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Mike Nelson's Death Rat!
What if an aging, unsuccessful Minnesota author of history books with names like Old von Steuben Had a Farm: The German-American Settlement of the Midwest decided he could write a book every bit as vapid and ridiculous as the books that sold four hundred times more copies than his own? Well, he would write Death Rat, of course, the thrilling tale of a man who battles prejudice, his inner demons, and a cunning six-foot-long rat.
And what if he was told by publishers that, at sixty years of age, though his book was a thrilling read, he just didn’t look the part of a virile writer of gripping adventure books featuring cunning six-foot-long rats? Well, he would cook up a scheme so outrageous, it would incur the wrath of Gus Bromstad, the beloved author of the homespun Dogwood Downs series of books. And it would stir up the bizarre religious fervor of King Leo, the libidinous funk superstar whose CD “LoveDeathTomorrowJelly” was one of the biggest sellers of the decade. And it would throw him into a strange symbiotic relationship with the entire town of Holey, Minnesota, population 38.
Such is the fate of one Pontius Feeb, the hapless author of Death Rat. . . and perhaps the fate of all who attempt to write gripping novels featuring cunning six-foot-long rats.
And what if he was told by publishers that, at sixty years of age, though his book was a thrilling read, he just didn’t look the part of a virile writer of gripping adventure books featuring cunning six-foot-long rats? Well, he would cook up a scheme so outrageous, it would incur the wrath of Gus Bromstad, the beloved author of the homespun Dogwood Downs series of books. And it would stir up the bizarre religious fervor of King Leo, the libidinous funk superstar whose CD “LoveDeathTomorrowJelly” was one of the biggest sellers of the decade. And it would throw him into a strange symbiotic relationship with the entire town of Holey, Minnesota, population 38.
Such is the fate of one Pontius Feeb, the hapless author of Death Rat. . . and perhaps the fate of all who attempt to write gripping novels featuring cunning six-foot-long rats.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2003
30 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Michael J. Nelson
20 books102 followersMichael J. Nelson is an actor, writer, director, and musician who served as head writer for ten seasons, and on-air host for five seasons, of the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was also the composer of most of MST3K's original music, and is coauthor of The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide (1996).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 9, 2019
It's sort of like if Eric Idle and Garrison Keillor collaborated on a project. And then gave Prince a cameo.
September 16, 2012
Cute, and the quality and writing style are about what you'd expect from Nelson. Also, the following things:
* pervasive "light" homophobia as a form of humor
* everyone's described in overt ways that indicate some form of skin coloring or racializing except the character loosely based on Prince, who is instead described as a "funk superstar"
* that character is also written as the queer element that triggers much of the homophobic humor, despite ostensibly being straight, so maybe it's less homophobia than sexism, but he's still given depth and humanity as a queer(ish) character of (unmentionable yet insinuatable) color; until the resolution of the book, at which point he leaves behind his dynamic queerness for gender normativity
* which is unfortunate because the intersection of his queerness and the "humorously contradicting" episode of gender normativity makes for an awesome bit of depth in this otherwise relatively shallow book
* pervasive "light" homophobia as a form of humor
* everyone's described in overt ways that indicate some form of skin coloring or racializing except the character loosely based on Prince, who is instead described as a "funk superstar"
* that character is also written as the queer element that triggers much of the homophobic humor, despite ostensibly being straight, so maybe it's less homophobia than sexism, but he's still given depth and humanity as a queer(ish) character of (unmentionable yet insinuatable) color; until the resolution of the book, at which point he leaves behind his dynamic queerness for gender normativity
* which is unfortunate because the intersection of his queerness and the "humorously contradicting" episode of gender normativity makes for an awesome bit of depth in this otherwise relatively shallow book
December 31, 2010
If you have anything whatsoever to do with publishing, or with Minnesota, do yourself a favour and get this book. You will laugh until you cry.
The characters are immensely likeable and relatable, the story is so implausible it hits an Einsteinian warp and becomes utterly believable, and the humour is simply wry, sharp, and non-stop. You can tell who everyone is "supposed" to be, and that just makes it funnier. And if you've ever, EVER tried to write and sell a book, only to be told that you "don't have a platform" or "aren't marketable," do yourself a favour - read Death Rat!
