Helpful Score: 4
beautiful novel about identity, January 5, 2006
Reviewer: JP Berniard "JP Berniard" (NYC) - See all my reviews
After reading the junk Anne Rice wrote in her latest novels, specially the vampire tales/chronicles, I am forced review one of her earliest and best works.
These were the days when Anne still had a flare for writing. No super vampires chatting with Jesus, no fantastic ridiculous tales in this book.
This book brings light to New Orleans History. It is a homage to a place in America that was and remains different from the rest of our nation. This novel contains a great deal of History as well as being a touching drama. The characters are split between races, cultures and social positions.In the end their struggle to find who they really were is successful.
This book is a cult classic, since it seems to me its author won't write anything like it in the near future...
Reviewer: JP Berniard "JP Berniard" (NYC) - See all my reviews
After reading the junk Anne Rice wrote in her latest novels, specially the vampire tales/chronicles, I am forced review one of her earliest and best works.
These were the days when Anne still had a flare for writing. No super vampires chatting with Jesus, no fantastic ridiculous tales in this book.
This book brings light to New Orleans History. It is a homage to a place in America that was and remains different from the rest of our nation. This novel contains a great deal of History as well as being a touching drama. The characters are split between races, cultures and social positions.In the end their struggle to find who they really were is successful.
This book is a cult classic, since it seems to me its author won't write anything like it in the near future...
Helpful Score: 3
One of Anne Rice's novels that don't deal with the supernatural - just the loves and losses of the "gens de couleur libre" in 19th century New Orleans. The characters are well written and some of them are very likeable. The city itself plays a huge role and is described as if it were alive - beautiful imagery. Again - some uncomfortable sex scenes - adult content.
Helpful Score: 2
This book is beautifully written. This is my favorite of all her works. I've read this story so many times I have it more or less memorised, so am finally passing it on. The feast of all saints leaves you believing in these characters; loving some, hating others- in the way that only an amazingly written book can do. It gives a unique and in depth look into the society, with all it's ups and downs of this often historically and literaturally ignored special class of individuals that arose from and where caught between in a society where the color of your skin, facial features and texture of your hair meant all the difference in your lot in life. This novel protrays a very real and often gritty view of these charecters world and lives. It touches on all aspects of their social scene with completely believable charecters, none of who are perfect. Absolutely wonderful book.
Helpful Score: 2
It took me a couple chapters to really get into this book. Now after I have finished it I have to say that this is probably the best Anne Rice novel I have ever read.
Helpful Score: 1
Slow start, but once I got into it I couldn't put it down. Learned alot of history that I didn't know about the free people of color in New Orleans, and their background in Haiti.
Helpful Score: 1
A great cross-genre novel. Anne Rice at the top of her game. NOT a "Vampire Chronicles" installment, The Feast of All Saint's is a stand alone tale of the glorious days of Old New Orleans, in the days leading up to the Civil War...telling the tale of a different time of life when your level in New Orleans society had more to do with who your father was and how much African blood ran through your veins...it is enthralling. You come to feel as though you know the characters, you hurt for them, rejoice with them...and as I neared the end, I couldn't bear for it to be over, so I read slower...but, all good things MUST end, and this is no exception...you will adore this book!
Helpful Score: 1
A wonderful, but long tale of the black caste system in New Orleans and Louisiana in the 1840's, Anne Rice breaks out of her vampire series to write a provoking story of historic fiction.
Families of color who fled the uprising in Haiti now reside in Louisiana, some as wealthy planters, some as respected and successful business or "shop" owners, others as "kept" women of white plantation owners, plus the sordid world of prostitutes and voodoo worshippers. ALL own slaves and must maintain that separation in order to keep their place in society.
If you are a fan of American historical fiction, this book shows you a snapshot in history that you were unlikely to learn about in school.
Families of color who fled the uprising in Haiti now reside in Louisiana, some as wealthy planters, some as respected and successful business or "shop" owners, others as "kept" women of white plantation owners, plus the sordid world of prostitutes and voodoo worshippers. ALL own slaves and must maintain that separation in order to keep their place in society.
If you are a fan of American historical fiction, this book shows you a snapshot in history that you were unlikely to learn about in school.
I couldn't get into this book. It wasn't what I was expecting. I normally adore Anne Rice's books, but just couldn't get interested in this one.
In the days before the Civil War, there lived a Louisiana people unique in Southern history. For though they were descended from African slaves, they were also descended from the French and Spanish who had enslaved them. They were the 'gens de couleur libre', the Free People of Color and in this historical novel, Anne Rice chronicles the lives of 4 of their number, men and women caught periolously between the worlds of master and slave, privilege and oppression, passion and pain.
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This book wasn't my usual genre to read and I really just couldn't get into it. It seemed slow to me but then I usually read mystery/suspense.
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This book wasn't my usual genre to read and I really just couldn't get into it. It seemed slow to me but then I usually read mystery/suspense.
They were New Orleans' gens de couleur libre- the copper-skinned half-castes who lived recklessly and loved passionately, trapped in a world between black and white.
Marcel-the young, blue-eyed scholar, sensitive, and longing always for Paris. Marie-his breathtakingly beautiful sister, cursed with the ability to pass for white. Christophe- novelist and teacher, the idol of al young gens. Anna Bella-light in skin, African in feature, chosen for the white man.
Marcel-the young, blue-eyed scholar, sensitive, and longing always for Paris. Marie-his breathtakingly beautiful sister, cursed with the ability to pass for white. Christophe- novelist and teacher, the idol of al young gens. Anna Bella-light in skin, African in feature, chosen for the white man.
Novel set in Louisiana before the Civil War.
While this book is good during this particular time of upheaval in our nation due to the election and Covid and the Black and white racism crap again being in the lame stream media spot light making all whites feel as if they are cursed regardless of if we may have relatives that are black and or other races we get enough stress. So I could not in all good faith say I gave this scripted works a fair shale but I simply did not need more of the same we get day in day out when turning on the news or the radio or computer. Perhaps at a different time I may have enjoyed this book but at this time it just made me wish for the book to be over. (Yes I force myself to complete all the books I get, I keep hoping eternal for a bright spot but the topic of this book just did not allow for that to bring me back into higher spirits.
The book was full of historical facts, and to be honest not as enjoyable as most of Anne Rice's books.
Anne Rice at her best
I completely fell in love with the story about the free people of Color in Louisiana pre-Civil War era and their specific stories.
A sensuous but heart wrenching tale of mulattoes forced to live between two cultures in 19th century New Orleans, featuring the richly developed characters Anne Rice is famed for.
Great book, more than a quick read.
Pretty good, if you really like Anne Rice
This was my first Anne Rice novel. it made me want to read more of hers. wonderful intrigue.
Set in Louisiana, before the Civil War, is a story about people descended from African slaves and also from the French and Spanish who enslaved them. They are Free People of Color, caught between the worlds of master and slave.
Haven't even read the book, lost intrest after reading the back...book is brand new
For all you Anne Rice fans....brand new never read.
Haven't read this one but my sister loved it.
