Called Out of Darkness

A Spiritual Confession

By: Anne Rice

Narrated by: Kirsten Potter

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In 2005, Anne Rice startled her readers with her novel Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt, and by revealing that, after years as an atheist, she had returned to her Catholic faith.

Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana followed.

And now, in her powerful and haunting memoir, Rice tells the story of the spiritual transformation that produced a complete change in her literary goals.

She begins with her girlhood in New Orleans as the devout child in a deeply religious Irish Catholic family. She describes how, as she grew up, she lost her belief in God, but not her desire for a meaningful life.

She writes about her years in radical Berkeley, where her career as a novelist began with the publication of Interview with the Vampire, soon to be followed by more novels about otherworldly beings, about the realms of good and evil, love and alienation, pageantry and ritual, each reflecting aspects of her often agonizing moral quest.

She writes about loss and tragedy (her mother's drinking; the death of her daughter and, later, her beloved husband, Stan Rice); about new joys; about the birth of her son, Christopher; about the family's return in 1988 to the city of New Orleans, the city that inspired so much of her work. She tells how after an adult lifetime of questioning, she experienced the intense conversion and consecration to Christ that lie behind her most recent novels.

For her readers old and new, this book explores her continuing interior pilgrimage.

©2008 Anne Rice (P)2008 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] very affecting story of a well-known prodigal’s return.... Called Out of Darkness is the vivid, engaging tale of the journey of a soul into light.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

“Rice could rival C.S. Lewis as a popular apologist for the faith.” (Time)

“Rice’s memoir shows what true belief really involves. It exacts a price. James Agee had a lovely term for this. He called it ‘cruel radiance.’” (Los Angeles Times)

Excellent story of losing faith and finding it aga

I can't recommend this enough! Anne's story is compelling and authentic. If you're not Catholic, don't let that aspect of her faith journey turn you away. This is a Christ centered story of conversion and faith!

Authentic

Her being Catholic, it was very different than a typical Evangelical "testimony."
it was refreshing. she came across as not having anything to prove. Loved the way she just slowly doubted her atheism over time.

His Relentless Pursuit

Oh, so good. I am always thrilled to hear of God’s graceful gift of faith to believe Him… how He pursues us. When the object of His affection has a reputation of active unbelief, His mercy of new birth is even more thrilling. I am not Catholic, but a believer, and appreciate this author’s articulate testimony. I did not read the Vampire Chronicles… fantasy never appealed to me. I am intrigued, however, by what the very real Jesus would have experienced as a child and before His public ministry, so I’m excited to read how Anne Rice tells those Jesus stories.

Lovely story

As a huge fan of the vampire chronicles I was fascinated to hear the origin of these stories and the struggles if Anne. So happy to hear she made it full circle. Haven’t read the new material yet but I am excited to do so.

Fascinating Journey away from and back to faith

I knew of Anne Rice as a writer of dark fiction, and not well. I don't know if I ever read one of her books. When I started seeing her books about Jesus, I was skeptical that it was a "hack job" alternative view to the Jesus revealed in the Gospels. I cynically assumed that she was hitching her cart to the revisionist movement made popular with The Davinci Code.

But, I saw some encouraging reviews, so I gave the first novel (Out of Egypt) a try. I enjoyed that novel, and was surprised that she gave a treatment that is true to the Gospel accounts and also to the other facts we know about Jesus. There was an appendix in the book that gave a little of her faith journey, which I found fascinating.

This book takes that and expands and deepens the story of her faith, from when she was a devout little girl through the loss of her faith completely for years, to her finding her way back to her faith and her Jesus. Some additional details of how she does her work as an author were also very intriguing.

If there is a small negative, it is an odd thing to say -- she seems too concerned about telling the whole truth some times. Maybe a person who has written this much fiction feels that they need to be careful not to gloss things, or to
improve the story with each retelling. Or maybe that level of detail is just part of her style. Or maybe she felt that the true story of her faith is about truth, and so much be treated with divine respect for the truth.

That said, I found this story compelling -- with both the kind of things that seem like they would destroy faith mixed with some "murmurs" from God that lead to faith. I often recommend this book.

Excellent!

Such an excellent read!

Her account of the Catholic culture of New Orleans in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s of her childhood and youth is amazingly beautiful and evocative, as is the account of her journey since.

A journey of Christianity - beautiful

I love this book! Ann Rice paints a picture with her words taking us back to the churches of her childhood, through her spiritual (and nonspiritual) adult life, and back towards God. Her story is real, describing God's love for her and his pull to bring her through experiences and back to his fold. Her journey is one anyone could take. The style of writing is pure Ann Rice, rich in description of physical surroundings and the attached emotions. I have listened twice and might go get the book to read too.

Christian Conversion as a Romantic Odyssey

I had read the physical book some years back. This dramatic reading does it justice.

Another Anne Rice hit

I truly enjoyed this book and feel that I have a better sense of the person she is and a greater appreciation for her work.

Completely Unexpected

I must admit, I am probably the last person to think that Anne Rice would become Catholic. I have never heard of someone raised Catholic who returned to the church after leaving it. Her journey back was long and full of beauty that only an artist can understand. It makes sense that it is the beauty of it that brings her back when you think about it. The most surprising thing for me is to learn of her difficulties reading. It actually gives me hope since I too have a great deal of difficulty reading and like her would like to one day become an author. I guess that's why I listen to audio books. Well I can't wait to hear her Christ the Lord books. I expect great things from them.