The characters are immensely likeable and relatable, the story is so implausible it hits an Einsteinian warp and becomes utterly believable, and the humour is simply wry, sharp, and non-stop. You can tell who everyone is "supposed" to be, and that just makes it funnier. And if you've ever, EVER tried to write and sell a book, only to be told that you "don't have a platform" or "aren't marketable," do yourself a favour - read Death Rat!
January 22, 2023
The writing and the characters were so good, I just couldn’t stop reading. Pontius Feeb, a failed writer of very boring history books, has been downsized, setting in motion a series of very unfortunate events. To turn his life around, he decides to write a novel about a giant rat attacking the residents of Holey, Minnesota. When the book becomes a best-selling sensation–that’s mistakenly published as nonfiction– he embarks on the botched cover up of the century. But the jilted author who’s book of charming Minnesota stories he bumped off the charts? Well, he won’t be unseated quietly!
Death Rat was original and fun!
Death Rat was original and fun!
May 15, 2021
I had the odd thought, when I was reading this, that I had rated Conor Lastowka's recent effort The Pole Vault Championship of the Entire Universe rather harshly with 4/5 stars, and realized I was likely to do the same thing with Mr. J. Nelson's book as well.
Why? It's not because they savage books routinely on their hilarious podcast, "372 Pages We'll Never Get Back"*. No, it's because they're so good at what they do, they invite comparison with the very best. Pole Vault, for example, evokes (without copying or referencing, thank God) classic "Simpsons" episodes and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If it falls short of those heights, it's only fair to note that the creators of those masterpieces were unable to duplicate or sustain their genius, too.
Now, Death Rat, while being very modern (in the sense that 2003 is modern) evokes something a little more classic. Perhaps P.G. Wodehouse?** I don't rightly know, though I did keep thinking of one of the funniest books ever written Three Men in a Boat (Centaur Classics) The 100 greatest novels of all time - #75 , which is a tremendous compliment for any author (unless the reader than puts down the book permanently to go revisit Jerome K. Jerome).
The thing is, you like spending time in Mr. Nelson's universe, which may perhaps feature an exaggerated version of Minnesota (lest the Coen Brothers be lying to us), whose aggravations and injustices are continual, and whose characters are childish, self-involved and cowardly, but which have a basic decency underlying them. You're rooting for them, and you sort of feel they would root for you, if the Vikings weren't playing that afternoon. Granted, you're often rooting for them to overcome the worst of their natures, but again in satire we find much truth.
This is also true of Pole Vault, I realized. Sometimes you can pick up a book and know that the author hates you—maybe hates everyone—and other times you can pick one up and realize, "Here's a guy who wants you to have some fun. Thanks, guy!"
's a funny book. You should read it.
-----------
* Full disclosure: I won this copy of the book from the "372 Pages" podcast, autographed and with a lovely note by Conor, which makes it a unique and priceless bribe. Now I just need Nelson to sign Pole Vault, and my fortune will be made!
** Memo to self: Read some P.G. Wodehouse.
Why? It's not because they savage books routinely on their hilarious podcast, "372 Pages We'll Never Get Back"*. No, it's because they're so good at what they do, they invite comparison with the very best. Pole Vault, for example, evokes (without copying or referencing, thank God) classic "Simpsons" episodes and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If it falls short of those heights, it's only fair to note that the creators of those masterpieces were unable to duplicate or sustain their genius, too.
Now, Death Rat, while being very modern (in the sense that 2003 is modern) evokes something a little more classic. Perhaps P.G. Wodehouse?** I don't rightly know, though I did keep thinking of one of the funniest books ever written Three Men in a Boat (Centaur Classics) The 100 greatest novels of all time - #75 , which is a tremendous compliment for any author (unless the reader than puts down the book permanently to go revisit Jerome K. Jerome).
The thing is, you like spending time in Mr. Nelson's universe, which may perhaps feature an exaggerated version of Minnesota (lest the Coen Brothers be lying to us), whose aggravations and injustices are continual, and whose characters are childish, self-involved and cowardly, but which have a basic decency underlying them. You're rooting for them, and you sort of feel they would root for you, if the Vikings weren't playing that afternoon. Granted, you're often rooting for them to overcome the worst of their natures, but again in satire we find much truth.
This is also true of Pole Vault, I realized. Sometimes you can pick up a book and know that the author hates you—maybe hates everyone—and other times you can pick one up and realize, "Here's a guy who wants you to have some fun. Thanks, guy!"
