On the Southern Literary Trail discussion

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Since I have enjoyed dome of Rice’s books, I have obtained copy of this book snd hope to read it. But I am way behind in my reading this year, so we ll see.

I’m going to try the audio. But probably need to put physical copy on hold at library just in case.

I began listening to the audio yesterday and quickly cam to the same conclusion. Fortunately, I bought a Kindle copy on sale early in the year.

I’m going to need the whole 2 months….haha!!!!

Looking forward to reading your reviews and comments!

I went through an Anne Rice period several years ago and read this then. I really liked it, but because of the size won't reread it this go around. It's a great October book!

I’ve never read Anne Rice and not too interested in her subject matter, so I’m not sure. It would definitely be an out of my comfort zone read. I’ll see how the discussion goes and see if I can get a library copy.

Lori, I thought the same thing years ago when someone recommended "Interview with a Vampire". I don't do vampire books, I said. She said she didn't either, but this was different. She was right. Rice is a very literary writer, and you get so caught up in the story and characters. I read all the vampire books then moved on to the witches. Plus the New Orleans setting is a character in itself.

I’ve never read Rice but my mil was a fan. I’m going to try it. But I was also a twilight series fan and read all the books in 7 days, 16 years ago. My mom said I was the worst person to vacation with that week bc all I did was read. My daughter was 2 and literally she was the easiest 2 year old that played on beach ALL day. I would read one book then drive into town to buy the next one in series. I guess I didn’t have a kindle yet.

Well, Laura, I do admit to reading the Twilight series as well. And loved them then. I don’t think I’d like them as much now, but Diane is pretty convincing about Anne Rice.

Lori that’s exactly how I feel. I watched first movie and it was horrible. I told my husband, “tell no one I watched this.” They were easy and I had never read anything like them. Would not reread.

It's on my Kindle and I will give it a go.

I listened to audios of The Twilight series years ago because my granddaughters were gaga over it and I wondered what all the fuss was about. Definitely not my usual fare, but it was a fun fantasy distraction at bedtime.

I think I watched all but the last movie and yes, it’s hard to admit!😜 they were pretty awful! We’ll keep this here among friends who won’t judge our younger selves!🤪

Lori, I never continued with movies. It was embarrassing, ha!!!

I read and watched all of the Twilight series. I occasionally rewatch the first movie, and then clips from the last one (the big fight scene at the end is awesome!). The first movie had several visual nods to the book, and the author had a cameo. I also like the concept of vampires glittering in the sunlight, vs being burned alive.

I've already got a copy of TWH. I'm excited to push myself to finish such a long book. This will be my first Anne Rice read.

I also read, but didn’t watch The Twilight series. But although I somewhat enjoyed Twilight, I loved Interview with a Vampire and much enjoyed a few of the other books whose names I don’t recall, unless one was named LeStat. They may not all be on my GR Read List. Rice is capable of really good writing. And I also enjoyed the Interview with a Vampire movie. Once, on a walking tour around New Orleans, I walked by her house. Probably from my own imagination, but ….If you’d read her books, the house gave off very strange vibes!

I drove by her house in New Orleans too, and I agree. Maybe because we knew what she had written while living there! I have read that she created the Vampire books to make her daughter immortal. She had died from a form of leukemia when she was 5 or 6 years old, and a beautiful, blonde child was a major character in those books. Yes, creepy!

How interesting that you got the same feeling, Diane! I distinctly remember feeling creeped out by the experience.

I think I must have a suggestible mind. I don’t want to ever visit the plaza where Kennedy was shot or visit the 9/11 memorial in Manhattan. In the case of Rice’s house, I kept telling myself that it was only fiction…but still….

Laura wrote: "I told my husband, “tell no one I watched this.”

There is a lot of guilt around these books for some of us.
Grateful for trustworthy book friends who tell no secrets!

Is Rice the author who had the Catholic conversion experience and quit writing this type of book or am I confusing her with someone else? I recall an attempt to buy back book rights in order to get them off the shelves.

I don't remember anything of that order regarding Anne Rice, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

A few articles say that Rice grew up a catholic and became an atheist at age 18. Many years later she returned to her religion only to denounce it again. She did write two books of fiction based on the Gospels.

The closest I’ve gotten to Ann Rice was on the Vampire Tour I too took in New Orleans (I have to admit it was one of so many highlights of that Nee Orleans trip). So I wanted to read this one with the group. My Libby audiobook organization has it only on hold. Because my daughter is pregnant and due on or before Oct 1st and I promised to stay with her in her NYC apartment (5th floor - 🥹) to help her the first few weeks), and I have my book club book to read, and my son and DIL are due November 26, I just don’t see myself getting to read this book now. But I will follow the comments and will eventually read it. Ann Rice was one of my niece’s favorite author.

