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The Tale of the Body Thief (The Vampire Chronicles, Book 4) Kindle Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,909 ratings

“Rice is our modern messenger of the occult, whose nicely updated dark-side passion plays twist and turn in true Gothic form.”—San Francisco Chronicle

In a gripping feat of storytelling, Anne Rice continues the extraordinary Vampire Chronicles that began with the now-classic
Interview with the Vampire. For centuries, Lestat—vampire-hero, enchanter, seducer of mortals—has been a courted prince in the dark and flourishing universe of the living dead. Now he is alone. And in his overwhelming need to destroy his doubts and his loneliness, Lestat embarks on the most dangerous enterprise he has undertaken in all the years of his haunted existence.

Praise for The Tale of the Body Thief

“Tinged with mystery, full of drama . . . The story is involving, the twists surprising.”
People
 
“Fast-paced . . . . mesmerizing . . . silkenly sensuous . . . No one writing today matches her deftness with the [sensual].”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Hypnotic . . . masterful.”
Cosmopolitan

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From the Publisher

People says, “Tinged with mystery, full of drama.”

Cosmopolitan says, “Hypnotic.”

San Francisco Chronicle says, “ Rice is our modern messenger of the occult.”

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

From Publishers Weekly

The fourth book of the Vampire Chronicles series, launched in 1976 with Interview with the Vampire (which Knopf is simultaneously reissuing in cloth), reconfirms Rice's power as a mesmerizing raconteur. In sensuous, fluid prose, she follows the tormented vampire Lestat as he struggles to integrate his bloodthirsty nature with his aspirations to achieve humanity. Desiring to see the sun, to love without taking blood, to seek God as mortals do, Lestat enters blindly into an unholy bargain. In order to experience mortality for one day and two nights, he agrees to switch bodies with the scoundrel Raglan James, a former member of the secret order of scholarly occultists called the Talamasca, and a "sinister being," according to David Talbot, the order's superior general and Lestat's longtime friend and advisor. But Lestat has given little thought to how James intends to use his body and its vampiric powers. Trapped in the mortal state, Lestat must overcome the human frailties of despair and physical pain to thwart James's evil intentions and, with Talbot's help, regain his immortal self. Drawing on characters met in earlier novels as well as the lushly evoked settings of New Orleans, Miami and Paris, Rice once again deftly lures readers into the enchanting world of her anguished and deeply sympathetic hero. 500,000 first printing; BOMC main selection.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004AM5R0M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books (November 17, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 17, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2200 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 443 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,909 ratings

About the author

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Anne Rice
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Anne Rice was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, which provided the backdrop for many of her famous novels. She was the author of more than 30 books, including her first novel, Interview with the Vampire, which was published in 1976. It has since gone on to become one of the best-selling novels of all time, and was adapted into a major motion picture starring Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst, and Antonio Banderas. In addition to The Vampire Chronicles, Anne was the author of several other best-selling supernatural series including Mayfair Witches, Queen of the Damned, the Wolf Gift, and Ramses the Damned. Under the pen name A.N. Roquelaure, Anne was the author of the erotic (BDSM) fantasy series, The Sleeping Beauty Trilogy. Under the pen name Anne Rampling she was the author of two erotic novels, Exit to Eden and Belinda. A groundbreaking artist whose work was widely beloved in popular culture, Anne had this to say of her work: "I have always written about outsiders, about outcasts, about those whom others tend to shun or persecute. And it does seem that I write a lot about their interaction with others like them and their struggle to find some community of their own. The supernatural novel is my favorite way of talking about my reality. I see vampires and witches and ghosts as metaphors for the outsider in each of us, the predator in each of us...the lonely one who must grapple day in and day out with cosmic uncertainty."

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,909 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and interesting. They praise the writing quality and author as special. The characters are rich and the book explores deeper themes like incarnation and theology. Readers appreciate the visual quality and attention to detail. However, some pages fall out in the book. Reviews are mixed on the series quality, with some finding it great and a perfect addition to their collection, while others consider it not their favorite.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

43 customers mention "Story quality"35 positive8 negative

Customers find the story engaging and interesting. They say it's one of Anne Rice's best stories, with twists and turns that keep them hooked. Readers also mention the book is action-packed throughout.

"...If you wrote it, I have it. Thank you for the years of pleasurable and exciting reading!" Read more

"...continue with Vampire Chronicles and Lestat fans because it is an interesting and unique story...." Read more

"...They are transforming, rich, educational, and complex...." Read more

"...:/ Though I also must say that the end was very satisfying." Read more

16 customers mention "Writing quality"12 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it a quick read with an interesting story and find the author's writing style enjoyable.

"...with Lestat, and if you like him, I think you'll really enjoy this part of his story...." Read more

"...It is hard to deny Anne Rice's exquisite writing talent and her ability to weave the net of her tale so tightly that the reader finds themselves..." Read more

"I'm about half way through, and just loving it. Very much enjoying David as a central focus...." Read more

"...The writing meanders a bit too much but the storyline is entertaining and a blend of predictable and unpredictable...." Read more

13 customers mention "Author"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the author's vampire novels. They find the book itself good, though some mention issues with the physical book quality.

