Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
The Witching Hour
Unavailable
The Witching Hour
Unavailable
The Witching Hour
Audiobook (abridged)3 hours

The Witching Hour

Written by Anne Rice

Narrated by Lindsay Crouse

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Demonstrating once again her gift for spellbinding stoyrtelling, Anne Rice makes real a family of witches--a family given to poetry and incest, to murder and philsophy, a family that is itself haunted by a powerful, dangerous and seductive being.
"Unfolds like a poisonous lotus blossom redolent with luxurious evil."
THE LOS ANGELES TIMES


From the Paperback edition.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 4, 2000
ISBN9780375418396
Unavailable
The Witching Hour
Author

Anne Rice

A.N. Roquelaure is the pseudonym for bestselling author Anne Rice, the author of 25 books. She lives in New Orleans.

Related to The Witching Hour

Related audiobooks

Fantasy For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Witching Hour

Rating: 3.967714431605777 out of 5 stars
4/5

2,354 ratings72 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    After years of steering clear of her work, I recently decided to get back into reading Anne Rice, having been a fan of her books years ago. Having dispensed with three of her vampire novels, I waded into THE WITCHING HOUR, a novel which has been on my shelf for quite some time. Like THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES, the saga of the Mayfair Witches was her other great series and I was interested in seeing if she could draw me in the way her adventures of Lestat and his blood drinking companions had. I noticed one big difference right off the bat: at over a thousand pages, this book was way longer than any of her vampire epics. THE WITCHING HOUR is not for the casual reader, as it requires more than the usual patience and attention, as a lot of back story and detail, and description is covered in a multi-generational story stretching from 16th Century Scotland to late 20th Century America, with stops in pre-revolutionary France, colonial Haiti, and Civil War era Louisiana along the way. THE WITCHING HOUR can loosely be broken down into thirds, with the first section basically setting the table, as we learn about the large and very wealthy Mayfair family of New Orleans through a collection of secondary characters, including a priest and the wife of a mortician. Through their interactions with the Mayfairs, we learn of the many tragedies that have befallen members of the family, the most recent of them being the heir, Deidre, who has been catatonic for decades, ever since newborn daughter was taken from her days after her birth. In this section we also meet Rowan Mayfair, a neurosurgeon in San Francisco, who is gifted with a form of telekinesis, and Michael Curry, a successful businessman, who after a near drowning and rescue by Rowan, has developed extra sensory powers, triggered by touch, powers which torment him so severely that he must constantly wear gloves. Both of the these characters have a powerful attraction to one another, and it gives away nothing to reveal that Rowan is Deidre’s daughter, and that Michael has deep roots in New Orleans as well. A series of events compel both of them to return to The Big Easy, and along the way, they meet Aaron Lightner, an investigator for The Talamasca, a mysterious group that documents the supernatural, an organization familiar to anyone who has read any of Rice’s vampire novels. It seems to be Lightner’s job to fill in the narrative holes in the story, and give the main characters needed information at just the right moment.The middle of the book is one long piece of back story, as we get learn everything the Talamasca has documented on the Mayfairs down through the years. We learn that an entity has attached itself to the family, specifically to a female with apparent supernatural powers born to each generation. This entity, named Lasher, first appears to be a ghost, but he is much more than that, and though he professes love to each of his “chosen ones,” it is clear that Lasher has a goal in mind, and he is playing a very long game. We meet a lot of Mayfairs along the way: Deborah, Suzanne, Julian, Stella, Anther, Cortland, and Carlotta, all brought to life with Rice’s vivid talent for characterization. The final section of the book centers on Rowan and Michael, now back in New Orleans, and firmly ensconced in the now restored Mayfair mansion in the Garden district, preparing for a showdown with Lasher that has been centuries in coming.I get the feeling that Rice had a lot of pent up energy after writing all those vampire books, and when she finally sat down to write something different, she really cut loose, as this book has detail and description stacked upon detail and description, from the weather to the clothes any particular character is wearing in any particular scene. Rice is known for this, and at this point in her