3.5 stars, rounding up to 4. Surprisingly thoughtful and utterly bleak gothic horror, with an appeal that rests largely on its finely drawn characters. I don't care at all for Lestat, I have to say, and Louis can become a little tedious with his endless and determined melancholy, but little Claudia is one of the great horror creations. She's both pathetic and terrifying, and the great sprawling tragedy of her undeath is really the linchpin that holds this novel together. It's worth reading just for that.