Pandora: New Tales of the Vampires

Sometimes when an author let's a character be an idealized version of themselves, it is poison. Other times it is brilliance, as in Hemingway's work. In my opinion Pandora is brilliance. It's true that anyone who has listened to Anne Rice be interviewed will hear similarities between her and Pandora, but she still manages to give Pandora that measure of independence that sets her apart as a rounded character. Having read some of the negative reviews here, I think some might be morning the less-than-happy ending without judging the beauty of the writing as a whole.Here we have Anne Rice taking chances, rather than a torture soul, we have a vampire who laughs out of something other than malice. In fact, Anne seems to be expertimenting with humor and pulling off like a pro. Of course, Kate Reading's delivery deserves some of the credit, but Anne's writing is in full bloom.Also, the book has just enough independence from the rest of the Vampire Chronicles that it can be appreciated as a fantastic novel in its own right. You don't have to have read 8 other books before this one. Sure there are allusions to The Vampire LeStat and Memnock the Devil, but these are not so lengthy that a reader would feel in the dark about the story.Perhaps, best of all, I really got the feeling that the writer was actually having fun writing it. Often authors suffer for their craft and feel the need to share that suffering with their readers. In Pandora, if there was suffering than it was well hidden. On a personal note I have to admit I bought this unabrdige audio book years ago and listen to it at least twice a year. It is one of the jewel of my collection and I hope after reading this review, Pandora will be one of yours as well.

Wow! I was literally swept off my feet in this entrancing tale. This is Anne Rice at her best. This novel has it all, Romance, Intrigue, and Drama. But best of all, it has History. Oh, how I love history. From Ancient Egypt, to the Roman Empires and Greek Mythology. It is just beautiful. Anne Rice is a great Historical storyteller. She obviously does meticulous research, and she takes her knowledge and spins a mesmerizing tale of olden times, when people lived life, just for the sake of living. She writes of an era, when time was abundant. And it was spent with families and close friends, reading, writing and gaining insight into their life. Expanding their minds with philosophy and poetry and just about anything that was within their grasp. When time really did take a lifetime, and it was savored with all its beauty. Unlike now, with time passing by, faster than we can blink. This is not another novel of a Vampire in Rices collection,this is the story of Pandora. A woman whose mind rivaled that of a scholar, her thirst for knowledge and the meaning of what it is to exist, her main quest in this life. She is a woman who is betrayed, but that will not stop her. She embraces her induction into vampire hood, because this way, she can savor her love of life and feel it all the more. This is an exceptional book. My only regret is that it ends too soon. I would have gladly lived with Pandora for a thousand more pages.

YES, Interview With the Vampire was great, YES, Vampire Lestat was excellent, Queen of the Damned awesome etc... But so is this novel. I've read many of the reviews, and was a little stunned by them, the reason given so often why this book was a disappointment was it wasn't the SAME as the other books. I love Lestat just as much as any die hard Anne Rice fan, but the key to this novel is in the title NEW TALES OF THE VAMPIRES. This novel is really good if you let yourself grasp the idea that it is a story you haven't read before. The details are wonderful and the story is interesting. I found it refreshing after Memnoch the Devil, which by the way Lestat was in.

Although Anne Rice's book Pandora is placed into the category of "The New Vampire Chronicles", many of the main characters in the book were very familiar to me as an old Anne Rice fan.The heroine, Pandora, was mentioned extensively in 'Queen of the Damned', which was Rice's mid-eighties third installment of the original Chronicles. Pandora's lover Marius was a main character in Rice's second Chronicle, 'The Vampire Lestat', as well as making appearances in 'Queen of the Damned'. I would suggest both of these books as appetizers to 'Pandora'.'Pandora' introduces us to many new beings, both human and non-human, as it leads the reader on a journey through ancient Rome, Egypt and Greece.I was completely taken by this book, and must admit that it is probably my favorite of the books that Rice has written so far (just began 'Merrick' today). Rice brings ancient Rome to life in all it's perverted glory. Lovers doomed to darkness, Pandora and Marius, are romantic as well as confounding. The book holds enticing secrets both new and old. Never a dull moment lies within the pages of 'Pandora', and readers both familiar and unfamiliar with Rice's characters should have no problem following along.