17:45.

Anne Rice turns to God.

Sec 3, history class, me.

Sat at the 2nd row of the 2nd row, an Anne Rice novel tucked in the little enclave beneath the desktop, me unable to put down the book even as the History teacher paced around excitedly telling us about the turn in events historically.

I eventually got caught and was asked to stop. He didn't ask me to stop reading. He was specific - "Stop reading that Anne Rice novel".

It was hard.

I had written essays about vampires, read many books about them and given this subject more attention than the average person, I reckon.

What drawn me into the Anne Rice books were simple - That existential angst and thrist for life, the idea of an eternity (though fairly tormented) to consume every knowledge, art and information I could about history, arts and so on. The idea of being on the outside looking in resonated too.

1997 - After one of the days of Joshua 21 conference (a youth conference focused on missions), I came home, went to my room, gathered the Anne Rice novels, went out to the living room, unlocked the front gate and went to dump the books down the chute.

The main content I object to in the Rice novels remain these - lust, and perhaps the notion of playing God (which is one accusation against the characters).

But see, I was very drawn to the searching. That same searching the characters were depicted to have.

Thank God - For me, I have redemption, I have salvation, I have answers. It is not my (or anyone's) lot to live a life damned for the non existence of a answer and saviour.

Give that a second of that - it is hell. Hell beyond my imagination. Hell so painful it is impossible to live and yet death offers no consolation.

But I read that article to the link up there and was glad.

Came across it accidentally while searching for a work related article. Got pleasantly diverted and distracted.

I reserve comments about the book though. I have not read it, and won't know whether I will buy it. I do reckon I will pick it up at the bookstore to have a browse through before I decide though.

Any how, just thought you all may like to read that piece too :)