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Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Mar 3, 2006 23:48:29 GMT
Beware of Spoilers!!!
As I have only read Anne Rice Vampire Chronicles, it might well be, that it is only her way of advancing this topic, but it seems her Vampires are - in different ways- all quite religious. Wether drawn to god ( and not able to get there) or to the devil, but it seems to be a huge topic for them. As if they kinda need to belong somewhere.
Now, for the reader I think this can get quite distracting. Especially, because a lot of the Vampires are christian. Why no other religion? Why does it play such a big part?
Spoiler - Concerning "Memnoch the devil" for example. I actually tought it was getting a bit ridiculous. Lestat drinking the blood of Jesus! I was actually thinking of putting the book down. It was too much.
And then what's Armand's obsession with holy paintings? Why?
Is it a question of existance, for Vampires? Not able to exist either in heaven or hell? Not knowing where they belong? Belonging in both? Desiring both or even just one of it?
"If I am an angel, paint me with black wings"...
Fallen angels... but still angels?
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Post by Lestat de Lioncourt on Mar 10, 2006 12:10:58 GMT
Yes, that's quite a big theme for Anne, but really... I dislike the religious parts of her books. So I ignored also the last 2 books of her. Lestat as some kind of religious "Messias"?  |
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Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Mar 11, 2006 16:40:02 GMT
I haven't met anybody yet, who likes them...
It's kinda anoying and I am not sure why she writes all this religious things.
I mean I do understand, that Vampire and religion might have a connection (as mentioned above), but it can't be all.
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Post by Armand on Mar 12, 2006 18:06:28 GMT
Well I don't mind the religious parts as long as they stay bearable...like this "I saw heaven" stuff when I was about to die *g*
But Memnoch is really too heavy... I'm just able to read a few pages and then turn the book away because it's simply too much... Heaven here and Devil there.. meet God...let's see how the world and everything was created...YAWN
Really if I want to read about God and the Devil I'll take the Bible.... not that this would ever happen but still...
On the other hand you have to take into consideration that most of the Vampires we know are from different ages...very religous ages... and so there must be a conflict in them... wanting to be good... wanting to be human... and hoping god will forgive them for what they have done..if they should ever die...
Jesse or Daniel for example..would never start discussing if heaven and hell exisits... they are modern...at least that's how I see it
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Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Mar 12, 2006 19:50:06 GMT
I think in most of the points you are right. But, just reading "Blood and Gold" I am not sure, why Marius does care about the christian god. Or did I get that wrong? As he is ancient, Christ should not be "his god". And anyway, what about Vampires with other religion? Or are they all christian?
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Post by Armand on Mar 12, 2006 20:03:41 GMT
Well Marius doesn't believe in the christian god.. if he believes in any gods which I doubt it would be his romans ones....
But he is fascinated that this "hype" which started when he was young lasted this long... and developed like this....that's how I see it
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Post by Lestat de Lioncourt on Mar 12, 2006 20:24:31 GMT
Well Marius doesn't believe in the christian god.. if he believes in any gods which I doubt it would be his romans ones.... But he is fascinated that this "hype" which started when he was young lasted this long... and developed like this....that's how I see it Right.  |
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Post by LittleLotte on Mar 14, 2006 14:25:11 GMT
I don´t mind the religious parts aswell.
I liked the idea of Memnoch the devil and the idea that they think it could be a lie and Memnoch is only a ghost who wanted to mock on Lestat.
I think that religion is important to them, especiallity to Louis, Lestat and Armand, because they werde born and raised in a very religious time. It was important for their lives and now they wanna know more because their immortal and all what they learned and believed in changed completly.
Religion only works, when you believe in it, as Vodoo wich is also a part of her books.
It´s important for the different characters and der development and so it becomes important for the books themselves. I like that. It makes them more realistic somehow.
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Post by Armand on Mar 14, 2006 15:18:37 GMT
@lotte
Yes that's a point..I mean... if someone would ask "Do vampires exist?" The majority would say "NO"
So..they ARE Vampires... the next question is "Does god exist then? And if so..why does he allow that creatures like they are... are permitted to walk the earth... and kill mortals..."
So I thin it's just natural that they start searching for god and so on
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Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Mar 14, 2006 17:27:01 GMT
Haven't read any other Vampire books yet. Is it only in Anne Rice's chronicles?
She does not reallz describe any other religions, than christianity. Even if she kinda touches egyptian gods. But they are never as present as the christian god. Sure, might be, because, a lot of her main vampires live in (or even were born in) (later) christian countrys.
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Post by LittleLotte on Mar 14, 2006 22:36:53 GMT
Could depend on her on religion. She was born in the christian world too. Surely that´s a big point.
Another point could be that the whole legend around vampire comes from europe and europe always was christian aswell.
In her Whitches Chronicels, Vodoo is a big part and old celtic mythology just because her main characters have a connection to this world. They don´t care about god or if he exsist, because it´s not important for them, but for vampires who will never die and never will know what comes after death is it a big question.
Most of them were born christian and believed in a better life after dead.
But all that changed when they became these creatures. They wanna know now for sure if there´s life after dead and I think that´s the reason why Armand wanted to kill himself, because he believed Lestat´s little story. Otherwise he wouldn´t have done this because he lost his faith in becoming a vampire.
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Post by Lestat de Lioncourt on Mar 15, 2006 15:31:49 GMT
Mael is some kind of a druid, made in an old gallo-celtic ritual; he should be eaten by their "god" who was in fact a vampire.
Then there is Thorne; he's sort of a viking and sometimes names some old nordic gods.
Marius and Pandora do know about the old roman gods.
Marius' religion are Akasha and Enkil, there is a lot of old egypt mythology etc.; you know the thing with this evil tooth-ghost and so on. Then there's Khayman, old egypt, and the twins, I just forgot what it was they believed in, but it was most certainly not the christian god.
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Post by Nicolas de Lenfent on Mar 15, 2006 17:03:07 GMT
It just seems that the christian god is so outstanding. But probably it just anoyed me, because of "Memnoch the devil". This book was just boring and far too religious, for me.
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Post by LittleLotte on Mar 19, 2006 17:55:06 GMT
It just seems that the christian god is so outstanding. But probably it just anoyed me, because of "Memnoch the devil". This book was just boring and far too religious, for me. I just loved that book and that Idea of having God and the devil a bet or something like that. I think it´s just very important for Anne Rice herself, as she´s having a live influenced very much by religion. As long if she doesn´t tell somebody to belief in the same things that she does I don´t care about what she is writing about religion in the books. It belongs to her and most of the characters and so it´s fine. In the Mayfair books there is no religion because it´s not important for them and their soul peace. In these books other things are important as vodoo and celtic mythology. |
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Post by Lestat de Lioncourt on Mar 20, 2006 9:20:58 GMT
Religion sucks.
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