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City of Rats
The Holy Mountain meets Ratatouille in this X-rated fable by Argentine provocateur Copi.
When pet rat Gouri finds himself locked out of his owner’s apartment, he has no choice but to strike out alone onto the pavements of Paris.
But what begins as a strange and marvellous bedtime story — Gouri and his new friend Raka selling flour-coated worms to pigeons for spare change — soon spirals into an exhilarating whirlwind of murder, sex, unionised hamsters, courtroom drama, and, finally, Armageddon.
Told through a series of letters from Gouri to Argentinian playwright Copi, City of Rats channels Copi’s lifelong fascination with society’s outcasts—queer people, immigrants, the homeless, and criminals—into a fiercely imaginative, unflinchingly provocative tale of a world hurtling into madness.
When pet rat Gouri finds himself locked out of his owner’s apartment, he has no choice but to strike out alone onto the pavements of Paris.
But what begins as a strange and marvellous bedtime story — Gouri and his new friend Raka selling flour-coated worms to pigeons for spare change — soon spirals into an exhilarating whirlwind of murder, sex, unionised hamsters, courtroom drama, and, finally, Armageddon.
Told through a series of letters from Gouri to Argentinian playwright Copi, City of Rats channels Copi’s lifelong fascination with society’s outcasts—queer people, immigrants, the homeless, and criminals—into a fiercely imaginative, unflinchingly provocative tale of a world hurtling into madness.
- GenresFictionFranceLiterature
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
About the author
Copi
95 books48 followersRaúl Damonte Botana, better known by the nom de plume Copi (for "copito de nieve", Spanish for "little snowflake"), was an Argentine writer, cartoonist, and playwright who spent most of his career in Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
January 29, 2026
DNF @ 50%
I have zero desire to finish this. I was enjoying the ridiculousness of it, but a completely unnecessary and graphic scene occurred involving something happening to child that obliterated the fun of the book for me. I kinda thought I knew what I was walking into, but it wasn’t this.
Edgy can be fun, but not in this way. I’m out.
I have zero desire to finish this. I was enjoying the ridiculousness of it, but a completely unnecessary and graphic scene occurred involving something happening to child that obliterated the fun of the book for me. I kinda thought I knew what I was walking into, but it wasn’t this.
Edgy can be fun, but not in this way. I’m out.
April 22, 2026
Here’s something a bit different.. a bizarre and often grotesque view of life in Paris written by a rat.
It’s a story of survival in the nooks and crannies of the Parisian streets. Translated from the language of rats, the author, Raúl Damonte Botana, describes the chaotic existence of this small community of rats in a captivating and often humorous manner.
With an ankle height perspective, the world feels massive, threatening and oppressive. At the heart of the short novel is the theme of the struggle and resilience of the most vulnerable in society.
If the book needs additional praise, it comes in the form of an introduction by César Aira, one of my favourite contemporary writers. Copi, Raúl Damonte Botana, also lived in Argentina, though Aira describes him..
Aira goes onto say how he was ‘highly undefined’, as he wrote in all of those languages, and lived a good part of his life in each of those countries. Perhaps best known as a cartoonist, he was a playwright, actor and illustrator also. He died in 1987. This was first published in Spanish in 1979, and has only just received a long awaited English translation.
It’s a story of survival in the nooks and crannies of the Parisian streets. Translated from the language of rats, the author, Raúl Damonte Botana, describes the chaotic existence of this small community of rats in a captivating and often humorous manner.
With an ankle height perspective, the world feels massive, threatening and oppressive. At the heart of the short novel is the theme of the struggle and resilience of the most vulnerable in society.
If the book needs additional praise, it comes in the form of an introduction by César Aira, one of my favourite contemporary writers. Copi, Raúl Damonte Botana, also lived in Argentina, though Aira describes him..
He was not a Frenchman born in Argentina, not an Argentine exiled in France, nor a Franco-Argentine acting in Italian, nor an Italian in Uruguay.
