Interview with the Vampire: Anniversary edition (The vampire chronicles)

Amazon.com

In the now-classic novel Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice refreshed the archetypal vampire myth for a late-20th-century audience. The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris. But a summary of this story bypasses the central attractions of the novel. First and foremost, the method Rice chose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to a skeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into a highly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure. Second, by entering the experience of an immortal character, one raised with a deep Catholic faith, Rice was able to explore profound philosophical concerns--the nature of evil, the reality of death, and the limits of human perception--in ways not possible from the perspective of a more finite narrator.

While Rice has continued to investigate history, faith, and philosophy in subsequent Vampire novels (including The Vampire Lestat, The Queen of the Damned, The Tale of the Body Thief, Memnoch the Devil, and The Vampire Armand), Interview remains a treasured masterpiece. It is that rare work that blends a childlike fascination for the supernatural with a profound vision of the human condition. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

The time is now.

We are in a small room with the vampire, face to face, as he speaks--as he pours out the hypnotic, shocking, moving, and erotically charged confessions of his first two hundred years as one of the living dead. . .

He speaks quietly, plainly, even gently . . . carrying us back to the night when he departed human existence as heir--young, romantic, cultivated--to a great Louisiana plantation, and was inducted by the radiant and sinister Lestat into the other, the "endless," life . . . learning first to sustain himself on the blood of cocks and rats caught in the raffish streets of New Orleans, then on the blood of human beings . . . to the years when, moving away from his final human ties under the tutelage of the hated yet necessary Lestat, he gradually embraces the habits, hungers, feelings of vampirism: the detachment, the hardened will, the "superior" sensual pleasures.

He carries us back to the crucial moment in a dark New Orleans street when he finds the exquisite lost young child Claudia, wanting not to hurt but to comfort her, struggling against the last residue of human feeling within him . . .

We see how Claudia in turn is made a vampire--all her passion and intelligence trapped forever in the body of a small child--and how they arrive at their passionate and dangerous alliance, their French Quarter life of opulence: delicate Grecian statues, Chinese vases, crystal chandeliers, a butler, a maid, a stone nymph in the hidden garden court . . . night curving into night with their vampire senses heightened to the beauty of the world, thirsting for the beauty of death--a constant stream of vulnerable strangers awaiting them below . . .

We see them joined against the envious, dangerous Lestat, embarking on a perilous search across Europe for others like themselves, desperate to discover the world they belong to, the ways of survival, to know what they are and why, where they came from, what their future can be . . .

We follow them across Austria and Transylvania, encountering their kind in forms beyond their wildest imagining . . . to Paris, where footsteps behind them, in exact rhythm with their own, steer them to the doors of the Théâtre des Vampires--the beautiful, lewd, and febrile mime theatre whose posters of penny-dreadful vampires at once mask and reveal the horror within . . . to their meeting with the eerily magnetic Armand, who brings them, at last, into intimacy with a whole brilliant and decadent society of vampires, an intimacy that becomes sudden terror when they are compelled to confront what they have feared and fled . . .

In its unceasing flow of spellbinding storytelling, of danger and flight, of loyalty and treachery, Interview with the Vampire bears witness of a literary imagination of the first order.

Customer Reviews:

an amazing vampire history book.......2007-09-05

this is a beautifully written vampire book. its very atmospheric. everything was great. the only thing i wowld change is that there is a part near the middle-end of the book where louis the vamp dosent talk to or acknowledge the boy he is talking to for like 80 pages...

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

I can remember reading that one as an 8 year old, having scored it as a cheap 50c paperback from Woolworths, and very late at night, it was so lush and atmospheric, that it started to slightly convince you vampires were real, and that you wanted to go talk to the interviewer.

The Great Modern Vampire Novel.......2007-08-22

I will keep my review of INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE short, since I have very little to add to the many other fine reviews that have been posted already.

I really enjoyed INTERVIEW, but I will say that it's not a traditional "scary" horror novel. This is also not a fast-paced book with a lot of action and adventure. Instead, Rice concentrates much more energy on the psychological state of Louis, the central vampire character. She does a truly brilliant job of conveying to the reader a sense of Louis's moral anguish, as he is forced to deal with his immortality and the violent day-to-day reality of a vampire's lifestyle.

