The Tale of the Body Thief

by Anne Rice
The Tale of the Body Thief  
published 1997 by Ballantine Books
binding Paperback
isbn 0345419634   (isbn13: 9780345419637)
pages 448
description 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 fou...more
date added
01-08-07



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Arthur
Arthur rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/14/08

Read in February, 2008
This vamp has not only ascetic but an artistic strength that veils against prey. Compares victims of the vamp’s prey like the slaughter of animals - only less cruel, and though it has conflict. Vamp strength and twisted artistic killings skill and some ascetic powers are at work. The vamps in Anne rice’s book are going through a masculine change.

Lestate plays the main character. He is against all things that would stop his levigate. Its not the politics, it is the world that the vamps ar...more
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Jamie
Jamie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/21/08

bookshelves: recentlyread
Read in March, 2008
recommended to Jamie by: Bob
I enjoyed Tale of the Body Thief more than any other installment of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles up to this point in the series. Unlike all of her other vampire novels, Rice doesn't spend half the book in flashbacks relating someone's history, and for that we are rewarded. More than ever before we are inside the mind of the vampire Lestat and can revel in his fiesty, pompous spirit and feel closer to him than ever before. I remember when reading The Queen of the Damned I was gett...more
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Allie
Allie rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
04/15/08

Read in January, 2006
Lestat takes a great leap of faith in this book. He resides in a mortal body, while his body is on loan and used for all kinds of nefairous deeds. He experiences all the human traits that we take for granted. The sunrise, the food, the smells and of course our weaknesses.

i loved how Mrs. Rice explained the differences of our vision to that of the vampires. She really paints an interesting picture of mortality in this novel.

But anywho, things take a turn for the worse when Lestat does n...more
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Monica
Monica rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
02/03/08

Read in December, 2007
The fourth installment of the Interview with the Vampire Series. Lestat meets a man who gives him the opportunity to live life as he never thought he would again: as a mortal man. The two will swap bodies for 36 hours, then switch back. But when the man inside of Lestat's body refuses to return it, he must track the bastard down and take the body back with force. The other vampires, however, are angry at what Lestat has done and refuse to help him. He must go it without his preternatural powers,...more
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Israel
08/02/07

Vueeeelve el perro arrepentido...regesa el espadachín preferido de Rice y en esta oportunidad Lestat esta obsesionado con volver a ser humano y es capaz de cambiar su cuerpo con el de un extraño. La trama se complica cuando el ladrón de cuerpos decide no devolver el cuerpo vampírico a Lestat, de forma tal que este sin ningún poder ahora, tiene que recurrir a sus amigos vampiros en busca de ayuda.

La elección del cambio de cuerpos representa todo un conflicto moral encantador. Un relato...more
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Debbie
Debbie rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
05/05/08

bookshelves: fantasy, horror, vampire
Read in May, 2008
recommends it for: vampire fans
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.

Lestat, who seldom looks before he leaps, gets in over his head once again. Despite many warning signs that there is more to Raglan's offer than meets the eye, Lestat agrees to the body switch and has mixed feelings about his recaptured humanity. He finds that being human is not exactly the way he remembers it. He keeps think...more
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Diana
Diana rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
11/23/07

bookshelves: got-er-done-
Read in July, 1998
recommends it for: vampire fans
This book was a difficult read in the beginning. I was fading fast in all of the details Anne loves to write about. Lestat's constant whinning by this book was also trying my last nerve. So.. I tossed it to the side a picked it up on a cassette tape. I listened to it on a trip to Niagra falls. And on the trip back I was so excited about the thickening plot that I decided not to listen to it any longer and picked the book back up to finish it.
I give it a definte 2 thumbs up. One of her...more
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Holly
Holly rated it: 2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars
10/02/07

Read in October, 2007
OK, it got a bit better about 1/2 way through, but Rose is right, it's not one of the best. Plus I found the ending frustrating and almost ridiculous -- I certainly would have been POd. But yeah, Rice blatantly describing sex scenes and also blatantly discussing the vamps' homosexuality [instead of veiling it in words of love and devotion only] was a nice change.

