Rating: 
Summary: "Tale" is a great short read & capture's Rice's rich essence
Review: "The Tale of the Body Theif" is one of Rice's best works, which captures her true essence in rich description and detailed storytelling. It is fun to read and very fast-paced for those of a short attention span. The main plot revolves around Lestat's involvement with David Talbot, a mortal man assigned to the Talamasca, an ancient society occupied with finding the truth in preternatural beings and occurances of the world. One of these such beings,(a mortal) the Body Theif, has found the ability to levitate from his body and enter another person's. David, sent to investigate this, ends up switching bodies with the Theif. Lestat ends up in the middle, swithes bodies with the Theif a few times so that Lestat can feel mortal for a while, et cetera.A surprising ending concludes the Tale and sets forth the ground of the next novel in the Series. The "Tale" is beset with beautiful imagery and astounding propositions. I give this a Five because new Rice and old Rice readers alike will appreciate the superb, fast-paced story and classic Rice imagery. Rice is loved because she textures the plot with detailed descriptions so realistically that it makes us wonder if we are really the highest order of beings on this plane of existance. Are we at the top of the food chain? Are we in fact all playing a part of some grand master sceme in the Savage Garden? The "Theif" deepens my suspicians and widens my horizons all while giving me a good reason to have a little fun with Lestat. Thanks Anne for creating another masterful tale to torture mortal souls into remission and veneration for the world of 'fiction'(?fiction?).
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad, but not good
Review: I like all of Anne Rice's books, Queen of the Damned being my favorite, but I was rather dissappointed with Tale of the Body Thief. I liked the beginning with Lestat's abortive attempt to suicide, and getting know David better. Raglan James's way of communicating with Lestat was a little far-fetched, but the story didn't die until Lestat became human. His brief interlude with Gretchen was unrealistic and uninteresting. The readers simply could not identify with her. The action picked up again when he joined David in an attempt to regain his vampiric body. Fortunatly Anne Rice had enough sense not to insert any "erotic" scenes between Lestat and David. Lestat's fever dreams about Claudia were well written, telling the reader exactly what mental state he was in. The dream where David was present at Claudia's making was amusing. I liked the end where Lestat got his body back, and David ended up in Raglan's stolen body. I think it was completely in character for Lestat to kill Raglan in David's body. The missionary scene between Gretchen and Lestat would have been better left out. I liked the part where Lestat made David a vampire, although it was out of character for David to run away afterwards. Lestat's scene with Louis was touching (you burnt my little house didn't you?) and I'd like to see more of Louis. All in all, it was an ok addition to the Vampire Chronicles. (Now watch me really trash Memnoch the Devil)
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Summary: A novel of a vampire who desires to become human again.
Review: One of the best books I have read. It is a beautiful work of art that takes us to a different dimension of writing. In search of a new opportunity to recover the last years of his youth, Lestat makes a decision to become human again and here is where the adventure begins. This is a novel that will leave you asking for more. It has everything a reader could ask for in a novel.
Rating:
Summary: starts slow, but takes off
Review: it was tough to get through the beginning 100-150 pp, but after that. rice did a good job of putting something together that is totally different that the first 3 books. i couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: truely understandable
Review: Granted, this is not the best of the Chronicle (Queen of the Damned and Memnoch the Devil are), but you must understand that this is just a story, it is supposed to be a tale, that's it. And for the hundreds of people I've talked to who won't read anymore of these books because of the homosexual nature (Armand/Daniel relationship in QD), vampires are bisexual. It's necessary for their companionship, because none of them can survive mentally without anyone to be with. The character development is great in this book, and shows Lestat's decline into insanity in Memnoch.
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Summary: This book was fantastic!
Review: I am a huge fan of Anne Rice but after reading this book I will be a dedicated fan forever. It's amazing to me how she just pulls you right into a story and keeps you wanting more after the read is over. I found this book to be beautiful as well as exciting. Her vivid descriptions and beautifully described characters literally make you fall in love with her vampires. Any time I read another vampire book by another author or watch a vampire movie I am always comparing them to Anne Rice's vampire works. I am completely enthralled by her books and I hope she continues with the vampire genre.
