NJ.com has an interview up with Anne Rice in which she talks about various aspects of fantasy including vampires, witches and zombies and the symbolism behind these creatures. Some things that are noteworthy about this interview are her comments about Twilight.  Interestingly, Rice isn’t the one who initiates the discussion about Twilight, the interviewer, Lisa Rose, does:

“Q. It is complicated, which is why I have such mixed feelings about ‘Twilight.’ It’s so sanitized.

A. It’s based on a really silly premise: that immortals would go to high school. It’s a failure of imagination, but at the same time, that silly premise has provided Stephenie Meyer with huge success. It’s almost like a stroke of genius to put vampires in high school. They just graduate over and over again.

Q. I hated high school.

A. Doesn’t everyone? The idea that if you are immortal you would go to high school instead of Katmandu or Paris or Venice, it’s the vampire dumbed down for kids. But it’s worked. It’s successful. It makes kids really happy.”

For the most part, the comment, “it’s the vampire dumbed down for kids”, is the one that people have been harping on.  But the only thing I keep thinking about is that when I first read that part all I thought was, “Vampires aren’t real, so who’s to say how they should or shouldn’t behave or what characteristics they should have.  They are fictional!”  

But then, I continued reading the interview and found that Rice herself states:

 “They’re fantasy characters, and we have to keep reminding ourselves of this. They don’t exist. I get e-mails from people who are outraged that I watch ‘True Blood.’ They say, ‘How can you condone the evil of ‘True Blood.’ ‘ I say, ‘Are you kidding? Vampires aren’t real. Keep that in mind.’ 

After much reading and re-reading of this article it seems as if its the interviewer who has the biggest problem with Twilight because she keeps mentioning it after Rice seemingly is done with the topic.  

In the end,  I believe it all boils down to personal preference.  While one person can be passionate about something, to another person that very thing is revolting or just of no interest to them at all.  So Twilight fans, do what you do best and keep loving the sparkly, high-school-going vamps.  Anne Rice fans, keep chugging along with your fervor for Lestat.   

Go here to read the rest of the interview.  What are your thoughts on this interview?  Have any of y’all read Anne Rice’s vampire books?

Via: Hollywood Crush

Photo Credit: Matthias Scheer at NJ.com