This may be the book that started my vampire mania as a teenage girl. I found Lestat a fascinating character -- capable of cruelty and love, morally ambiguous, and wonderfully fun. I found his story so much more interesting than that of Louis in
Interview With A Vampire, probably because Lestat embraced being a vampire whereas Louis mostly just whined about it. Rice took a horror movie monster and made it beautiful and complex, and this book was my entrance into her world. It was a fun place to be for awhile.