's a funny book. You should read it.
-----------
* Full disclosure: I won this copy of the book from the "372 Pages" podcast, autographed and with a lovely note by Conor, which makes it a unique and priceless bribe. Now I just need Nelson to sign Pole Vault, and my fortune will be made!
** Memo to self: Read some P.G. Wodehouse.
February 20, 2017
Beautiful. Fresh. Bright. The first drink of 7up you ever had, back before you ever heard of 7up, and someone gives you some, and you're confused and upset by how astonishingly different and refreshing this drink is. Takes the absurdity baton handed off by CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES and runs with it a thousand times around the track. Why isn't this book more famous. Now I'm angry.
November 2, 2007
THE FUNNIEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ!!! This story is so creative! It's not your average "fill-in-the-blank" storyline that gets churned out. And it gets funnier every time you read it! If you have a bizarre/dry sense of humor, this book will make you laugh out loud!
October 15, 2009
Oh. my. word. With awesome moments like "his pants touched me" ... "why did his pants touch you?" ... I am laughing out loud! And I thought Mystery Science Theater 3000 was funny!
This is a hilarious novel and I loved, loved, loved every minute of it!
This is a hilarious novel and I loved, loved, loved every minute of it!
January 18, 2020
This isn't my usual kind of thing. It's more or less a black comedy, which I generally don't enjoy; it has no speculative element, unless "what if everyone was insane?" counts; the characters have few redeeming qualities. And yet, I did enjoy it, with some reservations.
The pace drags a bit at times, especially towards the beginning. There are a few comma issues and other minor glitches (though it's generally well edited apart from that; probably it started out with a lot more issues and went through a good copy editor, who inevitably missed some). Several of the male characters come across as homophobic, in the literal sense of being uncomfortable with the idea of a man being attracted to them or touching them; it's a joke that's played too many times, at best.
I could tell I was missing a lot of cultural references, particularly to people who are only celebrities in their own country; no doubt it would be funnier if you knew who these people were.
The book's own characters are distinct (except for the posse of Danes who are specifically supposed to be similar to one another). Each of them is crazy in their own particular way.
The setup is that nebbish, unsuccessful history author Pontius (Ponty) Feeb loses his job and, in the stress of the aftermath and thanks to the vagaries of his ancient car, runs over a bicycle cop. This gets him thrown out of his apartment. At his lowest point, he writes the kind of potboiling novel that sells well despite its lack of literary merit, but he can't sell it because he's 60 years old and looks like a loser. So he hires one of his coworkers at a fast food joint, a struggling actor who looks the part of a man of action, to pretend to be the author.
Everything is thoroughly absurd, and everyone is more or less irrational and kind of an idiot, and the whole house of cards builds higher and higher towards the inevitable crash. It reminded me a little of Terry Pratchett, though Pratchett's characters are generally facing an issue not of their own creation, with more idealism; the part that reminded me of him is that the apparent loser character (Ponty) has a believably mild arc towards some kind of happiness and self-actualization.
I wouldn't rush out and buy another book by this author, necessarily, but it provided some light relief while I was avoiding a more worthy book that's a bit of a slog, and so I believe it's fulfilled its intended purpose.
The pace drags a bit at times, especially towards the beginning. There are a few comma issues and other minor glitches (though it's generally well edited apart from that; probably it started out with a lot more issues and went through a good copy editor, who inevitably missed some). Several of the male characters come across as homophobic, in the literal sense of being uncomfortable with the idea of a man being attracted to them or touching them; it's a joke that's played too many times, at best.
I could tell I was missing a lot of cultural references, particularly to people who are only celebrities in their own country; no doubt it would be funnier if you knew who these people were.
The book's own characters are distinct (except for the posse of Danes who are specifically supposed to be similar to one another). Each of them is crazy in their own particular way.
The setup is that nebbish, unsuccessful history author Pontius (Ponty) Feeb loses his job and, in the stress of the aftermath and thanks to the vagaries of his ancient car, runs over a bicycle cop. This gets him thrown out of his apartment. At his lowest point, he writes the kind of potboiling novel that sells well despite its lack of literary merit, but he can't sell it because he's 60 years old and looks like a loser. So he hires one of his coworkers at a fast food joint, a struggling actor who looks the part of a man of action, to pretend to be the author.
