Memnoch The Devil (The Vampire Chronicles, #5)

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Memnoch The Devil (The Vampire Chronicles #5)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 43,379 ratings · 896 reviews

Memnoch the Devil (1995) is the fifth novel in Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series, following The Tale of the Body Thief. Some of the themes of this novel and in large part the title are re-borrowed from the old Irish gothic novel Melmoth the Wanderer. In this story, Lestat is approached by the Devil and offered a job at his side.

Paperback, 401 pages

Published 1996 by Arrow (first published January 1st 1995)

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Oct 10, 2012 Carlos Lavín rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, owned, religion-is-not-cool

It would be a bit pointless to be reading Rice's books without having a notion of her journey through being catholic->agnostic->catholic->bitching about catholic church. Since last book of the series, The Tale of the Body Thief, Rice seems to be trying to write down and refine her thoughts on the way she perceives the catholics' religion, God, the Devil, and the moral obligations underlined by them. In the previous book this is somehow a secondary topic (barely touching the idea of the...more

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Dec 17, 2009 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-vampires

Memnoch the Devil was nothing like what I was expecting as the next installment of The Vampire Chronicles. Absolutely drenched in theological argument, Memonch the Devil is not for anyone who dislikes religion in their fiction.

Only two things happened in this entire book. Lestat stalked a victim for the first third of the book. He then spent the last two thirds of the book talking to the devil (and occasionally God). It was written as what appeared to be an extremely long-winded interview (think...more

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Nov 16, 2007 Allison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-shaped-who-i-am

At the time that I read this book I was an agnostic, pagan, ex-catholic, confused about religion person. Anne Rice's technique and passion is so persuasive that I was a true believer after reading this book. And this was before she converted back to Catholicism! She is just so powerful, her narrative technique is, I want to say, loving towards her reader. I think her love for the characters she's created makes that happen. Anyway, this one is a must for followers of the chronicles and fans of Le...more

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Mar 27, 2008 Misty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who enjoys fantasy and is not a die-hard Christian.

This is one of Anne Rice's best works in my opinion. It is part of the vampire series, but you should be able to understand & enjoy the book without reading the others.
The vampire, Lestat, is taken to heaven, hell, and back in time to creation and during the Christ era by Memnoch, the devil. The story told is one very different than the Bible, but it's good. I love Anne Rice's books because she tells the story in a way that it could be true. Anyways, it's a good book, but if you get upset by...more

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Aug 12, 2007 Sakura Koneko rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was the last Anne Rice book that I ever personally plan to read, because after reading this I went into a three month fit of depression.

The events in this book were just so powerful and terrible in some cases that my mind couldn't take it. While I'm not going to say that I wouldn't recommend the book to people, I would at least put up the warning that a person may want to be weary about it if they aren't of any particular religion.

Also, by the end of the book, Lestat had changed in many wa...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Wendie Collins added it · review of another edition

I like this book for the ideas in it and of course the writing style of the author. The interpretation of heaven, hell, religion etc. It's very fascinating and offers a great perspective on the "what if's" in the universe. I was horrified at the end until I read the next book in the series. It is truly remarkable what Anne Rice can do. The ending almost requires you to pick up the next in the series and begin it immediately. This book could be read by someone who is not familiar with the vampire...more

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Feb 17, 2009 Alexis added it · review of another edition

memnoch the devil is a compelling story of betrayl pursuit and darkness;vampires.The lead character lestat from the previous ann rice book chronicles tells his story of dark paranoia.He tells of first himself and how he has gotten where he is today."I don't like myself you know. I love myself. I'm devoted to myself till my dying day. But I don't like myself."-lestat
Thus forth continuing the story, He pursuies an accomplis so he turns a distant stranger into your dark erie vampire friend.But whil...more