career (the book came out in 1990), she was successful enough that editors clearly let her have her way – they did the same thing with Stephen King, but while some readers may love too much of a good writer, others just get weary under the weight of all that prose. And it is not always an easy read, though I never found it dull, there were times, especially in the middle, where it felt as if it was taking an eternity to get to the bottom of the page. From a narrative point of view, Rice does shift gears more than once, something which might seem jarring, as characters that are center stage in the first section, fade to the sidelines in the last. And while Rice does have a great knack for making the most bizarre and supernatural of creatures come to life on her pages, she never seems to get comfortable with her main character, Rowan. This is especially true with the ending of THE WITHCHING HOUR, where the story takes some real turns, and Rowan’s character makes choices that appear totally contradictory to the person we have followed for over 900 pages. The ending is a problem of another kind, as it sets things up for a sequel – this book is the first in a trilogy – and I think readers expect resolution after making their way through a book of this length, not “To be continued.” George RR Martin writes incredibly long books in his GAME OF THRONES series, but all of them manage to finish off at least a couple of pertinent plot threads at the end of each volume. Still, I understand that there is much for many readers, and die hard Anne Rice. fans to love in THE WITHCHING HOUR. Many people are quite drawn to her lengthy descriptions, her florid detail, and her bizarre characters. Though there is nary a vampire in sight, and her main protagonist is a woman, it is obvious Rice still loves her dark and mysterious men; Lasher may be an entity, but he is nothing short of seductive in all of his appearances. Then there is Michael Curry, clearly Anne Rice’s dream hunk, who is described as “walking porn.” The author calls on all her talent for writing erotica when she lovingly describes Rowan and Michael’s love making, as this is undoubtedly one reason for the book’s popularity. I give Rice points for creating her own original mythology, not relying on the usual tropes of witchcraft fiction, and giving us something other than the voodoo priestess clichés one would expect from a novel set in New Orleans; AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN this is not.So, to answer my own question from the opening paragraph, no, THE WITCHING HOUR did not draw me in the way one of her Lestat books did, but I will say this, both other books in the Mayfair witches trilogy, LASHER and TALTOS, are also on my book shelf, and I will read them. At least they aren’t a thousand pages.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    *****SPOILER ALERT*****This was a reread from my long ago adolescence when I loved everything Anne Rice wrote. It didn't quite live up to my previous 5 star rating, mainly because it was just too long. A lot of repetition in the narrative, and we went down a few worm holes. But it was well written and engaging and gave me enough of the chills I was looking for. I love her descriptions of New Orleans, the epic history of the Mayfairs and the mysterious Talamasca. Rice also does a very admirable job fleshing out her characters for the most part. I admit to a growing confusion with the ever lengthening family tree and definitely stopped remembering all the Mayfair forbearers after a certain point. I enjoyed most all of the storyline until we came to the horrific birthing scene. I didn’t really care for that and felt Rowan’s disappearance a bit of a cheap trick. Not sure I’ll pick up the next 2 books in the trilogy,but it’s a possibility. If I do, I hope there’s a geneology chart included.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This one was a beast of a book - if you want a really good doorstopper, this is the one for you. I love Anne Rice and think she's really the go-to author when it comes to reading books with vampires in them (not the Twilight series where vampires sparkle ...). So, it was natural to branch out into her other books and this one didn't disappoint. It's definitely full of description and a bit of a mystery (sort of incorporates a the 'sweeping saga' aspect) - I really enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Paranormal and family ties. Very well written in the history of a family of witches.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Moody, atmospheric and haunting, this is one of Rice's more successful books. The opening sequence is powerful and while much of the rest of the book falters, this book serves as the best of the Mayfair witches books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I bought my copy of The Witching Hour well over a decade ago, and though I thought it was incredible back then, I wasn't as thrilled by it the second read through.

