Queen of the Damned (4½ Stars)

Anne Rice passed away yesterday, at the age of 80. This is the first time that the death of an author has made me sad. She's my favourite author. I read books at random, but there there aren't many authors that I like. In fact, I would only name three: Anne Rice, Michael Moorcock and Clive Barker, in that order.

Starting in 1995, I read all of Anne Rice's books. I began with "Interview with the Vampire", her most famous book, and continued with all her other books as fast as I could buy them. I didn't just read her vampire books, I also read her erotic fiction and her other books; everything that had been published by then. I remember that I drew a flow chart of the relationships that were described in "The Feast of All Saints", which I kept tucked in the book so I wouldn't lose it. But I did lose it. Usually I only mention the CDs that were stolen in 2000 by Thomas Kuzilla of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, but he also stole my books. He took everything that I had while I was in hospital, unable to defend myself. I'm glad that he's now dead. The world is a better place without him.

My favourite novel was "Queen of the Damned", with "The Witching Hour" coming in as a close second. I was excited when I heard that "Queen of the Damned" was going to be adapted as a film, even though I'd been disappointed with the film version of "Interview with the Vampire". My initial opinion after seeing "Queen of the Damned" in the cinema was negative, because it omitted most of the book and mixed up the characters Magnus and Marius. When I bought it on DVD I appreciated it more as a film in its own right. It's easier to enjoy if it isn't compared with the book.

"Queen of the Damned" has the best soundtrack of any film I've ever watched. I even bought the soundtrack album a few years ago. Today was the first time that I realised that some of the songs in the film are different versions to what's on the soundtrack CD. It was obvious to me, because I've listened to the CD a lot, much more often than I've watched the film. Wikipedia confirms that five of the songs were re-recorded for the soundtrack CD.

After 2000 I stopped reading Anne Rice's books. It was the trauma of having everything stolen. Now I should buy the books that she's written over the last 21 years, the Kindle versions, of course. I looked through her bibliography after reading various obituaries today. I only found out today that she's written two sequels to "The Mummy", a 1989 novel that not many of her fans know; or at least, they didn't know it before she wrote the sequels. It was her only book that I bought second hand, because it was out of print when I bought all her books in the late 1990's. I consider it to be one of her best books, even though it's written in a simpler style than her other books. For years I've been saying that it should be adapted for film. Maybe that will happen soon.

To be honest, Anne Rice's books are more suitable for adaptation as television series than as films. None of her books can be done justice by a 90-minute film. That's my biggest complaint with "Queen of the Damned": it's too short. If it had been stretched to three hours it would have been better, but even three hours wouldn't be enough. If George R. R. Martin's books could be adapted for television, so can Anne Rice's books. It's just a matter of getting a good screenwriter, a big budget and a cast of skilled actors. And it's important to cast big-busted actresses for the adaptation of the Mayfair Witches trilogy, because breast size is frequently mentioned in the books. "Big breasts are power". That's a quote that I'll never forget.

Now Anne Rice has gone. I hope the news of her death will inspire a new generation of readers to read her books. They deserve to be read. She was the greatest Gothic writer of the last 50 years.

Anne Rice
October 4, 1941 – December 11, 2021

Success Rate:  - 0.7

	Order from Amazon.com
	Order from Amazon.co.uk
	Order from Amazon.de