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Jun 03, 2013 D rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Okay Rice, you lost me here. Don't get me wrong I love stories that make me think outside the box and makes me surprised when I empathize with a character I should detest but for all that is holy give me a break woman. This book seems to be more of a journey that Rice undertook in her spiritual journey than an actual story depicting Lestat's journey into the spiritual realm which honestly made me face-palm myself numerous times. Not only does Lestat seem to have the hots for the devil Memnoch bu...more

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May 27, 2013 Darrell Ackerson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires

This was my first introduction to Anne Rice as a writer. I had seen Interview With the Vampire but failed to realize that this book had anything to do with it. I purchased this book from Wal-Mart at three in the mourning after half a nights tossing and turning. Unable to sleep I got dressed and went to the only place open to look at what crap best sellers they had. After nearly half an hour and weird looks from both employees and customers I finally picked up

. I had seen it right off the bat,...more This was my first introduction to Anne Rice as a writer. I had seen Interview With the Vampire but failed to realize that this book had anything to do with it. I purchased this book from Wal-Mart at three in the mourning after half a nights tossing and turning. Unable to sleep I got dressed and went to the only place open to look at what crap best sellers they had. After nearly half an hour and weird looks from both employees and customers I finally picked up

. I had seen it right off the bat, but had dismissed it because of its obvious religious story matter. And as I've said I had never heard of Anne Rice. I decided before I even read what it was about that I was going to buy it. On the back of the book was one of those this book is great quotations from Stephen King. Having read or attempted to read every King out at the time and seeing all his movies I was a fan. I love Stephen King, but some of his books just head in a direction that I'd rather not go such as Gerald's Game or are too similar to their movie counterparts if seen to be of any entertainment value to me.

Any who. I read the description and glanced at the author's list of works. Seen a nice list of other possible future reads. Cause who want's to read a great book by an author who hasn't written anything else. Don't get me wrong I'll read the right one hit wonder if it catches me I just look for books with a bunch of friends they can introduce me to if we get along.

I turned to the first page and started reading right there in Wal-Mart. The first page tells everything. I didn't want to stop reading. I had to pry my eyes from the book so I could go buy it and take it home. I read the book till I fell asleep. The next day was my day off so when I woke up I just stayed in bed and read the whole thing.

Memnoch was the most recent book and when I found another Rice to read it just happened to be the previous book in the series. So as a quirk I just read the whole series in reverse right back to Interview With the Vampire. Which is it's own animal separate from the movies. Even Queen of the Damn is a far different story than the book of the same name. I think some actors like Rice want to make the movies as different a story as possible so that you can read the book without being bored because you already know what's going to happen.(less)

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May 19, 2013 dragonhelmuk rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Lestat the vampire has all the mental strength of an especially neurotic Victorian in this novel by Anne Rice. I lost track of all the things which made him faint in horror over the course of the story: hard work, dirt, blood, sadness, fear itself are just a few. In the book, the devil comes to Lestat to beg for his help to fight the Christian god. However, not everything is as it seems, and the story leads you to wonder just how much of what Lestat was told was real, or true.

This particular bo...more Lestat the vampire has all the mental strength of an especially neurotic Victorian in this novel by Anne Rice. I lost track of all the things which made him faint in horror over the course of the story: hard work, dirt, blood, sadness, fear itself are just a few. In the book, the devil comes to Lestat to beg for his help to fight the Christian god. However, not everything is as it seems, and the story leads you to wonder just how much of what Lestat was told was real, or true.

This particular book of Anne Rice is a mixture of cool subject matter, bad style and truly disturbing details. Absolutely not suitable for children, and I think I myself would have preferred not to have read it. From Anne Rice's vampire series I have also read 'Blood and Gold' (which was amazing) and 'The Queen of the Damned' which was pretty good. This particular one was not available on kindle, and I think perhaps that should have been my tip-off that it was not worth reading compared to the others.

