The Witching Hour

Rating:
Summary: Scared me!
Review: Wonderful characters to hate, love, and fear. I was scared for weeks after reading this. The detail of the Witching Hour makes you feel involved in the story and unable to put the book down.

Rating:
Summary: Deliciously frightening
Review: As someone who was less than impressed with the Vampire Chronicles, I picked up "The Witching Hour" with more than a little skepticism. I was immediately drawn into a world so frightening, so compelling, it made my skin crawl and kept me glued to the pages. This is one of the few books that I have ever read into the deep dark hours of the night. I was torn between the terror of reading on in the story, and the terror of not knowing what would happen next. It is definitely Anne Rice's best book. I gave it an 8 instead of a 10, however, because of a large section in the middle discussing Rowan's ancestry. Fairly long and tedious, and not entirely necessary. The mood was cast with Dierdre. Pieter's plight very nearly broke the spell.

Rating:
Summary: OMIGOD...Does this thing ever end?
Review: I am one of the few people who did not finish Interview becasue it was too long and I could see where it was going. However, someone recommend that I try The Witching Hour. I would have liked it more if it wasn't so darn long. It has taken me literally months to finish this book. The Stand only took me 3 days. I still haven't finished. But I haven't put it down yet. I only recently learned that this is the first of a trilogy. Maybe I'll get the book on tape. I don't think I want to invest any more time in reading another long accounting and losing track of the characters. If you like gothic novels you'll love this. Otherwise, don't even try it!

Rating:
Summary: completely absorbing
Review: Once again, as in the Vampire Chronicles, Rice creates a world in which the characters and their supernatural history cause the reader to suspend disbelief and become totally absorbed in the tale. In this ability to create an entire mythology, Rice is not unlike Tolkein. I can't wait to read the other two volumes in the series!

Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: I just bought another copy of this book to read again after I read her latest Violin. This was the book that made me an Anne Rice fan. The characters are richly developed and I find myself reading faster and faster to learn their fate. I highly recommend this series.

Rating:
Summary: The play of evil and innocence leaves the reader in awe.
Review: It is the main character, Rowan Mayfair, the reader wishes to meet in Anne Rice's "The Witching Hour", but instead becomes flooded by images of Rowan's ancient heritage, images of incest, hate, ignorant bliss, and a demon dressed in brown who seems to control this novel entirely. If the reader has any romantic notions of witches and their demons, they will simply vanish. "The Witching Hour"is an imperitive for any person who may have ever enjoyed a story interluding with the occult. The tale casts a spell on the reader dulling the black and white colors of morals until grays and rational only exist. The innocence and evil will leave any reader curious, outraged, and passive, always turning the page. Anne Rice's "The Witching Hour" is a literary mystery. It is beautiful, shocking, and genius. It is what you would expect from Anne Rice. Read it.

Rating:
Summary: Anne Rice at her very best!
Review: This was the first book by Anne Rice that I read. It is also my favorite. It's one of those few books that one finds oneself reading at 2AM -- just to finish a few more pages.

Rating:
Summary: THIS BOOK REQUIRES PATIENCE
Review: (sigh) what can i say. this book was waaaaaaay to long. i can't say i finished. got to page 780 and pretty much quit. while the story line is fascinating Anne Rice over did the descriptions.in some parts she went on for 20-30 pages with nothing but descriptions. i read her vampire chronicles and they contained dialogue (lots) i love dialogue and expected this book to have it....but there was hardly any. it's the type of book that u read for an hour and then wonder what the heck u just read. if u can get into the story from the start u may finish it...but if u don't u r pretty much wasting your time. RECOMMENDED ONLY IF U HAVE PATIENCE.

Rating:
Summary: evidently not a Rice fan
Review: I honestly don't see why this book has been such a hit. It took me 4 months to trudge through this book and reach an end that merely led to the next part of the trilogy. The only thing I liked about it was Rice's vivid descriptions of New Orleans.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but too long
Review: This book is longer than Stephen King's the Stand. I can't believe it is the beginning of a trilogy. If Rice hadn't rambled on so much about all the history of the Mayfairs, especially the secret life of Julien and all the intermarriage, I would give it a nine. All and all a good subject, and not too far from being a masterpiece.