That's a bit of what I recall Lori, just wasn't sure I had the right author. I found this NPR article.

https://www.npr.org/2010/08/02/128930...

Thanks Cathrine, interesting article. Anne Rice was a complex personality. Her house in New Orleans fit her. I looked it up, and it just sold recently for $4 million.
Looks like you'll have your hands full for a while Sherril!

Of Rice’s New Orleans home:

“One of a few homes that Anne Rice lived in and owned in New Orleans. This is also considered by fans to be “The Mayfair Witch House”, as it was the inspiration for a location in The Witching Hour, Taltos and Lasher novels. Built in 1857, the added swimming pool is the site that fans of the books will recall being the location where Michael Curry was found dead floating in the pool on Christmas Day in the story’s 1989 setting. Known for its double gallery, the home was purchased by Anne and her husband in 1989 and remained her home until 2004.” — www.cajunencounters.com

Here is a link to a picture that looks like what I remember:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/im...

I just noticed that the Audible book of the day for today is Decimate, the newest book by Rice's son Christopher Rice.

https://www.audible.com/pd/Decimate-A...

The more I read of this, the more it makes me think of the movie, Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte. Every time the Aaron Lightner character appeared I flashed on a movie actor who would be perfect for the role. Then I realized that the actor was Cecil Kelloway and the role I was flashing on was Harry from that movie.

Vampire books were never my thing, but we used to live a few blocks from Rice (when she was in the house with the keyhole entry featured in the Mayfair witches books). Out of peer pressure from everybody else in the garden district, I read most of her Lestat & later vampire books but never could muster much thrill for them.

The “witches” books were significantly better, I thought! She was a fun, quirky person and pulled real New Orleans locales into her work. When one of her books was about to be released, she held her opening at The Rink. It was our tiny local shopping spot with a book store and coffee shop (used to be a skating rink ages ago). She arrived in an old fashioned, glass sided hearse pulled by horses! It was fabulous!

AMC bought the TV rights to the vampire Chronicles and the Mayfair witches a couple years ago. They have already wrapped filming on the vampire series and will be releasing it sometime later this year. My college age son does background acting & had a ton of requests for both series. He filmed one Mayfair, but was out of town for the others. Expect changes!

I just finished chapter one, and the first few pages of chapter two. Anne Rice is off to a really great start! This is my first read of her work. The suspense build, and the little "wth" moments that give you butterflies. I am really excited to see how this goes.

I started it tonight also, and love the gothic atmosphere of the mansion in New Orleans!

Her descriptions of San Francisco are just as compelling.

Happy Birthday, Anne Rice! She was born on October 4, 1941, and died last year.

We watched the first episode of Interview with the Vampire last night and found it way better than I expected. They also dropped an Easter egg about the Mayfair Sisters and AMC showed a teaser trailer for The Mayfair Witches.

Well, I have my doubts---over 1000 pages! But I began.
Chapter 1 is so vivid, marvelous writing. It stands on its own as a finished short story. So far, so good with my first Rice.

Cathrine, you may be surprised at how fast these pages fly by.

No kidding Diane! I read 167 pages yesterday. The only thing I got done is walking the dogs. I can't recall the last time I found a book this long so unputdownable.

This is all encouraging. I have book and audio and will probably start Monday.

Based on my experience so far, I'm probably going to be reading Interview With The Vampire (surprise, surprise). I see there is the original film and then the series. Can anyone offer a comparison of the two? Not sure I can get past Cruise & Pitt in vampire rolls at this point in their careers.

Cathrine, when Interview With a Vampire was recommended to me 35 years ago, I haughtily replied that "I didn't read vampire books." Well, I plowed thru all 3 of them and then turned to the Mayfair witches. The woman can write! I did see the movie when it came out, and think I was suitably impressed. Lestat is a very sexy, charming vampire, so Cruise fit the role.

I just watched the trailer for Witches. Have to say I would not be interested normally speaking. Definitely not my usual fair as I'm too immersed in "haughtiness" 😚. I think it even says on my profile that I'll read anything but Horror, but I might give it a go come January. Great writing can overcome just about anything I guess.

Catherine, Cruise and Pitt are great in the movie — but, as always, read the book first!

If you listen to the audio on audible, don’t get the set of three novels called the Anne Rice Value Collection. The novels are abridged, all mixed up (I think chapter 1 is Lasher, not The Witching Hour), and you can’t tell where one book starts and another begins.
I hope to read or listen to The Witching Hour. Nothing like a witchy read for October.

