their lives; including physical abnormalities, learning techniques and the pressures of the opera and social life. Historical events and figures are mentioned, and the cities of Venice, Florence, Naples and Rome are vividly described to create a backdrop that is quintessential Anne Rice; elegant, opulent and decadent. At the centre of all this is the paradox of the castrati: adored and idolised for their soprano voices, and yet shunned and mocked for their loss of manhood.

The concept of a eunuch is a taboo subject, but which as such holds a somewhat grotesque fascination. Rice takes the idea of the "half-man" and explores the consequences of castration, the realisation of knowing you'll never have children, and what it means to be a man; (perhaps a rather odd subject for a female, but one she handles surprisingly well). All in all though "Cry to Heaven" is certainly not Rice's most famous novel, but it is an intriguing, poignant and ultimately satisfying exploration into a little known sub-culture.
It reminded me a little of Arthur Golden's "Memoirs of a Geisha", so if you are not usually a fan of Rice's vampires or other supernatural creations, you may enjoy this as an historical novel.

a beautiful and emotional book.......2006-05-01

I never cared much for Anne Rice's vampire novels, and only recently discovered her witches books. So when someone recommended this book to me, I didn't think I would get it. Then I found it again on a listmania list, and decided to check it out, and then ordered it.

Castrati have long held my fascination, and I have often wondered what they sounded like, how their lives were. This book feels so natural, so well researched, that I feel like I have been allowed a step back in time, and a visit to one of the great Castrati.

And yes, the main character is bisexual, and yes, there is sexuality in this book, but if you let that keep you from reading this book, you miss out on so much more. It is so well written, and the main character grabs hold of your heart and does not let it go at the end of the book.

So, for any other non-Anne Rice lovers like me: go read this book. It is so wonderful, and I am veryhappy I gave it a chance.

Average customer rating:

Farm Enchants
Absolutely the Best of Anne Rice
not one of her best works
"If I Were Human, I'd Cry Too..."
Excellent!

Blackwood Farm (The Vampire Chronicles)
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345443683
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Amazon.com

In the past few years, many fans have sworn off Anne Rice, flinging her later novels against the wall with cries of "First draft!" and "Never again!" But these same fans may want to take a chance on her Southern gothic Blackwood Farm, a fast-paced and erotically charged, though uneven, novel of the Vampire Chronicles. Blackwood Farm has an unusual flaw: it isn't long enough. Many of its triumphs and tragedies demand more development than they receive. Motivations are sometimes unlikely or unexplained, and the ending is far too rushed.

Blackwood Farm introduces Quinn Blackwood, the sexy, eccentric young gentleman who becomes both a vampire and the heir to the Blackwood estate. All his life, Quinn has been haunted by Goblin, a doppelgänger no one else can see--or believe in. But Goblin is real, and he is becoming maliciously tangible, strengthened by the blood that Quinn unwillingly drinks. Quinn's only hope of liberation from his increasingly dangerous doppelgänger is to find the legendary vampire Lestat. But Lestat has vowed to destroy any vampire who sets foot in New Orleans....

Blackwood Farm features characters from both the Vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair Witches series, but this self-contained novel makes a good entry point for newcomers to Anne Rice's fictional world (however, Vampire Chronicle virgins really should start with Interview With the Vampire, the first in the series and arguably the finest vampire novel of the 20th century). --Cynthia Ward

Book Description

In her new novel, perennial bestseller Anne Rice fuses her two uniquely seductive strains of narrative -- her Vampire legend and her lore of the Mayfair witches -- to give us a world of classic deep-south luxury and ancestral secrets.

Welcome to Blackwood Farm: soaring white columns, spacious drawing rooms, bright, sun-drenched gardens, and a dark strip of the dense Sugar Devil Swamp. This is the world of Quinn Blackwood, a brilliant young man haunted since birth by a mysterious doppelgänger, “Goblin,” a spirit from a dream world that Quinn can’t escape and that prevents him from belonging anywhere. When Quinn is made a Vampire, losing all that is rightfully his and gaining an unwanted immortality, his doppelgänger becomes even more vampiric and terrifying than Quinn himself.