Trying Witching Hour next unless I can get to a library SOON and start working on the list of Booker Prize winners ...
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Frank
Frank rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/20/07

Read in July, 1995
The first Rice novel I ever read. I was in Bari, Italy, waiting for the ferry to take me to Corfu, Greece. I was reading a hideously boring Candadian novel, and the young lady in line next to me was reading The Tale of the Body Thief. We switched books. I had never heard of Anne Rice. I fell in love with the book. Soon after, when I was in Sorrento a few weeks later, I was searching for any Rice books I could find.
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Lucy
Lucy rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/09/08

bookshelves: modern-literature
Read in January, 2006
recommends it for: Devoted readers of the series.
Although still not worthy of the same praise as the first two novels in Rice's rich series, this one is still a beautiful story. For a change of pace, this one takes a sometimes humourous look at the folly of being mortal. Lestat switches bodies with a mortal man, and lives out part of a mortal life. The challenges he faces and his ending realization are surprising, but not something unexpected from Rice fans.
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Tom
02/16/08

Read in January, 2008
Of the first four of the Vampire Chronicles I have read, I would say this was the weakest. While entertaining, I felt that I learned more about Rice's vampire world in her first three novels in the series. This was more of a day-in-the-life-of story of Lestat than any kind of real revelation. I am hoping that Memnoch returns more to origins of vampires like Queen of the Damned did.
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Nerissa
Nerissa rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
04/30/08

One of my very favorite Anne Rice Books. It is such an original story and I loved it. I wish she would further the story of David Talbot. He's a character I always liked and his relationship with Lestat was interesting. And, I love Lestat! Given that she's given up the vampire stories....I guess that won't happen, I guess I can only speculate.
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GrammarSnob
GrammarSnob rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/22/08

bookshelves: all-time-favorites
For me, The Vampire Chronicles are the be-all-end-all of vampire novels. And while I have my favorites within the series, I find myself comparing every other vampire novel I read to the entire set. So, if you want to discuss them, go ahead and send me a note. And if you're new to the vampire genre, you can't go wrong with Anne Rice.
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Imgnepc
Imgnepc rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/25/07

Read in October, 2007
The most erotic of all the Vampire Chronicles (so far). The endless passion between David and Lestat kept me reading more than anything else. She handled their relationship beautifully. I don't know if I can pick a favorite of all the books I've read of her's so far, but I know I love this one just as much as the first three.
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Adornable
Adornable rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
01/04/08

bookshelves: vampires
Read in January, 1990
recommends it for: Vampire Addicts
This was not a great book, but the story was engaging. The strongest impression I have is of the visceral description of the main character waking up in a body not his own, which seems to have felt like being inside a mattress. I also have a very strong memory of the scene when he first moves his bowels - it slayed me!
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Kevin
Kevin rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
08/03/07

recommends it for: people new to Anne Rice.
The best book in the series, so says I. I thought the descriptions of what it would be like to suddenly inhabit a new body were amazing. This book is so sensual and wonderful. Many may disagree with me but I stand by the opinion that this book really is one that people who don't even "get" the vampire series will enjoy.
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Julie
Julie rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/24/08

Another great novel of Anne's...this one is not about vampires or mummys or witches and ghosts. This one is really more about someone altogether new who has the ability to take over someone's body--sort of the soul.

It's about adventures and morals and it's a whirlwind. I thought it was fun and quite a fast read.
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Jeanne
Jeanne rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
05/04/08

bookshelves: vampires-creatures
Read in August, 2003
I had to laugh as I read this one. I thought it was ridiculous how they switched bodies and how someone actually outfoxed Lestat. He was so naively cute in this one and it showed how much he actually did love being mortal but preferred his own vampiric body just the same. Goes to show, be happy with what you've got.
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Bonnie
Bonnie rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
08/15/07

This is when the Vampire Chronicles started to go down hill. When i bought the first three they were in a set and i always wondered why it was only the first three. Now i know, after this one everything changes and it is not the same story. This book I'd say you should read, but don't bother with the next one.
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Kelley
Kelley rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
11/27/07

Read in January, 1999
This is one of the most addictive books I've ever read. I've read it at least four times - and I don't read books more than once. It's one of Anne Rice's best - it's the peak of the Chronicles, and leads directly into the next one, Memnoch the Devil. There's no where else but there for Lestat to go after this.
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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 3.32 (4057 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 3.34 (3741 ratings)
number of reviews: 117






other editions

The Tale of the Body Thief (Vampire Chronicles (Paperback))
The Tale of the Body Thief: The Vampire Chronicles (Hardcover)
The Tale of the Body Thief (Paperback)