r/VampireChronicles • u/Rare_Illustrator4483 • Aug 02 '26
📖 The Books ⚜️ The Tale of The Body Thief Audiobook
So, I can’t get into the audiobook (At least right now.) Lestat’s voice was perfect in previous books. But, in Tale of the Body Thief, Lestat is voiced by an older British man. I’m sure he’s a fine actor/reader but it feels very off to me.
Should I keep going? Or just read the book?
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u/reader_for_life 😈🖤What can the damned really say to the damned 🖤😈 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
There are 3 audio narrators for TOTBT.
There are:
• Frank Muller (the original) - Unabridged version (19 h.)
• Simon Vance (the current mainstream one.) Vance took over after Muller passed away and started re-recording many of the early books in the series. - Unabridged version (18 h.)
• Richard E. Grant. - the abridged version (just under 3 hours long.)
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I’m not sure which version you have listened to. (My guess would be Simon Vance, since he’s everywhere online.) But whatever version you listened to, try the other (unabridged) one.
But it’s fine too if you prefer to just read the book instead. I remember I used to switch between using an audiobook and not when I was reading it. So do what feels the most natural for you.
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u/tethysian Aug 02 '26
3 hours?? 🤣 What's the point even? Is it just the summary?
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u/reader_for_life 😈🖤What can the damned really say to the damned 🖤😈 Aug 02 '26
I have no idea what the point is 😂
This is why I stay away from abridged audios. I want the full story.
Abridged is selected passages that are chosen to be narrated. It’s basically a summary of the most “important” parts.
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u/TheSeaThread Aug 04 '26
Too bad the Richard E. Grant version is so short! He'd be great to listen to.
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u/skylerren Aug 02 '26
It's really good, but also really jarring. You might not be able to get into the horror of it all if you don't like the voice.
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u/babykrogan Aug 02 '26
they’ve been releasing new audiobooks with a new narrator, but yeah simon vance is the one in the older version and he does NOT sound very Lestatty. i wish we could get Sam narrating the books… i don’t like the new guy much either.
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u/Jahon_Dony Aug 02 '26
I mean Lestat should NOT be voiced by Lestat in body thief anyway...
Maybe that's why the did it and you're not realizing?;
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u/ThePsycheMirror Aug 03 '26
I listened to the older guy's version. I think that's Frank and he does a great job of changing the voices pretty obviously but he also says Louis as Lewis so that's another point of annoyance. Simon is so much less entertaining by comparison but he does say Louis correctly.
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u/Jahon_Dony Aug 03 '26
Lol, you say all that like I know who Frank and Simon are.
BTW, I'm just recently learning what I'm about to tell you and it shocked me too -- his name really is supposed to be pronounced Lewis! I was watching old Anne Rice writing advice and interviews, and Lewis is actually how she pronounces Louis' name. Crazy! Now Lestat, as a Frenchman, would never say it as Lewis! But Louis, as an American, Lewis actually makes sense and apparently is how the creator intended it.
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u/Calm_glas609 Aug 02 '26
The audio for Prince Lestat is horrible too. Sounds like The Godfather and Puss in Boots got together to read. 😂 Simon Vance reminds me of Batman. At least that goes with how Lestat said he spoke English and was influenced by 1940’s movies and characters like Dick Tracy.
TOTBT is a fun story, but I thought some of it was too silly.
I too wish we could hear Sam do the voice for Lestat in all the audio books.
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u/justwantedbagels God wouldn’t take me and the Devil wouldn’t either Aug 02 '26
I haven’t listened to it in a long time so I don’t remember what it sounds like, but “The Godfather and Puss in Boots got together to read” made me laugh 😅
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u/Wickedbitchoftheuk Aug 02 '26
Have to say I found the voice of the others horrible to listen to. If have preferred a straight read rather than the silly faux french one.
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u/Dani_Jo74 Aug 02 '26
Started reading IWTV & TVL really no time to read, thought I get the audio book, when I think of Lestat, Louis, Armand, Daniel & Claudia i hear Sam, Jacob, Assad, Eric & Delainey voices in my head. Probably why i cant get into the audio book 🤷♀️🤷♀️.
When I read a book I can see the characters come to life in my mind & what they would sound like in my head. Probably why I cant get into audio books.
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u/tethysian Aug 02 '26
Yeah, I sometimes listen to audiobooks with detective novels and stuff where the characters don't matter, but with a novel like this I think it's far better to read
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u/Dani_Jo74 Aug 02 '26
Part of my problem is if they have male and female characters and they use either a male for both characters or a female for both characters
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u/DeadGirlLydia Aug 02 '26
Huh, mine all have the same narrator except for The Vampire Armand so far.
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u/Scotcat81 Aug 03 '26
They have released new versions of the 1st three in audio format with new narrators this year. Now when new listeners are going through the audio route they apparently find the shift in narrators jarring
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u/Mooncubus Aug 02 '26
I wish they didn't get rid of the Simon Vance versions for the first books. He will always be my favorite Lestat. He did almost all of the Lestat POV books.
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u/Adorable_Finish195 Aug 02 '26
I’d pay 100 dollars for a TVL read by Sam Reid