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Rats #1
Les Rats
Ils avaient appris à vivre dans l'ombre, furtivement, à sortir surtout la nuit et à craindre les hommes. Et soudain ils commencèrent à réaliser leur force et à prendre goût à la chair humaine.
A leurs dents tranchantes comme des rasoirs, à leur nombre venait s'ajouter une arme supplémentaire : l'horreur et le dégoût qu'inspirait leur multitude grouillante.
Bientôt on découvrit les restes ensanglantés des premières victimes...
A leurs dents tranchantes comme des rasoirs, à leur nombre venait s'ajouter une arme supplémentaire : l'horreur et le dégoût qu'inspirait leur multitude grouillante.
Bientôt on découvrit les restes ensanglantés des premières victimes...
187 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
553 people are currently reading
14618 people want to read
About the author
James Herbert
101 books2,389 followersJames Herbert was Britain's number one bestselling writer (a position he held ever since publication of his first novel) and one of the world's top writers of thriller/horror fiction.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
He was one of our greatest popular novelists, whose books are sold in thirty-three other languages, including Russian and Chinese. Widely imitated and hugely influential, his 19 novels have sold more than 42 million copies worldwide.
As an author he produced some of the most powerful horror fiction of the past decade. With a skillful blend of horror and thriller fiction, he explored the shaded territories of evil, evoking a sense of brooding menace and rising tension. He relentlessly draws the reader through the story's ultimate revelation - one that will stay to chill the mind long after the book has been laid aside. His bestsellers, THE MAGIC COTTAGE, HAUNTED, SEPULCHRE, and CREED, enhanced his reputation as a writer of depth and originality. His novels THE FOG, THE DARK, and THE SURVIVOR have been hailed as classics of the genre.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,023 reviews
September 11, 2023
Furry little rodents, slowly chewing their food away. What food? Well, that's another story.
An old abandoned house in East London, surrounded by trees and bushes, so long inhabited almost no one remembered it was still out there. But it was. An unwary vagrant enters it, totally oblivious in his own drunkenness, he never made it out. Something festers inside the house, and now, now it won't be long before it starts to spread out into the city, to feed again. And again...
Do you like rats? Well, you are certainly not going to love them more after this one. Nasty, gruesome, gory, just excellent. A few anticlimactic chapters, but other than that. Ratness perfection. It's everything you can expect from a rat horror novel. And then add some!
Still remaining, the movie (1982)
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1974] [175p] [Horror] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. The Rats
★★★☆☆ 2. Lair
☆☆☆☆☆ 3. Domain
★☆☆☆☆ 4. The City [1.5]
-----------------------------------------------
Pequeños peludos roedores, lentamente masticando su comida. Qué comida? Bueno, eso es otra historia.
Una vieja casa abandonada en el este de Londres, rodeada de árboles y arbustos, deshabitada desde hace tanto tiempo que ya casi nadie recuerda que está ahí afuera. Pero ahí está. Un vagabundo incauto entra, totalmente perdido en su ebriedad, nunca vuelve a salir. Algo putrefacto crece dentro de la casa, y ahora, ahora no va a tardar mucho en esparcirse a través de la ciudad, para alimentarse otra vez. Y otra vez...
Te gustan las ratas? Bueno, ciertamente no vas quererlas mucho más después de esto. Asqueroso, repulsivo, sangriento, simplemente excelente. Un par de capítulos anticlimáticos, pero más allá de eso. Perfección ratona. Es todo lo que podés esperar de una novela de horror de ratas. Y todavía más!
Queda pendiente la película (1982)
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1974] [175p] [Horror] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
An old abandoned house in East London, surrounded by trees and bushes, so long inhabited almost no one remembered it was still out there. But it was. An unwary vagrant enters it, totally oblivious in his own drunkenness, he never made it out. Something festers inside the house, and now, now it won't be long before it starts to spread out into the city, to feed again. And again...
Do you like rats? Well, you are certainly not going to love them more after this one. Nasty, gruesome, gory, just excellent. A few anticlimactic chapters, but other than that. Ratness perfection. It's everything you can expect from a rat horror novel. And then add some!
Still remaining, the movie (1982)
-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1974] [175p] [Horror] [Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------
★★★★☆ 1. The Rats
★★★☆☆ 2. Lair
☆☆☆☆☆ 3. Domain
★☆☆☆☆ 4. The City [1.5]
-----------------------------------------------
Pequeños peludos roedores, lentamente masticando su comida. Qué comida? Bueno, eso es otra historia.
Una vieja casa abandonada en el este de Londres, rodeada de árboles y arbustos, deshabitada desde hace tanto tiempo que ya casi nadie recuerda que está ahí afuera. Pero ahí está. Un vagabundo incauto entra, totalmente perdido en su ebriedad, nunca vuelve a salir. Algo putrefacto crece dentro de la casa, y ahora, ahora no va a tardar mucho en esparcirse a través de la ciudad, para alimentarse otra vez. Y otra vez...
Te gustan las ratas? Bueno, ciertamente no vas quererlas mucho más después de esto. Asqueroso, repulsivo, sangriento, simplemente excelente. Un par de capítulos anticlimáticos, pero más allá de eso. Perfección ratona. Es todo lo que podés esperar de una novela de horror de ratas. Y todavía más!
Queda pendiente la película (1982)
-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1974] [175p] [Horror] [Recomendable]
-----------------------------------------------
November 28, 2021
What a blast from the past! Big black rats are attacking London. Everything starts at the East End. At the beginning only single persons but soon they concentrate on bigger crowds (very nasty descriptions and settings here). Where does the vermin come from? Is there a secret behind it (you can bet on that)? What can the authorities do to get rid of the plague? Will Harrison survive in the end? James Herbert comes up with one of the best creature horrors I ever read. Dark, fast paced, eerie. Definitely nothing for the faint hearted or those liking rats. This book is raw and to the point. Couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!
January 31, 2023
Verging on being a modern classic, this is James Herbert's shlock and mutilation filled debut best selling horror novel. I remembered being mesmerised reading this as a kid, and it was the reviving of those memories more than anything that had me reading this with a nostalgic grin on my face. Until writing this review I didn't know it was his first published book either, what a way to make a splash! 7 out of 12, Three Star read :)
2012 read
2012 read
October 7, 2024
Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.
Gory, shocking, and moderately offensive, The Rats reads like a campy B-movie train wreck one doesn't want to watch but cannot look away from.
I admit it: I had fun reading this book. The story is set in London where rats emerge from the sewers in search of human flesh.
I'm not talking about one hungry rat, or even two or three. These are swarms of ravenous rats who devour their victims without mercy, leaving behind little more than bones. Their nose sniff the air for prey. Their tongue's long for human flesh. Their razor sharp teeth tear through flesh without mercy. Oh, the horror! 😱
Soon, people are panic-stricken and desperate to get out of the city, but how can they do that when the subways are overrun with rats. Everywhere they turn, the hungry vermin await.
More often than not, The Rats is over the top. And Herbert's reliance on describing the rats as "evil-looking" cracked me up. But even amid all the silliness and the gore, I admired Herbert's writing style. There's an ease to his writing that makes the pages fly by, and I could easily see events in the book playing out in vivid detail in my mind.
Would recommend if you're in the mood for a quick, gruesome, campy read.
Gory, shocking, and moderately offensive, The Rats reads like a campy B-movie train wreck one doesn't want to watch but cannot look away from.
I admit it: I had fun reading this book. The story is set in London where rats emerge from the sewers in search of human flesh.
I'm not talking about one hungry rat, or even two or three. These are swarms of ravenous rats who devour their victims without mercy, leaving behind little more than bones. Their nose sniff the air for prey. Their tongue's long for human flesh. Their razor sharp teeth tear through flesh without mercy. Oh, the horror! 😱
Soon, people are panic-stricken and desperate to get out of the city, but how can they do that when the subways are overrun with rats. Everywhere they turn, the hungry vermin await.