Something took away some of my words in the post above. Ooohh. Nothing like a witchy read for October.

Into Part II and chapters 13-16 (pg 399) of Petyr's letters to the Motherhouse and his accounts of the early history of the Mayfair Witches I found to be a bit of a slog. This might be a good time for a break to another book lest I become impatient with the next 2 hour section. Not a fan of long chapters in any book. I'll come back to it.

I’m on chapter 2 of the audio and so far I’m following along fine.

I'm in chapter six. I'm going back through to start making my own genealogical tree. For one, I'm into doing stuff like that. Second, if I go find one online it might have spoilers... which I am very much *not* into.

Speaking of Spoilers, I often check GR from my cell. Does anyone else do that? I'm asking so that perhaps we can come up with a way to help avoid them. One thing I'm going to try is to hit the enter / paragraph button several times before starting the text. This might give the mobile user enough of a warning to scroll past the comment. Thoughts?

Genealogy can be a lot of fun, Cheryl! If you really get into it, I also recommend getting a DNA test. Personally, I prefer Ancestry, but I also did 23 and Me. Both tests and sites helped me to find my bio-dad couple of years ago. Ancestry has valuable online resources that can help you trace through the census records.

Not sure about your meaning Cheryl.
I use my phone occasionally but not for making comments.

Attention mobile users: This post includes Spoilers up to chapter 6!

I am learning why Anne Rice is such a highly regarded writer. (I'm actually worried that I'm going to become such a fan that I'll feel the need to read more of her massively paged books, to the detriment of everything else on my reading list!) As stated in message 47, I started working on a genealogy of the Mayfair family. With the knowledge gained from the plot, up to chapter six, I could really appreciate important foreshadowing moments. I hope that you guys are interested in discussing the following --

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To my notice, Rice has given us two specific dates: August 13 and May 1. May 1 is the date of Michael's drowning, and especially because he has a flashback to an Easter celebration with his parents, I think that Rice is indicating that this is the date of his death and resurrection.

Do you all think that Lasher is going to be a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? It's so hard to say at this point! Part of me suspects that his motives are entirely selfish. Three of the four most recent "chosen" Mayfair women that inherit all (Kindle pg 96) have had tragic love affairs. Rowan and Michael are to be determined, but we can certainly all agree that Stella, Antha, and Deirdre have had painfully sad ends. Was Lasher the biological father of all three of the daughters? Antha's father is unknown at this point, but Deirdre and Rowan apparently had fathers who wanted to be with them, but were killed in car accidents on the way to be with their women.

I feel like the garden scene between Deirdre and Lasher, in chapter five, is very important. Did Lasher call Stella and Antha his beloveds as well?(Kpg144) What is his connection to this family?!
How far away from their "home base" on First Street in the Garden District can he travel? As he has not appeared to Rowan in San Francisco, I'm assuming that he's limited to New Orleans? Because remember, he appears to Dr. Petrie three different times outside of the First Street house.

Carlotta... I feel like I *might* end up sympathizing with her by the end. For her to have pursued a law degree! Stella was born in 1901 (Kpg94), and as Carl was the oldest of their generation, I think that she might have started at law school before the 19th amendment even gave her the legal right to vote!

When Carl has Ellie take Rowan away, and promise to never bring her back to New Orleans, do you think she was doing that for Rowan's protection? (Kpg11)

I sense that Michael Curry's maternal line has something to do with the Mayfairs. He and his mother both love long walks, and his mom's favorite house to look at is the Mayfair one. On Kpg40 I think that Anne Rice is setting us up to expect that Michael has multiple special gifts:

"But in this love of walking he was not entirely alone, for his mother had loved to take long walks, too, and perhaps it was one of the few very significant gifts she had given him."

I'm still working on the timelines, but I think that the day Deirdre was born is also the same day that Michael, as a high school senior, saw "New Orleans experienced its first snowfall in a century" (Kpg52) and after enjoying the very rare sight of snow in his hometown, arrived home to "[find] his mother crying. His da had been killed in a warehouse fire at three that afternoon; he'd been trying to save another fire fighter". (Kpg53)

I think that Michael and the Mayfairs will be connected through his maternal line. I don't think we've been given Michael's mother's first or maiden name yet. But Michael does learn that his mother's family was once very wealthy. It was his maternal great-grandmother who lost all of the family's wealth.

Yet she was spoken of as something beyond wonderful, a goddess one would think, who had traveled the whole world, and ate caviar, and managed to put her son through Harvard before going completely bankrupt. Kpg55



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