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The Tale of the Body Thief (Rice, Anne, Vampire Chronicles, Bk. 4.) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "THE Vampire Lestat here..." (more)
Key Phrases: preternatural body, body thief, residual soul, New Orleans, New York, David Talbot (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (203 customer reviews)
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More from Anne Rice
Whether imagining a world of vampires or recreating the life of Jesus Christ, Anne Rice is known for her innovative and compelling bestsellers. Visit Amazon's Anne Rice Page.

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The Tale of the Body Thief (Rice, Anne, Vampire Chronicles, Bk. 4.) + Memnoch the Devil (Vampire Chronicles) + The Vampire Armand (The Vampire Chronicles) Book 6
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's been said that Vladimir Nabokov's best novels are the ones he wrote after starting a failed novel. Anne Rice wrote The Body Thief, the fourth thrilling episode of her Vampire Chronicles, right after she spent a long time poring over that most romantic of horror novels, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, to research a novel Rice abandoned about an artificial man. Perhaps as a result of Shelley's influence, The Body Thief is far more psychologically penetrating than its predecessors, with a laser-like focus on a single tormented soul. Oh, we meet some wild new characters, and Rice's toothsome vampire-hero Lestat zooms around the globe--as is his magical habit--from Miami to the Gobi desert, but he's in such despair that he trades his immortal body to a con man named Raglan James, who offers him in return two days of strictly mortal bliss.

Lestat has always had a faulty impulse-control valve, and it gets him in truly intriguing trouble this time. On the plus side, he gets to experience romance with a nun and orange juice--"thick like blood, but full of sweetness." But Lestat is horrified by an uncommon cold, and his toilet training proves traumatic. He's also got to catch Raglan James, who has no intention of giving up his dishonestly acquired new superpowered body. Lestat enlists the help of David Talbot, a mortal in the Talamasca, a secret society of immortal watchers described in Queen of the Damned.

The swapping of bodies and supernatural stories is choice, and there's even a moral: never give a bloodsucker an even break. --Tim Appelo --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.



From Publishers Weekly

Rice's fourth Vampire Chronicle--a 14-week PW bestseller and a BOMC main selection in cloth--depicts the tormented vampire Lestat's struggles with immortality. An enchanting tale of body-switching, necromancy and betrayal, set in New Orleans, Miami and Paris.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (December 13, 1997)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345419634
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345419637
  • Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (203 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,029 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
THE Vampire Lestat here. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
preternatural body, body thief, residual soul, vampire eyes, mortal friend
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Orleans, New York, David Talbot, Raglan James, Lord God, Vampire Lestat, Monsieur de Lioncourt, Dark Gift, Queen Elizabeth, Signal Deck, Superior General, Five Deck, Gobi Desert, Park Central, Queen Victoria Suite, Good God, Queens Grill Lounge, Jason Hamilton, Queen's Wreath, Rue Royale, Bal Harbour, Dark Trick, French Guiana, French Quarter, Lestat de Lioncourt
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The Vampire Companion by Katherine Ramsland
 

