thegirlthatgodwrote’s Reviews > The Vampire Lestat > Status Update

It was not the lack of connection that divided the two of them, but rather misunderstanding. Louis did not understand Lestat because he was too caught up in his own egotistical depression to get to know him and consider things from a different perspective, while Lestat also never really talked about anything substantial which just further fueled Louis' misconception of his character.

The beauty of art as a respite from the horrors of existence. This is Lestat's way of coping. In the part where lestat suggests that art is the representation of goodness, I am reminded of Louis' view on aesthetic decisions being moral. If only he knew the depth of Lestat's character and had the privilege of viewing it through that lens, I feel like he would've never dismissed him as uncultured.

I am slowly realizing that there is a huge disparity between Louis' and Lestat's origins. Louis essentially never had to be poor. Meanwhile, Lestat knows what it's like to not have the means to learn things and actually enjoy fine things. It totally makes sense why Louis in his self-absorption merely saw him as a crass and uncultured money-grabbing creature.

Reading the early part of his life makes me realize that maybe one of the reasons why Lestat became as hedonistic as he did is because he was held back from experiencing culture since his childhood. He had so much thirst for all the beautiful things life can provide (art, music, knowledge, etc.) but he was forcefully stuck with having no access to them. So when immortality gave him the chance, he took it.

The first several pages of this book is basically like seeing the end of the century through the eyes of an immortal. We get to discover this new era with him. We get to see it from an outsider's point of view, moreso someone who has lived enough to give a valid comparison of it with bygone eras. It's interesting.