Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE)

On Mon, 3 Nov 2003 12:22:37 -0600, "Dreamspinner3"
<dreamspinner3 RemoveThis @hotpop.com> wrote:


Dreamspinner,
I have and by now a few others have as well. Here is what I posted in
another thread when I was about 30 pages from finishing. It outlines
my problems with this book.

1. Patsy's appearance in this story is pointless. You could remove her
and not miss a beat in the main plot. So pointless that she can't even
be considered a subplot to the story.

2. Julien's appearance in this story is also pointless or, at least at
page 277, I haven't found the point yet. Lestat already knows he's an
SOB so it is redundent for this to pointed out by Julien again, and
again, and again.
I now stand corrected on this one. Another poster gave his
interpretation of why Julien was in the story, and I agree with him.

3. The suspension of disbelief is being stretched thin throughout the
book. The Blackwood extended clan has got to be most gulliable bunch
of people walking the earth. Especially, when Lestat has spoken ad
nauseum about how careful vampires have to be when they are around
humans for any length of time, especially, humans they love. I mean,
Jasmine sits in Lestat's lap and is still clueless?! Doesn't the guy
feel like marble?

4. So much for the wisened, even-handed, mellow Lestat that was
developing in Blackwood Farm. He's gone from a well-spoken,
articulate, 18th century nobleman to sounding like a high school kid
with a vocabulary of 200 words. He's completely lost his grasp of the
English language. Lestat says things like "I've to got crash", " Hit
me with it.", "Aw, shoot..", "Yo, Quinn...", "Cool digs..." or just a
one word sentance of "Cool" or "Dude". No more are there "miscreants"
and "misbegotten ingrates" we now have "jerks". No more "ma cherie" or
"ma cher" or "mon amour" or any other French phrase we've heard him
say dozens of times in the past (and come to love), now we have "honey
bunch" and "baby", much to my horror he even said "baby cakes" once.
The vampire who was so good at hacking into police files to track
serial killers, and monitor his financial accounts, doesn't know how
to send an email. And to top is all off, Lestat has completely lost
his ethereal, otherworldly, (dare I say it) preternatural aura, now
he's like the guy you'd invite over for beer and a football game or
see washing his car on a Saturday morning..(okay a Saturday night). Oh
so scary! Sad, very sad. The most interesting character in this story
is Mona Mayfair...she's a hoot.

5. Michael Curry is now, officially, a putz; the biggest dupe to ever
be put down in ink.

6. At page 277, I'm still waiting for this story to get started. Hell
at the last page I was waiting for the story to get started and for
the real Lestat to show up.

Personally, I'm grateful that this is the last VC. If this is what
Lestat has become, any future book would be too painful to read. I'll
stick with my memory of the vampire who liked to quote Shakesphere and
was head of the Coven of the Articulate. It is just as the review I
posted stated, very first draftish.
Take care,
Ashe





 >Okay, has anyone here finished reading it besides me? If so, what did you
 >think? I was really disappointed in this book. It didn't even seem like
 >Anne Rice wrote it!<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

Want my humble opinion...sure you do....
As the V.C.'s endgame: well, I don't think anything was resolved. I mean
really, Patsy went to the Hereafter...but what else was tied up? I still have
many questions left unanswered.
In so far as the Patsy (non)subplot goes...I think it was written as a
catalyst. You know, a small conflict that got the ball rolling on other
issues. Only problem: there wasn't really a conflict. It was resolved too
easily. Moreover, the whole Patsy bit reminded me of...well, a new writer, who
includes lots of little, unimportant segments. It should have had more
relevance later in the story.
With the Jasmine-in-Lestat's-lap bit...I think Rice is being a little
stereotypical with her characterization of Jasmine. You know the trusting,
naive, typical, southern-woman. Or maybe I took it all wrong. It's just the
Blackwood Farm gang seems a little too innocently Southern.
In so far as technologically, Lestat has reverted. Remember the Lestat who
could type so fast a human would see a blur of hands above the keyboard? hm...
M. Curry has been a weak character. If he's so much of a man's man, then why
does he allow Lestat to fondle his wife, in front of him?
I agree, there should have been something that brought the Coven of the Artic.
together. What did we get: a passing mention of Louis, a few letters from
Maharet, and a mention of Kayman.
This was definitely an Anne Rice experiment...it has to be. Like when Stephen
King wrote under a pen name, to see if he really had talent. This is Mrs. Rice
doing the opposite, to see if she really has a fan base.
I think the St. Lestat and St. Juan bit was meant as a unifier. Like when
Rowan said "maybe he listens to Vavaldi" in the Witching Hour...and boom Curry
listens to the composer. And here, Oberon adores St. J. but what was there,
between Lestat and Oberon...I don't know. Didn't seem like anything.
I know writers who write from start to finish (like Ms. Rice), sometimes leave
hooks and seemingly useless bits at the beginning of a tale, only to pick them
up later and expand on them or use them as linkage. Methinks, there were a lot
of hooks, but they were never picked back up.
The Language: maybe she's trying to tell us a vampire must adapt and change
with the times. Kinda interesting that he should trade in his classical tongue
for ghetto-speak.
Now that I'm done trashing the novel, I can say that it did get easier to read
as I went along. I think you had to slip into Lestat's frame of mind to get a
lot of it. Overall, I think it's a 3/5-type book.
I'm very curious as to what her new projects will be. Anyone have any ideas?
By the way, was I the only one who wanted to stab Rowan in the eye with a rusty
needle? Mona, too. I believe this one should have been all vampires. The
witches merely gave me a headache.
Michael
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

On 04 Nov 2003 16:10:22 GMT, michaelxjames.RemoveThis@aol.commm (Michael M.)
wrote:

(big snip)
 >The Language: maybe she's trying to tell us a vampire must adapt and change
 >with the times. Kinda interesting that he should trade in his classical tongue
 >for ghetto-speak.