{Rice’s beginning of heaven}
Yes,'said another,'that He gave us anything at all.We are grateful and full of love for Him.For surely out there in the darkness is a great Nothing,and we have seen so many below who were obsessed with Nothing and with Misery,and they never knew the joys that we knew or know now.'"'This isn't easy,'said another soul.'It's been a great struggle.But to make love was good,and to drink was good,and to dance and sing was beautiful,and to run drunk through the rain was joyous;and beyond there lies a chaos,an absence,and I am grateful that my eyes opened upon the world below and that I can remember it and see it

{Cool subject matter}
So many times in the past,"he said,"I almost had your soul!I saw it almost spring loose from your body,and then the strong preternatural flesh,the preternatural brain,the hero's courage,would hold together the entire monster and the soul would flicker and blaze inside,beyond my grasp

{Painful painful writing style}
Roger!"I was crying,wiping my tears on my sleeve."What are you,damn it!"
I stood and shouted,voice rolling off the buildings."Damn it!"
It came back to me suddenly in a flash.I heard all those mingled voices,and I fought it.The face.It has a face!A sleepless mind in its heart and an insatiable personality.Don't get dizzy,don't try to remember.Somebody in one of the buildings opened a window and shouted at me to move on."Stop screaming out there."Don't try to reconstruct.You'll lose consciousness if you do.I suddenly envisioned Dora and thought I might collapse where I was,shuddering and helpless and jabbering nonsense to anyone who came to help me.This was bad,this was the worst,this was simply cosmically awful!
And what in God's name had been the meaning of Roger's expression in that last moment?Was it even an expression?Was it peace or calm or understanding,or just a ghost losing his vitality,a ghost giving up the ghost!Ah!I had been screaming.I realized it.Lots of mortals around me,high up in the night,were telling me to be quiet(less)

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Oct 11, 2012 sj added it · review of another edition

Shelves: drunk-review

Wow, okay - vivid memory time.

I was 16 when this book came out, it was brand new and I had the hardcover that I'd checked out of the library. I was flying from NW Montana to Southern California to visit my dad for some holiday or another and thought THIS BOOK would be a good one to bring on the plane with me, all my other books (man, I'm so glad I don't have to travel with 20 books anymore) in my CHECKED bag.

I read it all on the short flight from Spokane, WA to Portland, OR and was pissed.

1. Bec...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Apple Martinez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When I first saw the title of this book I was intrigued but intimidated at the same time. I didn't know if I wanted to read a book about a devil. It seemed I was about to embark on some dark journey. When I finally gathered the courage to read it, I was pleasantly surprised that the book turned out to be deeply spiritual. The story follows the Vampire Lestat as he encounters Satan himself whom proposes to show him the realms of heaven and hell and the origin of all things in the hopes of turning...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Eugenie Chung rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As always, Lestat knows how to entertain us!! This is the fifth book from Anne's Vampire Chronicles, another awesome story.
Set in the present day, Lestat, being his noraml self, went out hunting but he got more than he wanted from his latest victum. He was haunted by the ghost of his victum Roger who had demanded him to help him settle his estate with his beloved daughter Dora. Among all the possessions is a fake Veronica's veil which leads us to the main story-the Devil himself paid a visit to...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Andromeda M31 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In which LESTAT gets a WHIRLWIND TOUR of HEAVEN, HELL, and ALL CREATION.

I was a huge fan of the Vampire Chronicles when I was in high school. Now in my mid to late twenties, I've slowly been rereading them, and I can say I fairly dreaded the reread of this book.

The beginning of this book is as dull as a convent. Lestat is stalking a supervillain Mafia Man named Roger who, like all of Anne Rice's supervillians, collects ancient relics of some religious significance. Roger's daughter, Dora, is a...more In which LESTAT gets a WHIRLWIND TOUR of HEAVEN, HELL, and ALL CREATION.

I was a huge fan of the Vampire Chronicles when I was in high school. Now in my mid to late twenties, I've slowly been rereading them, and I can say I fairly dreaded the reread of this book.