More often than not, The Rats is over the top. And Herbert's reliance on describing the rats as "evil-looking" cracked me up. But even amid all the silliness and the gore, I admired Herbert's writing style. There's an ease to his writing that makes the pages fly by, and I could easily see events in the book playing out in vivid detail in my mind.
Would recommend if you're in the mood for a quick, gruesome, campy read.
October 24, 2018
By gnawing through a dike, even a rat may drown a nation.
Edmund Burke
There are rats and then there are RATS.
A scientist has brought back an oversized rat from a radioactive island, and he begins breeding it with the local London rats. These rats are famous in their own right for bringing down London more than once with plague in the long, distant past.
Obviously, we all need bigger rats, right?
That would be a negatory.
Rats do what rats do best which is out rabbit rabbits in the area of fornication and reproduction. It doesn’t take long for an army of gigantic rats to emerge from the sewers and the underground and begin to attack the most plentiful species in London...rather tasty British people.
Now a rat, singular, even a big rat, is not a huge problem for a reasonably fit person to handle, especially if they can find something to club the furry beast with. Zombies are easy to handle one at a time as well and only become dangerous when you find yourself surrounded by a herd of the decaying creatures. The same principle applies to rats; small rats or big rats, an army of them is extremely dangerous. You might kill one or two, but while you are killing them, another rat has gnawed off your ear, and another is slurping the tendons out of the back of your leg.
Harris, our hero, a teacher by trade, has been in the front lines of this pestilent rat infestation simply because, geographically, the rats emerged near where he lives. He finds himself helping the government to find ways to best eradicate the creatures, and meanwhile he is in a race to find the scientist who brought this apocalypse to London. Another little tidbit, a bloody crumb to add to the mix, is that the bite of these rats is toxic. People who are bit die within twenty-four hours.
That makes everything just a bit more tricky.
I remember the first time I saw a rat. I was a youngster and was digging through a heap of scrap iron on the farm looking for a bar that would make a passable Arthurian sword when I noticed a snout and beady eyes looking at me. The rat leaped out, not at me, though at the time I thought he was coming for my eyes. He was fat and larger than I envisioned rats to be. He’d obviously been living well from his burrow in the scrap, probably stealing chicken feed from the nearby henhouse. He was gone in a flash of black fur, slashing the air for balance with his sinister naked tail.
This is James Herbert’s first book. He received a lot of harsh criticism for his graphic depictions of mutilations from the rats attacking people. This criticism, which money can’t buy gold like this, increased the public’s interest in reading the book. The paperback sold out in three weeks. A career was launched. A movie called Deadly Eyes (1982) was made based on the book. Dachshunds were dressed up in rat suits, which sounds weird enough to make me want to see the movie. He wrote two more sequels and became a bestselling horror writer. The writing in this book is at times clumsy. He was certainly still learning his craft, but he already had a grasp of what people want. They want to be scared. They want to be shocked.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
Edmund Burke
There are rats and then there are RATS.
A scientist has brought back an oversized rat from a radioactive island, and he begins breeding it with the local London rats. These rats are famous in their own right for bringing down London more than once with plague in the long, distant past.
Obviously, we all need bigger rats, right?
That would be a negatory.
Rats do what rats do best which is out rabbit rabbits in the area of fornication and reproduction. It doesn’t take long for an army of gigantic rats to emerge from the sewers and the underground and begin to attack the most plentiful species in London...rather tasty British people.
Now a rat, singular, even a big rat, is not a huge problem for a reasonably fit person to handle, especially if they can find something to club the furry beast with. Zombies are easy to handle one at a time as well and only become dangerous when you find yourself surrounded by a herd of the decaying creatures. The same principle applies to rats; small rats or big rats, an army of them is extremely dangerous. You might kill one or two, but while you are killing them, another rat has gnawed off your ear, and another is slurping the tendons out of the back of your leg.
Harris, our hero, a teacher by trade, has been in the front lines of this pestilent rat infestation simply because, geographically, the rats emerged near where he lives. He finds himself helping the government to find ways to best eradicate the creatures, and meanwhile he is in a race to find the scientist who brought this apocalypse to London. Another little tidbit, a bloody crumb to add to the mix, is that the bite of these rats is toxic. People who are bit die within twenty-four hours.
That makes everything just a bit more tricky.
I remember the first time I saw a rat. I was a youngster and was digging through a heap of scrap iron on the farm looking for a bar that would make a passable Arthurian sword when I noticed a snout and beady eyes looking at me. The rat leaped out, not at me, though at the time I thought he was coming for my eyes. He was fat and larger than I envisioned rats to be. He’d obviously been living well from his burrow in the scrap, probably stealing chicken feed from the nearby henhouse. He was gone in a flash of black fur, slashing the air for balance with his sinister naked tail.
This is James Herbert’s first book. He received a lot of harsh criticism for his graphic depictions of mutilations from the rats attacking people. This criticism, which money can’t buy gold like this, increased the public’s interest in reading the book. The paperback sold out in three weeks. A career was launched. A movie called Deadly Eyes (1982) was made based on the book. Dachshunds were dressed up in rat suits, which sounds weird enough to make me want to see the movie. He wrote two more sequels and became a bestselling horror writer. The writing in this book is at times clumsy. He was certainly still learning his craft, but he already had a grasp of what people want. They want to be scared. They want to be shocked.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
November 19, 2023
Ratastic!
The Rats by James Herbert is a gore fest of a creature feature. Written in 1974, it appears dated at times.
But it’s old age doesn’t take away any of the horror, because the rats are something else. They are the stars of this show.
The author builds up the horror by adding tons of suspense. A few times I felt that the protagonist was putting himself in unnecessary danger. But the author knows that is what a hero would do.
This is a trilogy, but the book is a standalone. I read for a group reading and I’m glad I did. Give this one a try.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
The Rats by James Herbert is a gore fest of a creature feature. Written in 1974, it appears dated at times.
But it’s old age doesn’t take away any of the horror, because the rats are something else. They are the stars of this show.
The author builds up the horror by adding tons of suspense. A few times I felt that the protagonist was putting himself in unnecessary danger. But the author knows that is what a hero would do.
This is a trilogy, but the book is a standalone. I read for a group reading and I’m glad I did. Give this one a try.
Four stars. ✨✨✨✨
June 29, 2019
3.5*
Rats!! Lots of rats! I've got the paperback copy with a white background, and a giant rat - smiling like a Cheshire cat, on the front cover - which looks like it should be down-in-the-sewers with the filthy vermin.
The denizens of London, become rat-fodder when a new species of rat, breeds with the normal-sized rats and pandemonium, soon ensues. They've found themselves a new delicacy; and now, it's a fight for survival, from an insatiable enemy that wants nothing more than to eat your heart out. One bite from the unknown mutation-rat and most people, die - within twenty-four hours. So if you're lucky enough not to be eaten alive, your mortality is going to take a hit with just one nibble. You can catch Weil's disease (Leptospirosis or Spirochoetal Jaundice) - which is introduced into the bloodstream - via rat or cattle urine - so that's good to know.
The story is told from multiple POV - but mainly from the perspective of a young teacher, Harris, who plays the reluctant hero, getting into all-sorts of scrapes with the furry critters, that are intelligent, cunning and seemingly - unafraid of us.
The author got his inspiration for The Rats, whilst watching Tod Browning's Dracula. Interestingly, each book in the trilogy were written years' apart: The Rats (1974), Lair (1979), Domain (1984) and a graphic novel, The City (1993) - and there's a movie adaption, I might check out: Deadly Eyes (1982).
In conclusion: This was pretty good for a first-novel, and I'll read the squeak-quel, sometime. The Kindle edition has an intriguing introduction (foreword) by Neil Gaiman about the author, which I read, but didn't commit to buying the book. Had the paperback - why bother?
After just watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I think I want the rats to win-over humanity.
Rats!! Lots of rats! I've got the paperback copy with a white background, and a giant rat - smiling like a Cheshire cat, on the front cover - which looks like it should be down-in-the-sewers with the filthy vermin.
