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by Anne Rice
Let it be understood right from the outset that anything I say in this review is not meant as an attack or even an insult to Anne Rice as an author or a person, nor to Christians, Christianity or anyone or anything else. These words are merely my honest feelings about a book I read by an author I happen to like a lot and that just happens to have Jesus as the main character.
Considering my disappointment with Blackwood Farm, Blood Canticle, and the first book in this series, Christ The Lord, I’m not certain why I continue to read new Anne Rice books. I think it’s similar to when you know it’s time to end a relationship that no longer brings either of you joy, but you’re not exactly unhappy and you’ve been together for sooooo long . . . . And you’re just certain that things will go back to the way they used to be and feel the way it used to feel. I just don’t know. There are books by Anne that have an honored place on my bookshelves: Interview With The Vampire, Pandora, Blood & Gold, The Mummy. After so much darkness and violence, I respect Anne’s decision to follow her faith and write the story of Jesus. I just wish I liked it more.
The writing is pure Anne Rice, flowery and dramatic and beautiful. But I find the story being unfurled dull and uninspiring and the characters don’t grab me. None of them make me want to see into their minds and souls. And the one mind you do want to see into feels too limited. I think what bothers me the most is this: If a person is going to write the story of Jesus, there should be more to it than what I can get directly out of The Bible. Especially considering the story is told in first person. Jesus is telling me his story himself, and I don’t feel I know him any better than if I just sat down and read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I’m not sure what that says about me, when Jesus doesn’t move me at all, but I’m guessing there is more than one brick already paving my way to hell. It is probably not fair to Anne or this book, but the fact is that I’m longing for the early days, to once again fall under a spell as beguiling as that cast by Lestat and Louis and Armand and Marius. And, with all due respect to Anne Rice and Our Lord, Jesus just isn’t doing it for me. (Yup. That would be the sound of the laying of another brick . . .)
Lezlie
Anne Rice books I loved:
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7 comments:
This made me chuckle. I haven't read any Anne Rice books, so I don't know her style or anything. But from the sound of this book it wouldn't do anything for me either. Seems like the bricks could be there for me too.
I've had a quick look on Amazon. It seems Rice writes about vampires too - a strange mix Jesus and vampires! And Amazon reviews are that the Christ the Lord series is "meticulously researched".
An interesting nove(to me at least) is The Gospel of Judas by Simon Mawer about the discovery of a first century scroll signed by Judas. I've always been intrigued by Judas.
Glad to read the review. I have the first in the Jesus series, got it right after it came out because I loved the vampire and mayfair witch series. However, I have never read the book! haha! So I'm glad to know I'm probably not missing much.
Your review made me laugh out loud, so I read the part about Jesus and bricks to my husband. He said "wait a minute, I thought Anne Rice wrote about vampires?" I really didn't know.
Books Please ~ Yes. Her vampires made her famous. When she switched to Jesus, many of us went, "Huh?" But she had been wrestling with her religious beliefs for a long time. Much of that came out in many of "The Vampire Chronicles", which is part of what made them so intriging to me. The "Christ The Lord" books seem to be incredibly well researched. She even delves into stories from the Gnostic gospels. I truly want to like these books better than I do. And I want to check out "The Gospel of Judas". Sounds very interesting!
Kris ~ If you do read it, please let me know what you thought. I would love to talk to someone who really liked the book. I don't hate it enough to not read the rest of the series as it comes out. I'm still curious.
Jeane ~ Always glad to provide a laugh. :-) And Anne Rice is most famous for her Vampire Chronicles. I *love* the early part of that series.
L.
Remember now, before Jesus came out there was the Beauty Series under her pen name. Most all of my reading buddies went crazy over it. I didn't. I've like a few of her vampire books, but I'm just not a fan of her writing. I don't like beautiful willowy words. Give me a good story minus the powder and perfume. It's usually a cover for a story that stinks.
I personally love The Beauty series. lol! There have been a few stand-alone's that I wasn't thrilled with though, but can't remember the title.
J. Kaye & Kris ~ I did forget her Beauty series. Probably because I didn't care for it. Never got past the first couple chapters. Sorry, Kris! :-) For me, Anne tends to be love or hate. The ones I liked, I loved. But it's true that I have to be in a particular mood to read her or I lose interest pretty quickly.
L.
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