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Blood Canticle (The Vampire Chronicles)

Blood Canticle (The Vampire Chronicles)

List Price: $25.95
Your Price: $17.13
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I really enjoyed it!
Review: Not more than ten minutes ago I finished reading "Belinda".Yes. Anne Rice's 1986 novel under the name Anne Rampling. An absolutely brilliant, wonderfully compelling and very REAL piece of work_minus the mysticism. Truth to tell, this was the third time reading this book. I loved it the first time_somewhen in the late 1980's and I love it even more now. Of course for different reasons. Fifteen years ago I was a teenager still living at home. Now, I am a 33 year-old man living on my own, trying to hone my Goddess-given creative abilities into something worthy and memorable. Times have changed. I have changed. My outlook on life, love, people, art, beauty_everything has changed,is changing and will continue to do so until the day I die (and quite probably even after). So what is my point? What has "Belinda" got to do with "Blood Canticle"? Simply this...Everything, everyone CHANGES. It's an inevitable fact/law of nature. It is my belief that artists_whether litarary, musical, pictoral or what-have-you_because of our creative, 'feeling' natures, are more responsive to life's little alterations that occur daily. And as we change so to our creations change. Art history has clearly shown us this. Think Rodin, Picasso.
Now, no matter the cause, be it external, simple, complex, beautiful or unpleasant, the result is always the same. We are no longer who we were. Jeremy walker could not be the be-loved author/illustartor of little girl's books after meeting Belinda. By the same token we cannot expect Mrs. Rice to be the same author she was two years ago or for that matter, two decades ago. Even more so now given her recent losses(sadly, her husband Stan Rice and happily, her weight_as reported by People magazine). She is not the same person in mind, spirit and body who wrote T.V.L. all those years ago. I for one understand this and accept it. All we can expect is that she remains true to herself, her art and the message she wants to reveal. Which brings me to "Blood Canticle".
I thoroughly enjoyed reading B.C. It did not send me into raptures (as T.V.L. did when i read it the 1st, 2nd, 3rd...you get my point). It did not reveal certain truths and lessons that I can apply to my life as it is now (as "Belinda" did). Perhaps this will come in the 3rd or 4th reading. Yes. I will read it a fourth time. I enjoyed this book simply because it did what ALL A.R. novels have done_taken me out of this mortal existence into another realm, through time and beauty. For those few hours, I will always be grateful and thankful.
So what Lestat is no longer the same brat prince we fell in love with in T.V.L. Thank goodness! I am very glad he isn't. I mean, he's been around for what, two centuries How can we NOT expect him to cahnge? Not sad to say, even ghosts, withches, spirits and vampires_yes! Vampires, are subject to that six letter phenomenon...CHANGE. Lestat is everchanging, ever-evolving. It's what makes him interesting and I love him now as I loved him then. As for his saintly asperations...We ALL have dreams and desires that will never, ever be realised in this lifetime. Lestat himself acknowledges this truth. It does not mean however that said aspirations should be left buried to be forgotten. They are part of who we are. They are part and parcel of who he has become since "Memnoch The Devil". Deal with it.
Lestat still goes around doing exactly what he wants in his own inimitable style. Only now he seems closer to understanding his own sense of morality, though some issues still remain inscrutable. Hell, he even managed to surprise himself by TRULY falling in love. In LOVE! You can't get a better catalyst for change than that! Now can you?
Anne Rice, in allowing Lestat to grow yet still remain true to himself, all things considered, has remained true to herself as a gifted artist. Come what may (and I am looking forward to what does) I will always be a devoted reader.
Before I end, I must say that I do hope to read more Belinda-type books from Mrs. Rice now that the chronicles have been laid to rest...for the while, if the rumours are to be believed. After all these years I still find the lives of mere mortals like jeremy and Belinda quite refreshing and interesting_at least when Anne Rice does them.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: ***
Review: I can't believe that anyone who has ever had a passion for Anne rice books can not tell that She did not completely write this on her own. I live in lousisana and Mrs Anne Rice has been reported to very ill, besides losing her husband this past year.
She has been reported to have last stages of diabetes and has been seen needing asistance with small tasks. I just wish that she isn't obligated to produce books because of her contract. So please take heart Because everyone here in the big easy knows how fragile she is

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Stop Bashing
Review: Ok, I would just like to clarify that I have not completely finished Blood Canticle. However, I was so upset by all the negative posts about this book, I had to write something before I finished it. Anne Rice is a clever writer and for anyone to say she is burned out or that she didn't even write this book is ridiculous! You can clearly tell it is Anne writing this novel, she is just bringing Lestat into modern times by switching his vocabulary. Remember, he loves humans, it's natural that he would mimick their mannerisms. I do admit that I could do without the "!!!!!!!!" over-exaggerated punctuations, but Anne is just doing something different. And having Lestat go on a quest to become a saint and end up being Lestat anyway, what do you really expect? Lestat is Lestat, he loves how he is and wouldn't change a thing. I would be terribly disappointed if he was redeemed and was cannonized. As for this being her last novel, you never know. Her husband died, her Lestat died with him. Maybe she will find another muse. Don't give up on Anne, and don't bash this book, she has written 25 amazing books (even if some weren't too good, I would like to see others do better) and has kept readers enthralled for years.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Hello, Anne Rice, Are You There?
Review: Let me start off by saying the story wasn't so bad, it was the execution of the story that was terrible.

I was thrilled to see that Lestat played a major role in this story, until the dialog kicked in. He sounds like some metro, gangsta, surfer knock-off. He actually says "dude" all too frequently. Please.

The story actually does a decent job tying the Mayfair Witch/Vampire scene together. It revolves around Quinn Blackwood and how he is struggling to deal with his fresh mortal life and his new vampiric existence. But, again, let me say that for the first time in any Rice book, Lestat killed it. I could not get passed the random, rambling soliloquy that popped up everywhere.

Sorry, this one didn't do it for me.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Can you possibly bomb someone any more?
Review: I took the time to read through a few reviews before writing my own, for the sake of not repeating what others have already stated. What a shock I found. No, this novel was not up to par compared to her early novels, but I see things differently than most of the replies out there. First of all, in real life, people grow and change depending on their experiences. So get this through your thick sculls: Lestat will not, could not possibly be like, his orginial character from book one. This is a vampire that has #1 blood in him making him stronger than almost any other (so hell yeah I would be scared of him if I was Mona, Julien, etc.) He has gone to Heaven and Hell and back. He's even lost his body. People, Vampires, change.

Second, I don't know what book you all others read, but Mona was always a spoiled, brat, who was always jeolous of Rowan. Nothing changed there. The last time Rowan was in a story, she was showing signs of burn out. Anne Rice was following through with the effects of causes which occured in her previous books. Characters must change to seem believable, they don't always change the way you wish them to.

Lastly, I think Anne WAS using Lestat as her voice. I would like to think she was telling Stan that she will join him when her work is done. Much like Lestat told Rowan he would come for her when her work will be done. Like I hope one day to join those I love.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I liked it...
Review: I actually liked this book, it wasn't even close to her greatest but it was good. I don't think it was a good enough conclusion to the Vampire Chronicles though...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Blood canticle
Review: I really love anne rice and almost all her books, but this one wasnt one of her best. Since when has lestat ever used "Yo". That just wasnt in his character. The good thing about this book was bringing the mayfair witches and vampire chronicals together again. As her last book for her vampire chronicals, it didnt really tie up any loose ends with marius or armond or any of them, not even lestat. But as her last I still enjoyed reading it, but hopefully, maybe she'll make just one more.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: I Hope This Really Wasn't The End
Review: As a long time fan of The Vampire Chronicles, I can't help but hope this book was not the last about all the characters we have all come to care about. While it was clever to pull the two sagas (the vampires and the Mayfairs) into one story, this book really concluded nothing, and very little actually happened in this novel. The story is rather weak and does not give us a final wrap up on Louis or Armand or Marius or David, not even on Lestat really. The end of the book leaves my hopes up for more to come and maybe a concluding novel that will do the series justice. It's worth reading if only just to visit briefly with the characters and world readers have come to know. Not Anne's best work - but we should all give the lady a break. I think (and hope) there will be more to come.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Blood Canticle
Review: I have read all of ann rice's books and have debated of them all at some point in time. though this book is one of her worst ones yet, I see no reason to slam her for it. In case you people don't keep up with the news, she's retiring the publisher's needed her to write an ending for her chronicles. She had nothing left to give, but hell at least she tried. I don't see how anyone can complain. She wrote for herself not the public so get over her book being crap.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: What are You Talking About?
Review: I love the Vampire Chronicles. I love Anne Rice. I love Lestat and Louis and Marius and Armand and Daniel and even Gabrielle, though you don't typically see much of her. These are some very simple maxims.

So, why don't they apply here?

Well, because none of the things I loved were present in the Blood Canticle. No Louis, Amrmand, Marius, Daniel, David, or even Gabrielle.

And, though I'm ashamed and sad to say it, Anne Rice wasn't even there.

I am sorry to see Stan Rice go. He was a talented and wonderful man that will be missed worldwide. I can't even begin to comprehend how Anne feels right now, and I don't think I would even be able to endure that pain as well as she does.

However, the Blood Canticle is a disgrace. It was poorly constructed, written, and edited. It hearkens back to all the old fanfiction I see so often created. In fact, I believe I've read at least a dozen fanfics that stay truer to the characters and to the beautiful style with which the old Anne wrote.

Lestat does not say 'yo', and if he did he would put class and beauty into it. It would be ironic and funny. But when Lestat says 'little bro' as he did in the Blood Canticle, there was no taste or elegance.

Description lacked severly, and the dialoge held no wonder or poetry.

I'm sorry Stan died. But that is no excuse for shoveling out this 'novel' without a second glance.

This is no grand finale.


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