The Vampire Lestat

The Vampire Chronicles, Book 2

By: Anne Rice

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 21 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now Lestat is a rockstar in the demonic, shimmering 1980s. He rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his terrifying exsitence. His story, the second volume in Anne Rice's best-selling Vampire Chronicles, is mesmerizing, passionate, and thrilling.

Listen to more of the Vampire Chronicles.

©1985 Anne Rice (P)2011 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Frightening, sensual.... Anne Rice will live on through the ages of literature.... To read her is to become giddy as if spinning through the mind of time, to become lightheaded as if our blood is slowly being drained away." ( San Francisco Chronicle)

Finally unabridged! Excellently read, great listen

This has always been my favourite novel from the Vampire Chronicles series (even though Interview with the Vampire is more popular) but I've always held off downloading it from Audible because it was only available abridged (aka butchered) but when this edition became available I downloaded this, Interview and Queen of the Damned immediately!

I've read the paperback edition of this book many times but Simon Vance narrates very well and captures the cheeky, elegant character of Lestat very well and brings out some subtleties that I've missed before.

This novel stands alone very well if you haven't read the other Anne Rice books since it only makes a few references to Interview with the Vampire.

I hope Audible will release more unabridged Anne Rice books (The Mayfair Witch novels!).

Vance does Anne Rice justice

What did you love best about The Vampire Lestat?

There are no sparkly vampires here. If you are looking for another run of the mill vamp book, this is not it. Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles are in a league all their own. Predating the modern craze with Twilight-esque vampires, the supernatural creatures you will encounter in Lestat are far from anything resembling Edward or Bella.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Vampire Lestat?

There are many moments that drew me in during the listening of this book. The memories of Lestat as a human birthed so many emotions within me. Anne Rice's talent truly shines through in this novel.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first of Simon Vance's performances that I've listened to. I was very pleased and impressed. His speech is fluid and dynamic, easy to follow, and engaging.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book brought forth a full range of emotion for me. While there are times when I cannot help shedding a tear and letting out a giggle, the emotional response to Lestat is much greater than simple happiness or sadness. Anne Rice engages her audiences with complex, realistic characters.

ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS VAMPIRES EVER! LESTAT!

This is the one vampire that EVERYONE on this planet knows the name of: LESTAT. He is Anne Rice's finest hour, her most famous creation and the beginning of her other vampire books even tho he came from Interview with the Vampire originally. This book shocked me at first, even tho I can recite the words nearly verbatim from the written word; I have read them so often. But I was astonished and DELIGHTED to hear the narrator speak in the French accent that was WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE! Reading the story never gave me the actual mental image of the French accent even tho we are told that Lestat is French and from the late 1700's, it just never came across in the written words! But the Audible version shocked and DELIGHTED me to be so AUTHENTIC with the French accent and it surely made the OLD STORY TO ME almost brand new! This narrator does such an excellent job of reading the story I simply cannot tell you how wonderful it is! You must experience it for yourself! You MUST! Lestat is so famous, the movie with Stuart Townsend was excellent, as was Akasha (actress Aaliyah) and Marius and the others was very very good; but the Audible version of the story is so much better. You will hear and understand so much more and the authentic French accent is so very original, it was not used in the movie! but it really "makes" the story so perfectly original. I highly recommend this Audible book to any Anne Rice fan, any Vampire fan and any fan of good books! There is really nothing better than classic vampire stories!

STILL LOVED IT

This book was not at all like i thought it would be...the story from this point of view just blew me out of the water. To be made out to be the bad guy in the first book but then for the twist was just awesome

Even better than the first one.

amazing story with compelling characters and great story development. if you like twilight this book is way to good for you

Modern Queen of Goth

Anne Rice is the modern Queen of Gothic literature. Not pulp, not softcore written for the hopeful serialisation on a Cable channel, not gratuitous violence - just good literature. This second installment of the Vampire Chronicles is as good as the first ("Interview with a Vampire") and, in my opinion, better. It considers those deep questions of lore and longing and compels you to keep listening because, just possibly, you will understand the origins of these dark and evil creatures. Yes, it's fiction, but fiction real enough to bite. I especially enjoyed the adventure back to the deep origins sandwiched between the rock and roll of Lestat's re-awakening. The post modernist meets the goth. Terrific.
And Simon Vance is one of my favourites. If he can do wrong (which I doubt), then it can't be when reading this genre.