More than any other novel I've read, INTERVIEW explains what a vampire's life might really be like. It's a work of great psychological and emotional depth. Louis is not an easy character to spend time with, but I really felt a great deal of empathy for him.

Rice writes in a rather florid style, but she's very skilled in re-creating 18th and 19th century New Orleans. If you like books that create a vivid sense of place and time, INTERVIEW is a fine choice for that also.

Overall, I really loved INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, although I will admit that it's not for everyone. But I think anyone interested in the Vampire mythos should definitely give this novel a try, since it is a classic of the genre.

A beginning that never ends!.......2007-07-31

I'll be honest, I saw the movie long before I was able to get my hands on the novel. Since then, both have become all-time favorites in my mind and nothing has topped them.

I have always been a fan of a good novel from time to time, but nothing prepared me for the journey that I took upon reading the first installment of The Vampire Chronicles! Instead of comparing the similarities or differences between the novel and the movie, I found myself completely immersed in the novel for what it truly is, an epic work of craftsmanship that will leave you spellbound.

The story itself is told from the point of view of Louie, who throughout the chronicles, remains the most human of all the vampires. The interview, is his story. How he became a lost soul with "The Dark Gift" and how he still feels remorse for those he kills. Louie (instead of embracing the gift) still suffers from lonliness and unanswered questions of who and what he has become! His only companion is the man who made him, Lestat!

Enter, the character of Claudia. Perhaps the most compelling and saddening chracter of the novel. Claudia is just a child when she is made into a vampire, and outgrows her memories of her "real" childhood! She is the true sufferer, as her innocense is lost, but her life, never ends!

I could go on, but I think you should purchase this novel instead. Anne Rice has a way of writing that will have you hooked from the very beginning. It all starts with this novel, and there are many others that follow! You will find yourself part of this world, and not want to get out!

Anne Rice Not only Rescued, but Ressurrected, the Vampire for All of Us.......2007-07-20

Interview with the Vampire is the first and best of Anne Rice's vampire chronicles. In it, a two hundred year old vampire recounts his early years after the light, and through his voice, the reader rides a wave of nightmarish delights, a soul-tempting excursion into evil. There's a quality about the dream Rice weaves; we can't tell if it's a good dream or a bad one, and whether we feel anger, pity,revulsion, dread, or envy towards the undead.

Rice does not conjure the absolute, linear horror of Stoker's Dracula, and she doesn't try to. She makes the reader complicit in the sin of the vampire by making it a thing of terrible beauty. Nor is it especially "hip" to be a vampire, at least not in the sense of "The Lost Boys" movie--her vampires are sophisticates, not prom kings, high society, not rock stars (at least not in this volume). "Interview" gives a whole new literal (and literary) meaning to the phrase "Eat the rich." Or perhaps we should say ... drink?

New vampire authors like myself owe Anne Rice for resurrecting a virtually dead subgenre. Vampire pop culture is everywhere today, the promise of the eternal night to tempt the darkened fantasies of guilty readers worldwide.

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire book, "Teeth: a Horror Fantasy".

Interview with the Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition

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Interview with the Vampire 20th Anniversary Edition
Anne Rice
Manufacturer: Alfred a Knopf Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IUB0XI

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Hot in the City: Sin City

Indulge your fantasies in Sin City..

Sin City is calling your name!

Sin City Sizzles...

Great City & Great Story
Hot in the City 2: Sin City
Lacey Alexander
Manufacturer: Ellora's Cave
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1419951696

Book Description

From the author who brought you the blazingly hot French Quarter comes the sequel, Sin City…

Diana Marsh is trying to change her wicked ways and be the good girl her family has always wished for. But when a business trip takes her to Las Vegas and straight into the arms of Marc Davenport, a man she's been flirting with via e-mail and phone for months, all bets are off. The city's aura of sin lures Diana immediately—she decides to seize her last chance to let all her inhibitions go, and Marc is just the sexy man to do it with.

