Anne Rice's Personal Library to Auction

Bonhams' Elegance of the Eternal: The Collection of Anne Rice online auction offers a glimpse into the home and personal library of the author of the Vampire Chronicles series.

The sale, which runs until October 31, features more than 200 objects from her home including heavily annotated novels from her personal library, alongside her collection of chess sets, Tiffany & Co. sterling silver flatware services, and ‘An Anne Rice Birthday Ensemble’ consisting of her knee-length black knit open sweater by J.Jill, size X petite, over a brown turtleneck by Roaman's, with a cameo, macrame, bead and strass necklace (estimate $400 - $600).

Born in New Orleans in 1941, Rice's 1975 debut novel Interview with the Vampire explores vampirism as a dark gift that reflects our own universal human struggles with mortality itself and features the child vampire Claudia, a character inspired by her young daughter Michele whom she lost to leukemia.

Rice also did extensive research for her novels, and consequently her personal library is full of reference material filled with books extensively annotated with notes lining the margins and her detailed descriptions reflecting on the book, including her copy of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (estimate: $300 – $500) which is full of tabs and her thoughts.

Highlights include:

* Rice’s annotated copy of Interview with the Vampire (20th anniversary edition, estimate $800 - $1,200) which she marked up in silver sharpie ahead of an appearance on radio, including lots of underscoring and tabs marked "Louis: green eyes", "young boy musician", "Speaking of the musician", and "Lestat risen"

* the first copy Rice received of her book Of Love and Evil in which she wrote: “As always, I find it beautiful and gratifying. / This book had a unique history, and I fear for it." (estimate $700 - $900)

* Rice’s annotated copy of James Frazer’s The Golden Bough (estimate $200 - $300). "When I bought this book I don't know,” she wrote on the flyleaf. “I know I read it or a copy of it in the 1980s when writing The Vampire Lestat. It is essential to me."

* The Godfather by Mario Puzo, annotated by Rice throughout, but especially on page 74 ("Note how easily it flows”) and on page 225 ("This is a most impressive piece of work and is masterly. Again I marvel at vocabulary, tone, and placement—organization of the book. I fight OCD as I write, I've come to see that, and this helps me to see what this novel accomplishes. Presenting the Don as a 'great' man, a 'genius,' without apology is a conscious approach that is so powerful."). On the inside cover she wrote clearly: "In the event of my death, please give this book to my son Christopher Rice.” (estimate $400 - $600)

Bonhams have put many of her books into groups such as ‘27 books by or about Charles Dickens’ and 'The Writing Process' (estimate: $200 - $300) as well as cookbooks (James Beard inscribed her copy of his iconic Theory and Practice of Good Cooking “I hear fabulous tales of your cooking!”), and groupings of particular relevance to her book such as childhood trauma, conspiracy theories, death and the afterlife, and human sexuality.

"Those of us who love the writings of Anne Rice often ask ourselves, 'How did she do that?' What was her inspiration?'" said Catherine Williamson, VP/Director of Fine Books & Manuscripts in Los Angeles. "When we look at the books in her library, many heavily annotated by Rice as if she is in conversation with the author, or when we look at the beautiful objects in her home, we can draw connections between her lived experience and the incredible characters and stories she created. And that can be really meaningful for readers."