His righteous attempts to redeem himself and his family fail miserably, especially after he falls in love with the vampire Ursula who represents all that is wrong with his world, and yet he still loves her adoringly. He is inherently good, wronged by evil, and condemned himself with revenge on creatures beyond his comprehension other than “demons”. Vittorio’s journey becomes parallel to this. He paints angels and light and beauty, while his personal life is riddled with disaster and evildoing. There is a strong contrast in his personal life and his life as an artist. When he returns home the describing of Fra Filippo’s artwork is painted in such detail it’s impossible as a reader to not imagine it.Īs in the Vampire Armand and his love for Botticelli, we see how Fra Filippo becomes an important set piece in pushing the plot forward. Despite his affection, he leaves and has found a passion and love for art in his teachings in Florence. Vittorio, the young Lord of his lands that have been untouched by war or violence. You almost can feel and smell the Tuscany air. With Rice’s descriptive writing she brings vivid colors and a lost culture alive. Visually, the tale is told with perfect elegance, always with the detail of an accountant and flourish of a poet. Specifically in the hills of the illustrious Tuscany, and a small bit in the streets of Florence. The timeline and location are set in a Renaissance Italy. “I felt ravaged, and with both hands in a fantasy I reached out for her figure as we ran together through the meadow which belonged only to us and to which these others could never be admitted.” Even with my hero, Lestat the Brat Prince, but Vittorio is as clear as dew on morning blades of grass. Other Rice books have had similar themes, but not so blatant as in these two novels and Vittorio. Memnoch the Devil and Christ the Lord: Out Of Egypt were also heavy handed with religious overtones. Anne Rice has always used her writing to explore and express her exploration of religion and faith through entertainment.

Vittorio the Vampire by Anne Rice