Rating: 
Summary: There is always more than meets the eye...
Review: Whether Anne Rice is writing about the self admonishment of a new vampire or the drowning power of playing a violin she always captures something and trys to bring it the reader's eye. I fear that many readers only like Anne Rice for the lushness of her descriptions, the alternative ways of looking at religions, and the well-known characters. I do too--but for me the dark attraction of her work is the deep psychological play that takes place in the characters that relate to us as complex human beings. Why else would Lestat and Louis be so dear and hateful if they did not reflect us? Why else would Antonio be so helpless and yet so powerful being a castrato? Anne also brings up the philosphical questions that have been asked since the beginning of our time on earth and gives new ways of seeing them in other views(religion, existence, morality, god(s), etc.). If it were not for Anne Rice, I wouldn't have such an open view as I have today to discussion about these ideas. VIOLIN to me was one of the best works that Anne Rice has written. Of course it has alot to do with the fact that it is somewhat autobiographical because I am intrigued by an author that I have been reading for years--who she is and what she thinks, and what she has gone through. The desire for the violin is encapsulating here, so much to do with freedom, so much to do with desire of that. I really feel like Anne Rice broke through a personal barrier in writing this, and I love it that she would share it in the form of fiction with us. The book IS a very dark journey, but it is to be expected, especially with St. Sebastian on the front cover.(nice touch-to the designer) But that is what is appealing about this book. And unlike most of Anne Rice's books, the ending is written to close it up with a deep satisfaction inside of the main character of having found what he/she was searching for. As there are many people in this world, there will be many different tastes. I for instance did not like the Witching series and Queen of the Damned was my least favorite of the vampire chronicles(too rock-n-rolly fast paced with too many different characters for me). That happened with Tale of the Body Thief briefly. Now I love reading Tale for Lestat's self-destructiveness-phoenix-complex when I feel in the right mood to do so. And I know I will go back to rediscover the Witching series as well. Also, Anne Rice's Beauty series and Memnoch the Devil is much underrated and I find it to be up there with her masterpiece of VIOLIN. I hope that Anne Rice will continue to follow her heart in writing what she needs and wants to, regardless of any reviews and comments. Alia
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As an avid Anne Rice fan, I had to force myself to continue reading the book. I found myself skimming many pages in order to reach the end and end my own misery.
Rating:
Summary: A cant-put-it downer; you have to find out what happens!
Review: This is an excellent book to read on a rainy evening, while listening to classical music (Especially Mozart - you'll find out why!). Anne Rice takes you away to another world of Mystery and Romance, as well as the world of the supernatural. One can really relate to the main character. It is like taking a triip around the world as you watch her travel from place to place. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Rating: 
Summary: Should be Zero Stars
Review: Like many people who wrote their reviews here, I've been a big Anne Rice fan for many years. I've read nearly everything she's written and, up to the last five years, have thoroughly enjoyed her books. Recently, she seems to have slipped. Everything I've read since The Witching Hour has been between mediocre and dreadful. Violin is by far the worst book I've read by Rice or any author in the last year. There isn't a single character that I could feel any empathy for. The first chapter got my attention in a gross, morbid kind of way (she sleeps with her husband's rotting corpse). But the remainder of the story sounds like listening to tapes from Rice's sessions with her therapist. Lots of distorted self-blame, whining and self pity. Yuck. Maybe she should pay us to read the stupid thing. I (with a pang of regret) have stopped reading Stephen King because he has been repeating himself and writing 1,000 page meandering crap. With similar regret I am adding Anne Rice to my list of "Authors who have lost the touch."
Rating:
Summary: Could have done better.
Review: This book displayed Rice's usual vivid descriptions, but lacked the good plotline that she had in previous writings. I was very disappointed in this particular book.
Rating: 
Summary: This book was not the best that Anne rice could do.
Review: I am a big Rice fan, and this book was very disappionting!!
Rating:
Summary: Confusion reigns
Review: I didn't care for this book by Anne Rice, though I have read and enjoyed most of the other books she's written. But for all that I wasn't enjoying Violin while reading, it was impossible to escape the mood it created. I was still thinking about the book days later, so strong were the sensory impressions it envoked. While not the most interesting action-wise of Rice's books, Violin was incredibly rich in emotion and drawing that same emotion out from this reader.
Rating:
Summary: It only took me 2 days to read it!
Review: I can't understand you people! This was a gripping book that drew you into Triana's mind through the stream of consciousness style used by Anne Rice. This is my favorite, mostly because I could identify with the narrator's love for Mozart and Beethoven. Even though it was a bit maudlin at times, I buzzed through it, wanting to know what would happen. The ending was a complete surprise, which was nice. I highly recommend this as well as Cry To Heaven, her other musically oriented book.
Rating:
Summary: What happened to Anne!
Review: From the beginning, this book was suspiciously autobiographical and was certainly not a quick read since I didn't really care to finish it. I held out all hope that it would get better. It didn't. Utterly depressing and not in all the classic style of Anne Rice. It was all over the place. However, there is hope. I recently sped through a copy of Pandora, a worthy return to the vampire chronicles, and look forward to reading Armand. Forget she ever wrote this book.
Rating:
Summary: Pitiful.Sad.
Review: I do not think that there was one single solitary redeemable character in this book except for the people the main characters constantly whined over who were already dead. Certainly these two were hardly worthy of life, much less to be put down on paper. This book stunk!!
| 
