Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Ballantine Books (1993), Edition: 1, Mass Market Paperback, 448 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. HTML:NATIONAL BESTSELLER â?¢ In another feat of hypnotic storytelling, Anne Rice continues the extraordinary Vampire Chronicles that began with the now classic Interview with the Vampire and continued with The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned. Lestat speaks. Vampire-hero, enchanter, seducer of mortals. For centuries he has been a courted prince in the dark and flourishing universe of the living dead. Lestat is alone. And suddenly all his vampire rationaleâ??everything he has come to believe and feel safe withâ??is called into question. In his overwhelming need to destroy his doubts and his loneliness, Lestat embarks on the most dangerous enterprise he has undertaken in all the danger-haunted years of his long existence. The Tale of the Body Thief is told with the uniqueâ??and mesmerizingâ??passion, power, color, and invention that distinguish the novel… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member AlexTheHunn
I found this to be the most enjoyable of Rice's Vampire series after the Interview. I felt that Vampire Lestat and especially, Queen of the Damned got bogged down. Rice seemed to regain her abilities in this work.
LibraryThing member EmScape
What a brilliant and entertaining book! The Vampire Lestat is faced with the opportunity to become mortal again by trading bodies with a Thief. Will he ever get it back?
After several tales set predominantly in the past, this new volume of the vampire chronicles is completely of the moment. Such a
After several tales set predominantly in the past, this new volume of the vampire chronicles is completely of the moment. Such a
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fascinating plot! What if a vampire could become human again? Would he want to remain so? What is it like for someone who has been free of all mortal necessities for such a long period of time to suddenly have to deal with bowel movements and shaving? And to have this happen to Lestat! Truly one of the best fictional characters I’ve ever encountered. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cats_Critters
I really like this book, it is from Lesats point of view and is interesting. Lesat is being followed by a man, a human man, who offers him a chance to be human again. Against his friends wishes he takes the deal which leads to horrible results. This book has some small problems, but the last
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chapters 32 on really made me want to through the book at the wall the first time I read it. Now I understand it but it still upsets me. Show Less
LibraryThing member vibrantminds
The vampire Lestat once again resurfaces only this time to take on the body of an actual human being. He switches bodies with a human (Raglan James) in order to remember what it means to be human. Once in his new body he realizes that being human isn't what he thought it would be but instead of
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being able to switch back into his vampire body the once human, Raglan James, has stolen it and fled. Lestat is forced now to stay in his human body and the search begins to find his vampire body so he can make the switch back. The book was predictable but still a good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member LaurenGommert
Even though it's not my favorite in the Chronicles, I appreciate the opportunity to witness Lestat out of his comfort zone. Usually an arrogant, pompous individual, Lestat trades bodies with a human and finds himself completely lost. Seeing Lestat struggle provides him with a depth we haven't seen
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from him before. Slow, drawn out, predictable...but worthy of a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Anagarika-Sean
It's not my favorite of the series. Well written, though, and has a good plot.
LibraryThing member susanbevans
The fourth book in the Vampire Chronicles (although you don't really need to read the previous 3 in order to read this one.) Lestat gets his wish and becomes human, for a time. Terriffic plot - new ideas - quite a tale!
LibraryThing member AnnieHidalgo
One of my favorite Anne Rices. I think her interestingness peaked in this book, and the two Lestat books on either side of it - The Vampire Lestat and Memnoch the Devil. Before that she was too straightforward, and after that too weird, but this hits the sweet spot in between. Lestat, always
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craving the new experience, trades bodies with a mortal. Unfortunately, when the time is up, the mortal doesn't want to give his body back. Show Less
LibraryThing member rebeccaday1
This was a great book in the Vampire Chronichles, I lost interest after this book. I read Memnoch the Devil but didn't quite understand it and found it boring. She should have just eneded it here. I have thought about trying to re reading the the rest of th series but never get around to it.
LibraryThing member myabut
This is book four of Anne Rice's vampire chronicles. Lestat exchanges his soul with a body snatcher named Raglan James and celebrates being human again, but quickly tires of it. He then hunts James to take back his vampire soul. I consider this 2nd to the best of the first four of her vampire
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chronicles to my mind. Show Less
LibraryThing member PigOfHappiness
Lestat goes on more extravagant adventures in this installment of the vampire chronicles. In this text, Lestat switches bodies in order to once again experience the joys of human mortality. A bit cheesy, although well written. Appropriate for high school and beyond.