Customer Reviews:

Hot in the City: Sin City.......2006-07-25

Book arrived in a timely manner and great condition.

Indulge your fantasies in Sin City.........2005-06-29

This is the 2nd book in Alexander's Hot In The City trilogy, and at first I thought Ms. Alexander was going to tell Lynda's story, who appeared in French Quarter as Liz Marsh's supportive friend. But instead she writes about Liz's sister Diana, the wildest of the Marsh girls. Maybe someday Lynda will get her own story.

Diana has been flirting long-distrance with colleague Marc Davenport for months, but she's actually trying to tame her bad girl ways and settle down, maybe even get married. A business trip to Las Vegas gives her the opportunity to have her last fling before accepting the marriage proposal of a man her family approves of, as well as explore the fascination her and Marc have for each other after several months of trading phone calls and emails. Diana figures this is one place she can really let loose and give into her true nature with a man who shares her naughty sense of adventure and not judge her for it but rather indulge her every outrageous fantasy, as well as several of his own. Almost right from the start the sex is non-stop and wild. On their first night together after they meet, they share a wild ride in a limo, and that opens the doors to some very wild sexual encounters, many involving other people.

While I did find this story very sexy, I would have much preferred that the characters have a strong emotional connection that is evident from the start, and I just didn't get that. I couldn't help but be a little turned off by Diana's and Marc's first time together - which was spent with two of his friends who "enjoyed" Diana a little themselves. Not that there is a problem with that because it is a very exciting fantasy - it just felt like something was missing. This continues in various scenarios with other people until finally you wish it was just the two of them spending time together. I did feel a little like Diana's wild-child personality was the excuse to explore some of the more shocking multiple-partner encounters. It wasn't until near the end that I could feel that there was something going on between Marc and Diana besides the sex. True it was evident that they liked each other way before they met, but it seemed like it would have been very easy for either of them to walk away at any time.

If you loved "French Quarter" like I did, you may be disappointed that Sin City doesn't have the same romantic longing between the two characters which worked so well in FQ. Don't get me wrong: the sex is unbelievably hot and the sense of the forbidden heats up the story, but I would rather read an erotic romance than just plain erotica. Still, Ms. Alexander is a talented writer and I would definitely continue to read her stories.

Many strong sexual themes are explored here, including menais a trois, same-sex, mild submission and domination, and voyeurism and may not be suitable for all readers, so if you pick this one up, be ready for some blistering hot sex scenes not found in your traditional romance novel.

Sin City is calling your name!.......2005-06-15

This blisteringly hot erotic story will have you summoning your local fire department to contain the blazing inferno of lust that "Sin City" by Lacey Alexander will ignite.

Marc Davenport is a cocksure, sweet and sexy, alpha bad boy with a delicious body and intelligent mind. He has learned to embrace his inner, and outer, bad boy, but he never would have thought he'd find someone that would accept that part of him, much less love it. Now all he has to do is convince Diana that it's okay for her to embrace her naughty-by-nature ways as well.

Smart and sexy Diana Marsh has always been the audaciously brazen bad girl in the family. Instead of embracing her naughty nature, she decides she wants to please her parents for once, and changes her wicked ways. She almost convinces herself that she has defied nature by starting a career, buying a house, and dating the perfect man that her mother picked out for her. Well, he would be the perfect man if she truly was the good girl she was trying to be. Despite Diana's best efforts to change her wicked ways, she soon realizes that in "Sin City" her self-restrained bad girl is much like molten lava that boils at the surface of a volcano just waiting for that perfect moment to erupt.

If you are looking for white-hot eroticism, then look no further. "Sin City" by Lacey Alexander, the second in the "Hot in the City" trilogy, tells the story of two erotically ardent characters who were born to be bad. Explore "Sin City" with them; vicariously experience their venturesome sexuality and their realized dreams of having their naughty natures embraced by the other. From start to finish, this one will have your blood boiling, and you're A/C running non-stop, and long after if you're anything like me. I think it's a good possibility that sometime in the future we'll be hearing about Adrianna's story. Oh and I'm sure Ms. Alexander could never forget Carter... I'm just salivating over the possibility of hearing his story. Next up is Carrie (the third Marsh sister) and Chris's story.