The denizens of London, become rat-fodder when a new species of rat, breeds with the normal-sized rats and pandemonium, soon ensues. They've found themselves a new delicacy; and now, it's a fight for survival, from an insatiable enemy that wants nothing more than to eat your heart out. One bite from the unknown mutation-rat and most people, die - within twenty-four hours. So if you're lucky enough not to be eaten alive, your mortality is going to take a hit with just one nibble. You can catch Weil's disease (Leptospirosis or Spirochoetal Jaundice) - which is introduced into the bloodstream - via rat or cattle urine - so that's good to know.
The story is told from multiple POV - but mainly from the perspective of a young teacher, Harris, who plays the reluctant hero, getting into all-sorts of scrapes with the furry critters, that are intelligent, cunning and seemingly - unafraid of us.
The author got his inspiration for The Rats, whilst watching Tod Browning's Dracula. Interestingly, each book in the trilogy were written years' apart: The Rats (1974), Lair (1979), Domain (1984) and a graphic novel, The City (1993) - and there's a movie adaption, I might check out: Deadly Eyes (1982).
In conclusion: This was pretty good for a first-novel, and I'll read the squeak-quel, sometime. The Kindle edition has an intriguing introduction (foreword) by Neil Gaiman about the author, which I read, but didn't commit to buying the book. Had the paperback - why bother?
After just watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, I think I want the rats to win-over humanity.
February 9, 2022
Well, this book has definitely been a change from the norm for me, and wow, this was some tremendously freaky shit! I spotted this book in a sale, and seeing the hoard of positive reviews in regards to it, my curiosity got the better of me, and I thought I'd give it a go.
On reading the premise of this book, I thought it sounded rather twee, and knowing this was kind of old school horror, I thought I'd be safe.
I wasn't.
This was brutal from the first page. The descriptions Herbert created really does draw you in to the depressive atmosphere of the book, and however sick it makes you feel, the curiosity completely takes over, and you just have to read on.
I must say, I've never been a fan of rats, and probably never will, but now I've read this, the very thought of an obese, mutant rat that relentlessly stops at nothing until it gets it's fill of human blood makes me unsettled as hell. This is fear on a fucked-up kind of level.
There was a little humour thrown in here about a Catholic woman that was on a quest to ride every man she could in order to achieve that orgasm, and a man called Harris regularly got his groove on whenever he could, but despite this, it didn't take anything away from the fact that this was a horror novel.
As for character development, there wasn't really any, and I thought the ending wasn't great, but, I got what I came for, and this novel has inevitably disturbed my sleep and made my skin crawl. Mission completed.
On reading the premise of this book, I thought it sounded rather twee, and knowing this was kind of old school horror, I thought I'd be safe.
I wasn't.
This was brutal from the first page. The descriptions Herbert created really does draw you in to the depressive atmosphere of the book, and however sick it makes you feel, the curiosity completely takes over, and you just have to read on.
I must say, I've never been a fan of rats, and probably never will, but now I've read this, the very thought of an obese, mutant rat that relentlessly stops at nothing until it gets it's fill of human blood makes me unsettled as hell. This is fear on a fucked-up kind of level.
There was a little humour thrown in here about a Catholic woman that was on a quest to ride every man she could in order to achieve that orgasm, and a man called Harris regularly got his groove on whenever he could, but despite this, it didn't take anything away from the fact that this was a horror novel.
As for character development, there wasn't really any, and I thought the ending wasn't great, but, I got what I came for, and this novel has inevitably disturbed my sleep and made my skin crawl. Mission completed.
November 6, 2018
If a horror book makes you laugh this much then it's a failure. Simple as.
Sure, the rats might have been selectively bred to be giant and vicious, but they are still rats: they are still little bundles of loveliness with their little ears and cute noses. They are not scary. Don’t demonise rats James, it’s not cool!
I happen to be very fond of rats, and they are often very misrepresented in fiction and media. Sure, you might say they are disease carriers and pests, but in reality who pesters who? As with all animals in the modern world, their natural environment has been drastically reduced so they flock to our cities and our streets. They adapt (or try to) to the world we have altered and then we blame then for it.
In the UK there is a similar debate regarding foxes (it's not really any different.) We destroy their environment (sometimes building our homes directly in it) and get all defensive when they end up on our doorstep. We do not accommodate for them and label them as pests. Wild animals will always be dangerous and aggressive, if they have no food and are clinging to life, if they are forced into our space then it's not their fault. Rather than looking to destroy such animals, more humane alternatives should be perused.
I'm going on a political rant here about ecology, but the point is rats aren't scary and this book is shit. That's all.
Sure, the rats might have been selectively bred to be giant and vicious, but they are still rats: they are still little bundles of loveliness with their little ears and cute noses. They are not scary. Don’t demonise rats James, it’s not cool!
I happen to be very fond of rats, and they are often very misrepresented in fiction and media. Sure, you might say they are disease carriers and pests, but in reality who pesters who? As with all animals in the modern world, their natural environment has been drastically reduced so they flock to our cities and our streets. They adapt (or try to) to the world we have altered and then we blame then for it.
In the UK there is a similar debate regarding foxes (it's not really any different.) We destroy their environment (sometimes building our homes directly in it) and get all defensive when they end up on our doorstep. We do not accommodate for them and label them as pests. Wild animals will always be dangerous and aggressive, if they have no food and are clinging to life, if they are forced into our space then it's not their fault. Rather than looking to destroy such animals, more humane alternatives should be perused.
I'm going on a political rant here about ecology, but the point is rats aren't scary and this book is shit. That's all.
November 21, 2025
The Rats by James Herbert
4.35 rounded down to 4 🔮🔮🔮🔮orbs
Pan Publishing
1970s, The docks in London’s East End, a lonesome cheddar…
💡 Orbs Prologue: “They put cheese on my sandwich,” yells the lactose-intolerant dockworker. His grimy hand grabs my creamy frame and tosses me over his burly shoulder. End over end, I plummet to the frigid waters below. Surprisingly buoyant, I float like a lost wooden raft towards the murky canal, where the gentle lapping waves leave me on the garbage-strewn banks, marooned like a shipwreck. Vulnerable, like a beached whale, I await the pecking crows with their blackened beaks to pick me apart, yet they do not come. From the corner of my periphery, I see a wave of darkness swimming towards my resting place. Dear reader, my name is Cheddar, and my story is one of bewilderment, loneliness, and bitter endings.
🔩 Nuts & Bolts: Mr. Harris, teacher extraordinaire and unsung hero, stands at the front of the class. One gets the impression he enjoys the challenges of the school where he works. One fateful day, a student complains of being bitten by a rat and is soon rushed to the hospital for further examination, where he eventually succumbs to the infection. Through quick deduction, Mr. Harris knows these rats are not normal. These rodents are abnormally cunning, with physical prowess to match. Most notable is the sheer size of these vermin. Huge, black, and beady-eyed, often appearing as big as the largest house cat. In his own rendition of London’s apocalyptic Black Death, author James Herbert’s wave after wave of unrelenting fear is cast upon teary-eyed readers. There is no escape, for the sheer number of rats overtakes any obstacle that stands in their way. As the jaws clamp and blood flows, Harris must help devise a plan to escape the meaty clutches of these killer rodents. All that remains are the gnawed bones of freshly stripped carcasses, the meaty tendons torn, and the entrails long since gobbled up. The clock is ticking, for these rats reproduce quickly, morphing into a new and improved version with every litter. One is left to wonder, is there even a solution to this ever-growing problem?
👍 Orbs Pros: As a child, I owned gerbils, so you would think a rat would not present me with any problems, yet, in my old age, I loathe rats. They terrify me, and the mere thought of this book invoking any sort of reality cast a shadow of heebie-jeebies onto the walls of my room as I read this. James Herbert’s action-packed prose left me wheezing in a self-induced asthma attack. Initially, I wondered just how horrendous a book about rats could be. Herbert brought this world to my front door, rang my doorbell, and laughed as he scurried off, not looking back. Upon opening my door, filth entered my abode, leaving me speechless. Scratching and clawing, they kept coming; my skin prickled at every calculated move by these beasts. Scary!!!