LibraryThing member hermit_9
This tale may be the beginning of Rice’s disinfatuation with The Vampire Chronicles. Although it is very well-written, it is not as enthralling as some of her earlier works. It reads like an unsuccessful attempt to break out of a formula. In short: not a bad book, but not very inspired
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either—like having plain scrambled eggs for breakfast. Show Less
LibraryThing member teharhynn
I would have to say that this one started a little slow, but it's been so long since I've read the first three, that they too might have started slow and I just don't recall. Overall I thought the book very interesting. I enjoyed seeing Lestat in a way that we've really never seen him...
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vulnerable. If you've read the first three, the best I can tell you is that you should read this one too. It's an interesting installment on the great chronicles. Show Less
LibraryThing member MoiraStirling
Lestat switches bodies with a body thief and becomes mortal again. Delectable...However, there is an unfortunate repeated use of the word "preternatural". I find the concept of David most interesting. Is this metaphorical for Rice's musings on reincarnation?
LibraryThing member emanate28
Lestat is still charming, but the ending made me throw down the book in disgust--it seemed like such a cheap trick by the author.
LibraryThing member sdtaylor555
Wow, Anne Rice just keeps it coming. Great story. Lestat is my hero...in a bad kinda way :)
LibraryThing member vampyredhead
The 4th book in the vampire chronicals. Lestat becomes human again. A fun, exciting, soulful, epic adventure. No one knows vampires like Anne Rice.
LibraryThing member StefanY
While not quite up to the high level set by Interview With the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat, I feel that Tale of the Body Thief was more of a return to form from the slightly long-winded style of The Queen of the Damned.
In the Tale of the Body Thief, we once again join the continuing adventures
I won't go into too much detail, but I thought that this was a really fun new direction for Lestat's character. It takes him away from his normal lack of concern with the impact of his actions on things around him and forces him into some tough situations. Rice also introduces us to some new characters along the way that I was really fond of and would like to see more of.
All-in-all, I really enjoyed this entry into the Vampire Chronicles and found it refreshing compared to the relative heaviness of The Queen of the Damned.
In the Tale of the Body Thief, we once again join the continuing adventures
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of Lestat but this time he's not doing ordinary every-day vampire things. No, in this novel, Lestat has decided that he might want to become mortal again because he misses the mortal experience of savoring every moment as it might be the last.I won't go into too much detail, but I thought that this was a really fun new direction for Lestat's character. It takes him away from his normal lack of concern with the impact of his actions on things around him and forces him into some tough situations. Rice also introduces us to some new characters along the way that I was really fond of and would like to see more of.
All-in-all, I really enjoyed this entry into the Vampire Chronicles and found it refreshing compared to the relative heaviness of The Queen of the Damned.
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LibraryThing member AliceAnna
This was a good one -- more actual story and less exposition than some of her stuff. Good basic story told at a decent pace.
LibraryThing member booksandliquids
Okay, yes, Lestat is super whiny and it's annoying as hell. But I can live with that, since it's also kind of a core point of his character that he always wants what he can't have, especially if it's dangerous.
What I could not deal with was him being constantly distracted by the stupidest things. I
I blame lack of editing.
I blame lack of editing for a lot of things in this book.
Because it is an intriguing story, the characters are great, it's something fresh and new and a great book to write after the first three in the Vampire Chronicles. The story is very urban fantasy, in a good way, I like the antagonist and I love everything with David in it. Lestat is not only whiny, but an immense a**hole at times, but since he never was a likeable protagonist, so that's fine with me. I love the fact that he wants to be human at all costs and then absolutely hates it, not out of glee, but because I find it a believable reaction from a being that is so absolutely removed from being human and enjoys it.
There are a lot of meaningful conversations in this book, as always with Anne Rice, but also a lot of back and forth and repetitions of the same thing over and over, so it could definitely have benefited from some editing. And it could have been a lot shorter.