Aira goes onto say how he was ‘highly undefined’, as he wrote in all of those languages, and lived a good part of his life in each of those countries. Perhaps best known as a cartoonist, he was a playwright, actor and illustrator also. He died in 1987. This was first published in Spanish in 1979, and has only just received a long awaited English translation.
April 15, 2026
Trust a polite, mannered little rat to throw up a mirror to the most depraved, unhinged and absurd sides of humanity. I have no idea who I would recommend this to, but I can’t deny its inventiveness, even if it did make me want to vomit a couple of times.
April 30, 2026
While the rest of us have to work to make a living, the rats are consistently finding new and creative ways to remain mooches. Join them on their adventures to drink, lounge the day away, eat out of dumpsters, marry into a rich political family, and meet Rat Satan. Things get weirder and weirder the deeper this goes, and it's already pretty weird from the get-go.
April 8, 2026
City of Rats by Copi is certainly absurd—but not in the playful/surreal way I had hoped for. Instead, the novella leans heavily into the grotesque and depraved. Every now and then the social commentary briefly lands, but unfortunately those moments are rare. For most of the story I found myself more confused and grossed out than engaged. An interesting idea for a story in theory, but in practice mostly off-putting.
April 25, 2026
3.5 stars, possibly the full 5 were it not for a few overtly grotesque things
January 22, 2024
Como si Ratatouille lo hubiera escrito Osvaldo Lamborghini.
April 30, 2026
If The Borrowers were made rats in the grimy chic underworld of a Jean Genet novel set in 70s Paris, you might begin to approach this bizarre, apocalyptic book. The tone scampers between the charming and grotesque, at times entirely depraved (I’m not exaggerating), like the sylvanian families thrown into a Clive Barker novel. It runs through plot points a mile a minute and shoots out the other side. Is it a fable, an allegory, an anti-moral lesson? Couldn’t tell you, but it’s certainly memorable.
May 7, 2026
What DID I READ?? Incredible start, got so weird so fast & uncomfortable as well. But I truly don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it.
July 10, 2024
Es Copi, siempre es bueno. Acá, quizás, tan delirante pero más medido que otras veces (aunque hay un par de momentos que son de una desfachatez absoluta)
November 14, 2012
la ciudad de las ratas es como ver ratatouille (aunq no la vi), leer un comic y un libro de copi
February 25, 2025
Te quiero tanto Raúl Natalio Damonte Botana, ojalá esta novela no se terminara nunca (a pesar de mis sueños extraños con roedores)
May 7, 2026
Disclaimer i spoil the whole thing:
Apparently i need to start researching more about the books i get because this is not even close to what i was expecting.
oh where to even start. does it even deserve a 1 i can’t say. let me paint a picture for you… follow me… so i’m reading, aw rats so cute wow… oh the rats are having a bit of sex but that’s normal enough… okay cute fun… oh they are facilitating a double homicide and kidnapping, that’s so silly! they really didn’t mean to or know better so that’s fine. oh the kidnapped orphan (2 years old) is being rather graphically sexually abused by an intoxicated homeless man ????? (now obviously this is where they lost me, i’ll circle back.) police take homeless man… nothing happened for a long time… child is back in custody of rapey homeless man??? okay.. bored… rat satan! oh rat animal farm kinda thing with a side of religious psychosis. and then a few more sexual assaults happen. everyone’s happy the end including the orphan and homeless molester who live happily ever after .
so really i can’t even describe what im thinking here. it reallly bothered me how graphic and nonchalant the initial sexual abuse scene was (rightfully so) but it was so icky that the few others in the book didn’t even really stand out. which is crazy. the nastiness of these scenes did not add any value or depth or characterization to the book, so i really wonder what the point was if not just a deeply issued author (and translator- see next paragraph).