Everything is thoroughly absurd, and everyone is more or less irrational and kind of an idiot, and the whole house of cards builds higher and higher towards the inevitable crash. It reminded me a little of Terry Pratchett, though Pratchett's characters are generally facing an issue not of their own creation, with more idealism; the part that reminded me of him is that the apparent loser character (Ponty) has a believably mild arc towards some kind of happiness and self-actualization.
I wouldn't rush out and buy another book by this author, necessarily, but it provided some light relief while I was avoiding a more worthy book that's a bit of a slog, and so I believe it's fulfilled its intended purpose.
July 6, 2023
This rather hilariously absurd tale pillories all the famous Minnesotans, though Mike Nelson gives them all new names. We have the narcissistic amoral two-faced grouch Gus Bromstad who I assume is some sort of Garrison Keillor from hell, King Leo, a garishly dressed hypersexual funk-pop star (Prince), a batshit insane governor (Hulk Hogan), and we even get an early appearance from the not renamed Twins baseball team.
The story centers on hapless nerd author Pontius Feeb, a writer of widely unread snoozers on arcane historical subjects. In a fit of pique, he writes the sort of slop that sells, and comes up with "Death Rat." Unable to get it published due to his age and utter lack of outdoorsy charisma, he hires a beard, a tall, handsome co-worker from his job at Medieval Burger to pose as the author and presto! A hit! However, it gets sold as non-fiction, putting Pontius in a bind. The rest of the book is taken up with Gus Bromstad's homicidal rage at Pontius for knocking his homey books off the top of the charts, his idiotic Danish hit men, the little town Holey Minnesota, the setting of Ponty's book (population 38) and King Leo's manic, quasi-religious fervor for finding the "Dee-vine Rat."
I loved Nelson's crazy similes and bizarro situations as well as his sometimes deadpan delivery of ridiculous situations. I laughed out loud often while reading this. I was ready to give this lark five stars but the lukewarm ending brought it down a notch. Still, very much recommended.
The story centers on hapless nerd author Pontius Feeb, a writer of widely unread snoozers on arcane historical subjects. In a fit of pique, he writes the sort of slop that sells, and comes up with "Death Rat." Unable to get it published due to his age and utter lack of outdoorsy charisma, he hires a beard, a tall, handsome co-worker from his job at Medieval Burger to pose as the author and presto! A hit! However, it gets sold as non-fiction, putting Pontius in a bind. The rest of the book is taken up with Gus Bromstad's homicidal rage at Pontius for knocking his homey books off the top of the charts, his idiotic Danish hit men, the little town Holey Minnesota, the setting of Ponty's book (population 38) and King Leo's manic, quasi-religious fervor for finding the "Dee-vine Rat."
I loved Nelson's crazy similes and bizarro situations as well as his sometimes deadpan delivery of ridiculous situations. I laughed out loud often while reading this. I was ready to give this lark five stars but the lukewarm ending brought it down a notch. Still, very much recommended.
September 23, 2018
What happens when an aging history writer loses his job and decides to write what he thinks will be a great survival story?
Mayhem.
First, nobody wants a thrilling adventure tale from a sixty year old never-was, so he turns to his handsome, virile, young coworker at the burger place as the new “face” of the book, selling it instantly.
From there the book devolves into chaos, funk, pay-offs, crimes and misdemeanors, and the mighty wrath of the popular author they just pushed out of the top selling spot.
I was expecting something very different when I first picked this up years ago. In fact, I was actually expecting more along the lines of what the fictional Death Rat book plot was. I mean, it IS from Mike Nelson of MST3K fame... and there IS a giant rat on the cover.
But still, a fantastic story about the absurdities of life in the tradition of Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut. And, thrilling in its own right with a very interesting Prince pastiche thrown into the mix for fun.
Mayhem.
First, nobody wants a thrilling adventure tale from a sixty year old never-was, so he turns to his handsome, virile, young coworker at the burger place as the new “face” of the book, selling it instantly.
From there the book devolves into chaos, funk, pay-offs, crimes and misdemeanors, and the mighty wrath of the popular author they just pushed out of the top selling spot.
I was expecting something very different when I first picked this up years ago. In fact, I was actually expecting more along the lines of what the fictional Death Rat book plot was. I mean, it IS from Mike Nelson of MST3K fame... and there IS a giant rat on the cover.
