"Show, don't tell" can definitely be taken way too far. Personally, I think it's more stylistic than plot advice. For instance, rather than saying "X was beautiful", you're supposed to describe X's appearance and the way X makes the viewpoint character feel. Of course, too much of that and you get Laurell K. Hamilton rhapsodizing for long paragraphs about eye color, so. "Don't waste the readers' time" from Kurt Vonnegut is the only writing advice I can completely get behind, and even then what one reader thinks is boring another will love.

No math, science, history, art, music, etc. Quinn has a big vocabulary, so I assume he's read a lot, but reading a lot isn't the same as learning about literature either. And he never has to work at anything at all. Even with Goblin, Quinn's life sounds completely boring. No wonder he's glommed onto Lestat. Quinn's so empty and dull, someone from the outside world who's had adventures must be like a god to him. Not that I think that was intentional on Anne Rice's part, because I think we're supposed to like and even admire Quinn -- but maybe she'll surprise me.