All in all, in my "great and possible several years-long re-read of the Vampire Chronicles and maybe the Mayfair Witches completely out of order", this book ranks below "Pandora" (the first book I re-read, this being the second) because of lack of editing and focus.
Next up: Memnoch the Devil
What I could not deal with was him being constantly distracted by the stupidest things. I
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mean, David (whom Lestat allegedly loves deeply) is here coming up with plans and doing all the work and Lestat goes from "I want my body back and will do everything in my power, this is my only goal" to "So... can we have sex now?" several times in five minutes.I blame lack of editing.
I blame lack of editing for a lot of things in this book.
Because it is an intriguing story, the characters are great, it's something fresh and new and a great book to write after the first three in the Vampire Chronicles. The story is very urban fantasy, in a good way, I like the antagonist and I love everything with David in it. Lestat is not only whiny, but an immense a**hole at times, but since he never was a likeable protagonist, so that's fine with me. I love the fact that he wants to be human at all costs and then absolutely hates it, not out of glee, but because I find it a believable reaction from a being that is so absolutely removed from being human and enjoys it.
There are a lot of meaningful conversations in this book, as always with Anne Rice, but also a lot of back and forth and repetitions of the same thing over and over, so it could definitely have benefited from some editing. And it could have been a lot shorter.
All in all, in my "great and possible several years-long re-read of the Vampire Chronicles and maybe the Mayfair Witches completely out of order", this book ranks below "Pandora" (the first book I re-read, this being the second) because of lack of editing and focus.
Next up: Memnoch the Devil
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LibraryThing member justagirlwithabook
Anne Rice is the author to go to when you want to read a really good vampire novel. Not the type of vampire novels where vampires sparkle and are just too over the top (eye roll). This is vampires done well, with all the rich details and history to go along with them. I love this series and need to
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pick it back up again - I got stuck on the 6th one and need to push through it! Show Less
LibraryThing member wb4ever1
Back in the day, I read the first three books of Anne Rice’s THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES, followed by THE MUMMY, and then, though I had multiple books by her on my shelf, I stopped reading her for no good reason. I’ve always been a horror fan, one who has tried their hand at writing some vampire
As a writer, I have always had great respect for Anne Rice, not just for her writing, but for the way she promotes herself and her work; she is the classic example of the scribbler who came up with a new take on an old genre and then struck a chord with an audience. Back in the 1970’s, she had the notion to write a novel told from the vampire’s point of view, this coming at a time when vampire lovers mostly had to make do with paperback copies of DRACULA, or hybrids like Richard Matheson’s I AM LEGEND. Then came INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE in 1976, which introduced us to Lestat De Lioncourt, a young French nobleman from the late 18th Century, the first of a whole cast of Undead characters inhabiting a unique universe. INTERVIEW was followed by THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, and QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, and a literary juggernaut was launched. Rice’s books appealed not only to traditional horror fans, but also to readers of romantic fiction and the burgeoning Goth culture, while developing a large gay fan base, and a following among those who just wanted something different. It helped that New Orleans native Rice proved to be a hell of a salesman for own work, becoming a distinct personality in her own right after many appearances on TV talk shows which highlighted her long raven black hair, and equally dark attire; many fans thought she was a vampire herself; detractors said she was so deluded she actually thought she was creature of the night. Anyway, through good hard work, she made herself into a mini industry that has produced 35 books and sold nearly a 100 million copies. And her influence has been enormous, without Rice, there would never have been an Angel or Spike, nor Edward Cullen either for that matter.
THE TALE OF THE BODY THIEF came out in 1991, a couple of years after THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, and at the time, many fans thought it was something of a letdown after the epic arc of the first three novels, still, it was a huge bestseller. For me, diving back into the Vampire Chronicles after all this time, BODY THIEF was an easy entrance back into Rice’s world, as it does not force the reader to get back up to speed with the huge cast from the earlier books. Lestat is back front and center, and there is an appearance by Louis, a New Orleans bloodsucker made by Lestat two centuries before, along with the ghost of Claudia, the vampire child they created and then lost. It seems that after the near apocalyptic events of QUEEN, Lestat has fallen into despair and disillusionment with his vampire existence, cutting himself off from his fellow bloodsuckers; his only friend is the elderly mortal David Talbot, the leader of the Talemasca, a group that studies the supernatural. The lonely Lestat is approached by Raglan James, a young man who claims he has the ability to switch bodies, telling Lestat that he is really a 70 some year old man who has purloined the young body he now inhabits after hijacking it in a British mental institution, where it was in a fatal coma. James has a proposition for Lestat, they switch bodies for a few days, so that Lestat may regain his humanity, while James can enjoy being inside the immensely powerful body of a vampire for a short time. What could possibly go wrong? Though Lestat is warned by Louis and David that this is the worst of all possible ideas, and the reader can clearly see that James is bad news, the offer prompts an itch that Lestat just has to scratch.