Sin City Sizzles..........2005-05-31

Diana wants a last bad girl fling before getting married. While on assignment in Las Vegas, her co-worker, Marc grants her wish. The chemistry between these two just sizzles. Las Vegas also known as Sin City was the perfect backdrop for this story! I enjoyed this story.

Great City & Great Story.......2005-05-26

This was a great way to tour Las Vegas without ever leaving my house. Ms. Alexander makes the city come alive along with the hot steamy romance. I would recommend this book to anybody who loves great romances.

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The Invisibles, Book 6: Kissing Mister Quimper

Mister Quimper and the Lords of Intrusion...

Morrison has a great talent for endings

Good stuff

Better Than Preacher, Better Than Transmet...

Kissing Mister Quimper (The Invisibles, Book 6)
Grant Morrison
Manufacturer: Vertigo
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1563896001

Book Description

This fourth volume of The Invisibles series finds the Invisibles traveling through time distortions, breaking into secret government installations, and delving into their own twisted pasts. Only then will they learn the truth about the mind-controlling dwarf called Quimper and come one step closer to the ultimate secrets of the millennium. Suggested for mature readers.

Customer Reviews:

The Invisibles, Book 6: Kissing Mister Quimper .......2005-04-30

"Kissing Mister Quimper" is my favorite book in the Invisibles series, and in many ways I'd say it's the perfect introduction to creator/writer Grant Morrison's vision: it's chock-full of mysticism, fringe science, bizarre events, and Grade-A ultraviolence. Unfortunately, since it collects the final issues of Volume 2, most of it would be nonsensical to someone who hasn't read the preceding five trade paperback collections. So for that reason alone I can't recommend this book as a great starting place for those interested in jumping on the Invisibles train.

Events pick up directly after those in Book 5: our favorite Invisibles cell, having "rescued" Boy from the deprogramming methods of another Invisibles cell, is currently regrouping in New Orleans. While Lord Fanny, Jack, and Boy dance at a club and hook up with strangers and one another, King Mob and Ragged Robin head to Philadelphia. There King Mob wants to finally figure out what happened to John A'Dreams, a former member of the cell who disappeared in 1992. Mob last saw John in a Philadelphia church, where Archons had seemingly activated the Hand of Glory and corrupted the local timestream. Now King Mob is convinced John "went over" to the other side; soon after entering the dank bowels of the church, he's also convinced John is coming after them. What starts off as a horror/action scenario quickly takes a more paranoiac bent, as we learn that King Mob and Robin are really at the mercy of a "virtual assassin," an enemy device that preys on its target's nervous system.

"Black Science II" is the second arc, and it's one of my favorites. A sequel to Volume 2's opening storyline (collected in Book 4: "Bloody Hell in America"), it features King Mob's cell reunited with fan-favorites Jolly Roger and Jim Crow, as they once again take on the US Army. The first "Black Science" arc was a big-budget action film with an NC-17 rating; all technicolor blood, guts, and mayhem. The sequel starts off similarly, but veers into metaphysics; not only paralleling Morrison's storytelling in Volume 1, but also foreshadowing that of Volume 3. This arc also throws a huge spanner in the works: we've long known Ragged Robin's from the future, but here we also learn she's also apparently writing the story the Invisibles find themselves in. This metatextual conceit, though initially befuddling, is something Morrison plays out in Volume 3. But "Black Science II" isn't all metaphysics, as it features a healthy dose of action, violence, and reversals (i.e. Lord Fanny's surprise entrance in the military base).

The book concludes with two stories that wrap up Volume 2, leading the way into the more surreal Volume 3. The first story, "All Tomorrow's Parties," is one of the best in the series. A time-fractured tale in which Ragged Robin returns to the future, it's similar in many ways to Volume 1's incredible "Best Man Fall" (which is collected in Book 2: "Apocalipstick"). "All Tomorrow's Parties" takes the series into areas it's never gone before, as even King Mob begins to wonder how much of what he's experienced is reality, and how much is the product of Robin's imagination. The story ends with a haunting scene right out of "2001: A Space Odyssey." The final issue, "The Tower," concludes with the present-day Invisibles regrouping after losing two members: Robin's returned to 2012, and Boy decides to retire from the fray.