The beginning of this book is as dull as a convent. Lestat is stalking a supervillain Mafia Man named Roger who, like all of Anne Rice's supervillians, collects ancient relics of some religious significance. Roger's daughter, Dora, is a television evangelist who Lestat falls in love with, as he was like to do in the previous Chronicle Installment, Tail of the Body Thief, with the atheist nun Gretchen.

Do we care? No. What we care about is that Lestat himself is being followed by a powerful supernatural being who proclaims himself: Memnoch, the Devil. (somewhere in this Armand and David Talbot show up to discuss faith and religion.) Memnoch takes Lestat to Heaven to meet God, then to Earth to see rise of humanity and the beginning of Hell, and finally to Hell itself to offer Lestat the chance to work beside the Devil and prepare souls for Heaven, thereby giving Lestat the final chance to redeem himself. Memnoch's tour seems hell bent on proving that the actions of Christ 2000 years ago have resulted in nothing but war and slaughter, and God is to blame for the endless suffering of humanity. Lestat, being Lestat and not one to forgo worldly pleasures even for the chance of eternal bliss, runs screaming out of hell being pursued by the souls of those he has killed, and winds up back on earth but in possession of a sacred religious object he has acquired on his mystical journey: the Veil of Veronica. Handing the Veil to Dora results in a resurgence of religious faith in her and her followers. Her church, now in possession of a sacred object, perhaps proof in the existence of God, attracts devotees from all over the world. Armand, stunned at the revelation of the Veil, self-immolates in front of Dora's Church.

And finally, after the religious fervor has infested the human and vampire world (it is hinted Mael also sacrifices himself to the sun, "Once a priest, always a priest."), Lestat receives a letter from Memnoch, by way of Maharet for some inexplicable reason, thanking him for a service well done. Lestat is left chained up in a church turned into a raving madman, wondering, between God and the Devil, whose pawn he was and to what purpose he was used.

This book is a mess, plot wise and phisophically. Why does Memnoch want Lestat working for him? Lestat is hardly a great evil character. Rice depicts all human existence throughout all time as suffering, living without purpose outside the light of God. She blames all religious wars on a God WHO glorifies suffering, but it's hard to blame god for fanatical religious devotees throughout history. Surely, religious wars have never been God's fault, it HAS only ever been Ours. Also, Memnoch in human form is made responsible for the Rise of Civilization, which bothered me a great deal. Having a supernatural origin for humanity's greatest triumph is a cop out.

Memnoch is a bit of a dud as a Devil or a Demon. He's dull, whiney, and absolutely no fun. He is more Christ like than Christ, for it is Memnnoch who sacrifices himself by living in hell to save the lost and scared souls of the world. It is Memnoch that goes down to earth and teaches humanity lessons of love. The characterization of God, is, er, lacking in characterization? He is clearly the Bad Guy, but he is also clearly representation of a Catholic God. There is no room in this book for any Eastern or Modern philosophy.

This book marks a severe departure from the previous Chronicles work, and begins Rice's return to her Catholic Faith. In a way this is the last of the first set of the Chronicles. Lestat is abandoned by Rice as she ventures out to other Children of the Millennia in her later boks, Lestat returns to narrate over a decade later. I just don't know why she had to write this book after the Tale of the Body Thief, as they dealt with the exact same theme: Lestat being offered redemption, and saying NO I WANT TO BE A VAMPIRE. It just felt like a retread on everything else that had gone before.

But the book felt superbly epic compared to the smallness of the Body Thief. Ending with Lestat chained in the basement of a church is almost how I wished this series could have ended. I wish Lestat has not been given back his eye, as having a physical scar allows him to actually seem older and wiser, instead of forever young and... insipid.

But, it's still Lestat and I'm probably going to have to reread the Blood Canticle at some point.

I AM HERE, STILL, THE HERO OF MY OWN DREAMS, AND LET ME PLEASE KEEP MY PLACE IN YOURS. I AM THE VAMPIRE LESTAT.