    Why? It's too long, and huge chunks of pages could have been cut. It was repetitive. Worst of all, quite a bit of the dialogue between the main characters, Rowan and Michael, felt contrived, forced, and unrealistic. Sometimes it went as far as to make me think I was reading the script for a soap opera. I didn't feel their deep, unending love for each other. Instead, I felt like gagging and rolling my eyes. Hot, passionate sex after just meeting doesn't equal true love forever.

    While the rest of the story is classic Anne Rice, I think she got a bit out of her depth with the romance. It would have been better if she stuck to what she knows: Horror, the supernatural and paranormal, and steamy sexual encounters. I'm going to continue with the Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy since it becomes more about Lasher and an interesting twist on some Pagan mythology, but, had this been the first time I had read The Witching Hour, I would probably just stick with her Vampire Chronicles.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    There are parts of this book that are intriguing, there are parts of this book that drag. Parts of it were riveting. Ms. Rice could have done with a bit more editing, however, all said, I did like this book. The one thing that irritates the life out of me with books by Anne Rice - she doesn't know how to write an ending. And this is no exception. I read this on the advice of a friend, and I remember asking how it would turn out (because I was so afraid of being disappointed). And I was. The history of the witches was very interesting, even when the story stopped to jump into the backstory. This could easily have been two books. The bottom line? I liked it enough to pick up the sequel - Lasher.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is tied for my favorite Anne Rice book. Other fav is Interview with the Vampire. You can't help but love the main character in this book, Rowan, who is a reluctant witch. She eventually comes to grips with her heritage and then the fun begins. This is a page-turner, and has all the elements you could want in an exciting story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Yes occasionally the information about the past was interesting but there were times that I really wanted the Readers Digest version of this story of a family haunted by a spirit that has plans for them and researched by a mysterious group (the Talamasca) who are trying to preserve good.It's interesting and I'm not sorry I read it but I really wasn't all that impressed overall with it. I agree with all Darla has to say about it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The ultimate witch story!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I absolutely loved almost everything about this, except for the ending. Of course, the ending is not really an ending, this is only the first part of a trilogy after all, but I found it deeply unsatisfying anyway, and it is keeping me a bit from continuing in number two. That, and number two not starting out very well with a disgusting young brad seducing the honorable male lead.The parts that I loved were exquisite world-building (sounds funny, given that this takes place in an existing world, so maybe the building part is not really accurate, but in any case, the descriptions are done really well), very nice characters and a highly immersive storyline. I can imagine a lot of people would have problems with the copious amounts of incest and other types of sex, but for some reason, this didn't really bother me. There was one thing that bugged me: the main character at some point refers to rough sex as rape, even though it was completely consensual. She doesn't say this to anyone else, it was either in her own thoughts, or mentioned to him during the sex, but even so, I thought this was ridiculous. By definition, I'd say you cannot ask someone to rape you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Anne Rice's prodigious and melodramatic Gothic saga "The Witching Hour" introduces the ancient clan of Mayfair witches, and the diabolic umbra Lasher who twists and torments the Mayfairs across centuries and continents in his unholy quest to become flesh. While the book has at least its fair share of conventional "spooky" ingredients, Rice's command of foreboding mood and tone throughout the novel is as impressive as it is appropriate to the dark, erotic and ultimately desperate tale she tells. Her writing is lush in scene and setting, as well as in exposing her myriad characters' considerable strengths and tragic failings. Particularly remarkable is her sensuous depiction of New Orleans -- in significant ways the book is nothing less than a letter of devotion to a voluptuous city she knows well and loves deeply, raising the city itself from merely a place where things happen to make it instead one of the book's most notable characters. This is an entrancing book, brimming with both sweeping historical narrative and present-day cautionary themes of the incurable devastation inevitably wrought by unchecked Oedipal lusts and hubristic familial sins. "The Witching Hour" is a grand and elegant fable well told, and worth reading.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Its been some time since I rad Anne Rice's work, and I was not disappointed in the least. She has woven and amazing detailed story, reaching across centuries, as is her special gift. Her tale of love, despair, growth, power, and family draws the reader in to her amazing depth, detail, and history, as only the best authors can.A line of witches, gifts passed down from generation to generation, but there is always a price. For many of the Mayfair women, it is their sanity. Once in a while one is strong enough to survive, but never to end the evil that backs the power. Until Rowan Mayfair, who has a chance from birth to stop it, goring up far from the family, her parents, the gift, or curse unknown to her for years. A brilliant neurosurgeon, she is one of the best in her field, but what makes her so successful, medical talent, or some gift she has? The question really arise when she rescues a drowning man in San Fransisco bay one night, and resuscitates him. He returns to the world of the living with a gift, and an urge to do something, but his memory keeps him from knowing what. As all tales go, the two fall for each other, quite hard, once their paths cross again. Fate draws them together, and then back to New Orleans, to put Rowan back in the middle of the family legacy which is hers. With her love Michael, is she strong enough to at last vanquish the evil that has plagued her family for centuries?