so something that stood out to me (for the worst) was that in many pages there was a translators note explaining briefly that they had removed some paragraphs (many of which described as far more interesting than the included pieces), to further the story. also included in translators notes were funny little critiques of the original author, such as oh i think he may have confused this fact, or his geography is wrong, he meant this word, or just plain judging his story telling skills. my question is, why would the translator leave these graphic child rape scenes in (which served nothing to the plot of the story) when he could have A. Cut it and Summarized it , B. Acknowledge that it was disturbing and explain what it serves to the plot, or C. Veto it completely???? I don’t even know man. i’m left to believe that the author and translator simply had no aversion to graphic child sex abuse and it was written in purely for fun. hate this book
Apparently i need to start researching more about the books i get because this is not even close to what i was expecting.
oh where to even start. does it even deserve a 1 i can’t say. let me paint a picture for you… follow me… so i’m reading, aw rats so cute wow… oh the rats are having a bit of sex but that’s normal enough… okay cute fun… oh they are facilitating a double homicide and kidnapping, that’s so silly! they really didn’t mean to or know better so that’s fine. oh the kidnapped orphan (2 years old) is being rather graphically sexually abused by an intoxicated homeless man ????? (now obviously this is where they lost me, i’ll circle back.) police take homeless man… nothing happened for a long time… child is back in custody of rapey homeless man??? okay.. bored… rat satan! oh rat animal farm kinda thing with a side of religious psychosis. and then a few more sexual assaults happen. everyone’s happy the end including the orphan and homeless molester who live happily ever after .
so really i can’t even describe what im thinking here. it reallly bothered me how graphic and nonchalant the initial sexual abuse scene was (rightfully so) but it was so icky that the few others in the book didn’t even really stand out. which is crazy. the nastiness of these scenes did not add any value or depth or characterization to the book, so i really wonder what the point was if not just a deeply issued author (and translator- see next paragraph).
so something that stood out to me (for the worst) was that in many pages there was a translators note explaining briefly that they had removed some paragraphs (many of which described as far more interesting than the included pieces), to further the story. also included in translators notes were funny little critiques of the original author, such as oh i think he may have confused this fact, or his geography is wrong, he meant this word, or just plain judging his story telling skills. my question is, why would the translator leave these graphic child rape scenes in (which served nothing to the plot of the story) when he could have A. Cut it and Summarized it , B. Acknowledge that it was disturbing and explain what it serves to the plot, or C. Veto it completely???? I don’t even know man. i’m left to believe that the author and translator simply had no aversion to graphic child sex abuse and it was written in purely for fun. hate this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2026
City of Rats bills itself as an x-rated ratatouille. Seeing as much of my personality has been shaped by Saturday morning cartoons and having liked Kit Schluter’s book, Cartoons, this seemed like a slam dunk.
However…… around halfway through this book, there is a graphic, disgusting scene involving a very young child that was so off putting and disturbing it made me want to put the book down. This scene is framed by a book with consistently wacky or absurdist humor and refuses to take itself seriously, which makes me wonder why anyone thought it acceptable to include it. Then the character involved in this scene continues to pop up throughout the book and is portrayed as an endearing but misguided man. Confusing, gross, and in deeply poor taste.
I’m now understanding the skeptical look the woman at the book store gave me when I bought this 😮💨
However…… around halfway through this book, there is a graphic, disgusting scene involving a very young child that was so off putting and disturbing it made me want to put the book down. This scene is framed by a book with consistently wacky or absurdist humor and refuses to take itself seriously, which makes me wonder why anyone thought it acceptable to include it. Then the character involved in this scene continues to pop up throughout the book and is portrayed as an endearing but misguided man. Confusing, gross, and in deeply poor taste.
I’m now understanding the skeptical look the woman at the book store gave me when I bought this 😮💨
May 2, 2026
3ish/5 -- I am so conflicted on my rating. Part of this book is such a solid 4+/5 for me; Gouri is a delightful narrator, the plot is wildly deranged and fascinating, the commentary on humanity is engaging, and the story format is creative and compelling. It really is functionally such a fabulous story. Now for the other part -- I was prepared for an x-rated read and some gratuitous grotesqueness. What I was not prepared for was the "story line" (if you can even call it that) between Mimile and the child). Just extremely unnecessary, disturbing, and too far past the line -- a 0/5 for this whole situation. Overall, if you are aware (more aware than I was going in) of just how far this book tilts into depravity and are down for the ride, it's a great read. I just had a hard time getting past one certain element. Also, read the translator's note at the beginning, it's fantastic.
