"The Witches' Companion" is a very exhaustive encyclopedia of all the terms, characters, locations, and events in the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy (The Witching Hour, Lasher, and Taltos). Everything's included in this mammoth 500+-paged book: maps, illustrations and photos, a Mayfair family tree, bits of Anne Rice information, a chronology of important dates, in-depth character biographies, European and American history--the list goes on.

If you're an Anne Rice fan--and especially if you enjoyed the Mayfair trilogy--, then I highly recommend this official reference guide to her popular witch series. It's definitely worth owning, since it answers every question you've ever had about this trilogy and then some.

Also recommended: Katherine Ramsland's "The Vampire Companion".

Unless you have an excellent photographic memory, you need this book. It straightens out and clarifies all of the family lineage, and gives you more background information on locations, people, and objects. It also gives some much needed info on the Talamasca, which is ever-present in Rice's novels. Buy this if you like reading the Mayfair trilogy.

These books are excellent.Anne Rice is a very believeable writer. The insight into the lives of Lasher and the other Mayfair Witches are spellbounding,I could not put the books down. If you would like to read a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat,and very hard to stop reading at bed time,read the Mayfair Witches chronicles. There needs to be more of them!

Michael Riley takes the reader inside Anne Rice's worlds of reality and fiction through a series of extensive interviews. He's broken the text down into titled sections to emphasize the topic covered in each phase of the dialogue. Rice delves into where her characters and story ideas come from and just how much her life in New Orleans has influenced her work. It's interesting how the influences changed over time. First Lestat was her husband Stan and she was Louis but now she's more like Lestat than Stan. She discusses how her husband's poetry has had a great affect on her own work where certain lines will run through her head as she writes.

This is a good book for writers to read. Rice gives a lot of background on the movie biz and a view into the studio politics that occur when they purchase the rights to make a novel into a movie. The story behind the making of Interview With a Vampire is told in great detail. An interesting fact I learned was that when Hollywood buys the rights to a book any sequels that are written involving the same characters are contractually connected. Therefore the studio has the right to see them before any other studio can look at the books for potential development into movies. Rice also talks about rejection letters and how she dealt with them and provides in site into how the larger New York publishing houses operate. Highly recommended for fans and writers alike!

I just finished reading this book in one sitting. It seems as if you're in the same room as Anne & Michael Riley. He knows exactly what questions her fans want answered. It's refreshing to read Anne's own responses in their entirety without having a reporter interpreting her "meaning". I give this a "9" because the only thing that would have made it better would be if Anne had offered pictures of herself & environment.

This just isn't a biography of Ann Rice, it's as if she's telling you herself all the answers to questions we've all wanted to ask. This is her thoughts on her family, fans, characters, and herself. She shares her opinions freely and openly. I truly developed another view of this remarkable woman after reading this. Michael Riley had a good idea when he decided just to write this in interview form. That's exactly what everyone's been waiting for: 'Interview with Ann Rice'

Photographs taken by old masters of photography,new masters,and amatuer photographers make underworld complete. This book is as safe as you can get to another person in their underwear or lack of without the risks we face,today. Very sexy,innocent,and liberating! Bravo,Kelly...

Underworld is a very nice book, in which you can see pictures taken by the world's most renowned photographers.

Calvin's wife Kelly must share his edge for selling underware and hers is magnificent.A collection of old,new,boy,girl,tops only ,bottoms only,jumping through the air two friends seem to glide in a coming of age.Bawdy women and curious men seem like a midsummer's night dream.

I enjoyed reading the book, and then watching the movie. I think it would have been great if the director of the movie would have included the whole book in the movie. I just wish they make Vampire lestad, and then the whole chronicles.

I love Interview with the vampire, actually its my favorite movie, i have seen it so many times that i can say each line by heart, and from my heart too. People often make me feel as if i were crazy. I say it is just because they will never feel the way i do about it. It entered to my heart and kept in my soul.

