The Tale of the Body Thief

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Horror
Author:	Anne Rice

Anne Rice Philippines held The Body Thief Gathering months ago, and only now did I find the time to write a review on the book that made my heart skip a beat. Unforgivable.

Warning: SPOILERS!!!

Disclaimer: This review does not necessarily represent ARP's opinions.

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Imagine Lestat having nightmares upon nightmares. He's burdened by so many things, including his guilt over his "daughter" Claudia's death, killing "innocent" victims, David's refusal to keep him company for eternity and endangering the life of his dear friend, David Talbot. Lestat attempted to end his life in the Gobi Dessert, but failing to do so. Of course he knew he wouldn't die. And I think it's only Lestat's way of finding out how strong he really was as a vampire. What a brat.

He's also being stalked by this madman, the notorious body thief of the story. James Raglan's the name, stealing's his game. He stole every damn thing he had, including the healthy body of a mental institution patient he now possessed. Once a member of Talamasca, this clumsy thief seems to learn nothing from his misadventures.

Pretty much like our Lestat, isn't he? Adventurous, devil-may-care - we don't call him The Brat Prince for nothing. He purposely disregarded the advice and warning of all those who love him. He switched bodies with Raglan and foolishly thought the trickster would give him back his beautiful vampiric body. (Conviniently, Lestat's skin was burned when he went into the sun, giving his body a tan that would pass for human)

David was the only friend Lestat had. The vampires abandoned him. The winter of Washington D.C. almost killed him. Being a vampire for 200 years, he already forgot how it is to become a mortal being again, someone who could actually die if he walks around with just a shirt on his back. He's forgotten how to eat, how to have sex, how to defecate.

He then falls in love with a wonderfully lustful nun who's just [playing] "curious." And so they made love. But hen Lestat had to leave and search for his body.

With David's help, and thanks to Raglan's carelessness (David tagged him as a "glorified purse snatcher"), Lestat was able to retrieve his old body back. At the crack of dawn, Lestat had to flee, leaving David and Raglan in a nasty bout.

David finds Lestat. Despite his previous refusal of the Dark Gift, David seems to be aggressive this time, and asked to be turned. As Lestat was drinking David's blood, the images that accompany the blood while it traveled from the victim's veins into his mouth were not David's. They were Raglan's! When I was reading this part the first time I was screaming out of excitement. What a twist! Back to the story... Lestat kills Raglan, taking with it David's body. But where the hell is David?

David Talbot was forced into a 20-something-year-old body. Imagine a 70-year-old mind in a young man's body. Lestat, being the Brat Prince, worked the Dark Trick on David, making him a vampire, against David's will. David abandons Lestat. Lestat realized that he's the tiger in his dreams attacking David in the jungle.

In the end, Lestat is still the lonely immortal adventurer with deep blue eyes.

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Hmm.. this is really more of summarizing the story than writing a review, isn't it?

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I love this book. There's nothing in the story that I would change. I felt remorse against the vampires who abandoned Lestat. And I hated Lestat for being such a big fool. But then again, without the body switch, we wouldn't have a story, would we? And Lestat - The Brat Prince, The Damnedest Creature - emerged as the victor in the end. I would like to see myself in a parallel situation and like Lestat, get away with it. Lucky bastard.

So tell me, how could I not love him?

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I find it distasteful to review my own review so kindly point out grammatical, typo and spelling errors. But then again maybe I wouldn't care, would I? =)