Anne Rice: A Portrait of the Author

Perhaps due to an all-too-rare mixture of accurate historical analysis, coupled with an imaginative grasp of mysticism, the works of Anne Rice are revered by millions of people around the world. She draws upon a rich knowledge of history to set very believable scenes in which she breathes life into the most fantastical of characters. And she does so with a subtle matter-of-factness that allows the reader to accept some of the most outlandish premises with ease; Anne Rice is able, with equal authority, to conjure both harbingers of evil and light-bringer messiahs. And instead of merely telling these stories, the reader gets a sense that she is not merely making up tales, but actually channeling these beings, allowing them to speak for themselves.

Over the course of her career, which dates back to the 1970’s, Anne Rice has created some divisions among fans due to her abrupt switch from tales of vampires and witches to controversial, though research-based, stories of Jesus. For many, this change from writing on occult topics to religious ones proved too much to tolerate; she received great deals of both praise and condemnation for placing herself in the center of theological debates.

Background

Anne Rice’s website provides many details about her background. It explains that she was born in New Orleans, a city that served as a prominent setting in many of her novels, with the given name Howard Allen Frances O’Brien; in first grade, she began going by the name “Anne.” Her early years were marked by struggle. Alcoholism and poverty were problems within the family; her mother died when Anne was only 14. Despite a difficult childhood, she was able to eventually complete a university education that included studies in both political science and creative writing. She married her husband, Stan Rice, at age 20. Their first child died at a young age from leukemia; Anne purportedly had a premonition of her daughter’s death through a dream. Her marriage to Stan would last until his death, in 2002; like their daughter, he died of cancer. Stan’s poems were featured in most of her works. Her wavering religious beliefs, perhaps influenced by these events, have been addressed in many public statements she has made throughout the years.


Professional Controversies

Some people have found that her switch from writing about vampires and witches to spinning tales about the most important figure in Christendom was alienating to loyal readers. Many relied on her to continue writing about those occult-based characters upon which she built their loyalty. Others have found her personal demeanor off-putting and offensive during public appearances; in one particular instance, an online debacle created controversy between the author and many now ex-fans. Embracing Catholicism, and then denouncing it also alienated some fans, who were more interested in reading her works than hearing about her personal religious beliefs.

There were also those who publicly criticized some of her works on Amazon.com. She felt that many of these reviews were by people who didn’t even read her works and posted a response on the site. She references this controversy on her own website, also acknowledging that there has been a fake Lestat on the internet and that there is no affiliation between her character and the impersonator. Here statement can be read on this page of her website. Despite all the controversy, her work stands on its own, and many fans continue to read each and every writing she releases, myself included. Here is a list of links to her works.


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