I wanted to know more about Anne Rice Vampires books.Lestad the vampire,but I like to read them in spanish ,that's my original language. Mildred Santana

Anne Rice has reached the ultimate boundary of thrills with the vampire chronicles. I felt I was one with the characters. Each page brought forth Anne Rice's imagination on paper. One of the best series of the decade. Diana.J

These 3 books were amazing... a friend on-line pushed me into reading the first, and I eventually borrowed the second and third from my English teacher... I couldn't stop! Lestat, Louis.. they're wonderful characters. Marius, Pandora, the same. But Armand has always been my favourite. Always has, always will. I am absolutely AMAZED at the way Anne Rice writes, and I am drawn to her books like a pencil to paper!

It was great! These books were so wonderfully emotional and dark, I could practically see in my mind's eye Lestat and Louis, and I could feel the strength of the old ones.

If you are an Anne Rice fan this is a must have. Originally signed and numbered up to 850 as well as released on a small scale to comic book retailers. this is also now available for the first time in 11 years on a Book On Tape. This is a short story about a vampire (of course) who dwells in the home of the remaining Rampling family. Mystery and intrigue lead the young Ms. Julie Rampling to this man of darkness who is afraid his home will be torn down. It's a nice tale of Romance and old fashioned Anne Rice. Very rare and a true collector's item who has to read everything by this author.

Loved the book. Glad I found it for less then the price here. 131. used when new it was 6.95???
Do yourself a favor if you are seeking this very hard to find peice by Ms. Rice don't spend so much for it here. It is true it is in limited print and also that it is hard to find, yet I had no trouble purchasing it through another book store, well known and online. I paid Retail price for the book or 6.95
The book fantastic, the price here outragous!

Rice never fails to entice me into buying her books no matter what my financial situation!! I am somewhat biased when singing her praises, she and I are born on the same day, though me a decade or two younger!! I am a collector of her works, she's a true artiste, she takes me to another planet and I love that from an author.

Let me begin by telling you how I was introduced to our brat prince. I saw the movie "Interview with the Vampire" about five years ago. I saw the character of Lestat in the movie and was intrigued by him. He was portrayed as the evil type, and was practically hated in the movie. Of course I love evil people, so after reading the novel "Interview with the Vampire", I immediately went to the novel of "The Vampire Lestat". I fell completely in love with Lestat de Lioncourt. I could feel his pain and happiness, everything was so vividly and beautifully described by our wonderful Anne Rice. So then I picked up the graphic novel, and I fell even more in love with Lestat. The graphic novel is so awesome. But, a word of advice. When you pick up TVL, be sure to pick up the Queen of the Damned novel as well, because where TVL leaves you off and craving for more, QOTD picks up and leaves you satisfied. You had better hurry up and pick up the graphic novel because it will soon become an extreme rareity!

Personally, in reading The Vampire LeStat I found in myself a new understanding of the world at large. I never have been so moved by a book of hopeless dreams. In my estimation this book moves one to dream to become a vampire if only to be looked upon by LeStat himself. This book completely engrosses the reader in the life of one man, a saint, a monster, a soulful creation of evil embodied in a beautiful vessel. I mourn for LeStat, I feel for him, and I join him in his journeys each time I think of the book. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in vampires. Anne Rice creates a brilliant look into the meanings of vampirism and in me has created a level of existence possible for not only immortals, but mortals as well

I'm actually in the middle of reading this book, but Anne Rice has captured me. With her exciting and terrifying tales of what's beyond our comprehension. The Vampire Lestat is the sequel of Interview with the Vampire and tells the story of the vampire who created Louis, the main character in the previous book. I think This sequel is better than the first one. Because I can see the landscapes and situations described so clearly in my head. My mom can't understand what's so great about vampires. I think the freak her out. Well, there's not really anything great about them. They're disgusting. But at the same fascinating. I just think man will always be fascinated by the supernatural. I sure find these vampires intrigueing. They're not like Buffy's vampires, brainless bloodsuckers. They are intelligent and special. Wondering what they are and why they exist. These books also deals with questions about life and death, Heaven and Hell. I can recommend them very much. I'm gonna have to read the rest of her books too. ***** out of ***** stars. Definitely.