As the novel moves backwards and forwards in time, from Quinn’s boyhood on Blackwood Farm to present day New Orleans, from ancient Athens to 19th-century Naples, Quinn seeks out the legendary Vampire Lestat in the hope of freeing himself from the spectre that draws him inexorably back to Sugar Devil Swamp and the explosive secrets it holds.

A story of youth and promise, of loss and the search for love, of secrets and destiny, Blackwood Farm is Anne Rice at her mesmerizing best.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Welcome to Blackwood Farm: soaring white columns, spacious drawing rooms, bright, sun-drenched gardens, and a dark strip of the dense Sugar Devil Swamp. This is the world of Quinn Blackwood, a brilliant young man haunted since birth by a mysterious doppelganger, "Goblin," a spirit from a dream world that Quinn can't escape and that prevents him from belonging anywhere. When Quinn is made a Vampire, losing all that is rightfully his and gaining an unwanted immortality, his doppelganger becomes even more vampiric and terrifying than Quinn himself.</p>

As the novel moves backwards and forwards in time, from Quinn's boyhood on Blackwood Farm to present day New Orleans, from ancient Athens to 19th-century Naples, Quinn seeks out the legendary Vampire Lestat in the hope of freeing himself from the spectre that draws him inexorably back to Sugar Devil Swamp and the explosive secrets it holds.</p>

A story of youth and promise, of loss and the search for love, of secrets and destiny, Blackwood Farm is Anne Rice at her mesmerizing best.</p>

Customer Reviews:

Farm Enchants.......2007-05-24

What a triumph! What a beautiful and fresh novel! I am so amazed with where Anne started and where she has come. One of the biggest criticisms I've heard about Anne Rice is that her writing regarding the vampires has changed drastically since Interview, Lestat, and Queen - in other words, Anne's style has changed, as have the storylines and the characters' personalities and traits. Well, thank God for that! I fell in love with Anne's first three novels, but what a tragedy it would be were she were still writing the same stories with the same characters who have not grown and learned. The fact is that people change. Thus, her characters have changed and grown, and they have asked the hardest questions about life and death - and love. She created characters without conscience who were animalistic in their quest for blood - and now, these same characters feel responsibility for love, life, and humanity. Isn't that the hope for us all? Don't we all want redemption? After all, even the immortal aren't immortal.

Yes, Lestat began as a self-centered, arrogant, narcisistic fool whom we loved. But, I would hope that through time, Lestat would mature and learn from the great experiences he has been through over the past 30 years. And, he has. Lestat, the "brat price," has learned to love and to be loved. What a gift! Thank you Anne for these beautiful books!

Absolutely the Best of Anne Rice.......2007-02-20

Reading this book for my third time. I find that Anne Rice hadn't at all lost her touch. I loved the southern style of life that Quinn lived. I think Aunt Queen was a wonderful character showing alot of love for Quinn in grand southern style. I never found the book boring nor do I critise the romance of Quinn with both male and female. Goblin was an added feature that I wouldn't have expected at all. What a book covering Blackwood, Mayfair Witches, Taltos, and Lestate all in one book. Anne went out with a big hit on her hands as far as I am concerned. Wish she were still writing these wonderful books of which I have read them all. Thank you Anne for bringing me such joy in reading your books.

not one of her best works.......2007-01-08

"Blackwood Farm" is more a novel of the supernatural and ghosts until near the end, where the vampires appear and begin to have more of an impact on the story, although Petronia and a few others influence Quinn's life and unlife before Lestat and Merrick play their part. The main focus of the story is Quinn and the Blackwood family.