👎 Orbs Cons: Some sex-filled scenes upend the breakneck pace that Herbert employs to give the reader time to breathe. This had the intended effect, although I am not always a fan of “romantic” excursions during my experience.
Highly Recommended! This was horror awesome sauce. Herbert’s genius in writing a diabolical novel starring rats, while somehow making it entertaining throughout, is a testament to his skill. Seriously, I really enjoyed this in the most heinous way!
💡 Orbs Epilogue: The scourge from the pit of hell descended upon the embankment as the sun set. Inky-furred creatures, cats? No, not cats, rats? RATS!!! My arch nemesis's love of devouring my kind is legendary. Surely their salacious appetites would seek out any morsel within the immediate proximity, a piece of cheese being the prime target. So here I sit, waiting to be torn to shreds, my poor body preparing to be consumed by these ugly creatures. Yet, something bizarre happens. The mountainous wave of long-tailed scavengers scampers past me, ignoring me. What in the world is going on? I feel a bit self-conscious; am I not good enough to be eaten by the likes of these ravenous things? Days fly by, and I hear the remnants of a war between humans and these vermin. From their sneering faces, the rats seem to be enjoying a victorious celebration of human flesh as their trophy. My body is decaying; a green mold is starting to take shape on my body. An ineptness creeps into my minuscule, cheesy mind. What purpose have I served in this tumultuous place where everything has been eaten but me? So, as I simply decompose, let it be known that I, Cheddar, last of my circle, tried to live a true and honorable life, yet it was not meant to be.
4.35 rounded down to 4 🔮🔮🔮🔮orbs
Pan Publishing
1970s, The docks in London’s East End, a lonesome cheddar…
💡 Orbs Prologue: “They put cheese on my sandwich,” yells the lactose-intolerant dockworker. His grimy hand grabs my creamy frame and tosses me over his burly shoulder. End over end, I plummet to the frigid waters below. Surprisingly buoyant, I float like a lost wooden raft towards the murky canal, where the gentle lapping waves leave me on the garbage-strewn banks, marooned like a shipwreck. Vulnerable, like a beached whale, I await the pecking crows with their blackened beaks to pick me apart, yet they do not come. From the corner of my periphery, I see a wave of darkness swimming towards my resting place. Dear reader, my name is Cheddar, and my story is one of bewilderment, loneliness, and bitter endings.
🔩 Nuts & Bolts: Mr. Harris, teacher extraordinaire and unsung hero, stands at the front of the class. One gets the impression he enjoys the challenges of the school where he works. One fateful day, a student complains of being bitten by a rat and is soon rushed to the hospital for further examination, where he eventually succumbs to the infection. Through quick deduction, Mr. Harris knows these rats are not normal. These rodents are abnormally cunning, with physical prowess to match. Most notable is the sheer size of these vermin. Huge, black, and beady-eyed, often appearing as big as the largest house cat. In his own rendition of London’s apocalyptic Black Death, author James Herbert’s wave after wave of unrelenting fear is cast upon teary-eyed readers. There is no escape, for the sheer number of rats overtakes any obstacle that stands in their way. As the jaws clamp and blood flows, Harris must help devise a plan to escape the meaty clutches of these killer rodents. All that remains are the gnawed bones of freshly stripped carcasses, the meaty tendons torn, and the entrails long since gobbled up. The clock is ticking, for these rats reproduce quickly, morphing into a new and improved version with every litter. One is left to wonder, is there even a solution to this ever-growing problem?
👍 Orbs Pros: As a child, I owned gerbils, so you would think a rat would not present me with any problems, yet, in my old age, I loathe rats. They terrify me, and the mere thought of this book invoking any sort of reality cast a shadow of heebie-jeebies onto the walls of my room as I read this. James Herbert’s action-packed prose left me wheezing in a self-induced asthma attack. Initially, I wondered just how horrendous a book about rats could be. Herbert brought this world to my front door, rang my doorbell, and laughed as he scurried off, not looking back. Upon opening my door, filth entered my abode, leaving me speechless. Scratching and clawing, they kept coming; my skin prickled at every calculated move by these beasts. Scary!!!
👎 Orbs Cons: Some sex-filled scenes upend the breakneck pace that Herbert employs to give the reader time to breathe. This had the intended effect, although I am not always a fan of “romantic” excursions during my experience.
Highly Recommended! This was horror awesome sauce. Herbert’s genius in writing a diabolical novel starring rats, while somehow making it entertaining throughout, is a testament to his skill. Seriously, I really enjoyed this in the most heinous way!
💡 Orbs Epilogue: The scourge from the pit of hell descended upon the embankment as the sun set. Inky-furred creatures, cats? No, not cats, rats? RATS!!! My arch nemesis's love of devouring my kind is legendary. Surely their salacious appetites would seek out any morsel within the immediate proximity, a piece of cheese being the prime target. So here I sit, waiting to be torn to shreds, my poor body preparing to be consumed by these ugly creatures. Yet, something bizarre happens. The mountainous wave of long-tailed scavengers scampers past me, ignoring me. What in the world is going on? I feel a bit self-conscious; am I not good enough to be eaten by the likes of these ravenous things? Days fly by, and I hear the remnants of a war between humans and these vermin. From their sneering faces, the rats seem to be enjoying a victorious celebration of human flesh as their trophy. My body is decaying; a green mold is starting to take shape on my body. An ineptness creeps into my minuscule, cheesy mind. What purpose have I served in this tumultuous place where everything has been eaten but me? So, as I simply decompose, let it be known that I, Cheddar, last of my circle, tried to live a true and honorable life, yet it was not meant to be.
April 22, 2024
The Rats was my very first taste venturing into the authentic horror genre. I was so affected by this book that I still clearly remember what led up to me finally turning that first page.
I was constantly looking at it sitting on a bookshelf in our home, and being drawn to the terrified face of the man, as well as those two little words:"The Rats"and being charged with nervous anticipation, wondering exactly what I would find between the pages. Somehow, I sensed that when I did finally have enough courage to read the first page, I was going to be be in for quite a ride, and that one amazing book had me hook, line and sinker. From then on I could not get enough of the macabre. . . All thanks to the incredible writing of author, James Herbert. Priceless.
I was constantly looking at it sitting on a bookshelf in our home, and being drawn to the terrified face of the man, as well as those two little words:"The Rats"and being charged with nervous anticipation, wondering exactly what I would find between the pages. Somehow, I sensed that when I did finally have enough courage to read the first page, I was going to be be in for quite a ride, and that one amazing book had me hook, line and sinker. From then on I could not get enough of the macabre. . . All thanks to the incredible writing of author, James Herbert. Priceless.
July 15, 2020
Holy heck, this was
brutal.
Herbert's writing is brilliant, and the story launches straight into the action, with rats having their fill of human flesh in the first chapter. What follows is basically a near-200-page massacre.
The plot is so incredibly simple: mutant rats are attacking people and devouring them in horrific ways. There's nothing particularly smart about it, but what it lacks in intelligence it makes up for in graphic, gory detail.
I really enjoyed the way Herbert introduces characters, giving you a bit of their backstory so you get attached. He describes a clear picture of human behaviour, and covers all manner of human sins that seem to pale in comparison to the grisly horror of man-eating rats. It's quite interesting to consider how divided we can be as a whole society, considering we are all human, and this book explores that brilliantly by creating the 'us-vs-them' storyline. We see empathy and pity where there is usually none.
The rats themselves are absolutely horrifying, making for a perfect, relentless, collective villain. Particularly in those moments when one or two stop and stare menacingly. *shudders* Rats are, of course, right up there as one of the most repulsive creatures and this book easily draws on that natural revulsion and magnifies it.
