I've moved Photo Friday to next week in order to tell you about the interview that ran yesterday of Anne Rice on The 700 Club. It's a wonderful look at this very talented writer--an author I have admired and read for many years, all the way back to her novel Feast of All Saints. Anne talks about being raised a Catholic, turning to atheism after she entered college ("I convinced myself that it was realistic to be an atheist"), then eventually finding her Christian faith again.
Anne depicts The Vampire Chronicles as stories about "the search for God and the misery in darkness when they [the characters] have no God or promise of salvation." In Interview with the Vampire, she says, the vampire goes through the entire novel asking, "Does anyone know about God?" Anne remarks, "Those were my questions."
"A vampire is the perfect metaphor for the outcast," she said. "I felt like an outcast. I was grieving for my lost faith." She sees The Vampire Chronicles as "very much about guilt, alienation, and sorrow."
Anne did turn back to God ("I went home."), and then in 2002 committed her writing to be only for Him. She's since written about the life of Jesus. And she's written of her return to faith in Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession. Now in recent months she's launched her Songs of the Seraphim series with the novel Angel Time.
Do watch the interview. It runs about 18 minutes and is well worth your time. Then feel free to leave a comment for Anne here. (She's likely to stop by and read them).
Buy Angel Time in hardback on Amazon ($12.98)
Buy the Kindle edition ($9.99)
4 comments:
I've been an Anne Rice fan for years, too. I saw in the Vampire Chronicles exactly what she describes. Her search for God can't be any clearer in Memnoch the Devil. As much as I loved the VC's, My favorite books are The Mayfair Witches and Taltos. I was overjoyed when I heard of Anne's return to faith, and loved Out of Egypt. I'm looking forward to Angel Time!
Wow. I've never read one of Anne Rice's books but I've known who she is all the way back when Interview with the Vampire was being made into a movie - and had heard of her conversion back to Christ.
I was looking at one of her newer books, but saw it was in first person and didn't think I would be able to get through it. I like the explanation she gives her as to why she choose first person. I have a hard time with first person, but there are books that I've enjoyed. I think Angel Time sounds very interesting and I may have to give it a try.
Wow- thanks for posting this Brandilyn!
If Anne does come to respond, I do have a comment and two questions for her.
The comment- I LOVE your jacket in the interview.
Q1. Are there any books on Hebrew or early Christian history that you recommend? I've been interested in finding a few solid books on those subjects. Secular or Christian authors isn't important as long as they're not too biased.
Q2. Would you still recommend the Vampire Chronicles to Christians who haven't read them before? If so, simply to be read as stories to be enjoyed, or to be read with the information from the interview in mind? I have seen the movies, if that helps.
A powerful testimony. I'm always amazed at the various ways God speaks to us, even in our doubt and unbelief, and so thankful he pursues and doesn't give up on us.
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