The best part of the book is the middle part where Lestat, now in a human body, finds that being a mortal is not quite what he remembered it to be; not with a bout of pneumonia, and learning how to take a dump again, among other indignities. But he also finds love with a nun on leave from her order, and gets to enjoy some good hot sex. Of course James is a kleptomaniac with no intention of returning the vampire’s body; Lestat turns to his Undead compatriots for help and is spurned, only his mortal friend, David, will aide him, and together they set out to track James down and return Lestat to his rightful body. But no plan ever works out as anticipated, and the plot takes some twists and turns before it is all resolved. There is one ending, where the reader is warned that they may regret going any further, but it is in this final chapter where we are reminded why Lestat is one of modern fictions most renowned anti-heroes.
A lot of this book is Rice at her best, especially when Lestat and David have lengthy conversations about God and the Devil, and the nature of good and evil, this is something Rice is famous for, and it is clear Lestat is her alter ego, especially when he talks about what he has learned after observing the human condition for two centuries. Truly her vampires have a marvelous gift of gab; it is one of the hallmarks of her style. I may not always agree with what Rice is saying through her characters, but it is always worth hearing. The other secret to the success of her vampire books is that she surreptitiously makes the reader feel as though they are one of the beautiful immortals themselves, that when Lestat is talking to them in the first person, he is conversing with one of his own kind.
Reading it today, there are some things about BODY THIEF that badly date it, such as mentions of faxes and laser disks, and the absence of cell phones and the internet; there is a sexual encounter between Lestat and a waitress that might not pass muster today, and I doubt it would get past an editor in its present form.
But for me, reading THE TALE OF THE BODY THIEF was like getting reacquainted with members of a family you knew years ago, Lestat being a brother with many siblings to catch up with, while at the center is a matriarch, her hair a little grayer with the passage of time. Anne Rice’s writing has taken some interesting turns in the years since BODY THIEF came out, and now that I’m back in the coven, so to speak, I look forward to reading them all.
Show More
fiction on my own, but Anne Rice and I just went our separate ways. That is until recently, when I picked up my copy of THE TALE OF A BODY THIEF and got back into her world of bloodsucking immortals.As a writer, I have always had great respect for Anne Rice, not just for her writing, but for the way she promotes herself and her work; she is the classic example of the scribbler who came up with a new take on an old genre and then struck a chord with an audience. Back in the 1970’s, she had the notion to write a novel told from the vampire’s point of view, this coming at a time when vampire lovers mostly had to make do with paperback copies of DRACULA, or hybrids like Richard Matheson’s I AM LEGEND. Then came INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE in 1976, which introduced us to Lestat De Lioncourt, a young French nobleman from the late 18th Century, the first of a whole cast of Undead characters inhabiting a unique universe. INTERVIEW was followed by THE VAMPIRE LESTAT, and QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, and a literary juggernaut was launched. Rice’s books appealed not only to traditional horror fans, but also to readers of romantic fiction and the burgeoning Goth culture, while developing a large gay fan base, and a following among those who just wanted something different. It helped that New Orleans native Rice proved to be a hell of a salesman for own work, becoming a distinct personality in her own right after many appearances on TV talk shows which highlighted her long raven black hair, and equally dark attire; many fans thought she was a vampire herself; detractors said she was so deluded she actually thought she was creature of the night. Anyway, through good hard work, she made herself into a mini industry that has produced 35 books and sold nearly a 100 million copies. And her influence has been enormous, without Rice, there would never have been an Angel or Spike, nor Edward Cullen either for that matter.
