"Interview with a Vampire" was and still is, one of the most influential vampire stories ever written, I think it's second behind Bram Stoker's "Dracula" which will always be the king of vampire novels.
When you read this novel, you feel like you know each of the vampires: Lestat, Louis, Claudia, Armand, as well as the others. She writes so beautifully that you start wanting to become a part of their life. You want to become a vampire, and we know they don't exist at all. The book is realistic yet surreal at the same time, in other words, real and not real at once. Ms. Rice takes you to the environment that they are living. You can almost smell the dampness that is in the cellars. You can feel the coldness of the vampires skin. She does an excellent job with her description of her scenes.
In this book, Anne Rice makes you hate her beloved character, Lestat. He really does deserve the title of Brat Prince, which every vampire calls him. And yet, when Claudia and Louis "kill" him, you almost feel sorry for him. It's not until later books that you actually like Lestat, or like I do, love him.
Ms. Rice does a good job in dispelling the myths about vampires. You can't harm them with garlic or crosses or even holy water. To me, those myths sounded a bit odd. With Ms Rice's vampires they seem a little more realistic.
If you don't like sex or have a weak stomach, this book is not for you.