The tension rarely eases, and even in the quiet moments you're expecting the worst. I liked that it took the time to create deeper characters, because it was a diversion from the carnage that still kept the interest up. Brilliantly written.
Side note though, and I'm blaming this one on its age: the book is incredibly sexist. If you're a raging feminist, this book is gonna make you mad with all the stereotypes.
If you're a bit squeamish, this is likely to give you nightmares, but I'd highly recommend to anyone who appreciates simple, gory horror.
Herbert's writing is brilliant, and the story launches straight into the action, with rats having their fill of human flesh in the first chapter. What follows is basically a near-200-page massacre.
The plot is so incredibly simple: mutant rats are attacking people and devouring them in horrific ways. There's nothing particularly smart about it, but what it lacks in intelligence it makes up for in graphic, gory detail.
I really enjoyed the way Herbert introduces characters, giving you a bit of their backstory so you get attached. He describes a clear picture of human behaviour, and covers all manner of human sins that seem to pale in comparison to the grisly horror of man-eating rats. It's quite interesting to consider how divided we can be as a whole society, considering we are all human, and this book explores that brilliantly by creating the 'us-vs-them' storyline. We see empathy and pity where there is usually none.
The rats themselves are absolutely horrifying, making for a perfect, relentless, collective villain. Particularly in those moments when one or two stop and stare menacingly. *shudders* Rats are, of course, right up there as one of the most repulsive creatures and this book easily draws on that natural revulsion and magnifies it.
The tension rarely eases, and even in the quiet moments you're expecting the worst. I liked that it took the time to create deeper characters, because it was a diversion from the carnage that still kept the interest up. Brilliantly written.
Side note though, and I'm blaming this one on its age: the book is incredibly sexist. If you're a raging feminist, this book is gonna make you mad with all the stereotypes.
If you're a bit squeamish, this is likely to give you nightmares, but I'd highly recommend to anyone who appreciates simple, gory horror.
September 23, 2017
"The rats had had their fill of his body, but were still hungry. So they searched. Searched for more food of the same kind. They had tasted their first human blood."
There's a new breed of rat in London, England, and they're bigger, more intelligent and more vicious than their predecessors. These rats are thirsty for human blood and as they feed, their bloodlust becomes more and more rampant. As the rats wreck havoc on those living in London, the question becomes: how do you eliminate hordes of rats as big as dogs that are capable of chewing through basically anything?!
The premise of this novel sounds pretty corny, doesn't it? But if you're after old-school horror that will chill you to the bone, then The Rats will bring it to you in spades. The pace is pretty relentless with the rats getting their teeth and claws stuck into humans right from the beginning. Herbert's descriptions of the mutilations and deaths are BRUTAL and awesome.
Before I read this I never really found rats to be that scary, but now I'm deeply unsettled at the thought of huge mutant rats. It's the fact that you can't really escape from them - they will gnaw their way through almost anything to get to you. And when they do, you are toast. These rats travel in packs too, so there really is no getting away.
An aspect of the book that I didn't expect was the humour, although at times I'm not sure if the humour was intentional or not. There was a chapter in particular about a Catholic woman who was supposedly sex-crazed and I was laughing the whole way through - she actually asked a priest to say a prayer for her in mass so that she could achieve some type of special orgasm. One of the highlights of the book for me! Some humour amongst all the torn-off limbs and eaten faces.
Overall, The Rats is a quick, fun read. I wouldn't say there is much character development, but given that it's a relatively short book, I came for the horror and that's what I got. When I bought The Rats I wasn't aware it was part of a trilogy, but now I'm definitely interested in reading the other two books. 4 stars out of 5 from me!
There's a new breed of rat in London, England, and they're bigger, more intelligent and more vicious than their predecessors. These rats are thirsty for human blood and as they feed, their bloodlust becomes more and more rampant. As the rats wreck havoc on those living in London, the question becomes: how do you eliminate hordes of rats as big as dogs that are capable of chewing through basically anything?!
The premise of this novel sounds pretty corny, doesn't it? But if you're after old-school horror that will chill you to the bone, then The Rats will bring it to you in spades. The pace is pretty relentless with the rats getting their teeth and claws stuck into humans right from the beginning. Herbert's descriptions of the mutilations and deaths are BRUTAL and awesome.
Before I read this I never really found rats to be that scary, but now I'm deeply unsettled at the thought of huge mutant rats. It's the fact that you can't really escape from them - they will gnaw their way through almost anything to get to you. And when they do, you are toast. These rats travel in packs too, so there really is no getting away.
An aspect of the book that I didn't expect was the humour, although at times I'm not sure if the humour was intentional or not. There was a chapter in particular about a Catholic woman who was supposedly sex-crazed and I was laughing the whole way through - she actually asked a priest to say a prayer for her in mass so that she could achieve some type of special orgasm. One of the highlights of the book for me! Some humour amongst all the torn-off limbs and eaten faces.
Overall, The Rats is a quick, fun read. I wouldn't say there is much character development, but given that it's a relatively short book, I came for the horror and that's what I got. When I bought The Rats I wasn't aware it was part of a trilogy, but now I'm definitely interested in reading the other two books. 4 stars out of 5 from me!
October 31, 2017
Pack up your bags and run,
my friend, because oversized Rats are here.... And they are really hungry.
Welcome to London, the ground zero of a terrible rat infestation.
Nope, Ratatouille rat infestation was almost cute. This is much worse! Let me put it this way. If you are on the streets, You'd have a better chance surviving a Zombie apocalypse than this rat invasion! Not only they can devour you in minutes, a bite from these mutant bastards will infect and kill you within 24 hours!
This is a bloody fun creature feature story. The book works because of its old-school charm, an overload of blood and gore, thrilling chases and near death experiences. Yes, the characters are paper thin like a 70's cheap horror flick, and the presence of our Protagonist, a high school teacher guy, makes no sense at all. Yet, it works!
How?
The rats! The godamn rats are scary as hell. That's the best thing about the book. All the Rat attacks were fun to read, especially the Train, Cinema hall and of course, the school scenes!
Overall, Rats rule the book. A worthy read if you are into macabre.
And in case you find yourself stuck in a world full of killer rats, I suggest you find this guy and join him.
Welcome to London, the ground zero of a terrible rat infestation.
Nope, Ratatouille rat infestation was almost cute. This is much worse! Let me put it this way. If you are on the streets, You'd have a better chance surviving a Zombie apocalypse than this rat invasion! Not only they can devour you in minutes, a bite from these mutant bastards will infect and kill you within 24 hours!
This is a bloody fun creature feature story. The book works because of its old-school charm, an overload of blood and gore, thrilling chases and near death experiences. Yes, the characters are paper thin like a 70's cheap horror flick, and the presence of our Protagonist, a high school teacher guy, makes no sense at all. Yet, it works!
How?
.... Another man sat rigid in his seat, eyes still on the screen as though watching the film, hands clenching the seat arms. A rat sat in his lap gnawing a hole into his stomach.
The rats! The godamn rats are scary as hell. That's the best thing about the book. All the Rat attacks were fun to read, especially the Train, Cinema hall and of course, the school scenes!
Overall, Rats rule the book. A worthy read if you are into macabre.
And in case you find yourself stuck in a world full of killer rats, I suggest you find this guy and join him.
May 6, 2022
*Pulls up Spotify and plays “Rats” by Ghost for the remainder of the review*
If you’re doing the same at home, please imagine every time you read the word “rats” that it is delivered as it is in that song. It will make the review significantly more entertaining.
So, James Herbert was an awesome horror author. I feel I cannot stress that enough before I begin this review, because “The Rats” proves that was not always the case. Now do not get me wrong, this book is actually quite entertaining, and don’t let that initial reaction put you off. If you just want to read a book about rats causing havoc in London… well, then this is the book for you! That said, as someone who started reading Herbert with some of his later work, it is shocking to see that the writing quality is nowhere near what he would become.
