The Vampire Armand - Anne Rice [208]
“Sybelle,” I asked, “would you play it for him? The Appassionata, again, if you would.”
And of course, she did.
THE END
8:12 a.m.
January 6, 1998
Little Christmas
A Conversation with
Anne Rice
author of
THE VAMPIRE ARMAND
Q: One of the vampires in The Vampire Armand lives among humans disguised as a painter. Why did you decide to make him an artist?
A: Marius, Armand’s mentor, did live in sixteenth-century Venice as a painter among mortals. I first mentioned this in Interview with the Vampire. Of course, at that time, I had not delved into the character of Marius. The exploration of Marius came later when, in The Vampire Lestat, he explained to Lestat how he, Marius, enters and withdraws from the human world. At that time in his existence, the late 1700s, Marius thought he would always be living in this rhythm—enjoying a mortal life, then sleeping for a long time, only to emerge to live another seemingly mortal life.
But now, as I reach The Vampire Armand, I have found myself discovering a greater secretive depth to Marius. He does not find immortality as simple as he would like to find it. On the contrary, he has suffered some hideous defeats, and it is the task of Armand in this new novel to describe in detail what happened when Marius was struck down by the evil Roman coven of religious vampires who believed Marius to be profane.
Making Marius a painter probably derives directly from my love of painting, from my obsession with the Renaissance, which I’ve enjoyed since I was a little girl. One of the first books I ever completed was a biography of Leonardo da Vinci. Marius lives right in the heart of sixteenth-century Venice and paints with all the fervor and technique he can muster—only to have his achievements destroyed.
Marius’s ambitions gave me a way of living out my dreams of being a painter myself.
Q: Did you consult with your husband, Stan, an accomplished artist and poet, to help you create this character?
A: No, I didn’t consult Stan in creating Marius. Stan is a continuous influence on my work. His recent paintings have overwhelmed me with their intense use of color, and their violent narratives and images. However, it was decided by me long ago that Marius would be a painter. I wrote of this in the mid 1980s before Stan had devoted himself completely to painting. I think Stan and I share an obsession with painting. But one thing I should note; Stan has taught me more about modern art than any other teacher I’ve ever had. Yet modern art still locks me out. Marius reflects an age that is easier for me to embrace.
Q: The Vampire Armand is the sixth and latest book in the Vampire Chronicles. What led you back to the series?
A: I can’t resist the vampires. In 1976 I had no idea that I would still be in the world of the vampires over twenty years later. But the simple fact is that when I slip into the character of Armand, or Louis, or Lestat, or any of these immortals, I find myself in possession of a crystal-clear lens through which to see my own time, and any lessons I have learned.
Going back to Armand was natural, because he was one of a trio with Louis and Lestat, and though their stories have been told in the first person, Armand has always remained a mysterious and maligned character, estranged from the other two, yet intimately involved.
In earlier books, I allowed myself to be intoxicated by Armand without knowing all the answers to the questions about him as a character. I was enthralled with his beauty and his seeming coldness, as if I had not created him. It was as if he had walked into the book on his own. It’s often this way with me and characters.
I let Armand become brighter and brighter as he hovered in the shadows. Though I was deep into the persona of Lestat when I wrote from Lestat’s point of view,