As I’ve previously mentioned, my three favourite characters in literary fiction are Dracula, Louis de Pointe du Lac, and Julien Mayfair. I’ve already delved into the intriguing worlds of Dracula and Louis, with a queer theory focus; now it’s time to turn my attention to Julien, especially in light of the upcoming, stunningly illustrated hardcover of Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour from Books Illustrated Ltd.
In Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice crafted a narrative that deeply explores the fundamental aspects of the human condition: suffering, morality, identity, loneliness, and the search for meaning. Louis, the novel’s soulful narrator, is the perfect embodiment of this philosophical exploration. Unlike his immortal maker Lestat, who embraces vampirism, Louis remains haunted by his lingering humanity. His existential crisis becomes the lens through which Rice examines what it truly means to be human, even when one is forever outside of humanity, othered, though bound to exist among them.
Julien Mayfair from Rice’s 1990 novel, The Witching Hour, beautifully merges Louis’ profound compassion for the human spirit with Lestat’s fierce passion for physicality and the pleasures of the mortal realm. Julien wields influence in both the mundane world—through wealth, charm, and intellect—and the metaphysical realm—through the powers of mind and spirit. Yet, unlike Rice’s vampires, he is bound by mortality; he must claim his place in the world by embracing all it has to offer within a single lifetime.
Perhaps it’s this stark disconnection from the concept of immortality that makes Julien’s psyche so captivating and his character arc stand out in such a remarkable way compared to others. Well, at least to me.
The Witching Hour explores the gothic and supernatural through the lens of generational trauma, power, and identity in the Mayfair family, a dynasty of witches bound to a mysterious, powerful, and sensual spirit named Lasher. Among the many complex characters that populate Rice’s expansive narrative, Julien Mayfair stands out not only as, arguably, the most powerful Mayfair witch but also as a queer figure who subverts gendered norms of magic, lineage, and desire.
As the only male witch in a matrilineal line of female witches, Julien’s birth marks a rupture in the family’s tradition; paradoxically, it’s this break from convention that grants him unprecedented power.
His bisexuality, his freedom in expressing it, especially in a time of repression and social prejudice, and his erotic relationship with Lasher further position him as a liminal figure. And though it must be noted that pretty much all the witches bang Lasher at some point, not all share the same depth of intensity or intimacy in their relationships with him.
The Mayfair legacy includes an inheritance of preternatural gifts. Power is passed from mother to daughter. Into this system, Julien Mayfair is born, a male child who inherits and exceeds the powers traditionally granted to female heirs. This inversion of the expected order signals more than just an anomaly: it represents a queering of the familial and magical structure.
In queer theory (a favourite topic of mine), such disruptions of normative frameworks, be they of gender, sexuality, or lineage, are critical moments of analysis. Julien’s very existence destabilizes the supposed naturalness of gender roles within magical inheritance. His birth “breaks” the line, yet this rupture leads to a surge in power, suggesting that the rigidity of tradition has perhaps been a limitation rather than a strength.
Julien’s power is not simply equal to that of the female Mayfairs of his time: it’s greater. He communicates with Lasher more clearly, commanding respect along with the expected desire. While Lasher does not explicitly express fear toward Julien, their complex relationship suggests a dynamic that involves a level of wariness on Lasher’s part.
Julien was initially outside Lasher’s favour due to a prior oath to the first Mayfair witch not to “smile upon” male descendants. Despite this, Julien’s witch abilities and his willingness to engage with Lasher, both sexually and through allowing Lasher to possess his body, indicate a certain level of mutual influence and manipulation. This interaction is part of Lasher’s broader plan to produce stronger witches through incestuous unions within the Mayfair family, aiming to eventually be reborn in a powerful physical form.
Julien’s unexpected power offers a chance to infuse the genetic line with unprecedented strength and potency, which Lasher comes to see. Case in point: Mary Beth, Julien’s daughter/niece. A powerful witch not seen among the Mayfair women in some time; she potentially rivals her father in power.
This superiority, rooted in his male identity, brings with it both privilege and curse. In this sense, Rice seems to be playing with the idea of patriarchal dominance while simultaneously undermining it: Julien’s power is exceptional because it deviates from tradition, not because it conforms to patriarchal standards. The irony is that his masculinity—his intrusion into a female space—makes him queer within his own lineage. What’s also compelling about Julien is that he never shies away from, nor disdains, his more feminine traits. All is a tool for power over others, either through charm, seduction, or manipulation.
Rice never shied away from queer subtext and subversion, and Julien Mayfair is a prime example of this commitment. Julien’s bisexuality, while not the central focus of his storyline, is unmistakably present and deeply tied to his enigmatic persona. His relationships with women and men (including his own family members!) are often marked by power dynamics that reflect his commanding presence as a witch and patriarchal figure.
One could say that Julien suffers from an acute sense of entitlement, perhaps even narcissism, and yet, paradoxically, these flaws somehow make him all the more, if not endearing, magnetic. Men and women are drawn to him.
You could say that Julien’s bisexuality mirrors his broader identity; he’s neither a traditional witch nor a complete outsider. His function within the narrative is not to fit into any singular role or (yes, I’m going to say it) position. From a queer theoretical perspective, his sexual fluidity becomes a metaphor for his magical and familial fluidity. His power emerges not from fixed roles but from his ability to exist in and traverse multiple categories.
Julien’s relationship with Lasher, the spirit bound to the Mayfair line, is perhaps the most telling aspect of his queerness. The connection between Julien and Lasher is deeply intimate and unmistakably erotic. Yet, unlike most of the witches who came before him, this man is not so easily seduced by the spirit, never readily willing to surrender his agency for romance or sex. Julien’s ego is his shield, sometimes his weapon, against the control and/or influence of others, including Lasher.
Rice imbues their interactions with a sensual charge, blurring the boundaries between dominance and submission, master and servant, creator and created. Julien seemingly commands Lasher fully, yet their bond is symbiotic and deeply entangled in emotional and spiritual need.
The interplay of power, desire, and identity is central within Julien and Lasher’s relationship; it embodies a homoerotic tension that transcends traditional romantic and sexual paradigms. Lasher’s desire to be made flesh, eventually realized through later generations, can be seen as an allegory for forbidden or suppressed desire seeking embodiment. Julien, as one who clearly understands Lasher and yet willfully manipulates him, becomes both object and subject of the spirit’s desire made manifest.
Moreover, Lasher becomes a projection of Julien’s own internal contradictions; he reflects Julien’s power, ambition, and longing, but also his alienation. Lasher’s fixation on the Mayfairs is driven as much by possession and selfish desire as by connection and love. One could say the exact same thing about Julien regarding his relationship to pretty much anyone he brings into his life, into his web of influence.
Their relationship is emblematic of the queer experience: intense, complex, and often existing outside of heteronormative structures of love or family. Both are preternatural, yet each yearns for a distinctly human connection and way of being. And like much in life, things get messy; they have the power to use and care, act and react, destroy and enliven, love and hate. And they embrace it all.
Only when Mary Beth’s true power emerges and age begins to affect him does Julien’s once-immutable hold over Lasher wane. A strong example of this shift is the burning of his autobiography by Mary Beth, who by this point had supplanted her father/uncle as Lasher’s primary focus. Julien could neither command nor persuade Lasher to aid him. And though he ultimately used his own telekinetic power against Mary Beth—briefly frightening and halting her—it was no longer strong enough to stop her. Julien, a mortal, had finally been diminished by age.
