Claudia takes to killing easily, but she begins to realize over time she can never grow up her mind matures into that of an intelligent, assertive woman, but her body remains that of a young girl.Ĭlaudia blames Lestat for her state and, after 60 years of living with him, hatches a plot to kill Lestat by poisoning him and cutting his throat. Louis is initially horrified that Lestat has turned a child into a vampire, but soon begins to care for Claudia. Fearing this, Lestat then turns the girl into a vampire 'daughter' for them, to give Louis a reason to stay. Louis begins to think of leaving Lestat and going his own way. He slowly comes to terms with his vampire nature, but also becomes increasingly repulsed by what he perceives as Lestat's total lack of compassion for the humans he preys upon.Įscaping to New Orleans, Louis feeds off a plague-ridden, five-year-old girl, whom he finds next to the corpse of her mother. Gradually, Louis bends under Lestat's influence and begins feeding from humans. Louis sets his own plantation aflame he and Lestat kill the slaves to keep word from spreading about vampires living in Louisiana. Louis and Lestat are forced to leave when Louis's slaves begin to fear the vampires and instigate an uprising. Lestat spends time feeding off slaves while Louis, who finds it morally repugnant to murder humans to survive, feeds from animals. Lestat turns Louis into a vampire and the two become immortal companions. Louis is approached by a vampire named Lestat de Lioncourt, who desires Louis's company. Distraught by the death of his brother, he seeks death in any way possible. In 1791, Louis is a young indigo plantation owner living in Louisiana. The novel has also been adapted as a comic three times.Ī vampire named Louis de Pointe du Lac tells his 200-year-long life story to a reporter referred to simply as ' the boy'. A film adaptation was released in 1994, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, and a television series premiered in 2022. Though initially the subject of mixed critical reception, the book was followed by many widely popular sequels, collectively known as The Vampire Chronicles. Rice composed the novel shortly after the death of her young daughter Michelle, who served as an inspiration for the child-vampire character Claudia.

Based on a short story Rice wrote around 1968, the novel centers on vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac, who tells the story of his life to a reporter.

Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror and vampire novel by American author Anne Rice, published in 1976.

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice