Interview with the Vampire (6 points)

9/14/20

When I first heard the title of this book I was concerned. I mostly associate vampires with teen romantic drama films and TV series. The fact that the title is an interview...with a vampire makes it all the stranger. It sounds like a comedy but it is most certainly not. 

This book has an interesting format. The title is in no way misleading because it is actually an interview with a vampire. The interview format of it is original but since it is not an interview with a human it is much more intriguing.

Throughout the book, we learn about Louis’ past. We learn about how he became a vampire and his troublesome, centuries-long journey. He moves in and out of relationships, but some of his relationships (Lestat specifically) seem to always come back to haunt him.

Parts of this book feel like your typical teen vampire story. There are some elements taken from Dracula and other iconic vampires but there are some aspects of the book that make it more modern and diverse. The clearest aspect is the relationships Louis has with Lestat and Armand. For a book written in the 1970s it is quite progressive that there is a romantic relationship between two men.

There are parts of the book that are very identifiable with your typical vampire. It may have just been the audiobook, but it felt like Louis talked in a slower way than the interviewer. One reason for this could be because he had lived for centuries so his language is at times outdated. This book took components from other vampire tales. Vampires would suck blood. Their victims would turn into vampires. The vampires were immortal (until murdered). This book has a unique combination of originality and including components of earlier stories.

I have heard dozens of vampire stories through books, movies, TV shows and other ways. I can honestly say that this book-even though not new-feels original. It is amazing that there are some parts of this book that I haven’t really seen in any other books and films of the genre. The book manages to take a common, human thing (an interview) and combine it with a mythical, unearthly thing (a vampire).