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant masterpiece!
Review: The gratification you get from reading a phanominally outstanding book comes to you again thanks to The Tale of the Body Thief, Anne Rice's fourth installment of the Vampire Chronicles. Anne Rice's words dance in your head as she vividly describes image after image in this fantastic book. Your appetite will be satisfied as she calms your cravings for action and intrigue. The whole cast of vampires are here along with a few fresh faces. The spotlight is once again on Lestat as he is faced with an overwhelming delima. The book begins a little drull, with the suicide attempt by Lestat, but but soon picks up the pace. It is a bit boring to be reintroduced to the same characters, but if this is your first Anne Rice book, you will be gratefull for this. Two- fourths through the story it begins to lag a bit due to Lestat seeming to be clueless. Then Anne Rice turns up the action when the body thief is introduced. Hang on, you are about to take a roller-coaster ride through the depths of excitement! The fun begins when Lestat... becomes human?! Yes, it is true! Now Lestat's only problem is trying to get back his vampiric body. There are some outstanding cliffhangers near the end of this story. Some will give you chills and some will leave you puzzled. I would love to go into further detail, but I do not want to spoil anything for those of you who have not read this book yet. Besides, I want you to experience this book for yourself. Just reading Anne Rice's name on the cover of this book should give you goosebumps from excitement. While there are some that disagree with reading this book, they are happier to watch T.V. rather than be open to an author's magnificent talents. As you can see, I am very pleased with this book and I highly recommend it. Look no further for what you crave.
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Summary: Redeeming Qualities
Review: Tale Of The Body Theif had a great deal of interesting ideas and indulges in fantastic philosophical issues. The flavour is powerful, but the spice leaves something to be desired. More than ever before, Rice goes out on her overly descriptive and wordy limb and is difficult it seems to coax her back into the story at times. Raglan James' character could have been explored a little more thoroughly to add depth to the already shallow character. Again, Lestat is the centerpiece to which the stage is set, personally I am glad she is beginning to spread out to other vampires from her stories with books like Pandora and The Vampire Armand. hopefully Lestat will not steal the stage however. I recommend other books from by Rice more than this one. Without giving spoilers I can only say that too much of it is dry and mundane and only fast past should you believe that the possible dire outcome truly is possible, which most who've read of Lestat previously will not believe for a minute. It is always evident that certain characters are never in real danger and will always prevail. This is her downfall with Lestat. I for one am getting tired of the nightmare hauntings of Claudia, bring her back or kill her once and for all. The true redeeming qualities of the book are mainly centered around the impressive David Talbot and it is almost viable that the entire book was written around the circumstances which befall him in the end. Which weakens the story. The last chapters though tend to be the best in the book and compleatly revive you enough to save the rest of the story.
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Summary: Stalking Lestat
Review: Many people have marveled reading the adventures of this enraptured 200-year-old vampire, whose capricious and maddening behavior takes him into wild experiences dragging us all along. In this fourth episode, a man who calls himself the Body Thief, the perfect embodiment of body stealing, is harassing Lestat. All of us who have been following Lestat know how much he had ever wanted to become human again and this ravenous wish will become his menace soon enough. Given the chance by the Body Thief of changing bodies, and therefore changing abilities, Lestat embarks himself into his most darkened and doomed nightmare to date. Along with his friend David Talbot and some cameo appearances of our fellow vampires, this story shines with light of its own, piling up layer upon layer of lines that equals the grandeur of the first volume of these chronicles but that can't reach high enough to blur the transcendence of the one that started it all.
Rating:
Summary: In depth exporation of a magnificent character.
Review: This is a remarkable book whether you are interested in the Vampire Chronicles or not. It takes us into the mind of Lestat (Vampire Extrordinaire) as he explores the pros and cons of humanity versus immortality. By seeing us from his perspective, we are given a deeper revalation of human essence. Obviously, I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book. I believe it is the most enjoyable book of the series, for the perspective it provides and the sheer enjoyment it brings.
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