"...In my opinion this was that last good novel in the Vampire Chronicles series...." Read more

"Anne Rice is a great author and Tale of the Body Thief is amazing...." Read more

"I am enjoining reading the vampire chronicles...." Read more

"...With all that, she still writes the best vampire novels." Read more

9 customers mention "Character development"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development and rich destinations.

"...I love the characters and feel like they are family and great friends. Ms. Anne Rice you are my favorite author! If you wrote it, I have it...." Read more

"...Her characters and dialogues are so well written that I would easily believe that she listened to these conversations as they happened...." Read more

"...this book are really intense as usual for Anne, and her character descriptions are spot on. This book moved up in my list to top 3 favorites." Read more

"...The detail of all of the destinations and characters is so rich one transported from the page into the story...." Read more

6 customers mention "Depth"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's depth. They say it's told from Lestat's perspective, revealing more about him and his friends. The story includes deeper thinking about the nature of incarnation. It keeps true to Lestat's nature while remaining lighthearted. Readers also mention that the theological discussions are rich, educational, and complex.

"...why I liked the book so well, but what I can say, is it is told from Lestat's viewpoint...." Read more

"...They are transforming, rich, educational, and complex...." Read more

"...line coupled with the mystical tale of body swapping and theological discussions...." Read more

"...and turns that support what we know of Lestat and reveal more in depth characteristics of Lestat and his closest friends...." Read more

6 customers mention "Visual quality"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the visual quality of the book. They find the descriptions vivid and the storytelling engaging, with attention to detail. The narration is also praised as wonderful.

"...The visuals in this book are really intense as usual for Anne, and her character descriptions are spot on...." Read more

"...me personally I loved the ride, the storytelling and as always attention to detail." Read more

"Anne Rice at her best! Her words painting the scenes, creating the characters...." Read more

"This book took two wonderful years to read; so much detail. The imagery for this book is spectacular!" Read more

7 customers mention "Series quality"3 positive4 negative

Customers have different views on the series. Some find it a great addition to their collection, while others consider it not their favorite installment.

"Not my favorite in the series, but a good read." Read more

"I collect books by Anne Rice. This was a perfect addition to my collection." Read more

"Not my favorite Vampire Series book!" Read more

"If you want to get lost in a great Ann Rice book, this is a great selection. I couldn't put it down, and I finished it in about a day and a half...." Read more

12 customers mention "Page fallout"0 positive12 negative

Customers are unhappy with the pages falling out of the book. They say the pages start coming out of the binding and continue to do so even after picking it up.

"...The pages fell out after reading maybe 1.5 days. So ridiculous" Read more

"I just started this book and the pages are falling out within first 2 chapters as I am turning the pages. I am being gentle...." Read more

"...The quality of the book is terrible. Literally every page falls out of the binding when I turn them...." Read more

"...By my second time picking it up, the pages began coming out of the binding and continue to do so with just about each page...." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2023
    Oh how I love this book! It's the third time I've read it and probably won't be the last. Over the years I've enjoyed reading your books again and again. The Vampire Series and the Mayfair Witches Series are my favorites. The characters and story lines of these books rate right up there with Les Miserable by Victor Hugo. I love the characters and feel like they are family and great friends. Ms. Anne Rice you are my favorite author! If you wrote it, I have it. Thank you for the years of pleasurable and exciting reading!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2024
    This book became a well received gift. I appreciate the care given to the protective shipping, as described condition and timely arrival.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2013
    I read some reviews before I downloaded this, and they are mixed... I'm glad I read some of the bad reviews, however, because I really didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. I'm also glad to have read reviews that didn't spoil anything for me plotwise. In fact, something one of the negative reviews said had me thinking the plot was about Lestat stealing bodies. So here I am, thinking Lestat is going to murder victims and pile them up in a basement like some serial killer. Glad that is not the case. The current top negative review gives away the major idea for the plot in the first few lines, and I really think it was better for me not to know where the book was headed until I got there.

    No spoilers here, though. It makes it hard to say why I liked the book so well, but what I can say, is it is told from Lestat's viewpoint. And, if you are considering this book you've likely read the first three Vampire Chronicles. So at this point, you are familiar with Lestat, and if you like him, I think you'll really enjoy this part of his story. The experiences he has in this book are unlike any that he or any of the other vampires have experienced at this point, and some of it is quite moving.

    More than one reviewer said Anne Rice's writing in this book is not as good as previous books. I thought there were plenty of moving passages. In one section a character repeated something he'd said earlier and it felt like a mistake, but it may have been intentional. It didn't detract from the story. So I can't say I agree with it being badly written.

    In summary, I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to continue with Vampire Chronicles and Lestat fans because it is an interesting and unique story. Once it hooked me, I did not want to put the book down until I knew what was going to happen.

