I think it often happens that something aimed toward one audience appeals to another one entirely. Older women love Twilight to death. I seem to recall that shows like "Rocko's Modern Life" and "Ren and Stimpy" appealed to 20 somethings and teens, but since they were on the Nickelodeon network, I would have assumed they were meant for kids. Something about the angsty characters written by someone wrestling with their religious feelings as well as heavy doses of tons of philosophy would appeal to people who are probably just starting to feel like life is falling apart. (Ie: HORMONES.)
I didn't read the books when I was a kid, but I've found that the characters become completely linked to material things, nations, philosophical ideas, people I know, etc. So when my thoughts about those symbolized things change, I see new stuff in the stories and the characters. I have never come across anything else where the characters do that for me. It can be a bit creepy sometimes.
Interesting topic! The books do have numerous metaphors for emerging personal identity and sexuality for young people to identify with. In that light, it's no accident that Armand is so enormously popular in the fandom (he was the most popular character when we polled members here a few years ago) - you get to have him both ways
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1) I can't speak for everyone, but I read IwtV for the first time in 8th grade, when I was 13 or so. This was because my father recommended it to me. Granted, I was a rather advanced reader (as I'm sure we all were), but still, it makes me laugh, all things considered.
2) Stop it. Lestat was this grand, glorious, most definitely ADULT figure when I first read the books. Now I'm his (mortal) age and just...how is that even possible? I don't know -anyone- my age who could dream of inspiring as much awe as Lestat does. In my head I think Lestat will always be "older" than me ( I hope that makes sense, considering he obviously will always be older than me, being 200-odd years old). The mistakes, though! Those I can entirely understand. The whole "I'm kind of making it up as I go along" mentality is how I feel so much of the time.
I know that for me, getting into the books around 11 or so was purely coincidental to discovering them then. It was about that time that I was becoming myself and I was fascinated by everything Dark & Spooky and I happened across the books and thought OOH A VAMPIRE BOOK!, and that was about it. I also read a lot as a kid and had been reading adult books since age 9 or so, so it wasn't a big surprise. It was probably bound to happen at some point anyway
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A bit late to the party (on account of having intermittent internet access here on vacation :), but I wanted to say, first of all, welcome to the group! And secondly, interesting questions
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I didn't read the books when I was a kid, but I've found that the characters become completely linked to material things, nations, philosophical ideas, people I know, etc. So when my thoughts about those symbolized things change, I see new stuff in the stories and the characters. I have never come across anything else where the characters do that for me. It can be a bit creepy sometimes.
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2) Stop it. Lestat was this grand, glorious, most definitely ADULT figure when I first read the books. Now I'm his (mortal) age and just...how is that even possible? I don't know -anyone- my age who could dream of inspiring as much awe as Lestat does. In my head I think Lestat will always be "older" than me ( I hope that makes sense, considering he obviously will always be older than me, being 200-odd years old). The mistakes, though! Those I can entirely understand. The whole "I'm kind of making it up as I go along" mentality is how I feel so much of the time.
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