Previously I stated that Phil Jimenez was the closest this series ever got to a permanent artist, but Chris Weston could just as easily make that claim. He provides all the art for this book, and also penciled several fill-in issues in earlier books. Weston's art is similar to Jimenez's (or vice versa), only Weston's is a bit more skewed, a bit more surreal. This nicely complements Morrison's writing; whereas part of Jimenez's appeal was that he so realistically depicted Morrison's outrageous events, Weston gives us realism mixed with a dash of the bizarre. His artwork here is superb, especially in the "Black Science II" arc; it's no wonder Morrison later tapped him to provide artwork for his "The Filth" maxi-series.

Volume 2 of the series was (and still is) hotly debated by fans; some thought it was genius, others complained it was "watered down." I've always felt it was the best of the Invisibles. Not only did it have the most consistent artwork, but it was also the most thematically pleasing (one example: Volume 2 opens and ends with King Mob standing in millionaire Invisible Mason Lang's lawn, holding a gun). Ironically, Volume 3 is just as debated, though for different reasons - you won't find many people who claim Volume 3 was "watered down!" However, I heartily encourage anyone who has made it this far into Morrison's twisted vision to pick up Book 7: "The Invisible Kingdom," and hang onto this wild ride until the very end.

Mister Quimper and the Lords of Intrusion..........2003-11-26

The idea of the entire Invisibles series seems to be Chaos vs. Order. You would think order is better than chaos right? Well, according to this series, Order is the worst possible thing bar none next to the apocalypse. Why? Well, for instance, say you walk into a coffee shop, and when you get up to the counter the person hands you a cup of coffee and says: "that's $1.50" or whatever. Now, you didn't even ask for the coffee yet, and you like it a certain way, right? You want a half-caff latte, Or a black mocha, or just a regular, yes? Well, instead you get this unknown cup of coffee, that costs a certain amount and you dont get to know what's in there and you just drink it. You drink it not because the universe is chaotic, but because the universe is ORDERED. Everything is in the right place, but unfortunately, humanity and all its wonderful variation is not factored into the equation. This is a simplistic way of looking at the complexity of a series like Grant Morrison's Invisibles, but I hope I am on the right track.
The order that Quimper and his masters represent is a totalitarian order where your mind is literally controlled by another. Choice is non-existent. All is lost, and nothing can save you.
The chaos The Invisibles represent is that you have every choice imaginable before you (except sometimes you don't), All appears lost (but probably is not), and you get by with a little help from your friends (always a good thing).
I tried not to give too much away of this series while trying to convey the sense of boundless creativity contained in this volume (and all volumes) of the Invisibles. It is truly a masterwork of graphic storytelling and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Morrison has a great talent for endings.......2003-03-13

Book 6: Kissing Mr. Quimper is a page turner, that's for sure. Grant Morrison has a real talent for ending his major story arcs, and this book, ending Volume two of the series, is no exception.

There are a lot of twists and turns and the story benefits greatly from it. A number of loose ends are tied up and really shows another talent of Morrison as a storyteller. The Invisibles, through most of the previous series, seemed to be messy and out of control, but he reigns it all in and begins to form the whole picture for us.

The last issue is a real testament to the creativity of Morrison. I admit, the added violence in Volume two was surprising, but in the end it all seems to be part of a much bigger plan.

This book has it all and the increased clarity makes the previous stories more enjoyable. There is a real sense of closure in the end.

Isn't it exciting to know there are 12 more issues to read?

Good stuff.......2001-10-27

What can I say? The man delivers. He mixes everything and does it with talent most of the time. Morrisson is good and getting better. He is still far from Moore... but then... everybody is. The Invisibles is one of the best series ever, up there with the Sandman, Cerebus and all the other good stuff!!!

