The Witching Hour Book

Average Rating:

Anne Rice is not a master storyteller, but she is a superb descriptor of her characters's moods. She takes full advantage of this and uses it to the extreme, right up to the point where the reader becomes so immerse in the profile of a character that there is a union of identities one cannot escape from. The quality of the writing is entrancing in itself, with lush descriptions of the house at First Street in New Orleans and the harbor in San Francisco. I have to admit when I was reading certain passages I went online and found these places: the Garden District, the Pontchartrain Hotel, the Church of St. Alphonsus, etc. I promised myself a future trip to these cities just to enjoy the sights.

The genealogy of the Mayfair witches must be commended. Very few writers can come up with such an extensive history of a family that doesn't exist, and offers at the same time so much to talk about. It is here also where we encounter one of the first problems of the novel, which is that of a weak plotline. The story of the witches could be applied to anything, and it is becomes too fictitious and overbearing at times. I empathize with one of the reviewers on this page who finds himself dissapointed when the character of Rowan Mayfair "folds" and leaves the novel not just with an open ending but with no ending at all. I also agree with the reviewer who says that after over 1,000 pages of material, the reader deserves a better ending, and should not find himself so crudely set up for a sequel. This makes me think of Ms. Rice as a purely commercial author who cares more about her royalties than about delievering material that could actually fulfill her readers.

I found another drawback in the last scene of the book, at the climax of the story takes place on Christmas Eve. For my taste, there is to much blood, and it becomes gross. I won't say anymore. I think if a reader likes horror there are better stories - and better writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe for instance - that can entertain without making things seem so thick and barbaric. Personally, I prefer the subtle touch; one that makes the imagination work to unprecedented levels.

The story of the Mayfair witches continues in the sequel called "Lasher". I suppose at some point in time I will pick-up a copy and read it. Right now I'm full of it - literally. I cannot imagine what those Vampire Chronicles must be like.