It suffers very much from “first novel syndrome”. We have a rather dull everyman lead (who may be the least interesting character in the entire book, save for some unnamed tourists... and the tourists are possibly debatable). The book is structured almost like a series of short stories, with most chapters being random citizens chased/devoured by rats in a new and creative way, while our lead just happens to tie together everything together in a few interconnected chapters.
Also, with the exception of the last chapter, there’s very little in terms of tension building. Instead Herbert seems content to replace suspense with “shocking” moment. Some of these moments work, some sadly just come off as a tad silly.
With all complaints aside, it is a very entertaining read, which is really all I can ask for from a book about killer rats. I mean, I didn't expect to gain some great new insight to the human psyche, I wanted rats ripping off people's body parts... and that I received. It has some utterly ridiculous moments, but all in good fun, like a creature feature played late at night on cable. It can’t be taken too seriously, but for those looking for rodent terror, there are certainly worse places to look. I give it 3 giant killer rats out of 5.
If you’re doing the same at home, please imagine every time you read the word “rats” that it is delivered as it is in that song. It will make the review significantly more entertaining.
So, James Herbert was an awesome horror author. I feel I cannot stress that enough before I begin this review, because “The Rats” proves that was not always the case. Now do not get me wrong, this book is actually quite entertaining, and don’t let that initial reaction put you off. If you just want to read a book about rats causing havoc in London… well, then this is the book for you! That said, as someone who started reading Herbert with some of his later work, it is shocking to see that the writing quality is nowhere near what he would become.
It suffers very much from “first novel syndrome”. We have a rather dull everyman lead (who may be the least interesting character in the entire book, save for some unnamed tourists... and the tourists are possibly debatable). The book is structured almost like a series of short stories, with most chapters being random citizens chased/devoured by rats in a new and creative way, while our lead just happens to tie together everything together in a few interconnected chapters.
Also, with the exception of the last chapter, there’s very little in terms of tension building. Instead Herbert seems content to replace suspense with “shocking” moment. Some of these moments work, some sadly just come off as a tad silly.
With all complaints aside, it is a very entertaining read, which is really all I can ask for from a book about killer rats. I mean, I didn't expect to gain some great new insight to the human psyche, I wanted rats ripping off people's body parts... and that I received. It has some utterly ridiculous moments, but all in good fun, like a creature feature played late at night on cable. It can’t be taken too seriously, but for those looking for rodent terror, there are certainly worse places to look. I give it 3 giant killer rats out of 5.
May 19, 2020
Being a big fan of Stephen King and the horror genre, a family friend told me about James Herbert, I was intrigued so looked him up and thought I'd start with his first novel, The Rats, I wasn't disappointed.
A fairly short novel, my paperback just under 200 pages, this hits you like a case of Dynamite, now I see what my friend was on about when he rated Herbert so highly.
The story starts with a homeless alcoholic bitter about the way he was treated in his job and the circumstances that have become of him, when he is eaten by a pack of black, dog sized rats.
There are several more sporadic attacks by these very large black rats, spread out across parts of London, and it shifts from several characters (including a very religious nymphomaniac), though the main focus of the story, is a teacher named Harris, who takes an immediate concern with the rat situation when one of his students is bitten, and then dies within 24 hours of the bite.
Harris is visited by health minister Mr Foskins who wants Harris' help as well as his silence on the matter of infection. Harris is only too keen to lend his support.
With the attacks now common knowledge and the government desperately trying to do something about the situation, the black rats seemingly become bolder and attacks on the London underground and even a zoo are just two occurrences of the terror, and the carnage and panic is starting to reach breaking point.
This book while not giving a great deal of character development gave enough backstory on even some of the minor characters (some of whom only appear once in the story) which makes you care about each and every one of them, and what will become the situation and the rats themselves.
For me, this is one of the great horror novels and for its short length, horror rarely packs a more powerful punch, and the ending too left me very satisfied. This is very much a British novel and while some aspects have clearly dated, remember this came out in the 1970s, so immerse yourself in that time period and enjoy the ride.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars, British horror classic!!
A fairly short novel, my paperback just under 200 pages, this hits you like a case of Dynamite, now I see what my friend was on about when he rated Herbert so highly.
The story starts with a homeless alcoholic bitter about the way he was treated in his job and the circumstances that have become of him, when he is eaten by a pack of black, dog sized rats.
There are several more sporadic attacks by these very large black rats, spread out across parts of London, and it shifts from several characters (including a very religious nymphomaniac), though the main focus of the story, is a teacher named Harris, who takes an immediate concern with the rat situation when one of his students is bitten, and then dies within 24 hours of the bite.
Harris is visited by health minister Mr Foskins who wants Harris' help as well as his silence on the matter of infection. Harris is only too keen to lend his support.
With the attacks now common knowledge and the government desperately trying to do something about the situation, the black rats seemingly become bolder and attacks on the London underground and even a zoo are just two occurrences of the terror, and the carnage and panic is starting to reach breaking point.
This book while not giving a great deal of character development gave enough backstory on even some of the minor characters (some of whom only appear once in the story) which makes you care about each and every one of them, and what will become the situation and the rats themselves.
For me, this is one of the great horror novels and for its short length, horror rarely packs a more powerful punch, and the ending too left me very satisfied. This is very much a British novel and while some aspects have clearly dated, remember this came out in the 1970s, so immerse yourself in that time period and enjoy the ride.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stars, British horror classic!!
Read
May 3, 2024Yep, yep, yep …. I managed to scare the bejeebies out of myself by reading this book. I predict the next time I see a rat I will probably pee in my pants. No more walks down dark allies. No more trips near the sewer system. And definitely, no more trips to the basement in the dark of night!
Herbert writes a terrific horror novel without any loss of action or slow spots. You will see the most unlikely people step up to the plate, introducing new concepts. You will see the political regime do what they do best, throw a wrench in the gears of progress. There is even some intense intimacy right in the middle of this horror show to lighten the mood a bit.
Since this book was written in the mid-seventies the ending is …. OOPS … I sure would not want to spoil this special read for my GR friends. I guess you will just have to read it yourself. Enjoy the ride!
Herbert writes a terrific horror novel without any loss of action or slow spots. You will see the most unlikely people step up to the plate, introducing new concepts. You will see the political regime do what they do best, throw a wrench in the gears of progress. There is even some intense intimacy right in the middle of this horror show to lighten the mood a bit.
Since this book was written in the mid-seventies the ending is …. OOPS … I sure would not want to spoil this special read for my GR friends. I guess you will just have to read it yourself. Enjoy the ride!
February 20, 2017
This is a old fashioned Horror book and just having revisited in perhaps 30 years time makes me realise how weel it is written and how good a scribe James Herbert actually is.
There is this little house in a lane that gets forgotten and overgrown and after some time people forget about the house and that it ever was there. The last person who lived there was taken away and put in home for the insane.
Years later London finds out what probably has driven her insane when the attacks start by a new unknown and bigger species of rats. And as soon as they have taste blood they decide to like it and obtain some more. There is a story about a teacher running through the book on his experiences with the rats, the attacks and the fight back against the rats. In between the main story you get the experiences of various people who are fleshed out well enough to make you care about them and then picture them under attack.
The book might be considered old school but even if it is rather short perhaps for a decent yarn these days the book has got a serious kick and as it has to be an nice ending that remains open for future installments. And they are in existence but I cannot remember them even if I have read them like this book a long time and many books ago.
A great book to spend a dark and stormy night with, it is bound to scare the living daylight out of you.
Well advised.
There is this little house in a lane that gets forgotten and overgrown and after some time people forget about the house and that it ever was there. The last person who lived there was taken away and put in home for the insane.
Years later London finds out what probably has driven her insane when the attacks start by a new unknown and bigger species of rats. And as soon as they have taste blood they decide to like it and obtain some more. There is a story about a teacher running through the book on his experiences with the rats, the attacks and the fight back against the rats. In between the main story you get the experiences of various people who are fleshed out well enough to make you care about them and then picture them under attack.