May 4, 2026
The cover is really the best part of this book. In between moments of unnecessary vulgarity, were rare and fleeting moments of poignancy about the intermingling of nature with urban society and how we treat creatures and the lower class which is really the only reason this book gets 2 stars instead of one. These moments, however, rarely sit in the book long enough to have much substance. There were even interesting references to Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno (possibly others such as Robinson Crusoe but maybe that's a stretch), but, once again, we don't linger on them long enough for these references to feel substantial. The book is absolutely absurd but quickly dwindles from being a playful type of absurd to becoming nearly incoherent and overly graphic. (Honestly, why was the Mimile-Vidvn plot even necessary? That alone made this lose a star for me) I guess you can make the argument that the 'joke' is that the rats don't understand how horrific these acts that occur right in front of them are but even that's giving much to the benefit of doubt. I almost dnf'd this book about 20 pages to the end but decided to stick it out. Less vulgarity and more of that rare poignancy would've made this novella a lot better. (Also better female characters since the only ones appear to be bickering 'ball-and-chain-type' rat wives, a delusionally oppressive monarch, and "madwomen" who are lowkey treated like servants).
May 4, 2026
3.5/4? extremely absurd, grotesque even
Read
May 15, 2026fundamentally Meek and Misunderstood
April 30, 2026
What should have been a dark satirical piece mocking societal norms, is instead a bunch of vulgar perverted nonsense
May 6, 2026
Very entertaining - it took some disturbing turns I was not expecting but definitely a good read 🐁
April 5, 2026
The narrator is interpreting letters from a rat that can no longer return to the domicile they shared. One of those books that lacks plot but more of a mirror to society that can be difficult to follow and interpret.
There are a few scenes in the book that are too vile even for a Stephen King book or dare I say Cormac McCarthy..
There are a few scenes in the book that are too vile even for a Stephen King book or dare I say Cormac McCarthy..
April 18, 2026
Inventive and whimsical but the whirlwind pacing and lack of character threw me off. DNF.
June 4, 2022
🐀Reseña:
La Ciudad de las ratas es una traducción que realiza el autor, pues él nos traduce las cartas que recibe de la rata Gouri (es raro y a la vez divertido). En fin, el libro está compuesto por las cartas que envía Gouri (nuestro protagonista) a su maestro, nos enteramos de las vivencias que vive en su vida urbana, de la amistad que entabla con otra rata llamada Raka, y de la relación que tienen estos con dos hembras, Iris y Carina. También nos menciona a la Reina de las Ratas que es la madre de Gouri.
Aparecen otros personajes animales, humanos y seres sobrenaturales como el Dios de los Hombres y el Diablo de las Ratas.
Es un libro que me costo entender en cierto modo, pero como dije, no estoy acostumbrada a este tipo de lectura. Sin dudas la imaginación de Copi es algo para analizar.
Lo recomiendo, sí, si te gusta este tipo de lectura. Se me hace que podría ser una lectura para Diego de @pensarloslibros (Diego si lees esto, decime si te animas a leerlo y a dar tu opinión) o para Wall_e_el_lector_voraz (TikTok).
Es un libro corto, llama la atención y simple.
Lo volvería a leer? No, ni a palos. No me mal interpreten, no es un mal libro, de hecho considero que ningún libro es malo, solo que hay lecturas que no se adecuan a mi, y no por eso son malas lecturas. Pero a lo que voy es que nunca me costo tanto leer un libro de unas 137 páginas. Es súper cortito, como dije anteriormente, pero en cierto punto quería terminarlo rápido para poder concentrarme más en mis otras dos lecturas actuales.
