Katherine Ramsland

This is a comprehensive companion book for Anne Rice's Mayfair Witch trilogy.

It is a good resource catalog of names, places and events that happen throughout these three lengthy novels. Considering the immense size of the extended Mayfair family going back in history to the 15th century it does come in handy at times. The family tree is fascinating, confusing and oddly intricate; as would be expected in a family that does not import many outside bloodlines.

The features I liked best were the photographs; real places that Anne Rice used as her examples when she was writing. It was wonderful to see actual photos of the house on First Street; both exterior views and details from various rooms. One thing that always endeared me to AR is her love of architecture and talent for describing it in prose. I find out that we share a love of old houses and restoration projects; I would love to be able to do what she did and buy up old houses and return them to their original beauty.

Only recommended for anyone with the time and inclination to read the Mayfair Witches trilogy......otherwise there would be no point.… (mer)

I believe I first read Anne Rice in my late teens and I'm pretty sure that I got the book as a gift from my dad, who doesn't really like fiction, but does his research when buying gifts and he knew that Rice's vampire books had been come really popular. I've never been much of a horror fan, but I was immediately in love with her work. Cry to Heaven became my favorite book ever. I sent a copy to my friend in Germany and she sent me back a copy of Patrick Suskind's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, which then replaced Cry to Heaven as my favorite book. The over the top richness of her prose combined with the historical setting really hooked me.

At this point I haven't read an Anne Rice book in at least 10 years (other than one of the newer books I gave up on), but I've had this biography laying around for at least 20 years and had heard Anne was pretty freaky so I decided to finally give it a try.

It's extremely detailed. It takes each of her books (up to the point of writing) apart dissecting the plot, the characters, what Anne was trying to get across etc... And then it also includes what was going on in her life at the time. Anne was definitely not a follower, that's for sure, and her life was pretty interesting (hopefully it's still interesting). I remember when I bought this book someone telling me that she was "a total freak" and something about sex between her husband and her son. Glad to report that this "gossip" was exactly that. She did write porn novels involving BDSM and she also wrote novels in which older men were in strange relationships with children (like Lolita), AND she was really fascinated by gay men, but according this book, she never really got involved, at least publicly with any of the scandalous sex stuff and there's no mention of her even fantasizing about pedophilia.

I would recommend this for hardcore Anne Rice fans only. I would have been satisfied with half the detailed analysis of the plots, characters etc....… (mer)