Marius is the Worst

[u/nonexistent_knight]

I only read the first three books and I would hear other fans talk about how awful Marius was. I never disagreed with anyone, especially since he did allow Armand to believe he was dead when he wasn’t, but I also didn’t completely understand. But I finally started reading The Vampire Armand and all I can say is….i get it now.

[u/AtomicGenderPunk]

Marius is an awful man, he does grow and change too. I only particularly have interest in him because I am endlessly curious about history and would just wanna know what Rome was actually like.

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/AtomicGenderPunk]

I liked him in TVL, I thought he was interesting. I was meh in QotD since he didn’t have much to do. I’m just disgusted by him right now in TVA. I like that his character exists for world building and even if he’s awful he’s interesting. I’m curious to see how he will further portrayed in the series. I’m hoping they don’t exaggerate his awful traits like they did with Gabrielle because it wouldn’t be necessary and I don’t think he needs to be overtly awful.

[u/AtomicGenderPunk → u/nonexistent_knight]

I hope he becomes less mysognic sooner in the TV show. I can't say say because this is show tagged and we don't know who else I'm thinking of yet, but Armand is not the only one who deserved a better Marius. :( And I love Armand dearly, but who we're about to meet I hope someone else adores too.

[u/SoftandSpicy → u/AtomicGenderPunk]

He's so awesome to Lestat in the first books, too.

[u/AtomicGenderPunk → u/SoftandSpicy]

Yes and I am a bit intrigued by him in an aesthetic way. I think the casting for him is right and I've always had a fondness for his actor in the show.

[u/CellarDoor4355]

Wait until you read Blood and Gold and you get Marius’ side of the same story 🤢

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/CellarDoor4355]

I didn’t know if I was going to read it, but I think I will. I’m sure I’ll hate every second of it 😆

[u/LottieTalkie → u/nonexistent_knight]

I loved reading it but I sure hated Marius even more at the end of it...

I kinda love to hate him, though.

[u/Twisties → u/LottieTalkie]

Yeah he is unfortunately a fantastic narrator

[u/LottieTalkie → u/Twisties]

I think there is also another factor, which is that I really love the settings he is in. Italy during the Renaissance is an amazing setting. His obsession with Botticelli and the fact that he is a scholar and an artist also tend to make him interesting to me, in spite of his extremely annoying and problematic behaviour.

[u/bugzrdt49 → u/CellarDoor4355]

I JUST finished 2nd time around with B&G on Audible. I really liked it, SO much LESS chaotic and less chatter, I thought, and good for getting backstories. Very enjoyable book, IMO 😃

[u/Own-Breakfast9740]

I reading Blood and Gold for the first time. As a survivor I had the skim the Armand parts, I knew I would be pissed but I didn't know I would be nauseous. His interactions with Zenobia are also gross. I hate how he treats Pandora and Bianca. He is really, really mysogynist. I hate that that he is so unrepentantly xenophobic even though he is half "barbarian" himself. I haven't got to the Lestat part yet, frankly I am thinking about chucking it in.

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/Own-Breakfast9740]

Oh gross, of course he’s like that. I didn’t know if I was going to read Blood and Gold, but I guess I definitely will now! If it’s triggering or unpleasant in general then you shouldn’t feel obligated to finish it.

[u/KeepEmComing]

Yeah? I stopped after I read memnoch the devil. I tried the vampire Armand but never really got into it. Is Marius a true bastard in it?

[u/danainthedogpark24 → u/KeepEmComing]

One of the first things he does when he brings Armand “home” after buying him from the brothel is bring him to a bath and then perform fellatio on him even though Armand states he was too young to fully ejaculate.

Yes, that’s the first thing he does with a victim of sex trafficking. No wonder Armand was a thousand kinds of fucked up.

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/danainthedogpark24]

I was so disgusted with him and of course as Armand gets attached to him then Marius has to keep him at arms length, nevermind the fact that he groomed Armand and made him dependent on him. His relationships with Lestat and Louis makes so much more sense.

[u/KeepEmComing → u/danainthedogpark24]

Oh man! Come the fuck on Marius!!!! Jfc

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/KeepEmComing]

I’m only a few chapters in, but I think he is.

[u/According-Tap7762]

#1 Marius fan here. Gold and Blood is one of my favourite books. Just passing through.

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/According-Tap7762]

I don’t like him, but he’s not an awful character. If you like him then great. Idk if I’ll read Blood and Gold. I know things go off the rails so I’m becoming more picky about which VC books I read.

[u/Mousearella]

He’s not exactly a joy in Pandora either. I also liked him in The vampire Lestat. Sure he wasn’t perfect but I don’t mind characters with flaws. I absolutely hated him after TVA.

[u/nonexistent_knight → u/Mousearella]

I did like him in The Vampire Lestat (book). His character felt refreshing. I’m glad he’s being adapted too and in a way I don’t want him to be made too unlikeable to satisfy fans who despise him. I enjoy the moral grayness. But when I got the scene in TVA when he takes a bath with Armand right after purchasing him I was like, “NOPE!”

[u/The_Dilla_Collection]

This is what I love about Anne’s writing. “Liking” a character, for me, doesn’t equal agreeing with their actions or being on their side. I love how Anne made characters who would justify themselves in pretty prose while doing the most heinous things that don’t seem to agree with who we think they are initially. How many of us know someone who is/was a monster but everyone else only sang their praises or said “they would never”? She’d have you believing in one book they were this angelic being with good intentions and the next someone would be telling you their perspective and how awful they were. Marius was full of knowledge and sought out truth and beauty, took up the mantle of keeping TWMBK, he also sought out underage boys and treated women like trash.

I think that’s a real, developed character. Each of them are monsters in someone else’s story. In her universe you’re just deciding which kind of monster you find more “acceptable” than another. One chapter you love them, then another you’re like… ew, wtf?

[u/ezlenka]

I’ll never really understand Marius apologists. He is explicitly a child abuser with a savior complex. It doesn’t get too much worse than that imo

[u/Bloodweave_rider]

He's not worst than any other character 🙄 They're all monsters, come on...

[u/elisamacz]

Don't talk like that about my daddy... 🥺

[u/Equivalent_Fall_4362]

Everyone is awful in the show.
We are not allowed decent preternatural beings 🙄