La Ciudad de las ratas es una traducción que realiza el autor, pues él nos traduce las cartas que recibe de la rata Gouri (es raro y a la vez divertido). En fin, el libro está compuesto por las cartas que envía Gouri (nuestro protagonista) a su maestro, nos enteramos de las vivencias que vive en su vida urbana, de la amistad que entabla con otra rata llamada Raka, y de la relación que tienen estos con dos hembras, Iris y Carina. También nos menciona a la Reina de las Ratas que es la madre de Gouri.
Aparecen otros personajes animales, humanos y seres sobrenaturales como el Dios de los Hombres y el Diablo de las Ratas.
Es un libro que me costo entender en cierto modo, pero como dije, no estoy acostumbrada a este tipo de lectura. Sin dudas la imaginación de Copi es algo para analizar.
Lo recomiendo, sí, si te gusta este tipo de lectura. Se me hace que podría ser una lectura para Diego de @pensarloslibros (Diego si lees esto, decime si te animas a leerlo y a dar tu opinión) o para Wall_e_el_lector_voraz (TikTok).
Es un libro corto, llama la atención y simple.
Lo volvería a leer? No, ni a palos. No me mal interpreten, no es un mal libro, de hecho considero que ningún libro es malo, solo que hay lecturas que no se adecuan a mi, y no por eso son malas lecturas. Pero a lo que voy es que nunca me costo tanto leer un libro de unas 137 páginas. Es súper cortito, como dije anteriormente, pero en cierto punto quería terminarlo rápido para poder concentrarme más en mis otras dos lecturas actuales.
November 2, 2025
Utterly unhinged, with a perverse undercurrent of tenderness. I kept imagining the whole thing being read out loud in the voice of the singing mice from Babe. Speaking of, would be perfect for a George Miller/Gaspar Noé collaboration; Gouri: Rat in the City. There is the Jodorowsky connection, but the absurd extremity is always amusingly specific even when it seems metaphorically grand.
April 2, 2026
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'City Of Rats' by Copi.
'City Of Rats'' discusses some topics that may upset/disgust some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Copi discusses/includes the sexual abuse of a small child.
This may be the first book I have read by this absolutely bizarre author but it most certainly will not be my last!! What an absolutely random, one of a kind, bonkers and hilarious page turner! Sadly the author passed away in 1987 but I will be going back and seeing what he wrote before his death. This book was very well translated by Kit Schluter.
The first thing I must say about this book is WTAF!! I have never, ever, EVER come across a storyline so just completely bizarre in my life and I very much doubt I ever will!! This book is most certainly not for the faint hearted!! I decided to read it as I am a HUGE rat lover, I have rats, rescued rats and even have rattoos! However, as is fully indicated by the title this book is FILLED with rats so if you are not a rat lover then this one is definitely NOT for you!! This book truly is completely unhinged!! However, I actually did enjoy it for the most!! I do need to warn readers that there is some extremely disturbing content which I did not enjoy and actually sickened me. This included an elderly homeless man and a very young child and what he does with her is depraved. I do not understand why this was included in this book and I really wish it hadn't been. I have chosen to look over this in order to write a review about the rest of the contents but readers to need to be made aware of this before piking it up. The rest of the storyline is ram packed with rats, disaster, murder, revenge, crime, absurdity, bizarreness, mice, disaster, drama and so much more!! I truly have NEVER EVER come across anything like it and I can guarantee that I never will again!! The translator Kit has done an incredible job of translating this book from French and Spanish into English. I loved the actual premise and design of the story as we are told it through letters that have been sent from pet rat Gouri to his previous owners. I thought that was an absolutely brilliant idea. The cover itself is also absolutely incredible, eye catching and really draws the reader into it. With the kindle version of this book being only 127 pages and the hardcover 144 pages it really is more of a novella than a novel and I devoured it in just one sitting of a few hours. The only thing letting the book down was the unnecessary and graphic scenes between Mimile and the child Nadia, if this had been removed I think this book would get much better feedback and more people reading it. I must say that one reader's tagline has summed this book up perfectly by saying 'Like Ratatouille on acid'!! That truly is the best way to describe it!!