The History and Detail "Interview" Left Out

"Lestat" is a deeper more satisfying explanation of the vampire world that was revealed in "Interview". I enjoyed the examination of the conflict between living eternally but only as a serial killer. Apparently even vampires, however bad, have moral limits. I've listened to this series while driving to and from work in the dark and get lost in them completely.
This second book is great but I must say the last chapters feel tacked on - as if the book company stepped in and said to Anne Rice , "Sweet heart, you've got to write an ending that leads to a sequel, and make sure you include a car chase. Any old ending will do." Additionally, Simon Vance gets a little Bella Lagosi here and there but he is forgiven.

best vampire story, EVER. Period.

this is my favorite vampire story of all vampire stories I've ever read. many of Anne Rice books can be think with dialogue and description making be fight to read at points before I get to the good parts again. this isn't so with The Vampire Lestat. every bit of this book is fun to read.

Better than Interview with the vampire

I found this book more entertaining and engaging than Interview with the Vampire. Lestat has a certain charisma and emotion that make him a great main character to follow through time. You feel connected to Lestat and sympathize with his story.
The narrator- Simon Vance did a fantastic job of creating a narration that was full of life and easy to follow.
If you liked Lestat in Interview with the Vampire you will most likely enjoy the story of his life in this book.

Too little action, too much description

The narrator is 5/5.

The story, tl; dr: Lestat is a vampire, he is immortal and he can do whatever he wants.

The story is boring. With 7 hours remaining, I stopped the torture and decided to quit. Everything feels so dragged out most of the times, as well as too fast other times. Didn't care about Lestat, nor the other characters, not even a little, as they are there just to contribute to the plot (might as well be insects), naming Gabriel, Armand and whatever her name was - they don't really matter.

If you like to hear memoires of someone who is inlove with his words, this book is perfect for you. Might as well be a story about nothing, like the Seinfeld tv-show or Friends, without the humour and only the audio version (and all the characters have the same voice).

1/5, worse than "Interview with a vampire". I will not continue with "Queen of the Damned", as most recent reviewers didn't like it and also, based on the almost 2 books i read/listened.

Brilliant!

I read this book many years ago and many other titles by Anne Rice. This is a true vampire classic which has been given a new dimension by a very talented narrator. Well done!

An illuminating experience

My perception of Lestat before I read this novel was of an impulsive, shallow and cruel vampire that never considered the deeper essence of his immortal being. In this novel your ideas change. This Lestat is different than the one we meet in interview with a vampire and Lestat is active in the novel exploration of the nature of a vampire and the existential dilemma caused by their immortality.

A fantastic book which deepens and expands the vampire world that Rice creates. I can't wait to finish and start "queen of the damned".

Love everlasting

I can’t d deceive how much I love this book. It is thrilling, sensuous, different and daring. Just as beautiful this time around as the first time I read it 18 years ago...only this time it all made sense in a beautifully adult way. All the alluring images, the subtext and the sweet sexy secrets of it were glaring at me now as I listened. The performance was as mesmerising as the descriptions of the antics of the undead.
I thoroughly recommend this book if you are looking for a story to become totally immersed in. You will not be disappointed!!

easy listening

The story was great after the interview with a vampire it gave you all the back story and I became to like lestat;

I just felt it didn't keep me gripped, I didn't mind when it switched off and I could wait until the next time. the narrator was ok not brilliant but bearable

That said it served its purpose and book 3 here I come

Starting to get old

Loved interview with vampire so continued with this one which I found a little hot and miss some chapters couldn't stop listening and others struggled to get though

very good as u would expect from Anne Rice

What did you like most about The Vampire Lestat?

i don't know about like, he had some silly ideas.. he seems determined to alienate everyone.. excellent character though I enjoyed walking along with him on his journey..

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances? How does this one compare?

first time with Simon Vance but could listen to him all day. his characterisations are wonderful..

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

21 hours.. maybe not.

Any additional comments?

having read a few of Anne Rice books over the years, (keeper of the bones is excellent, hint hint audio people) I decided I would like to follow the vampire series so started with book 2,, (having seen interview film to death) I really enjoyed it and have already moved to number 3 and will move on hopefully to the full series. it has some interesting, thought provoking theories, of course all in the imagination of miss Rice.. or is it ??

Good Story but the accent distracted

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes because I think it's at least a good story

Would you listen to another book narrated by Simon Vance?

Probably not, his fake french accent seriously distracted me througout

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No it was something I wanted to listen to bit by bit

Any additional comments?

I enjoy it but the narrator seriously felt a bit over-the-top at points

totally binge worthy

I could listen to this all day. it was my first thought when I woke up in the morning until I finished it and now I can't wait to listen to the next. the voice reading is absolutely perfect

excellent read very enjoyable

loved it, can't wait for the next book, this series is my favourite!! 5 stars!

Better than I had expected

Interview with a vampire was good, but this book was better. It filled in many of the blanks, fleshed out Lestats story into a more round character. My expectations were neutral, but in the end I enjoyed it