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 Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2009 10:06 pm
Hi there. I am currently in the midst of rereading The Vampire Armand and was wondering if anyone would be interested in a discussion. Please feel free to bring up your own points, but for starters:
1. Do you think this book can stand alone, or must readers also be familiar with the rest of the VC in order to follow the plotline? For me, I've never read Memnoch the Devil, so some parts didn't quite make sense, and I was only left with Armand's sketchy summaries.
2. Is Armand a sympathetic character? Do the traumas he suffered excuse him from the horrors he caused during his coven days?
3. Was Marius justified in having such an intimate relationship with his Amadeo? As an older and wiser being, should he have let Amadeo live his life as a regular, well-cared-for boy in his palazzo?
4. Was Marius justified in never coming to Armand during his coven days? Did Armand have the power to leave if he so wished?
5. I'm curious as to what someone else thinks about Armand's major character shift. He portrays himself as a spunky, defiant young man, witty and brave beyond belief. Yet in the modern age he is impossibly cold, distant, and downright frightening in his aloofness. Is this believable? Tragic? Understandable? Or does Armand still have the remnants of Andrei and Amadeo within him?
6. Was he capable of ever really loving Louis? Or did he just desperately need him at that juncture in his life?
7. Sybelle and Benji. I don't like them. I find them two-dimensional, unlikeable, not developed, and unnecessary. What say you?
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:40 am
1)I think most of rice's books could stand alone but that reading them all gives more insight into the characters. If you skipped Memnoch, I'd go back and read it. That one is actually my favorite. I do notice that most fans seem to name it as the least favorite (or body theif) and I don't understand why at all. I found Armand to actually be my least favorite book.
(more on that to come)
2)I've always found Armand a bit of a jealous child (at least when it comes to lestat). There is this childish competitive thing between them and I think it stems mostly from Armand. I guess for this reason I just can't find him to be much of a sympathetic character. Most of the characters had some awful things happen to them in their mortal lives (the twins specifically @_@ )
3)You know, this actually made me a bit uncomfortable. I remember reading this book in study hall and getting the feeling that I was reading something not at all suitable for public. It made me uncomfortable a bit because Armand is so young and at that age it really is a matter of the older person taking advantage of a young person. marius had the main paternal role for Armand and to read the sexual bits between the two ...it had this ***** and incestuous overtone that I found very off putting. I just didn't think that she needed to be SO descriptive with that bit. She could have implied it and went on her merry way back to plot land without taking anything away from the book. It was like diving into Rice's Sleeping Beauty book series but with vampires. D: DO NOT WANT
4)In truth, I sometimes have issues wrapping my brain around how Marius acts. I should probably read Blood and Gold (isn't that his back story?) so I can understand his thought process a bit more. To this point I have only seen him through the eyes of other characters.
5)I think of Armand as someone that has grown bitter over the years. I think Lestat washes up a lot of animosity in Armand and Armand (once the prize of Marius, a leader of a coven, a leader of the theater...) seems a bit jealous of everyone's apparent love of Lestat. Think about it, no matter what Lestat does, everyone is concerned and STILL loves him.
6)Part of me actually thinks that Armand's interest in Louis had more to do with wanting to be admired OVER Lestat than Louis himself. As I said though, my view of Armand is kind of that of a child and I see his actions in that way. Armand just needs someone, anyone (as seen by the girl and boy who really are of no great interest) to be devoted to him.
7) Well, if nothing else Sybelle and benji back up my view that Armand just needs someone, anyone around who can be devoted to him and who will need him.
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Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 10:04 am
I love Armand heart I always fall in love with virtuel characters and he is one of them^^
I think Ane Rice should write a second part of this book,because it seems there`s something missing evil
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