Overall an absolutely mind bending, bizarre, unique and just absolutely bonkers read filled with rats!!
#CityOfRats #Copi #KitSchluter #VintageClassics
@Copi @KitSchluter @VintageClassics
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Review for 'City Of Rats' by Copi.
'City Of Rats'' discusses some topics that may upset/disgust some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Copi discusses/includes the sexual abuse of a small child.
This may be the first book I have read by this absolutely bizarre author but it most certainly will not be my last!! What an absolutely random, one of a kind, bonkers and hilarious page turner! Sadly the author passed away in 1987 but I will be going back and seeing what he wrote before his death. This book was very well translated by Kit Schluter.
The first thing I must say about this book is WTAF!! I have never, ever, EVER come across a storyline so just completely bizarre in my life and I very much doubt I ever will!! This book is most certainly not for the faint hearted!! I decided to read it as I am a HUGE rat lover, I have rats, rescued rats and even have rattoos! However, as is fully indicated by the title this book is FILLED with rats so if you are not a rat lover then this one is definitely NOT for you!! This book truly is completely unhinged!! However, I actually did enjoy it for the most!! I do need to warn readers that there is some extremely disturbing content which I did not enjoy and actually sickened me. This included an elderly homeless man and a very young child and what he does with her is depraved. I do not understand why this was included in this book and I really wish it hadn't been. I have chosen to look over this in order to write a review about the rest of the contents but readers to need to be made aware of this before piking it up. The rest of the storyline is ram packed with rats, disaster, murder, revenge, crime, absurdity, bizarreness, mice, disaster, drama and so much more!! I truly have NEVER EVER come across anything like it and I can guarantee that I never will again!! The translator Kit has done an incredible job of translating this book from French and Spanish into English. I loved the actual premise and design of the story as we are told it through letters that have been sent from pet rat Gouri to his previous owners. I thought that was an absolutely brilliant idea. The cover itself is also absolutely incredible, eye catching and really draws the reader into it. With the kindle version of this book being only 127 pages and the hardcover 144 pages it really is more of a novella than a novel and I devoured it in just one sitting of a few hours. The only thing letting the book down was the unnecessary and graphic scenes between Mimile and the child Nadia, if this had been removed I think this book would get much better feedback and more people reading it. I must say that one reader's tagline has summed this book up perfectly by saying 'Like Ratatouille on acid'!! That truly is the best way to describe it!!
Overall an absolutely mind bending, bizarre, unique and just absolutely bonkers read filled with rats!!
#CityOfRats #Copi #KitSchluter #VintageClassics
@Copi @KitSchluter @VintageClassics
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May 16, 2026
This book is truly something. What that thing is, I'm still not sure. I was genuinely shocked this was published, both originally and in this newer translation. Not because I think it is outright bad or undeserving of publication, but because it is so outrageous, obscene, grotesque, and otherworldly that I wonder what that very first publisher thought when reading a fresh manuscript. There are things I like a lot in this brief novella, and things I quite dislike.
The brilliant introduction sets the stage for a thrilling rat-sized tale, and at first that's what happens for about half the book. The simple but captivating writing uses countless miniature details to flesh out the world as a rat (shrimp shells for boots, milk crates for boats), and it feels like a delinquent version of Watership Down with its imaginative world of rats. But then, without spoiling too much, things take quite the cataclysmic turn and it becomes more and more wildly head-spinning and raucous. There's some blatant social and political critique that's perhaps interesting, but overall I was left reminiscing over the simple and frightful world of scrounging rats in Paris. Maybe the first half is solely to lure you into the second.
Regardless of how I feel about the second half and the strangeness of it all, I cannot say I have read anything remotely close to this book. It is one of one. If someone were to ask what this book is like, I would have to say that not everything is like something else.
