Vampires are first and foremost creatures of philosophy. True, they can serve as a potent metaphor for toxic, draining relationships and the risk of predation by those who look like us, but so too can other mythical beings such as mind flayers, shapeshifters, werewolves, etc.
What makes vampires unique among imaginary creatures is their immortality. Viewing the world through the lens of eternal life profoundly changes one’s perspective (unless the vampire exists in the Twilight universe, then the vampire exists to promote the idea of an even more pure form of ‘one true love’, a love that spans across ages, which is actually depressing if true because what are the odds that you, a mere mortal, exist in the same era as your true love, but I digress).
In Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire such love is not possible, at least for long. In her telling, immortality shows us the inevitability of disillusionment, despair, and decay. Give someone an eternity and they will eventually exhaust all sources of novelty and any hope for a better life. Mortals very rarely live long enough (and see well enough) to reach this conclusion. Immortality is a curse. You don’t really want to live forever. Only the good die young.
Yet I do not think this is a pessimistic book; I think it is a realistic book with a profound silver lining. Despite the circumstances, there are vampires that continue to relish their life.
One thing these immortals all have in common is their ‘thoughtlessness’. They care little for how their actions impact others or more existential matters. To many, ‘thoughtlessness’ is a vice and ‘thoughtfulness’ a virtue, yet there are clues all around us that the world is more nuanced than that. We know that ‘ignorance is bliss’ and overthinking is a core feature of many mental health disorders. It may be obvious, but there is danger in thinking too little and thinking too much. Thoughtfulness (and thoughtlessness) are double-edged swords.
Thankfully, if you struggle with overthinking, Buddhism has a long and robust history of cultivating thoughtlessness in a thoughtful manner. The concept of ‘Beginner’s Mind’ is particularly relevant to immortals since if you successfully dispose of expectations and live more in the present moment, then you will have restored a sense of novelty and excitement to your life.
Of course, there are other paths to developing a healthy degree of thoughtlessness such as flow states, yoga, some types of drugs, etc., but Buddhism has a more comprehensive world view which can make integrating a new habit much easier.
Anyways, if you are still on the fence about reading this book, that’s okay as I’m not sure everyone will enjoy it, but I’d like to offer some of my favorite prose:
- I look into your eyes and my reflection isn’t there…
- Nothing pleased him unless he could take it from others, and once having it, he grew cold and dissatisfied, not having the thing for itself; and so he went after something else
- How many vampires do you think have the stamina for immortality?
- And I watched the tragedy finally as one might from a theater balcony, moved from time to time, but never sufficiently to jump the railing and join the players on the stage
- Like all strong people, she suffered always a measure of loneliness, she was a marginal outsider