LET ME PASS NOW FROM FICTION INTO LEGEND. (less)

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Nov 28, 2011 Rodriqueze rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Embora o livro tenha um início lento, com algumas descrições cansativas e momentos que não prometem uma leitura cativante, a verdade é que esta situação vai sendo revertida gradualmente. Por um lado, o leitor vê o implacável Lestat a ser confrontado pela dualidade do bem e do mal por duas personagens apaixonantes: a angelical e Dora que aceita o vampiro sem medo, o temível e antigo Memnoch, com toda a sua sabedoria e história.
O leitor é levado numa viagem pela história da Céu, Inferno e Terra,...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Lidia Fullmer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book that made me think about what I felt about religion (since at the time I was trying to figure out what I thought about a lot of things). It's intersting to note that Anee Rice has also had some conflict with religion, and the way the story is written reflects that quite a bit. I can't say I like the ideas she presented, but some of the characters were interesting. I think the reason I didn't enjoy this book as much is because Lestat more or less gives in to the experiance he has a...more

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Jul 13, 2011 Bruce M rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: anne-rice, mythology, religious, supernatural, suspense, secret-society, devil

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It took me several attempts to finish this book. I just didn't feel like it was giving me what I wanted out of a Vampire Chronicles novel. I still can't quite put my finger on why that is, though.

It's not like I went into the book expecting anything that I didn't get. The series had constantly questioned about God, the devil, and humanity and vampires' lot in existence. The title here outright introduces us to Memnoch the Devil. Clearly this book is going to answer, or at least outline the origi...more

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Feb 04, 2011 Austin James rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, religious

It's the fifth book in the Vampire Chronicles, and once again, the lovable Lestat is narrating his story. Only this time it's the devil who steals the show in Anne Rice's Memnoch the Devil.

Without spoiling any of the specifics, here's what you should know about the book: The Devil tells his side of the story. He takes Lestat on a journey through Heaven and Hell and into the past - where he witnesses cosmic history unfold. Needless to say, this version of events is different from the version you...more It's the fifth book in the Vampire Chronicles, and once again, the lovable Lestat is narrating his story. Only this time it's the devil who steals the show in Anne Rice's Memnoch the Devil.

Without spoiling any of the specifics, here's what you should know about the book: The Devil tells his side of the story. He takes Lestat on a journey through Heaven and Hell and into the past - where he witnesses cosmic history unfold. Needless to say, this version of events is different from the version you're familiar with (after all, it's told from the devil's perspective).

And here's where Anne Rice books have come to define themselves: They are not about plot - They are about the characters and the spiritual questions they face. I'm not sure I understood everything that happened in the book. But I think that's the point. This book is about faith, and in many ways it's depressing. After all, faith can never be proven - that's what makes it faith. They say seeing is believing, but that's not entirely true either. Faith is wanting to believe (at least in my opinion. You might read the book and think differently).

I could get into my interpretation of many of the smaller details - but I don't want to spoil the book for anyone who might read it - it's worth reading, and it's a book that is well-researched.

From a writing perspective, I want to point out something she does that many authors could benefit from. It's this:

All of her books plant a seed for the next book in the series. The previous book "The Tale of the Body Thief" had a character who overheard a conversation between God and the devil. In many ways, the core of that conversation is elaborated on in this book. This book sets the stage for the next book "The Vampire Armand." Giving the reader a taste of what is to come is a great way to keep them coming back.

I would give this book 9 out of 10. Like I said, the devil steals the show in this book and it's less of a vampire book than the others in the series. If spiritual and religious debate is your thing and you liked the other Vampire Chronicle books - check it out. If not, it's probably not your cup of tea... and that's fine too.

