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Memnoch the Devil

Memnoch the Devil

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Ruins!
Review: This is probably one of the worst novels I have ever read. It leaves a very bad stain on the first four wonderful novels in this series. Anne Rice's editors need to wake up and tell it like it is. I can't believe this was even published!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: this book is awesome
Review: i thought this book was very good, not boring at all like some other reviewers have said, but thats just my opinion. i found this to be a very interesting and compelling tale, even though it doesn't completely focus on the vampires like the other books in this series do. the only complaint i really have about "Memnoch" is that the first part of the story doesn't have much to do with the later part. but overall, its a very good book. i recommennd it. A-

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Bold and Daring Departure
Review: Question: Why on earth should Rice (or any author) be expected to limit herself to writing one type of novel, in one style, on one note? For that seems to be what the negative reviews here seem to be insisting she do. A sampling of these would turn up such words and phrases as "it's boring," "this isn't a vampire novel," "this isn't Lestat," "it's out of character," "offensive," and many other such (let's be polite here) well-intentioned chidings...all of which sound rather put out, and many of which miss the point entirely.

First, let's take the notions that this isn't a vampire novel, that it isn't Lestat, and that his behavior is out of character, and dispense with them right off. One: It seems to me that this is a vampire novel, as it does have its share of vampires haunting the pages. Two: If you study the overall arc of Lestat's character, from Interview through to Memnoch, the overall effect is a softening of Lestat's hard, conscienceless demeanor -- The Tale of the Body Thief really brings this to the fore, in fact; read it again and see if I'm wrong. Memnoch's characterization of Lestat in my mind is perfectly in keeping with what's gone before. As to the idea that the characters do not act in keeping with their usual presentations in Rice's previous vampire novels, well, ask yourself this: If you met, in the span of a few hours, both God and Satan, and had your mind blown by both Heaven and Hell, AND had your entire belief system turned upside-rightside-inside-out, how rationally would YOU act? My guess is not very, and that was part of the point Rice was trying to make: we're far too comfortable in our various faiths, and that kind of complacency is very dangerous. We need to question more, Rice is saying. We need to ask hard questions -- even if we don't like the answers.

Which brings us nicely to addressing what a lot of people say about this novel: That it's offensive, that it portrays God as a bumbling incompetent and Lucifer as the wronged party...and worse, that he's attractive to boot. Well, let me just say this about that: This is a work of FICTION, folks. A novel. A big fat lie, told to amuse and amaze you in your unoccupied moments, nothing more. If you're offended by the notion of a fictional vampire sinking his teeth into the fictional neck of a fictional Christ on the cross (note that Lestat makes no appearances in the Bible!), then maybe your faith isn't as strong as you think it is. At the very least you need to get out more often. And so Memnoch is handsome, attractive and persuasive. So what? Isn't that what makes evil such a siren call -- that so much of the time it is attractive, tempting, seductive? Would Eve ever have been tempted if the serpent hadn't used honeyed words and gentle persuasion? Finally, God is not presented as a bumbler here so much as he is cold and indifferent to his own creation -- and haven't many of us suffered from that suspicion in our darkest moments? "Where were you when I made the world?" God asks Job when Job questions him -- in other words, I have a plan and you don't know the half of it, pal. The thought that God knows what he's doing, but doesn't trust us enough to let us know too, has driven plenty of people to question, even doubt, their own faith. (And I'll fill you in on a little secret, too. It's all right to question and doubt. I'm sure God has his doubts about us sometimes. It's when you let those doubts drive you from God that you become endangered.)

Okay, what's next? Is Memnoch boring? Well, maybe -- if you have the attention span of a gnat. (Thought I was going to be polite here; oh well...) If you go into this novel expecting typical Lestat-type adventures, you will be disappointed. If, however, you pry that cover open without any expectations other than reading a well-told, intelligently-thought-out tale, you may just be in for a treat. Yes, it is a tale that's been told before, notably by Milton in Paradise Lost ("It is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven"), but Rice comes up with a few wrinkles even Milton never thought of. This is not your average chapter of the Vampire chronicles (thank goodness)...which brings me back around to my original question. If Rice had written a more typical Lestat adventure, I'd be willing to bet that the reviews on this page would be even more scathing: "We've read this before! How about something new? It's the same thing over and over again!" etc. It's easy -- far too easy -- to tell the same story over and over again, as witness the novels of Sidney Sheldon, Jackie Collins, and (God save us and preserve us) Barbara Cartland. Rice could make a comfortable living doing that -- but instead she comes at us (or at the very least tries to) with a different perspective nearly every time, with a different story to tell. This is how writers become better at the craft: they try new things, explore new ideas, stake out new territory in their lives and minds. This, by the way, is also how people expand their horizons, by leaving behind the old and familiar for the new and uncharted. I'm proud to say my horizons were expanded by Anne Rice's bold, daring departure from her usual fare, and hope for more of the same in the future.