I knew about Anne Rice, but I had never read any of her books before. I read Interview With The Vampire, and I couldn't put it down! It's one of the best books I've ever read. Now I'm reading the whole set. It was great!

I found this documentary of vampire life simply enthralling. Anne Rice writes so convincingly that her tales appear to be nothing less than absolute truths. Everything the modern vampire needs to know and understand is here. Unfortunately, I felt that the film of "Interview...", using Tom Cruise as Lestat did not do this literary masterpiece justice. As a film in it's own right, it is amazing, but after reading the rest of the Vampire Chronicles, it becomes blatently obvious that Cruise is unsuitable for the role he attempts to assume. The books are irresistable; impossible to put down. If you have not yet read them............what are you waiting for???

I didn't know Anne Rice untill three weeks ago. I read her book 'Interview with a vampire' and i didn't stop reading untill i read it out. I love the story and the way she wrote it. The story is emotional, and sometimes a bit scary, but always beautiful, just like all of her other books. Anne, we love you!!

This is an in-depth look at Anne Rice's novels from an analytical perspective. Not only did it give me more insight into one of my favorite authors, but it was written in clear-sighted prose by another of my favorite authors.

What a great book. I felt like I was in class taking Anne Rice 101! Great insights on her books especially on "Interview with a vampire". Great reading.

No serious Rice scholar can miss this thoughtful treatise on the novelist's art, life, and oeuvre. Less serious readers will also enjoy the concise, lively prose and clear-headed insights from Crusie, famous on her own for genre-bending novels of love and life. Highly recommended.

I gave this to my wife as a gift before our recent trip to New Orleans, and she carried this book everywhere. While any book like this is a bit out-of-date as soon as it is published, it was still very useful for finding all the sites and giving us good background information. One important note though is that Anne Rice is selling off her doll collection and the orphanage, so there is no longer any tour. That was really a disappointment.

If you're going to New Orleans largely because you're a fan of Anne Rice's Vampire and Mayfair Witches novels, then this is an essential.

I used it on my first trip to New Orleans. It includes self-guided tours of the French Quarter and Garden District that include Vampire Chronicle and Mayfair sites respectively without leaving out the must-see unrelated sites and experiences. The only caveat is that zoo fans should be aware that the Audobon is one of the best in the country.

Three types of sites are covered - those related to Anne Rice herself, those used in - or speculated to have inspired locations in - the books, and those where parts of "Interview" were filmed.

With chapters on guided plantation, swamp and cemetary tours, as well as restaurants and hotels (the last including descriptions of ambviance that helped me considerably in my choice of hotel), you'll have everything you need to plan your trip and not miss anything like the Ursuline convent where Louis found Claudia and the Gardiner House that inspired the home that Lestat, Louis and Claudia shared.

Best of all, Ms. Dickinson wants us all to be careful out there in a city that can become ominous if you go too far off the beaten track sans tour group - especially at night. As she wittily reminds us, we're not all as indestructable as Lestat, and if an area - even one that contains an Anne Rice site - is unsafe, she doesn't hesitate to tell us so. Following her advice, you'll see everything you want to see and get home safe and sound.

Last year, for Christmas 97 we had to go to New Orleans to see my father's family, I was having a a horrible time because of the weather. (We went the year before for Mardi Gras, the weather makes my hair go afro-y; it doesn't help to use your normal hair-care products.) We went to the French Quarter the day we were leaving and pow there was this cool book. I had to get it, I've read all of the Mayfair Witches books. I recommend it to anyone that's ever wondered about where their favorite characters lived.