The book might be considered old school but even if it is rather short perhaps for a decent yarn these days the book has got a serious kick and as it has to be an nice ending that remains open for future installments. And they are in existence but I cannot remember them even if I have read them like this book a long time and many books ago.
A great book to spend a dark and stormy night with, it is bound to scare the living daylight out of you.
Well advised.
August 23, 2015
OMFG this is about rats, lots of fucking rats, not just your average normal run of the mill rats but super big fucking rats that have taken a liking to human flesh. I listened to this on audio and have to say it's pretty entertaining, in an upper class, hoighty-toighty kind of narration, we get to know various characters some very quickly as they get, well, eaten and a few others that are in it for the long run.
Decent story, enjoyable horror, plenty of cringing and I have to say, where would we be without the hero that decides to go it alone, bravely, stupidly going into the most dangerous of situations. To the heart and soul of the rat epidemic, when everyone else is busy with 'the plan', I know I'll go and try my completely dumb-ass, total, best possible fucking way to get myself killed and to do what exactly. I ask you. Some heroes need stunning with a shovel to curb their stupidity.
But it was entertaining and the rats were sweet, I've got the second in the rats story and I'll be on it soon.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
Decent story, enjoyable horror, plenty of cringing and I have to say, where would we be without the hero that decides to go it alone, bravely, stupidly going into the most dangerous of situations. To the heart and soul of the rat epidemic, when everyone else is busy with 'the plan', I know I'll go and try my completely dumb-ass, total, best possible fucking way to get myself killed and to do what exactly. I ask you. Some heroes need stunning with a shovel to curb their stupidity.
But it was entertaining and the rats were sweet, I've got the second in the rats story and I'll be on it soon.
Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...
October 5, 2025
The late James Herbert, perhaps Britain’s greatest horror novelist, did two things really well:
1) He had a gift for character development, even when writing minor characters. He seemed to have a preternatural instinct for getting into the hearts and minds of a wide range of characters—-young or old, male or female, gay or straight. He seemed to possess a very strong inclination for empathy. He treated his characters as human beings first and characters in a horror novel second. And he was also very good at
2) Killing those characters off in some of the most graphically gruesome and gory ways.
This coming year, Herbert’s novel “The Rats” celebrates its 50th anniversary. For a horror novel that was written during the mid-1970s, it still holds up as a page-turner.
The story is straightforward: giant mutated rats run rampant through the streets and sewers of London, eating and maiming any and all humans in their path. The ones who survive with bites die of a horrible disease within 24 hours. There’s no explanation for where they came from or how they mutated. (Well, actually, there is, but Herbert doesn’t go into great detail or any detail, really. He kind of gives the reader the impression that it doesn’t really matter, and, in truth, it really doesn’t.)
“The Rats” isn’t great literature, but it does what it’s meant to do: give one the heebie jeebies. If you already detest rats and other vermin, this is definitely not the book for you. If, however, you like good ol’ fashioned man-v.-nature horror stuff—-“The Birds”, “Jaws”, “Piranha”, “Anaconda”, “Cujo”, to name a few—-this is definitely one of the better ones.
A film version (the only one, that I know of) was made in 1982 under the name “Deadly Eyes”. It is, by all accounts, a relatively forgettable affair, but the trailer looks fantastic. Herbert also wrote three sequels to this book.
1) He had a gift for character development, even when writing minor characters. He seemed to have a preternatural instinct for getting into the hearts and minds of a wide range of characters—-young or old, male or female, gay or straight. He seemed to possess a very strong inclination for empathy. He treated his characters as human beings first and characters in a horror novel second. And he was also very good at
2) Killing those characters off in some of the most graphically gruesome and gory ways.
This coming year, Herbert’s novel “The Rats” celebrates its 50th anniversary. For a horror novel that was written during the mid-1970s, it still holds up as a page-turner.
The story is straightforward: giant mutated rats run rampant through the streets and sewers of London, eating and maiming any and all humans in their path. The ones who survive with bites die of a horrible disease within 24 hours. There’s no explanation for where they came from or how they mutated. (Well, actually, there is, but Herbert doesn’t go into great detail or any detail, really. He kind of gives the reader the impression that it doesn’t really matter, and, in truth, it really doesn’t.)
“The Rats” isn’t great literature, but it does what it’s meant to do: give one the heebie jeebies. If you already detest rats and other vermin, this is definitely not the book for you. If, however, you like good ol’ fashioned man-v.-nature horror stuff—-“The Birds”, “Jaws”, “Piranha”, “Anaconda”, “Cujo”, to name a few—-this is definitely one of the better ones.
A film version (the only one, that I know of) was made in 1982 under the name “Deadly Eyes”. It is, by all accounts, a relatively forgettable affair, but the trailer looks fantastic. Herbert also wrote three sequels to this book.
September 17, 2018
"Something landed on his bonnet with a thump causing him to swing round to the front again. One of the giant rats was staring at him through the windscreen, its evil face almost level with his own, the distance between them only two feet, a thin sheet of glass his only protection.
THE RATS....not your average ordinary big rats....but ugly humongous bristled creatures larger than a dog....attacking type creatures with teeth like electric saws and a taste for human blood. They first arrive in the east end of London.
"The female can have from five to eight liters a year with anything from four to twelve in a liter. Then the randy buggers are at it again in a couple of hours."
YEP! There's blood and gore galore, but there's also a decent storyline and a few subplots that deliver until the first devoured victims are discovered and the true power of the first bite realized. Panic erupts....emergency measures are taken and a desperate plan of attack is put into place.
THE RATS is a horror of a read, a true thriller and a great classic addition for your October picks that does actually have a few laughs and a bit of sex....BUT....you must be willing to handle some tough to swallow gruesome times involving small children and animals other than....THE RATS!
Quite a chilling 1974 debut for the late great James Herbert!
November 1, 2018
I did not expect to read a novel first published in 1974 and find it so gruesome as a modern-day reader! This was probably a massive oversight on my part, given that this was the book that defined a genre!
Herbert's The Rats gives a chilling insight to what a world overrun, with the creatures that bear their name in the title, would look like. There is a central story-line but this is interspersed with an assortment of additional narratives that relay confrontations with these terrifying creatures, and many end in shed blood and a slew of lifeless bodies.
This is a book offensive to all the senses, as the reader is constantly barraged with scenes of misery and gore. Herbert never once took his foot off the pedal and the reader is raced through to the grand finale, which too leaves a sour taste in the mouth, although in the most chilling and best possible way. This is a book that hides nothing and yet, too, is somehow scant on the specifics until the last possible moment. I was kept engaged, perplexed, and creeped out throughout. This modern horror classic still certainly has the ability to appeal to its modern-day readership and compete with the its predecessors in the genre.
Herbert's The Rats gives a chilling insight to what a world overrun, with the creatures that bear their name in the title, would look like. There is a central story-line but this is interspersed with an assortment of additional narratives that relay confrontations with these terrifying creatures, and many end in shed blood and a slew of lifeless bodies.
This is a book offensive to all the senses, as the reader is constantly barraged with scenes of misery and gore. Herbert never once took his foot off the pedal and the reader is raced through to the grand finale, which too leaves a sour taste in the mouth, although in the most chilling and best possible way. This is a book that hides nothing and yet, too, is somehow scant on the specifics until the last possible moment. I was kept engaged, perplexed, and creeped out throughout. This modern horror classic still certainly has the ability to appeal to its modern-day readership and compete with the its predecessors in the genre.
August 20, 2017
"Pitoresc! Era și ăsta un fel de a o descrie. La treizeci și doi de ani se întorsese și preda unor copii care erau replicile lui fidele din tinerețe. La început, nemernicii ăia mici încercaseră să-i dea bătaie de cap, pentru că desenul reprezenta pentru ei o oră de joacă și oricine l-ar fi predat era considerat un ciudat. Însă le aplicase propriul tratament. Îi luase atât de tare, încât le era teamă să și șoptească în prezența lui."