But still, a fantastic story about the absurdities of life in the tradition of Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut. And, thrilling in its own right with a very interesting Prince pastiche thrown into the mix for fun.
February 25, 2020
Anyone who enjoys funny entertaining reads with lots of quirky characters & just as quirky plot lines will enjoy this book. I almost wet my pants laughing 3 times during the first 3 chapters alone. I can easily see this as a good humorous movie in the same vein as Uncle Buck & Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Many scenes described in this book can be easily visualized in the best comedic fashion that it makes you wish the book lasted a little longer for pure entertainment. It does have a happy ending with the main character at last finding his niche in life after 61 years of being blown about by life's winds.
March 3, 2020
A six foot Rat?
Pontious Feeb is an historian who has written books with dubious titles before, but Death Rat is a triumph. Through a series of mistakes in communication it is sold as a true story instead of fiction. Enter Gus Bromfield, another author envious of Feeb's success, King Leo, a funk master, and Stig, a sketchy Dane and his henchmen, all trying to exploit or disprove the story. It all unravels in a spectacular fashion. There is humor and wit, and a budding romance story in the midst of the chaos of the Death Rat
Pontious Feeb is an historian who has written books with dubious titles before, but Death Rat is a triumph. Through a series of mistakes in communication it is sold as a true story instead of fiction. Enter Gus Bromfield, another author envious of Feeb's success, King Leo, a funk master, and Stig, a sketchy Dane and his henchmen, all trying to exploit or disprove the story. It all unravels in a spectacular fashion. There is humor and wit, and a budding romance story in the midst of the chaos of the Death Rat
January 31, 2023
DNF @ 50%. Nelson is very funny and erudite, and he’s put three books worth of jokes into Death Rat. It quickly became exhausting to read, as there was no room for the story to breathe, and no characters the reader could center on because they were running jokes too. It’s Rifftrax-style humor in book form.
I also DNF’d the book Gone Whalin’, by one of Nelson’s Rifftrax co-writers, Conor Lastowka, for the same reason!
I also DNF’d the book Gone Whalin’, by one of Nelson’s Rifftrax co-writers, Conor Lastowka, for the same reason!
May 9, 2023
I love MST3K, and Mike is my favorite host. I also needed something to read on a trip to England that wouldn't require much mental energy, so I thought this would be a good pick. Ironically, Mike's humor comes across as very British on the page (read: dry), so it was even more appropriate than I expected. I love that type of humor, and the characters were well-written. The plot was...an interesting choice.
November 5, 2019
Midwestern Writers career is on the final loop of a rollercoaster
It is a story about ageism, and the fads we found ourselves reading.Even if it is a Mile Nelson story it is far away from the Satelite of Love, but deep in the land he loves
It is a story about ageism, and the fads we found ourselves reading.Even if it is a Mile Nelson story it is far away from the Satelite of Love, but deep in the land he loves
April 3, 2020
Boring, lots of character development, but nothing ever happened.
Sorry, but this was one of the most boring books I've ever read. Normally, I read one or two books a week, this book took FIVE weeks to finish.
Sorry, but this was one of the most boring books I've ever read. Normally, I read one or two books a week, this book took FIVE weeks to finish.
June 30, 2021
This was a fun, quick read. The story itself is a bit odd and disjointed at times (maybe would have worked better as a series of short stories), but there were enough funny bits to keep in interesting and I could totally hear it in Mike Nelson's voice while I was reading.
July 27, 2018
I love Mike Nelson and I love this very funny, mysterious and surprisingly sweet story.
October 30, 2019
A chuckle here and there, but ultimately a bit of a slog to get through.
June 20, 2022
Pretty funny. A light entertaining farce.
September 26, 2022
This was fun, but I really think I might have enjoyed an actual B-movie sci-fi story about a 6 foot intelligent rat even more.
November 2, 2022
It took me a while to get into it, but it sure paid off. SO funny. Loved it.
August 18, 2025
Zany Fun
March 24, 2015
Even as an avid fan of MST3K, who has a solid handful of class Mike riffs memorized (Big McLarge-Huge from Space Mutiny stands out), I’ll admit I judged this one on its cover at first. As much as I love Mike’s wisecracks to carry me through a terrible story, I wasn't sure I wanted to read his attempt at intentionally writing one. Death Rat looks exactly like a movie TV’s Frank would have picked to torture Mike and the bots.
