Categories: Books

Memnoch the Devil – an In-depth Look

I have always entertained the thought of forever, of timelessness. Even in my early youth did I wonder, “What would it be like to live through it all, to have all the time in the world to do all I could ever dream of?” To me, that has become the ultimate fantasy: What if I could go back to the very beginning; at least to the times in which Jesus lived and breathed? What if I could live through it all, to see it all? Then maybe I would have some proof, something for me to believe in. I could live through the ages, tirelessly reading, recording, researching, remembering… enthralled with all around me. What if? One novel, one incredibly mind stretching novel, has given me a small glimpse of this dream. Anne Rice’s Memnoch the Devil tells the story of Lestat, an immortal, a vampire, who actually gets that very chance I dream of, and then some. Oh, if only I were so lucky… This modern world just does not cut it.

You probably have never heard of Howard Allen O’Brien. In fact, you most likely didn’t know anything about her at all. You, the reader, will however had heard of Anne Rice. She blessed this world with her arrival on October 4, 1941, born under the name Howard Allen O’Brien. Although she legally changed her name to Anne O’Brien Rice, she has released several books under the pen names Anne Rampling and A.N. Roquelaure. She lived most of her childhood from birth in New Orleans, Louisiana, yet she has now moved to San Diego, California to become closer to her son. Within her novels she constantly makes references to her family, to her life, and to her home of New Orleans. Rice’s fiction usually carries a high level of historical background and can thusly be called historical-fiction. Also, Rice’s works are extremely lush, detailed, sometimes operatic, and overtly sensual. More often than not, her characters are very “open” sexually, habitually “displaying homoerotic feeling toward each other” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anee_Rice), and represents her overall ideology. Most recently, after the death of her husband, the acclaimed poet Stan Rice, and the long passed death of her daughter (1972), she has returned to the Catholic sect of Christianity, leaving her Atheist ideals behind, and has devoted her writing for the Lord, as of October, 2005. Currently she is working on a trilogy covering the life of Jesus. To her many endeared fans, she represents some of the best modern-fiction, while her critics describe her as an elitist sort of writer, although why I cannot percieve. In my eyes she is widelyt accessible.

Memnoch the Devil begins with the average run-of-the-mill vampiric hunt for a young woman, Dora. However, it soon becomes apparent that Lestat, the main vampire of the series, wants her for something different than a simple feast. She has moved him in a certain way: He loves her. During his pursuit of this young evangelist, an otherworldly being begins to stalk him. Lestat soon discovers that this being declares himself to be the Devil, Satan, although he prefers the name Memnoch, and that he needs Lestat’s aid. He almost reaches the point of insanity, torn between his love and lust for Dora, and the tantalizing proposition that Memnoch presents; the Devil offers Lestat the chance to tour Heaven and Hell, to see how it all began, and to even join the “Dark Lord’s” league as first lieutenant. The lure of Memnoch overtakes Lestat, and he boldly, yet cautiously throws himself at this dark figures whim. On his travels, he experiences what no other worldly being has: He watches Creation. All the while, Memnoch explains to him what transpires and why. Lestat and the devil even go so far as to actually enter the world of long past and see the first humans. Then, after more elucidation and legend, Lestat and Memnoch recommence their journey. They stop in Hell, a sort of school for the lost souls, and they stop in Heaven, in which Lestat describes as something too beautiful and intense that the larger part of the memory fades, except for the notion of its overwhelming beauty. Also, Lestat converses with He, Himself, God. Finally, Lestat is brought to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At this point, things begin to intensify, and Lestat procures the Dark Drink from Jesus. He actually and literally drinks the blood of Christ! A great struggle ensues and Lestat runs through Hell, leaving with the fabled Veronica’s Veil, but losing an eye in the process. Once back in our world, he reveals the Veil to the human population and all hell breaks loose. Vampires throwing themselves into the sun for forgiveness, thousands upon thousands of humans traveling just to see and touch the Veil, and even more are converted to Christianity. Lestat withdraws from the world, having experienced too much for him to currently handle, in addition to receiving a note, along with his lost eye, saying, “Thanks for all the help,” presumably from Memnoch. After getting such a cryptic and, to him, a maddening message, Lestat presumably falls into what would a comatose state for vampires. It is in this way that he stays for the next couple of novels in the Vampire Chronicles.

One main theme persists throughout Memnoch the Devil: Choice. Lestat, in all his hundreds of years, has always had to make awesome decisions, sometimes terrible ones at that. This last proposition from the Devil himself becomes the most poignant and insufferable decision that Lestat has to make. Instead, finally, Lestat withdraws completely, choosing rather to just turn away from it all, representing what most of us humans do on a daily basis. However, he soon finds that perhaps, he never had a choice in the first place, from the letter he received after his bout with the Devil, saying ‘thanks for all the help’. This book has a more direct and pointed goal than Anne Rice’s other novels contain, as it seems to directly question and challenge the Christian faith. Memnoch the Devil tries to tackle the story of Creation, Life and Everything, and situate it from Anne’s own view points. Anne Rice portrays God not as all knowing and omniscient, but rather as a curious and creative being who is very pleased and full of himself, while she portrays Memnoch, the Devil, as the wise and rational one. In fact, it seems that Memnoch boasts an even stronger ability of foresight than God Himself. Also, Memnoch the Devil almost successfully places the God and Devil on good terms, yet most readers will retain the notion that the Devil is evil, and that God is good. However, Memnoch the Devil proclaims a sort of dual-goodness, and no true evil; the Devil is good in that he is trying to help the lost souls purify themselves and reach heaven, and God is good in the fact that he is, after all, God, and that he tries to purify souls through a much different method than Memnoch.

Also prevailing within this controversial tale is the ongoing theme of blood. Only this time, blood plays an even more important role as Lestat essentially absorbs the blood of Christ, and is therefore forever linked directly to him, as he is immortal. Although this would at first seem a passing, though awesome, event, Lestat’s drinking from Christ sort of expresses Anne Rice’s deepest desires to find religion again, and to get as close as possible with it.

I know that I will never be able to attain my one wish and dream; that I will never be forever, immortal and on-going. I can only achieve this to a certain degree by leaving something important behind me after my death that will last throughout the ages. Anne Rice has made her attempt at literary immortality several times over, and this most definitely marks my favorite. I know that I too can leave something behind: my music, my thoughts on paper, or perhaps a great and giant deed of mine. One important truth remains; if I am to grow and progress to the point that I can leave something for which I will be remembered forever, it is that I must make a choice and decide what I truly want. “The self is not something ready-made, but something in continuous formation through choice of action” – John Dewy (1859-1952).