Warning: Spoilers ahead up to TotBT
People always ask me what I like Lestat (and the VampChron) so much. He is, after all, only a fictional character. Still, I've known him longer than any one of my current friends. Scary, huh? I grew up with Lestat. My devotion stems from half a lifetime of always having him around. No matter what changes, Lestat and Company are a constant. If you want to travel in the depths of insanity even more, just read on:
When I read Interview with the Vampire, I was 10 and in sixth grade. As I entered a new world of middle school, and tried to cope with all the new people and classes and ways of life, Louis became a vampire and struggled with his own new world. As I got into rock music, Lestat became a rock star. When both my grandparents died in 7th grade, Lestat had to face Claudia's death and the death of his own dream in Tale of the Body Thief. In 9th grade, as I entered the Gates of Hell, so did Lestat. (Although my hell was High School; Lestat's was the more literal kind.) Most recently, as I've been rapidly maturing and growing up, I read Merrick, and the vampires themselves are also adapting more to their lives. (Although Louis was slightly out of character--I think that's due to David's narration.)
I tend to lose friends left and right, which is as much my own fault as my friends'. While I've gotten better at dealing with other people in the real world, the Vampires were there when I wasn't so good at it. No matter how lonely or sad or happy I was, I could always pull a book off of my Anne Rice shelf and have someone who could relate. Not only has that literally saved me from suicide, but it's been something to think about. When went through periods of having no friends, I could always turn to the Vampires.
The thing about Lestat himself is that he's the person I wish I could be. I think may VampChron fans feel that way. He's rebellous, unafraid, adventurous, and even confindent (some call it "egotistical"). Not to mention the fact that he's gorgeous, has a dear friend like Louis, and a good sense of humor. Reading about him has helped me make myself a better person. Lestat learned to accept himself as he is, which is a lesson I'm still learning. He's stubborn and can be pretty cruel to his friends--but only because he loves them. I can truly relate to that. There's also Louis, whom I also adore. Louis is depressed, mournful, and kind. He only wants to be happy but will never allow himself to be--that's how a lot of people are, myself included.
Also, around the age of 12 or 13, I got the internet. I found the Vampire Lestat message board and got to talk to other real people who had many things in common. We all loved the vampires, though some of us liked vampires the others didn't (ahem, I still dislike David). But there was more than that. We all had (or had had) similiar problems. We shared our lives and became very good friends, though I only ended up meeting one of those people in person.
So if you ask me why I love Lestat, I'll probably tell you because he's so cool. Still, there's so much more to it than that.