Originally reviewed on my blog at http://www.AustinJamesHere.blogspot.com (less)

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Sep 10, 2010 Benjamin Thomas rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror

I have had mixed emotions about the entire Vampire Chronicles. As in the first four books of the series, I found the language almost poetic, the story fascinating, the characters 3-dimensional, and yet, I wasn't satisfied. Most of our old friends make cameo appearances, including David, Louis and Armand. I was pleased to see that the author did not worry about negative press regarding Memnoch's views on Christianity, etc. She definitely pulled no punches. At a minimum, this novel serves as a com...more

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Sep 28, 2009 Suna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire-fiction

As far as I'm concerned the ONLY installment of the Vampire Chronicles that stands the test of time and Lestat's whinging nearly spoils it.

I say nearly, because at least in this novel his voice as the voice of humanity at large is vital to this particular plot; doubting, despairing, morally and spiritually wringing his hands.
Even though that's not who he was at first.

In essence Rice made a mistake with Lestat as far as I'm concerned:
We meet him in the first books and he's unapologetic about wh...more

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Mar 14, 2009 Gregory Spiker rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In Memnoch the Devil, Anne Rice has allowed herself to indulge in an orgy of purple prose. We hear so much about the lush greenery of the early Earth that we begin to forget what the story is about. And because of this, not much actually happens in the story. If this book were made into a film, in fact, it would probably be no more than 20 minutes long.

Aside from that, this isn't much of a "vampire chronicle." The purpose of this book seems not to be to tell a tale of the vampires, but only to f...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Adanic rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, favorites

This is my second encounter with Anne Rice’s novels. My first book was with “Vittorio the Vampire”, which was kind of crappy. Now let’s go back the “Memnoch the Devil”... Well I have to admit that I was impressed.
In my opinion, Anne Rice has a gnostical approach in this novel. It seems that this world was created by a stupid, ignorant, self-sufficient deity; we may call him in the way that William Blake called him “Old Nobodaddy”. This is the deity found in the Old Testament: the blood-thirsty,...more This is my second encounter with Anne Rice’s novels. My first book was with “Vittorio the Vampire”, which was kind of crappy. Now let’s go back the “Memnoch the Devil”... Well I have to admit that I was impressed.
In my opinion, Anne Rice has a gnostical approach in this novel. It seems that this world was created by a stupid, ignorant, self-sufficient deity; we may call him in the way that William Blake called him “Old Nobodaddy”. This is the deity found in the Old Testament: the blood-thirsty, wicked and violent god. We can call him the Demiurge, or whatever. So this shoddy god is the architect of schlockmeisterism, the god that keeps us infantile. What is clear is the fact that his world is not created and ruled by a god. There is no such thing as a ruling god.
The transcendence of the Judaeo-Christian belief system, which dominated western civilisation, had lost its validity, and is no more a source of vital energy and creativity. Now, we have to make a choice, we have to choose between existential nihilism and Gnosticism. Nihilism is excessively pessimistic, so it’s some kind of trap in which too many of us fall into. On the other hand “Gnosis”, the knowledge of spiritual mysteries, may be what we need...
Looks like change in the cultural ream is not possible, the thing is that our religious beliefs are dictated to us essentially by geography. If we are born in Tibet, you will have a certain vision on the Universe; if we're born in Ethiopia, we see things in a different way. What we should do is transcend geography...
Evil in not the work of the devil, but the product of ignorance, people do bad things simply because “they don’t know what they do". As Colin Wilson says "The average man is a conformist, accepting miseries and disasters with the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain"…
In my opinion, Memnoch is represents the archetype of the “The Trickster”. Memnoch imagines another world of possibilities, and shows them to Lestat. Like the Trickster archetype, Memnoch is envisioning a world at peace, and a just society. Memnoch is a philosopher and a teacher who is inspiring people to imagine and seek a better world...
Lestat is the autonomous man, the non-conformist. Lestat has less attachment to the status quo, and does not fear the unknown. Lestat is the symbol of the curious type of people. The people who adapt quickly to alternative realities… He is the explorer…
This book contains a high amount of food for thought, feed your heads…
(less)

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Aug 03, 2010 Arun Divakar rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When a writer pens down a plot based on the evergreen bestselling book, people are bound to sit up and take notice. This I suppose was Anne Rice's idea behind Memnoch the Devil. I haven't read even one of the Vampire Chronicles and the only other Anne Rice book I read to date was a load of crap named 'Violin'. Memnoch surprised me with its vast scope but starting off with an intriguing plot thread, it soon degenerated to a very flat and predictable ending.