THE TALE OF THE BODY THIEF came out in 1991, a couple of years after THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED, and at the time, many fans thought it was something of a letdown after the epic arc of the first three novels, still, it was a huge bestseller. For me, diving back into the Vampire Chronicles after all this time, BODY THIEF was an easy entrance back into Rice’s world, as it does not force the reader to get back up to speed with the huge cast from the earlier books. Lestat is back front and center, and there is an appearance by Louis, a New Orleans bloodsucker made by Lestat two centuries before, along with the ghost of Claudia, the vampire child they created and then lost. It seems that after the near apocalyptic events of QUEEN, Lestat has fallen into despair and disillusionment with his vampire existence, cutting himself off from his fellow bloodsuckers; his only friend is the elderly mortal David Talbot, the leader of the Talemasca, a group that studies the supernatural. The lonely Lestat is approached by Raglan James, a young man who claims he has the ability to switch bodies, telling Lestat that he is really a 70 some year old man who has purloined the young body he now inhabits after hijacking it in a British mental institution, where it was in a fatal coma. James has a proposition for Lestat, they switch bodies for a few days, so that Lestat may regain his humanity, while James can enjoy being inside the immensely powerful body of a vampire for a short time. What could possibly go wrong? Though Lestat is warned by Louis and David that this is the worst of all possible ideas, and the reader can clearly see that James is bad news, the offer prompts an itch that Lestat just has to scratch.
The best part of the book is the middle part where Lestat, now in a human body, finds that being a mortal is not quite what he remembered it to be; not with a bout of pneumonia, and learning how to take a dump again, among other indignities. But he also finds love with a nun on leave from her order, and gets to enjoy some good hot sex. Of course James is a kleptomaniac with no intention of returning the vampire’s body; Lestat turns to his Undead compatriots for help and is spurned, only his mortal friend, David, will aide him, and together they set out to track James down and return Lestat to his rightful body. But no plan ever works out as anticipated, and the plot takes some twists and turns before it is all resolved. There is one ending, where the reader is warned that they may regret going any further, but it is in this final chapter where we are reminded why Lestat is one of modern fictions most renowned anti-heroes.
A lot of this book is Rice at her best, especially when Lestat and David have lengthy conversations about God and the Devil, and the nature of good and evil, this is something Rice is famous for, and it is clear Lestat is her alter ego, especially when he talks about what he has learned after observing the human condition for two centuries. Truly her vampires have a marvelous gift of gab; it is one of the hallmarks of her style. I may not always agree with what Rice is saying through her characters, but it is always worth hearing. The other secret to the success of her vampire books is that she surreptitiously makes the reader feel as though they are one of the beautiful immortals themselves, that when Lestat is talking to them in the first person, he is conversing with one of his own kind.
Reading it today, there are some things about BODY THIEF that badly date it, such as mentions of faxes and laser disks, and the absence of cell phones and the internet; there is a sexual encounter between Lestat and a waitress that might not pass muster today, and I doubt it would get past an editor in its present form.
But for me, reading THE TALE OF THE BODY THIEF was like getting reacquainted with members of a family you knew years ago, Lestat being a brother with many siblings to catch up with, while at the center is a matriarch, her hair a little grayer with the passage of time. Anne Rice’s writing has taken some interesting turns in the years since BODY THIEF came out, and now that I’m back in the coven, so to speak, I look forward to reading them all.
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LibraryThing member LGandT
Got a little too complicated with all that body changing
LibraryThing member SumisBooks
Oh Lestat, "The brat prince". So perfect a nickname that you never know whether to wrap your arms around him or punch him square in the face. Even though this installment in no way surpassed the last, it was an interesting little story with a good amount of adventure and drama. Not to mention the
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usual melancholy sadness that only the great Vampire Lestat can make appealing. Very good for a quick read. Show Less
LibraryThing member lisa.isselee
amazing, just like any other Anne Rice novel I've read. Makes me want to run to the store to buy the next one.
Awards
Lambda Literary Award (Nominee — 1992)
Language
Original publication date
1992-10-04
1992
Physical description
448 p.; 6.82 inches
ISBN
034538475X / 9780345384751
Local notes
The Vampire Chronicles 4