P.S.: You want to read a really boring novel? Try something by Sheldon & co. I guarantee a fast cure for insomnia. Remain In Light -- Phrodoe.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: To Hell and Back.
Review: The story line was rather clever. Lestat is inticed by Memnoch (the Devil). But what the Devil wants is totally unexpected. He wants to set the story straight about God. Memnoch is apparently trying to save people from being bitter toward God! He explains that only souls who have forgiven God can go to Heaven and that is what Hell is for...

Of course the reader is constantly wondering if this is just a lie or the real thing. So much of what we believe is riding on whether or not Memnoch was telling the truth...

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Ruined Lestats Image
Review: I liked the book just fine but it ruined lestats whole image He's supposed to be a strong blood sucker that has very few feelings'but toward the end of the book he gets just as soft as louis. Anne Rice Really needs to write a book that reinstates his image.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: THE GREATEAST VAMPIRE EVER
Review: THE VAMPIRE CHRONICALS ARE THE MOST CAPTIVATING, STORIES OF VAMPIRES I'VE EVER READ. I LOVE LOUIS AND LESTATE,DAVID, CLAUDIA, AND ARMAND. MEMNOCH, FOR ME WAS A BIT EXCITING IN THE BEGINING, THEN GOT SLOWER AS MEMNOCH TOOK LESTATE INTO DIFFERENT PARTS OF TIME. I HOPE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE VAMPIRES SOON BUT CAN WAIT TO HEAR ANY MORE ABOUT MEMNOCH.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Interview with Insomnia
Review: I loved the first four books. I am stuck halfway through this one because it is so turgid, and it is holding me up from enjoying the rest of the saga. The same debates are in the Bible, "Paradise Lost", and "Dante's Inferno", and the originals are a lot more interesting than the imitation. In fact, I'm just going to jump straight to "The Vampire Armand" - life is too short.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What can I say? it lacked something
Review: You know most of the time there are good points to any bad book, this is no exeption but there was not enough of them to over shadow the fact that this book should be subcribed as a sleeping pill!!!

has any fan of these books noticed a trend? Lestat is always stalked in one way or another. First by the Paris coven in TVL, then by all the little brat vampiers in QOD, by James in TotBT, and finally by Memnoch. Now the thought of the devil stalking Lestat is incredably interesting, it's the perfect exsample of "be careful what you wish for." But it sounded like the devil should have been lieing on a leather couch, talking to Sigmond Froud, insted of driving our Brat Prince slowly out of his mind. I kept expecting Lestat to tell him to shut up! I know I was saying it.

a few thought on the side characters: Roger was intresting simplely becuse he had the nerve to huant Lestat I liked Roger, but his daughter? Well you know how Lestat drove Greathen from TotBT mad? Dora didn't need Lestat's help, she was flat and very dull, but under that you could all but hear her last straw starting to snap. In short, read it because you need to, to understand what happend to Lestat in The Vampire Armand just don't think for a moment your going to beable to read it in one sitting

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best!!!
Review: I've read every book in the vampire chronicles, and this was defintly one of my favorites. Lestat is back, and charming as ever! He's my favorite, so I'm biased. =)

I found the idea that the Devil isn't evil fascinating. Who would have thought? And the true reason that God kicked him out of heaven very thought provoking.

The end was just as good as the other books, and kept me wanting to read more in the series. I can't wait to read Merrick.

Definetly a must read!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great!
Review: The Vampires Chronicles continue to get better as they go along, and this book is once again a prime example of Anne Rice's extroadinary talent. If you've read the first four from this series, then I'm surprised that you are comteplating buying this book, go ahead, it's well worth it.


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