Tell me about Ann Rice

[Oriole]

Is it scary? Romantic? Mysterious? What kind of feeling do you get from reading her books?

thanks!

[MusicianDad]

Her books are boring IMO. And since the Amazon.com incident get a bad taste in my mouth when I hear her name.

[weliveintheforest]

I like them. I don't know what feeling I get... I guess romantic is a good one. Some of them are a little soap opera-ish (the Mayfair witches ones I'm thinking) but I enjoyed them. Not really scary.

[raksmama]

Originally Posted by MusicianDad

Her books are boring IMO. And since the Amazon.com incident get a bad taste in my mouth when I hear her name.

What is the Amazon.com incident?

I saw the "Interview with a Vampire" movie when it came out and I found the images very disturbing, so I never considered reading the book.
Mind you, I am not a horror movie fan.

Many people say however that her books are very well written.

[Sailor]

I enjoy her books. I think her writing is very descriptive, and I like that. She has written non-vampire books, which are also very good (some even better than the vampire series).

I never thought the books were scary - my feeling was that it was more drama/angst/romance versus horror. Also, some of her books deal with controversial subject matter ... "Belinda" comes to mind, which struck me as a pedophiliac novel. Still, surprisingly, quite good.

For me, reading her books is kind of like looking at a Caravaggio painting. In the sense of how she describes things in her books - from scenery to characters. Very evocative, lush imagery, dramatic description, etc.

[MusicianDad]

Originally Posted by jalilah

What is the Amazon.com incident?

One of her books recieved quite a few negative reviews on Amazon.com and she responded by posting a response to them that bascially say they didn't know jack, were too stupid to understand good writting and that she was above needing an editor. All in all she called a bunch of loyal readers who felt the book wasn't up to her usual level idiots.

It was removed from Amazon, but she posted on her website that she stands by what she said.

[kaliki_kila]

Originally Posted by Sailor

I enjoy her books. I think her writing is very descriptive, and I like that. She has written non-vampire books, which are also very good (some even better than the vampire series).

I never thought the books were scary - my feeling was that it was more drama/angst/romance versus horror. Also, some of her books deal with controversial subject matter ... "Belinda" comes to mind, which struck me as a pedophiliac novel. Still, surprisingly, quite good.

For me, reading her books is kind of like looking at a Caravaggio painting. In the sense of how she describes things in her books - from scenery to characters. Very evocative, lush imagery, dramatic description, etc.

I think "lush" is a very good word to describe her writing style. I liked the Road to Cana series and I hope she finishes it. My brother was in love with all her vampire novels when he was a teenager.

I agree that she comes across as arrogant.

[weliveintheforest]

Originally Posted by jalilah

What is the Amazon.com incident?

I didn't know either so I googled it. She probably shouldn't have done it, but I didn't think her post was so bad.

[Smokering]

I've only read Interview with the Vampire. The first time I read it I distinctly remember thinking her writing style read like a man's, although I can't remember why. It didn't impress me much - I found it kind of boring - so I recently read it again.

And frankly... meh. Not a fan. The belaboured drinking blood = sex thing got on my nerves after a bit, and the story itself is drearily slow. Some of the Claudia writing was intriguing: at least the premise was, and it was executed in an adequately creepy fashion. Still, I don't see what all the fuss is about. Oddly, I'm usually a real wimp with horror but didn't find IWAV scary. I lent it to a friend some years back, though, a guy who watches hardcore horror films without flinching, and he gave it back a week later claiming that it oozed evil and he couldn't get through it. I was like "Ookay, I'm the sheltered PK and you're the one sweating over the terrors contained within these malevolent covers?" He was an odd guy, though... ended up getting divorced largely because he was possessed by a Demon of Laziness which prevented him helping his wife with the housework. But I digress...

[marimara]

When I was a teenager I read almost all (maybe I did read all) of the vampire books. I started the witch series. I loved her writing style. I don't read her anymore, it was more of a teen thing for me. Back then, in the 90's, her books were very popular. She's descriptive. It's not horror. It's romance and drama under a dark theme. I think she's a great writer. I never did read much fiction but she was by far my fave fiction writer.

[greeny]

I also find her books boring.