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I first read this book when I was a young teenager. I have since tried so many times to pick this up and reread it. I have finally accomplished that (yay me!), but I have to admit to disappointment. 1000 pages of build up, only to REALLY not like the ending. I don't know when I will pick up Lasher, but I think I will hold off for a bit. This book was a haul, and I am not convinced that it was worth it. Loved it as a teenager, not so much as an adult.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wonderful epic story about a family of witches that spans centuries. Rowan is the latest witch, and a spectral being that has been with the family since th beginning needs her - to evolve.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Definitely an engaging read; I got lost in the lives of the characters. Rice knows how to hook her readers and keep them there through hundreds of pages.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was gripping. Although it's 1200 pages long, I spent at least twelve hours almost consecutively reading it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Anne Rice has such of a way of creating a setting that you feel as though you are in the French Quarter in New Orleans. This book was a little hard to follow with who was related to who, but I loved it just the same.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I have no intention of re-reading this. It takes hundreds of pages to introduce both the protagonists mentioned in the blurb on the back, but winds up within a dozen pages - talk about anti-climactic.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    By far, the best Rice book ever! This was the first book I ever read by her and was so impressed that I moved over to the Vampire Chronicals. This book has tons and tons of vivid description and lays out the whole history behind the Mayfairs and the Talamasca and the ending is so suprising. I have read several Rice books since this book and I think only two other books have impressed me to this level...one being Violin and the other being Blackwood Farm.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The first in the Mayfair Witches series, The Witching Hour introduces the fictional Mayfair family of New Orleans, generations of male and female witches. This tight-knit and deeply connected family, where a death of one strengthens the others with his/her knowledge. One Mayfair witch per generation is also designated to receive the powers of "the man," known as Lasher. Lasher gives the witches gifts, excites them, and protects them. Unsure as to exactly what this spirit is, the Mayfair clan knows him variously as a protector, a god-like figure, a sexual being, and the image of death. Lasher's current witch is Deirdre, who lies catatonic from psycological shock treatments.Deirdre's daughter, Rowan, has been spirited away from this "evil" and has happily become a neurosurgeon and has an uncanny gift to see the intent behind the facade. Rowan also has a gift few doctors possess--she can heal cells. Yet, though she uses it to save lives, she also fears that she hs caused several deaths. She rescues Michael from drowning. Michael then develops some extraordinary powers that compel him to seek New Orleans and to seek Rowan. He finds both, and pulls the tale closer together by meeting people connected to the Mayfair family who now fear Rowan because she is the first Mayfair who can kill without Lasher's help.Michael dives into learning the history of the Mayfair witches: Deborah, Charlotte, Mary Beth, Stella, Antha, and many others across hundreds of years and three continents. When Michael looks up from his reading, he learns that Rowan has come to New Orleans to attend her mother's funeral. Rowan learns of her family history, her ancestral home in shambles, and Lasher waiting for the next one. Rowan dedicates herself to stopping Lasher's reign. Michael too has his own mission, but it is foggy and unclear to him. But Lasher is seductively powerful and Rowan's gifts offer him the opportunity to achieve his ultimate goal.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book followed the Mayfair family who have among them witches and lesser psychic powers, and their emeshment with an entity whose agenda both conflicts and supports their own. The saga stretches over many generations and locations up to present day.I loved this book right up until the last 50 or so pages. The story was engaging, fast-paced and did a wonderful job of building suspense. The characters of Julien, Carlotta, Rowan, and Diedre come to life as their internal battles are exposed.I would give the first 3/4 of the book a 4 BUT the ending was utterly disappointing to me. The ending had no clear cut resolution and the pieces that were resolved were very unsatisfying after such a roller coaster of emotions through the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Anne Rice sounds her talent in The Witching Hour. This massive book looks intimidating but is addictive. I fell in love within the first twenty pages and devoured this book. The novel follows the story of the family Mayfair, through thirteen generations- each more interesting than the last.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was a think read. Took me a while, but not as sluggish as it could have been.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A sweeping four century history of one New Orleans witch family, the Mayfairs. Gothic, long, but an interesting, subdued horrific read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    One of my favorites that I read over and over! Unlike most people, I love the historical files the best, and tend to gloss over the contemporary bits. Disturbingly creepy and yet also a wonderful historical novel. Forget the vampires. This is her best book. It sprawls and sensuously describes and truly evokes the city of New Orleans.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    i loved all the historical build-up in this book. after all the vampire sequels, i was glad to have a change.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This long, intense novel follows a family back to their roots in the burning times of Europe. I absolutely love the story progression and writing style. Well, styles, really, as Rice writes part of this book in first person. This is my favorite fiction book; I typically re-read it at least once a year.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The 1st book in the lives of the Mayfair witches. This book is so scary. I couldn't read it at night. It drags in spots, but don't skip over anything it all has meaning. In the end it is so worth forcing yourself through it. This is classic Anne Rice. It is sensual, exciting, and oh so scary. It has a cliff hanger ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was really into Anne Rice about ten years ago. At that time, I worked in a bookstore, and there were three books that I could guarantee I would sell to a customer who otherwise had no intention of purchasing anything that day. This was one of them.I have such fond memories of the experience of reading this book, lugging around the great hardcover monstrosity on the bus.