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203 Reviews
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but something's missing..., April 18, 2000
By Becky (Liverpool, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Tale of the Body Thief (Vampire Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)
This book is undeniably entertaining. The whole 'Lestat can't even handle everyday aspects of being a human' had me laughing out loud at times, and was a wonderful characterization on the part of Anne. However, I can't help but feel that this novel didn't drag me into its narrative so wonderfully as the first three books in this series. The writing seemed to have lost that...indescribably beautiful flow. The breathtaking mixture of gothic tragedy, horror and romance so notable in its predecessors remains, for the most part, aloof, and at times it feels like you are reading a well-written piece of fan-fiction rather than part of the Vampire Chronicles. I also had real problems with the character of David. Granted, he was mildly intriguing in 'Queen of the Damned', but now he just appears as yet another character in what had been a wonderful cross-section of characters created in the first few novels. He also annoyed me because the excellent love-hate relationship between Louis and Lestat, something that this series is infamous for, was often ousted for his ramblings on God. Enough! In fact, this character so bored me that I have to draw on points raised by some of the other reviewers-- you end up hoping desperatley that Louis, Armand or one of the others will show up again. And that's the thing; the scenes between Louis and Lestat are so entertaining, so insightful that when Lestat leaves to return to David, you just groan and think 'here we go again'. This novel is good for two things-- firstly, as an insight into the tragedy of growing old, of the waste of life, (so wonderfully linked to Yeats's 'Sailing to Byzantium') and also if you are just in the mood for a comic-book type of adventure. However, if the reason you read the first novels was for that blend of history, romance and gothic themes-- you will find it here, only not quite as much as you had hoped. Shame. In summary, all I can say is that perhaps this series should have ended with 'Queen of the Damned'. Memnoch was a travesty; this story, though entertaining, does not feel as 'tight' as the others in terms of narrative and characterization. I feel it should have simply ended with the scene where the other vampires have gone off to pursue their own adventures, and a furious Louis is stalking the streets of London with a grinning Lestat who howls, 'Tell me how bad I am! It makes me feel so good!' That's only because this story doesn't end quite so well, for all its excellent parts. Think of it as 'Ernest does necromancy'.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars a delightful tale, September 19, 2000
By "phryne" (Bologna, Italy) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Tale of the Body Thief (Vampire Chronicles) (Mass Market Paperback)
I wonder why _The tale of the Body Thief_ didn't get the same success as _Interview_ or _The Vampire Lestat_.
The story is strong and original: Lestat, bored of his immortal and static life, accepts to exchange his supernatural body with a rascal, named Raglan James. Thus Lestat can experience human life: food, drinks and, for the first time, sex.
His love affair with the young waitress is an enchanting piece of literary skillness. We see Lestat enjoying sex with the reluctant girl -but his real problem is not the girl's unwillingness, it is the relation with his new mortal body!
The romance with the nun is less convincing: Lestat could have chosen something less complicated for his spiritual evolution.
But that doesn't matter: the immortal vampire experiences human life, he is attracted by it, but finally prefers to return to his originale condition. No sweat, no hunger, no bad smells, no problems....
Of course, Lestat will have to face the treacherous and unfaithful Raglan James for returning to his original state. But this is not very important: I think that in the seconda part of the book the most interesting scene is Lestat's visit to the waitress, to beg her pardon. Something very human and sweet, a very significant moment in Lestat's development from _Interview with the vampire_ Miss Roce's style is at its best, vivid and intriguing.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Vampire Chronicle Yet!, April 23, 1997
By A Customer
This review is from: The Tale of the Body Thief: The Vampire Chronicles (Hardcover)
I've been a loyal Anne Rice reader (and vampire fan) for some time now, and it all started with this book! Rather than the usual run down vampire plot (in which a normal person is transformed unwillingly into a vampire and has trouble coping) or the "classic" horror movie motif (usually along the lines of a psychotic vampire terrorizing everyone on his mad and seemingly pointless killing sprees), Anne Rice has pulled through with a truly innovative plot from deep whithin the regions of imagination. The Tale of the Body Thief is the story of a once powerful and headstrong vampire who finds himself with the prosect of becoming human again. He readily accepts the mysterious stranger's offer and recieves what he has always wanted- or has he? Lestat soon realizes that being human isn't all wonderful moments and experiences. He finds himself longing for his strong vampiric body back, only to find that the man he traded bodies with has reneged on their agreement and decided to keep his body after all. Lestat now finds himself in unfamiliar territory- unable to defend himself. All the more determined, he calls upon the help of an old friend, and all of his tricks and cunning. Filled with magic, chases, and friendship, The Tale of the Body Thief leads both characters and readers on an adventure that is sure to change their perspectives forever
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic
At 4.5/5 stars, this book is a wonderful installment to the Vampire Chronicles. Aside the new tales of the vampires (Armand, Vittorio, Pandora), this is the last REALLY good book... Read more
Published 2 months ago by M

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't Bother
If you like the character Lestat, I wouldn't recommend reading this novel. He proves in a rather spectacular fashion that he is not just a whiny, pathetic, sniveling child; he is... Read more
Published 2 months ago by T. Brooks

5.0 out of 5 stars The Last Good Book in the Series
Though Tale of the Body Thief did not live up to its three predecessors it was still a novel I would place among my favorites. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jamie

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rich and Engaging Entertainment
In this book, Anne Rice lets loose a wild streak of exuberant and improbable invention, dovetailed with rich observation of the here and now. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Billyjack D'Urberville

2.0 out of 5 stars This Is When
Sadly, this novel and Taltos mark the point where Anne Rice "jumped the shark". "The Witching Hour" and "Queen of the Damned" were her last two good novels, and they were great... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Michael J. Cuneo

4.0 out of 5 stars Tale of the Body Thief
A homorous tale that keeps one amused as Lestat deals with the everyday challanges of being mortal. Again, Anne Rice does a wonderful job of spinning a tale.
Published 10 months ago by Selena Floreen

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Salatious, and Intoxicating
Welcome back to the world of the vamipre Lestat! Years have passed since his rock-star-gig and he's yet to learn his lesson, this time falling into the "Angel" trap of allowing... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Nicole Loew

1.0 out of 5 stars If you like reading Anne Rice do not buy this book
I loved the first 2 in the series, got to this one and it was pure torture. i consider myself a fast reader, i can finish a book in about 3 days. Read more
Published 16 months ago by J. Beyer

4.0 out of 5 stars Even a vampire can get taken in by a con man.
Fourth in the Vampire Chronicles.

Lestat, ever the angsty immortal, recieves an intriguing proposition from Raglan James, a con man who offers to switch bodies... Read more
Published 17 months ago by D. Williams

5.0 out of 5 stars Un gran libro que leer
En realidad pienso que este libro vale mucho la pena, y la verdad el precio es increible en mexico este libro cuesta al rededor de $500 pesos asi que esta super barato.
Published 19 months ago by Jose A. De Martinez

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