Sabrina Zhou 3/23/20 Period 2 - Blog #2

I get sucked into books really easily, and this one was no exception. But I fell in love with it all on its own — the writing style, and the character of Louis just took me by storm. There’s just something ethereal and dainty (but also sensuous and rich) about it.

March 23, 2020. “Day 1” of “Interview with a Vampire” by Anne Rice. Not at all the introduction to the book that I had envisioned. I was expecting to be in a classroom, you see.

But each of us students, individually, looked at slideshows of the History of Vampires. I hadn’t been expecting the reference to cholera — wow, people’s imaginations can run wild. But I do see the link. The dehydration of the body by cholera is similar to the draining of blood from a human when a vampire attacks them. We then analyzed the character of Louis, his innocent attractiveness, his dependence, his naive understanding of being a vampire. We compared Louis to Lestat, the only other vampire he knew, but a bloodthirsty and vicious one. They’re perfect for each other (from a literary perspective). They’re complete opposites, and spiteful of each other because of that, but they offer new insights to each other about themselves, and about the world around them. 

But to me, the gentle character and insights of Louis is what makes the book so good. We watch as Louis discovers more about himself through every tense/loving interaction with Lestat (I can only label Lestat’s interactions as “tense” or “loving”, its one or the other. He’s crazy). One sneering fight teaches Louis to understand the unnatural side of being a vampire, the bloodlust and power, but on the next page, watching Lestat bully his old father helps Louis to realize how much of being a vampire is secrecy and domination. 

So realizes Louis: Life as a vampire is written in experiences, not possessions, not happiness, and certainly not time. It’s a new way of looking at our human life, which is full of struggle, and most clearly mortal. If we looked at life through experiences, would we be happier? Would we start caring less about our possessions? Would some of us be more fulfilled? That’s what Louis comes to understand. He used to have a “perfect” life, until his brother died and he became a vampire. But he’s trying to fulfill himself now. He’s changing his perception of his life. He’s linking, morphing and abandoning his past life to his present, and it's beautiful to read about. 

What is life without creativity and imagination? Vampires were influenced by all kinds of things, and today, they are getting ever more creative and wild. Just look at Twilight. But Louis is a different kind of vampire: he’s innocent and lost (not at all the terrifying monster in movies). You know, this is the sort of young, naive, sensitive masculine figure that we should see so much more in modern pop culture. We should have less of the Disney “tough guy” stuff, like we get it Gaston, you eat five dozen eggs every morning, gee. Thus I’m impressed and enamored by Louis’s characterization, because boys, not just girls, can be sweet and sensitive too. Those are qualities that can happen to everyone. And Louis is just that. 

Rating: 10/10. Might be an unpopular opinion, but I don't care!