Anne Rice is unabashed in her ambition to weave stories that transcend mere entertainment. Her books brim with philosophical musings and theories, ranging from alienation to the spirit of the age, often enveloping the storyline in a cloak of ideas.

Her perspective on religion and its frequently harmful impact on both society and individuals winds through nearly every chapter like an intricate thread. Her unconventional characters—vampires, mummies, witches—embody her fascination with the social outcast. They mirror her belief that those daring enough to question mainstream religion might find themselves as alienated from human society as her otherworldly creations.

Discussion Points

1. What parallels and distinctions can be drawn between Lestat's renunciation of Christianity and Rice's own departure from Catholicism?

2. How does the disintegration of the vampire covens parallel the erosion of traditional religious structures?

3. At one point, Lestat declares that the twentieth century marked an era where "the value of human life was greater than it had ever been before." How can this be interpreted? In light of current social and political landscapes, do you concur or differ?

4. Is Lestat speaking with irony or ignorance when he claims that by the 1980s, "murderers to feed upon were scarce...the common cutthroat thieves of the past and their dangerous waterfront hangouts were almost gone?"

5. "Mortals will accept almost any 'natural explanation' offered" for supernatural events "rather than the obvious supernatural one, for what is going on." How does Rice illustrate this tendency in her mortal characters? And how accurate is this portrayal in reality?

6. Rice delineates five rules of conduct, or central laws of vampirism, which share much with the behavioral codes of any civilized society. Discuss the resemblances and differences you perceive between these and the rules of an organization you are familiar with.