"Închise ușa și se îndreptă repede spre scări. Întredeschise ușa și privi înăuntru. Totul părea liniștit. În regulă. Intră, închise ușa în urma lui și se strecură în jos pe scări. Apa se prelingea pe sub ușă. O deschise cu multă atenție. Pe culoar nu era nici o mișcare. Unul dintre șobolanii morți care-l atacaseră pe director zăcea în apă. O clipă, Harris avu impresia că se mișcă, dar, își dădu repede seama că trupul acestuia se balansa încet din cauza apei, al cărui nivel creștea."
"Închise ușa și se îndreptă repede spre scări. Întredeschise ușa și privi înăuntru. Totul părea liniștit. În regulă. Intră, închise ușa în urma lui și se strecură în jos pe scări. Apa se prelingea pe sub ușă. O deschise cu multă atenție. Pe culoar nu era nici o mișcare. Unul dintre șobolanii morți care-l atacaseră pe director zăcea în apă. O clipă, Harris avu impresia că se mișcă, dar, își dădu repede seama că trupul acestuia se balansa încet din cauza apei, al cărui nivel creștea."
February 21, 2012
Read this for Genre. Lacking in horror and excitement. Lackluster descriptions of the rats, to say the least. Harris, main protagonist, is dull and drawn into saving London for no valid reason it seems. The book is incredibly sexist. His girlfriend is nothing more than a cutout that the main character has sex with and cooks him meals. Twice on the book he commands her to make him a meal, rest of the time he just tells her about the amazing dangers he experienced fighting the rats.
Every other female character is weak-willed and dull. In the Underground attack scene, a regular joe turns into quite the gallant hero, protecting two 'ladies' more useless than toddlers, overpowered by the horrors of the rats. But he is not affected, he rises to the occasion. Through the book groups of students are described in gender binary, when the school is attacked the girls are scared and the boys excited.
Literally the only female character that gets any spotlight is a hobo that is about to be attacked. She went insane after losing the only thing that mattered in her life, which was a man. Literally a man with such a big dick that it made her have an orgasm for the first and apparently only time.
This book is mediocre shit.
Every other female character is weak-willed and dull. In the Underground attack scene, a regular joe turns into quite the gallant hero, protecting two 'ladies' more useless than toddlers, overpowered by the horrors of the rats. But he is not affected, he rises to the occasion. Through the book groups of students are described in gender binary, when the school is attacked the girls are scared and the boys excited.
Literally the only female character that gets any spotlight is a hobo that is about to be attacked. She went insane after losing the only thing that mattered in her life, which was a man. Literally a man with such a big dick that it made her have an orgasm for the first and apparently only time.
This book is mediocre shit.
May 14, 2023
This novel should have been called
RATATTACK!
Or maybe
RATPOCALYPSE NOW!
Well, this was kind of fun and also very silly. So silly that it would be silly to describe how silly it is. Giant mutated flesh eating black rats attack London! Which has to be evacuated! The effect on the tourist trade would have been considerable! I was expecting a scene in which the Queen armed only with a poker and a bent tiara confronts a giant rat in Buckingham Palace, but that didn’t happen.
What is the difference between pulp fiction and literary fiction? Pulp fiction cuts to the chase, and literary fiction never does that. In fact there might not be a chase at all. But literary authors could learn a trick or two from James Herbert. If there were giant black flesh eating rats in Buddenbrooks I might have finished that sucker. On the other hand if Thomas Mann had written The Rats, the rats wouldn’t really have been rats, they would have been symbols of something enormously profound. In James Herbert the rats are rats. I appreciated that.
RATATTACK!
Or maybe
RATPOCALYPSE NOW!
Well, this was kind of fun and also very silly. So silly that it would be silly to describe how silly it is. Giant mutated flesh eating black rats attack London! Which has to be evacuated! The effect on the tourist trade would have been considerable! I was expecting a scene in which the Queen armed only with a poker and a bent tiara confronts a giant rat in Buckingham Palace, but that didn’t happen.
What is the difference between pulp fiction and literary fiction? Pulp fiction cuts to the chase, and literary fiction never does that. In fact there might not be a chase at all. But literary authors could learn a trick or two from James Herbert. If there were giant black flesh eating rats in Buddenbrooks I might have finished that sucker. On the other hand if Thomas Mann had written The Rats, the rats wouldn’t really have been rats, they would have been symbols of something enormously profound. In James Herbert the rats are rats. I appreciated that.
April 9, 2013
Old school horror fun! This was the kind of book that I read as a teen in the early 80s that caused me to become a life long fan of horror.
A rollicking good time. :)
A rollicking good time. :)
September 13, 2023
I know this came out in 1974, but since I was only 10 years of age, it took me until 1982 to read this and the next book. They both scared 😨 the living daylights outta me! I loved it!
Luckily, I live in a region where rats are only seen in pet stores!
I did once see cockroaches, back in the 80's, when i was living in Santa Cruz, California. Those things were disgusting!
Here in Montana? Um, does silverfish count?
My sister had a pet 🐀 rat, and except for his big balls, he was cute! He loved snuggling up behind my neck and into my hair!
Although, I was raised in New Mexico and California. We did have rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas "not deadly" but still icky!
Great book!
Luckily, I live in a region where rats are only seen in pet stores!
I did once see cockroaches, back in the 80's, when i was living in Santa Cruz, California. Those things were disgusting!
Here in Montana? Um, does silverfish count?
My sister had a pet 🐀 rat, and except for his big balls, he was cute! He loved snuggling up behind my neck and into my hair!
Although, I was raised in New Mexico and California. We did have rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas "not deadly" but still icky!
Great book!
April 12, 2015
The Rats is pure horror goodness. Unrelenting, unapologetic horror. Babies, puppies, giraffes, nothing is safe from the teeming mass of mutant rats that are terrorizing London. 5 squirming stars.
April 8, 2018
Good grief, so many rats!! RATS!!
This was a solid, old school, creature horror tale. It’s set in London during the 1970s so it’s a bit dated but I still enjoyed it. There’s a smart and heroic main character trying to help the UK government defeat the rat epidemic. Harris was a bit full of himself at times but I had to cheer for someone!
There are tons of rats causing chaos and death in London and this is a nightmare for most people. Rats breed way too fast and are definitely disgusting! Most people do not look on these creatures with fondness.
Seriously, can you imagine the city of London being infested with large deadly rats that like to eat humans and animals?! Eek, eek!!
Lots of gory action from flesh getting ripped apart and thousands of humans getting eat. Yeah, don’t go into this book if you don’t like some gore and more. If you like your horror with scary creatures, this might be a fun book for you to read.
I’ll definitely be continuing to the next book in the series so I can hate rats even more.
This was a solid, old school, creature horror tale. It’s set in London during the 1970s so it’s a bit dated but I still enjoyed it. There’s a smart and heroic main character trying to help the UK government defeat the rat epidemic. Harris was a bit full of himself at times but I had to cheer for someone!
There are tons of rats causing chaos and death in London and this is a nightmare for most people. Rats breed way too fast and are definitely disgusting! Most people do not look on these creatures with fondness.
Seriously, can you imagine the city of London being infested with large deadly rats that like to eat humans and animals?! Eek, eek!!
Lots of gory action from flesh getting ripped apart and thousands of humans getting eat. Yeah, don’t go into this book if you don’t like some gore and more. If you like your horror with scary creatures, this might be a fun book for you to read.
I’ll definitely be continuing to the next book in the series so I can hate rats even more.
March 14, 2015
Books win awards. Books drink white wine. Books are discussed in hushed tones by earnest scholars. Books are genteel, books are mellow, books are housed in libraries where there is no talking. It’s hard to remember that books can be a punch in the nose, a bottle of beer broken over the head, a gob spat in the eye. Amiri Baraka’s in-your-face plays, Tom Wolfe’s go-go new journalism, Kathy Acker’s punk poetry. These writers set literature on fire and readers could either get on board or fuck off. James Herbert was one of them. And The Rats was his first, ear-shredding single that's still capable of setting your hair on fire.
Read the rest of this review.
Read the rest of this review.
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