Consider this, the devil taking along a...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Thom F. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me begin by saying that Anne Rice was a personal favorite when I was younger, just starting to read full novels and trying to find my niche/favorite genre. I was pleasantly surprised to find I still highly enjoy her work.

Lestat is still a character most people can relate to and the book, it self, is very readable from a stand alone point. The plot was strong and the story kept moving, keeping me interested. I have rated this particular book as 4 stars or "I really liked it" for a couple of r...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Donovan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, fantasy

I am giving this special mention as it is my all-time favourite of Anne Rice's The Vampire series.
Refer to my review for Interview with the Vampire regarding this and the rest of the series. All I can say is...If you have read the first few books of the series, then read this - it's a must!

Plot ***Spoilers***
After stalking and killing Roger, a ruthless but enthrallingly passionate mobster, Lestat is approached by Roger's ghost. Roger's ghost asks him to take care of his daughter Dora, a devout a...more I am giving this special mention as it is my all-time favourite of Anne Rice's The Vampire series.
Refer to my review for Interview with the Vampire regarding this and the rest of the series. All I can say is...If you have read the first few books of the series, then read this - it's a must!

Plot ***Spoilers***
After stalking and killing Roger, a ruthless but enthrallingly passionate mobster, Lestat is approached by Roger's ghost. Roger's ghost asks him to take care of his daughter Dora, a devout and popular television evangelist, whom he wants to spare from embarrassment. At the same time, Lestat has become increasingly paranoid that he's being stalked by a powerful force.

Eventually, Lestat meets the Devil, who calls himself Memnoch. He takes Lestat on a whirlwind tour of Heaven, Hell and retells of the entirety of history from his own point of view in an effort to convince Lestat to join him as God's adversary. In his journey, Memnoch claims he is not evil, but merely working for God by ushering lost souls into Heaven. Lestat is left in confusion, unable to decide whether or not to cast his lot with the Devil.

After the tour, Lestat believes himself to have had a major revelation. Among other things, he believes that he has seen Christ's crucifixion and that he has received Saint Veronica's Veil. He has also lost an eye in Hell. He tells his story to Armand, David Talbot and Dora, who have joined him in New York. Dora and Armand are deeply moved upon seeing the veil. Dora takes it and reveals it to the world, triggering a religious movement. Armand goes into the sunlight and immolates himself in order to convince people that a miracle has occurred.

At the end of the novel, Lestat and David go to New Orleans. There, Maharet returns Lestat's eye to him, along with a note from Memnoch that reveals Memnoch may have been manipulating Lestat to serve his own agenda. Lestat then loses control of himself and Maharet is forced to chain him in the basement of the St. Elizabeth's convent, which is owned by the vampires, so that he will not hurt himself or others.

Although the novel fits into the storyline of The Vampire Chronicles, the vast majority of it consists of Memnoch's account of cosmology and theology.

The novel follows up on claims made by David Talbot in The Tale of the Body Thief that God and the Devil are on better terms than most Christians believe. It also reinterprets biblical stories to create a complete history of Earth, Heaven and Hell that fit neatly with the history of vampires given in The Queen of the Damned.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Dev rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I deeply admired "Interview' w/its rich writing style of place and period, and its dispassionate portrayal of characters like Claudia, who after being a 6 year old vampire for decades has become a steely-eyed predator(ahem instead of a 100 year old vampire vegan w/an insatiable desire to...sit through high school english again and again). The Vampire Lestat was equally good w/a wonderful shift in perspective that gave a great new spin to the character an events that transpired. The books that fo...more

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Nov 20, 2009 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lisa by: Jade Brelsford

