Gothic horror novelist Anne Rice is best known for her spellbinding series, The Vampire Chronicles. The saga tells the story of rockstar Lestat de Lioncourt — a French nobleman turned vampire. The pilot book, Interview with the Vampire, saw a booming movie adaptation with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, and Kirsten Dunst in 1994, with its sequel, Queen of the Damned, seeing a 2002 adaptation with R&B star Aaliyah. Rice’s entrancing vampire narratives have sparked the interest of millions of Americans since the first book’s publication in 1976.
Well, in October 2024, the Bonhams auction house sold over 200 personal items from the late author’s home and bookshelves. With a collective sale of $864,781, the auction was a major success. If you’re a fan of this iconic horror writer and her eerie franchise, be sure to check out which books once sat on Anne Rice’s own bookshelf!
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
This beautiful first edition copy of Mrs. Dalloway from 1925 was sold for $7,040, but its worth far surpasses its monetary value. The book was a gift from Rice’s son, Christopher. Her annotation reads:
“What an absolutely wonderful gift. Having loved Virginia Woolf so much all my life, I never expected to own such a treasure. A.”
Virginia Woolf’s novel follows an upper-class English woman in the postwar era of the 1920s, with themes of inner isolation, social commentary, and the concept of time. Woolf’s willingness to transcend societal norms in her writing undoubtedly influenced Anne Rice’s work, which likewise pushes boundaries in terms of gender, sexuality, and morality. The author’s beloved copy of Mrs. Dalloway has been auctioned off to a fellow book-lover.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
With dozens of tabs and heartfelt annotations from Anne Rice, this classic novel sold in the auction for $3,328. The highly acclaimed Civil War story follows Scarlett O’Hara, a pampered young woman whose father owns a plantation. Despite being drenched in racism like so many other literary canon novels, readers are given the chance to learn about a time so central to American history. The tale is one of love and survival, and it is evident that it meant a great deal to Rice.
Paradise Lost by John Milton
I don’t know about you, but I haven’t actually made the time to sit down and read John Milton’s 1667 epic poem, Paradise Lost. The extended poem reimagines Adam and Eve’s perspective of the biblical creation and what causes them to be expelled from their temporary paradise of the Garden of Eden. Somewhat unsurprisingly, this remarkable work was one of the many heavily annotated classics on Anne Rice’s shelf. In 2017, the author noted on a blank page of this particular copy:
“In years past, this was opaque and impenetrable, save now & then for an occasional luminous phrase, but now I find it utterly [irresistible]. . . Opened at a bad time, a dark time, searching for inspiration guidance — a joy to swim in such language.”
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
With two copies of Little Women and several titles from and about Lousia May Alcott in her personal library, Anne Rice appears to have held the author in high regard. From the perspective of a teenage Jo (Josephine) March, this semi-autobiographical novel tells the warm story of four sisters and their childhoods together. The 1860s work explores themes like gender roles, familial relationships, love, and sacrifice. This widely beloved novel is one that touches the hearts of all who read and come to connect with its characters.
Along with classics like Mario Puzo’s The Godfather, Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, and even presentation copies of her own books, these novels once belonged to Anne Rice’s personal collection. Through Bonham’s 2024 auction of Rice’s belongings, we can uncover which books were once an important part of the author’s own literary canon. The treasures from her personal library, as well as the thoughtful annotations within, offer a rare glimpse into the inner workings of this gothic author’s brilliant mind.
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