Better Than Preacher, Better Than Transmet..........2001-09-09

This is the near-final and second-best segment of what is possibly the most brilliant, innovative and headache inducing comic book series ever. Grant Morrison's mind is a dark and sticky wonderland, and we should all buy this book and read it and thank him for splitting his head open to give it to us.

_The Invisibles_ rivals _From Hell_ as a work which capture magic in words and pictures. While the series finale, _Countdown to the Millennium_ (as yet unreleased) is the best --it's a drug in comic book form--the entire series should be read with reckless joy, and the continuing hope that Grant Morrison will soon abandon Marvel and start writing things that matter again.

That being anarchist agitprop, of course.

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This book is great

The Good Book

There's good and bad to be found in this book...

Truly for idiots

A New Door To Explore

Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, 2E (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
Denise Zimmermann , and Katherine A. Gleason
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Wicca | Earth-Based Religions | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Paganism

ASIN: 1592571115
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Book Description

A revised edition, updated with magickal concentration exercises, magickal ethics, expanded coverage of Wicca and its deities, and loads of new spells and recipes.

€ With the integration of witchcraft into pop culture (e.g. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charmed on TV) interest in these topics is going ever more mainstream € According to FoxNews.com, Wicca is growing on college campuses...Lehigh and the University

Download Description

This guide offers a beginner's look at the history of paganism, Wicca, and witchcraft, from the Druids and Celts to the witches of today who practice an earth-based religion, cast spells, and perform natural magic. The book, written by a practicing witch, reveals details of the witches' Sabbaths, ceremonies, and altars.

Customer Reviews:

This book is great.......2007-09-04

This is a fantastic book for anyone looking for an easy to understand resource on Wicce.

The Good Book.......2007-08-31

Books are important and help define a religion or practice: This book is different.

In my opinion there are three kinds of Magick books: Historical, Social, Practical. There are three types of Magick books: Beginner, Skilled, Expert. We have all seen examples of each of these magick books.

This book is different somehow.

Ceremonial, LaVey, Crowley, Santeria, Hoodoo and Palo as a subject are omitted obviously.

It is not The Book of Ceremonial Magic, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Magick, The Magus, The Key of Solomon the King: Clavicula Salomonis, The Secret Lore of Magic: Books of the Sorcerers, The Black Arts, 777, Astrological Magic, Magickal Formulary Spellbook, Book of Results, How To Use The Powers Of Darkness and finally, The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells.

No, it is NOT any of these (and why should it?) though it "relates" to some. For example: The Planetary Hours comes to mind.

It is clearly from many sources but that is good. It "explains," integrates and places into context a lot of diverse material into a simple idea.

As the title states it is the: Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft.

This is a good book for anyone. If you are new, it can start you off. If you are experienced, it can show you some AH-HAs (revelations). If you are a Christian and want to learn about those "witch people" it is good for you too. Yes, it leans on and is in the context of Wicca but you see the Witchcraft in it.

It was a good book. I liked it. I refer to it often. It is not just another junk book on my bookshelf. I understand that if they made it the way I wanted it to be, it would be 2000 pages long. That is not the point of the book. The point of the book is to SHOW in a short time the subject matter in an understandable way. I wish 20 years ago I would have had this book.

There's good and bad to be found in this book..........2007-06-19

This book contains something on a lot of things you need to know - things you don't even hear about from Silver RavenWolf. It's a Northern Hemisphere book (I'm in Australia), but quite informative and also quite detailed in some areas. You'll learn a bit about the God and Goddess (more about the Goddess, as usual) esbats, sabbats, basic ritual, ways to work magick and correspondences. A book for anyone starting out - it's a decent overview, and it will tell you (quite basically) what a Witch is and what it means to be one. This is not, however, a suitable first book for absolutely new beginners. This was my third book (I think), and I wouldn't have 'grasped' what it says (or, more importantly, realised what it doesn't say) if I had read it earlier - granted, I started out with Silver RavenWolf's 'Teen Witch'. This is a book you read *after* something like Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (by Scott Cunningham). There is a bit of detail about what you should and shouldn't do, but it doesn't deal with the deeper, more religious aspects of the Craft - if you want to learn about that, you'll need to look elsewhere. There are also, unfortunately, some inaccuracies in the book - the first of them is the picture of "Venus of Willendorf" on page 12. This is actually the Venus de Milo, which looks nothing like the Venus of Willendorf. This, I think, is the book you find just before you 'plateau' - when you know the basics and you need something deeper than Silver RavenWolf. After reading this, you'll move on up to Starhawk and Vivianne Crowley and co.