"Blackwood Farm" suffers from, in my opinion, one of Rice's faults: longwinded narratives. It's not exactly boring, just too bloody long telling the tale. Writing for the sake of words on a page doesn't make for a good novel, just a long one. Even I learned about compression in college writing! Unlike other novels by Rice, the main protagonist of the story, Quinn, is an odd character and yet, at the same time, boring. He's not interesting or captivating like Lestat, Louis, Merrick, Pandora, Marius, Armand, or even Vittorio.

Another fault I found in the book is that some of the characterizations border not on the archetypal, but come off as being stereotypical, full of generalizations and lacking a truly dynamic and unique personality, which is necessary in any writing. All of the men from the Talamasca seem the same: old British men, educated, charming, etc. There's not much to distinguish David Talbot from Sterling Oliver. There are other stereotypes: the poor woman with numerous kids, living in a trailer with broken, rusted cars in the yard - the stereotypical hillbilly - and, of course, the lone, intellectual gay bachelor.

The scene in which Quinn is turned into a vampire is comical, among other things. It comes across as contrived, an attempt to be creative that just ends up weird. It's not sensual or fascinating. It's just bizarre. From "Memnoch the Devil" onward, most of Rice's vampire novels have been filled with what can arguably be seen as amoral imagery and characters - grossly exaggerated sensuality and a fixation with male homosexuality (Why no women?). This was not the case with "The Vampire Lestat," "Queen of the Damned," "Tale of the Body Thief," "Pandora," Vittorio," and even latter novels like "Merrick," to some extent.

There are some entertaining and wonderful parts in the novel. The romantic in me loved the end. I'll not spoil it here. The ending is worth reading the entire novel just to get to it. But there is a death of a somewhat major character at the end, too.

Rice boasted of not allowing an editor to touch her work. Let me give you a couple of examples in the novel that any good editor would have picked up: Lestat has a wad of thousand dollar bills (The $100 is the U.S.'s highest denomination and has been for some time.) and there is mention of gladiators ALWAYS fighting to the death (This isn't so. They were extremely valuable to their owners, if they had owners, and didn't always fight to the death). These aren't exactly important, but annoying to read, especially the money error. And there is a weird illogical thread regarding the dangers of pregnancy with Mona Mayfair and Quinn Blackwood. This is the stated reason that they can't be together. Does birth control not exist in Rice's fictional world?

Let me add this: I love Lestat. He's one of my favorite characters in literature. I love that he's the embodiment of us all: flawed and perfect, beautiful and monstrous, spiritual and profane, wounded and broken, yet strong, sorrowful, yet happy, full of love and wonderment. He's vibrant, complex...well...alive. If he were to never return, I would miss him.

Sycophants, without the capacity for any sort of criticism, will no doubt praise this novel (as they did "Memnoch"). Let me state for the record: I love Anne Rice's novels - most of them, anyway, especially the early ones. She's one of my favorite authors, and has been for a number of years. Whenever I want to read something wonderful about New Orleans or Louisiana, where I haven't been since I was a child, I can pick up some of her books, and her ability to paint a picture of other places in the world and in time - beit Pairs or elsewhere - are second to none. But this novel is simply not one of her best. It's somewhere in between the good ("The Vampire Lestate," "Pandora," "Vittorio") and the wretched ("Memnoch the Devil" and "The Vampire Armand"). Contrary to what some people may think, Rice is capable of writing a bad novel. Even Hemingway was accused of bad writing. Why should she be any different? Is she a greater writer than him? Nothing created by men is perfect, including art, science, or politics. We are flawed, and the works of our hands are destined to miss the mark. If you want to read a good Anne Rice book, go read the earlier stuff. There are no incestuous ghosts, vampires drinking menstrual fluid, hermaphrodite vampires and those whose sexual appetites are inclined towards young boys, misunderstood devils, and general pseudo-religious, pseudo-Catholic, pseudo-New Age "mambojahambo" in those earlier novels.

Lastly, to those w