Shelves: 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was initially horrified with the premise of this book – as part of the Vampire Chronicles I expected that it would be another tale of vampirism, or of Lestat, but instead it focuses mainly on the story of Creation and the great misunderstanding between God and the Devil which leads to the Devil ruling over Hell as related by Memnoch (the aforementioned Devil) to Lestat in a journey of earth, Heaven and Hell. I wouldn’t normally choose a book that focuses so much on religion (unless as an argum...more I was initially horrified with the premise of this book – as part of the Vampire Chronicles I expected that it would be another tale of vampirism, or of Lestat, but instead it focuses mainly on the story of Creation and the great misunderstanding between God and the Devil which leads to the Devil ruling over Hell as related by Memnoch (the aforementioned Devil) to Lestat in a journey of earth, Heaven and Hell. I wouldn’t normally choose a book that focuses so much on religion (unless as an argument against it, which in retrospect this seems to be) and was a little put off by this as I seem to find it far harder to suspend my disbelief for religion than for vampires, but soon found myself sucked in despite myself.

Incredibly well-written (as usual) and compelling, I found the telling of this tale to be extremely imaginative and surprisingly plausible (surprising to me anyway, as a staunchly stubborn atheist). Memnoch was a hugely sympathetic character and whilst I could understand a little of God’s reasoning around the time of the crucifixion, I couldn’t help but agree wholeheartedly with Memnoch’s point of view and thought that God seemed less a benevolent, all-knowing and wonderful creator than a petty asshole for most of the time, struggling to justify himself for all of the suffering that abounds on earth and pretending like that was part of the plan all along. I realize that this might be due to bias as it’s Memnoch’s telling rather than God’s, but I don’t think I’d have thought any differently had it been the other way around.

Come the end, I turned out to be heartbroken about Armand (I don’t think I’d realised how much I liked him up until that point!), and with Mael about to suffer the same fate I was just as angry as Lestat at Memnoch and God for how he’d been used.

As Lestat signs off, he can rest assured that he still keeps that place in my dreams that he hopes for from his reader, as a fabulous and classic character that I’m sure will stick in my memory for many, many years to come.(less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Adam rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dropped

I couldn't get past the second chapter. I liked the stories in books 1 and 2. Rice introduced so many colorful characters, who dealt with vampirism in different ways, that I was sure that she had a pile of good stories in wait. Unfortunately, when I picked up this book (thinking it was #3, not #5) I saw that she had taken the series in a different direction. Rather than show us how different humans adapted to the vampire life, she built up an increasing grand and complicated plot-line that has t...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Guri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i read some of the reviews and some ppl said that d book dint have a story and that it wasnt a vampire chronicle....and that all things abt earth and the beginning of time wasnt realted to vampirism....to those people get some imagination into ur head!
i think the book was amazing ...specially how rice has explained and described certain things...it just blew me away. for quite some time i could pick up a book because i felt really saturated after reading memnoch. the book talks about so many th...more

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Dec 17, 2010 Max Ostrovsky rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, horror, memior, mythology, pop

Not the book I expected or wanted. It had a great and engaging beginning. Usually Rice's pacing is like molasses, but for the last two books, she's quickened her pace. There were moments when I couldn't put the book down.

What turned me off from the book was the connection between vampires and Christianity. Blech. And the argument/battle between G-d and the devil. While Memnoch was sympathetic and the description of his devil form was perfect, I thought that Piers Anthony's "For Love of Evil" ha...more

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About Anne Rice

Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien) is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for The Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold near...more

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Books by Anne Rice

Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1)

The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2)

The Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles, #3)

The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1)

The Tale of the Body Thief (The Vampire Chronicles, #4)

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“Believe in angels? Then believe in vampires. Believe in me. There are worse things on earth.” — 132 people liked it

“Heaven would be Hell in no time if every cruel, selfish, vicious soul went to Heaven.” — 43 people liked it

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Memnoch The Devil (The Vampire Chronicles #5)

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