This is what I tried to tell myself, but I couldn't convince me. We've
heard over and over that if a vampire can't adapt, it's almost always
a death sentence, and Lestat's trying to do this is understandable.
However, at the other end of the spectrum we have the "rule" that
states a vampire becomes more of what he or she is as they get older.
In my mind, a vampire who started out sounding like a cross between an
18th century French aristocrat and Sam Spade doesn't say "Yo". It is
too common and we know what Lestat thinks of the bourgoise.

 >Now that I'm done trashing the novel, I can say that it did get easier to read
 >as I went along. I think you had to slip into Lestat's frame of mind to get a
 >lot of it. Overall, I think it's a 3/5-type book.
 >I'm very curious as to what her new projects will be. Anyone have any ideas?
 >By the way, was I the only one who wanted to stab Rowan in the eye with a rusty
 >needle?

No, you aren't. And while I'm at it that's another problem I have.
When Rowan and Lestat first meet, Rowan is very cool and quitely
hostile, but right after that they are falling all over each other?
There seems to be a disjointed feeling in the development of their
relationship, either it is cold and distant or they are pawing at each
other.

Mona, too. I believe this one should have been all vampires.

I loved Mona in this story, she was the one saving grace.

The witches merely gave me a headache.

This is something else that has always made me laugh...the idea that
these people are called witches just because they have psychic talent.
I can see why Suzanne Mayfair might have been called a witch way back
when, but you'd think the Talamasca in all its wisdom would correct
their definition and bring it into the modern era. These follks
aren't witches, they psychics and there is a difference.
Take care,
Ashe<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

I was very dissapointed in this book also like ashe i was also waiting for
the book to start. I am sad to hear that its the last of the vampire
chronicle's but i guess blood canticle is proof that its for the best. I am
looking foward to reading her new project my guess is that its gonna have
something to do with the taltos but thats just my guess.
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

Gilbert,
While none of us can know what the next project is, I would be highly
surprised if it turned out to be about the Taltos. Rice has already
said she is done with the witches and the vampires and to write about
the Taltos would mean bringing back the witches, at least, because the
three remaining Taltos are living at Mayfair Medical. I don't think
the story would work or be believeable without bringing back the
Mayfairs because there is such a close tie now between the Taltos and
that family.
My guess is that her next work is going to have a very strong
religious theme as that is where she has been going for the last
couple of years. Each VC has gotten more and more religious, for
example. This theme is also played out in other books as well.
Take care,
Ashe



 >I was very dissapointed in this book also like ashe i was also waiting for
 >the book to start. I am sad to hear that its the last of the vampire
 >chronicle's but i guess blood canticle is proof that its for the best. I am
 >looking foward to reading her new project my guess is that its gonna have
 >something to do with the taltos but thats just my guess.
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

Yeah, your right. I hope she at least writes another story about Armand and
those two kids he took under his wing she kinda left us hangin on that one.
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

Gilbert,
Blood Canticle was the last Vampire Chronicle....thank god. Unless she
changes her mind in the future there won't be anymore stories about
the vampires or the witches.
Take care,
Ashe


> Yeah, your right. I hope she at least writes another story about Armand and
> those two kids he took under his wing she kinda left us hangin on that one.
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

I am on Random Houes mailing lists. I finally read the first 8
pages-weird/

ashe.winterwolf.DeleteThis@verizon.net (Ashe)
Gilbert,
Blood Canticle was the last Vampire Chronicle....thank god. Unless she
changes her mind in the future there won't be anymore stories about the
vampires or the witches.
Take care,
Ashe

Yeah, your right. I hope she at least writes another story about Armand
and those two kids he took under his wing she kinda left us hangin on
that one.

lynze
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

Lynze,
The first 8 pages have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the
book. Why the first chapter consisted of all of that I'm not sure.
Chapter 2 is where the book actually starts imho.
Take care,
Ashe



>I am on Random Houes mailing lists. I finally read the first 8
>pages-weird/
>
>ashe.winterwolf@verizon.net (Ashe)
>Gilbert,
>Blood Canticle was the last Vampire Chronicle....thank god. Unless she
>changes her mind in the future there won't be anymore stories about the
>vampires or the witches.
>Take care,
>Ashe
>
>Yeah, your right. I hope she at least writes another story about Armand
>and those two kids he took under his wing she kinda left us hangin on
>that one.
>
>lynze
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE) 

>Lynze,
>The first 8 pages have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the
>book. Why the first chapter consisted of all of that I'm not sure.
>Chapter 2 is where the book actually starts imho.
>Take care,
>Ashe

Well, if that is the case then maybe, just maybe I will pick the book up and
finish reading it. I got to the part where Lestat was healing the Pope and
threw the book down. I was half tempted to send it to Mrs. Rice with a rather
rude note.
I thought I read somewhere awhile back that she was going to write books about
all the Vampires and the Talamasca.
James
 >> Stay informed about: Blood Canticle (SPOILERS POSSIBLE)