As a quick read easily accomplished on a train ride, I recommend taking a visit to the City of Rats.
The brilliant introduction sets the stage for a thrilling rat-sized tale, and at first that's what happens for about half the book. The simple but captivating writing uses countless miniature details to flesh out the world as a rat (shrimp shells for boots, milk crates for boats), and it feels like a delinquent version of Watership Down with its imaginative world of rats. But then, without spoiling too much, things take quite the cataclysmic turn and it becomes more and more wildly head-spinning and raucous. There's some blatant social and political critique that's perhaps interesting, but overall I was left reminiscing over the simple and frightful world of scrounging rats in Paris. Maybe the first half is solely to lure you into the second.
Regardless of how I feel about the second half and the strangeness of it all, I cannot say I have read anything remotely close to this book. It is one of one. If someone were to ask what this book is like, I would have to say that not everything is like something else.
As a quick read easily accomplished on a train ride, I recommend taking a visit to the City of Rats.
April 28, 2026
City of Rats by Copi - ⭐⭐⭐
Written as a series of letters by a Parisian rat called Gouri to his previous master, it chronicles his adventures and misadventures across Paris. Encounters include a toddler, a serial killer, a rat devil, the formation of a strange island, and eventually the discovery of a Piranesian lost city once inhabited by rats.
I picked this up wanting something dark, but the level of depravity it offers exceeded my expectations — which I deem best not to describe here. It made me want to puke at times. It even surpasses the threshold Hurricane Season set for me, which says a lot.
What pushes it to three stars is Gouri himself. He is absolutely adorable, and he is the one who carries me through the more disgusting sections of the book. There are also moments of real comedy that save it from being a total ordeal. The ending is surprisingly good despite everything.
I finished City of Rats with relief rather than satisfaction. This is one I will not recommend to anyone. If this review has sparked your interest, all I have to say is: read at your own peril. When it says X-rated, it means it. But it certainly did its job — my threshold for disgusting stuffs is now one step higher.
Written as a series of letters by a Parisian rat called Gouri to his previous master, it chronicles his adventures and misadventures across Paris. Encounters include a toddler, a serial killer, a rat devil, the formation of a strange island, and eventually the discovery of a Piranesian lost city once inhabited by rats.
I picked this up wanting something dark, but the level of depravity it offers exceeded my expectations — which I deem best not to describe here. It made me want to puke at times. It even surpasses the threshold Hurricane Season set for me, which says a lot.
What pushes it to three stars is Gouri himself. He is absolutely adorable, and he is the one who carries me through the more disgusting sections of the book. There are also moments of real comedy that save it from being a total ordeal. The ending is surprisingly good despite everything.
I finished City of Rats with relief rather than satisfaction. This is one I will not recommend to anyone. If this review has sparked your interest, all I have to say is: read at your own peril. When it says X-rated, it means it. But it certainly did its job — my threshold for disgusting stuffs is now one step higher.
May 14, 2026
I expected absurd, it was certainly absurd. I expected surreal, and it was indeed that. I supposed I expected a level a depravity, but I didn't expect the extent that this would lean into depravity, horror, and disgusting but couch everything in a playful tone. I mean I don't know what to say about this, there was a lot of commentary I guess, but so much happened and nothing mattered and it was absurd and light in tone, but then it would suddenly slap you with the most horrific, disgusting content and play it off as a joke. I fully understand that the presence of content in a book is not endorsement, in no way do I think Copi endorsed anything that is in this book. But at the same time (and this is a spoiler, but I'm not going to flag it because I think it is probably important for people to know what they're getting into), it is difficult for me to join in on the joke when the joke is an oddly descriptive passage of a homeless man raping a two year old girl. Yes it adds to the level of depravity expressed, but it didn't do anything beyond that. It just takes you completely and wholly out of the otherwise absurd, surreal, but often playful story that is being told. I didn't like this at all, and I really thought I would.
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