Truly for idiots.......2007-06-12

Unfortunately this book is spotty, misinformed and sloppily researched. It may be a guide to some aspects of Wicca, but by no stretch of the imagination is it a guide to Witchcraft, either ancient or modern.

The failings are too numerous to mention, but in short this is a misleading title for a disappointing book, and unfortunately it does a disservice to the usually surprisingly competant and well researched series of "Complete Idiot's Guides".

A New Door To Explore.......2007-04-26

When I first noticed that Wicca and Witchcraft had "Dummies" and "Idiot's" guides, I laughed. Idiot's Guide... right, that's going to be reliable. Then I had a rather disturbing thought... should Idiots really be practicing? Sure, some will go the way of fluff and do nothing more than look foolish, but if enough energy were improperly invested in spellcraft? I shudder to think. But mostly, I laughed.
Well kids, the opportunity came to acquire this book at no cost, so I jumped on it to satisfy my underlying curiosity. Just what can an Idiot's Guide offer? I was quite pleased to find that it offered quite a bit. So pleased, in fact, that I shared it with my mother as her introduction to Wicca. For the record, she's enjoying it!

This book touches on a wide scope of information that is essential to the beginning Wiccan from rede to ritual, and how it all ties in to personal responsibility and civic duty. The basic tables of correspondences are helpful, as is the section on astrology. I am most definitely an idiot when it comes to astrology... it's always been Greek to me, but the authors' simple and straightforward style cleared up a lot of my confusion. Kudos!

The information itself is a pro. More good points? This book does not neglect the God. Too many books on Wicca seem to forget that the God is just as important to the religion as the Goddess, as a sort of backlash against Christianity and other religions headlined by the masculine divine.

Another good point that I think too many other books miss, is the encouragement to find a coven, or at least open-ended groups. Admittedly, it is sometimes most practical to work as a solitary, but it mostly just seems *popular* these days. It grates my nerves. Don't just resign to being a solitary without seeking the resources first, because you really can learn more in a group than you can from just reading books all by your lonesome.

Now, I do have my complaints about the book. The organization is awful. There are too many instances of "this will be explained in greater detail in a later chapter", explaining just enough to pique your curiosity and look ahead for the details. Such jumps and skips can turn a simple guidebook into a confusing mess if you let it. If you're a beginner, you should have tightly grouped and linear lessons, not an informational buffet for grazing.

Secondly, I've never agreed with the idea that someone must ALWAYS ask for permission to do a spell for the benefit of another person. You are not trampling on anyone's free will by healing or protecting them. You're not trampling on their free will to bring them abundance in whatever their known need is. It's a common theme in beginning Wicca books, and one that I would love to see ousted.

Finally, another gripe is the constant suggestions to go to your local new age shop or classes for more information on X-Subject and networking. It is mentioned so casually that one might believe shops are easy to come by, and that just isn't the case in rural areas. Besides availability, there is no telling if your local shop has a very knowledgeable staff, so you run a risk of getting a lot of "I don't know"s or outright misinformation.

This book loses its usefulness if you've read a handful of books on Wicca already. If this is you, feel free to pass this one by. However, if you've only just heard of Wicca and haven't the foggiest idea what it is or where to begin, I can honestly say that I would recommend this book to you. It provides a good foundation to build on, giving you ideas as to what subject you might want to look at next to expand your knowledge and enhance your craft. Even if you're not planning on being Wiccan or practicing Witchcraft, this will give you just enough knowledge to know what your Wiccan child or co-worker believes. They're quite sane, honest.

As a complete be-all and end-all guide on Wicca, The Complete Idiot's Guide hardly registers. However, *for what it is*, it is an excellent text.

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