    It explores many of the themes I love about the vampire genre. What they've lost, what they've gained, how they relate to humans, what is left of their humanity... and while the idea that drives this plot may have been done elsewhere, for me it's a first. Overall, I say it's a good read.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2024
    This copy actually was better that advertised.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent condition !!!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 28, 2024
    This copy actually was better that advertised.
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2023
    The master of deception and king of the night ponders on his existence and through an unfortunate turn of events somehow ends up in a human body. He has forgotten how weak humans are and gets to experience all the fun stuff we go through like pain, using the bathroom, eating, in his attempt to reclaim his real body
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2009
    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. It is hard to deny Anne Rice's exquisite writing talent and her ability to weave the net of her tale so tightly that the reader finds themselves trapped within it, unable to set the book down. In my opinion this was that last good novel in the Vampire Chronicles series. As I'm sure most fans know Anne Rice, regrettably, made the choice to rejoin the Catholic Church which for me spoiled her later writings. I was intrigued by Lestat's return to a human body though I was also endlessly annoyed by the fact that some lunatic was cavorting around in his beautiful immortal body! I also found in the novel that I rather liked David, I was glad that he became Lestat's friend and confidant even more than he had been previously. Tale of the Body Thief displays all of the virtues of the previous three novels and I love it but it somehow falls short in a way that I cannot quite explain. However, I highly recommend it to Anne Rice fans!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2015
    If you love good books... read Anne Rice!
    Has been my favorite author since Jr High, and I have always been quite the bibliophile (now in my 30s). I have my 7th grade daughter reading these books now. They are transforming, rich, educational, and complex. I have more respect for Anne Rice then any other fiction writer rivaled only by Daniel Quinn, possibly. Her characters and dialogues are so well written that I would easily believe that she listened to these conversations as they happened. Vampires that were "created" 6,000 years ago to today from locations all over the world provides readers with tantalizing glimpses into histories and cultures that must have cost Rice quite a bit of research to deliver. Romantic and dark, her books find the spark of poetry in the most Stoic of souls--- as poetic as that may sound, I am known for being fairly Stoic.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2022
    Though in the end this ended up being a decent book, there was an entire section that frustrated me to such a point that I skipped about 50 pages. :/

    Though I also must say that the end was very satisfying.

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Alexis Bogner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely magnificent
    Reviewed in Germany on July 3, 2024
    Lestat & dog, what more is there to say. It's been a while since I've been drawn in by a book this way. The writing, oh the writing, absolutely magnificent.
  • Tj
    5.0 out of 5 stars You might have questions....
    Reviewed in Canada on May 31, 2021
    We all had an Anne Rice period I believe. At some point the draw of specialized, blood sucking monsters speaking wittily and globetrotting around the world with a freedom most of us will never have was intoxicating.
    But this one goes too far.
    If you could switch bodies, why a vampire? I would assume, because it is laid out in the book, that you could technically switch with anyone. So why not a billionaire or the president?
    As I see it, there are a lot of reasons to not to switch with a vampire. First, only awake at night? I mean, if you like Solitude and not much going on, by all means. If you idea is reading a good book or binging tv and movies (perhaps with Amazon Prime) for all eternity, it might be for you.
    Also, the way the craving of blood is described over and over in these books, it sound horrendous. It’s not like you can go through a McDs and satisfy that craving with a Big Mac, you have to practically kill a human. And then, clean up after that dinner. This isn’t ‘stuff the trash in its bag and put it into the bin’ kind of situation. Digging holes, burying bodies.... that has got to take some time, not to mention finding the right person to feast upon. I can’t help think of all the missing people posters in this world.

    Sure, I guess if you drank the blood of the first vampire and you could fly and stuff, like Lestat, then it might be worthwhile. I mean, how many chances do you get to fly without any help? But he developed how to over years, and the body thief just thinks he can get into the body and just pilot it like a new car? Ha I say.
    But I digress... still a good read, not as wordy as, say, the Mayfair Witches. Anne hits a home run!
  • litalostefano
    5.0 out of 5 stars Anne Rice Magistrale
    Reviewed in France on December 9, 2012
    J'ai toujours voulu lire les Chroniques Vampiriques depuis le Film Entretien avec un vampire. Et les livres sont fabuleux de profondeur! Un chef d'oeuvre!
  • Ian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Entertainment!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 4, 2009
    I always thought that the 'true' Vampire Chronicles comprised of only the first three books, and I overlooked this one completely. In a way I'm glad I waited years to read this as I read her other books when I was quite young, and being in my 20s now I can appreciate Anne Rice's writing much more.
    The story of this book crosses the Globe, and features an excellent few chapters on the QE2 cruise ship near the end! The entertainment is non-stop, however Anne sometimes has a tendency to ramble on for page upon page of thoughts, but then this adds to the sense of self-importance and delusions of grandeur that Lestat has.

    It is a shame that Anne Rice has chosen to abandon her Vampire writing in favour of more religious works, and that on her website she discourages her new readers from reading the vampire chronicles. I can sort of see why...her Vampire Chronicles (especially this book and the wonderful Merrick) are violent, filthy, dirty, mean, romantic, racy, apparently blasphemous, dark and also very very funny, and that is why they are so damn good!!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ada
    5.0 out of 5 stars Book in English
    Reviewed in Germany on November 20, 2018
    Great quality book in English

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