But, it’s not. Instead, it’s the story of a Pontius Feeb, a very unremarkable, aging writer, and his attempt to switch his talents from writing dull history books on even duller subjects to bestselling adventure books. The result, “Death Rat”, is a huge success… But unfortunately, several conflicts arise, including the book being misconstrued as non-fiction, among many other things. Ponty meets a slew of colorful characters as he attempts to keep his ruse afloat, such as a dim-witted burger flipper, a hostile competing writer, an eccentric funk star, scheming Dutchmen and an entire largely apathetic town population.
Just like his beloved commentaries, Mike’s dialogue had me laughing out loud a lot. The names he comes up with, whether they be book titles or King Leo’s nicknames, are spot on. I thought I would hear Mike’s voice dictating the story to me in my head as I read, but surprisingly, I didn’t. Not sure if that’s a compliment to his writing or the opposite, but there it is. It’s a quick read, and nothing extraordinary, but I found it to be a very entertaining story that was supported well by many laughs along the way. The ending felt a little rushed, but after about 300 pages, you’re waiting for it anyway. I was happy to see it ended with some substance, and more than just another punch line.
June 30, 2011
Light, often funny, sometimes hilarious read from one of the funniest people I've never met, Michael J. Nelson. I'm a MSTie, but I never got around to checking out Mike's non-movie riffing projects until now. Perhaps because I've watched so much Mystery Science Theater and RiffTrax it felt like Mike was in my head reading his own novel to me. I couldn't separate his voice from his prose. The funniest moments of Death Rat felt like movie riffs - characters make funny observations and clever comments, either through first or third person, about absurd moments or situations in the plot. His use of puns (mostly through book titles written by his hapless protagonist, a failed history book author), although funny at first, gets somewhat old after the first few instances. But isn't that the nature of puns, after all? The premise of the story is rather silly, but it serves as a strangely proper vehicle for Mike's humor. I've heard that Mike found the publishing experience to be very frustrating and rather unenjoyable, but he pulled off a fun read that had me laughing out loud more than a few times.
December 20, 2011
Although I was expecting more of an actual B-movie plotline, the snark-drenched narrative was sweet & funny, despite being absent an actual (or Harryhausen) giant rat. Although I suspect I missed a good deal of the regional humor, the narrative startled giggles out of me around each odd bend in the plot.
The story centers around Pontius Feeb, who, at sixty years of age, may be too old in the eyes of the publishing industry for a shot at bestsellerdom but not to old to risk a new beginning after being fired. As Feeb's plans are complicated by ageist agents, authors with deadly grudges, and his own family's pressure to give in to an imagined senesence, the book lurches into weirdness and then, like Feeb, clutches the steering wheel and guns itself further into thickets of oddness.
I found Feeb's constant struggle to overcome others' assumptions about his age and motivations to be particularly appealing. He dithers but he moves forward and I was rooting for him the entire time.
The story centers around Pontius Feeb, who, at sixty years of age, may be too old in the eyes of the publishing industry for a shot at bestsellerdom but not to old to risk a new beginning after being fired. As Feeb's plans are complicated by ageist agents, authors with deadly grudges, and his own family's pressure to give in to an imagined senesence, the book lurches into weirdness and then, like Feeb, clutches the steering wheel and guns itself further into thickets of oddness.
I found Feeb's constant struggle to overcome others' assumptions about his age and motivations to be particularly appealing. He dithers but he moves forward and I was rooting for him the entire time.
January 9, 2017
3.5 might be more accurate; I love Mike Nelson and was charmed by this book's style and utterly ridiculous concept and characters, but I felt strongly that it was 25% to 30% longer than it should have been. It began to plod, and its touch was light enough that that should not have happened.
Encased though it is in the aforementioned ridiculous concept, this is something of a love letter to both Minnesota and Nelson's Danish heritage. I myself am of Danish stock and got a good chuckle out of the story's proudly and earnestly Danish characters. The Minnesota angle was the one that I thought worked against the book at times; sections on, say, turkey hunting were illustrative of local culture, but not necessarily additive.
Still, I revel in absurdity, which was plentiful here, and affectionately rendered. (I was hoping for more rats, though.)
Encased though it is in the aforementioned ridiculous concept, this is something of a love letter to both Minnesota and Nelson's Danish heritage. I myself am of Danish stock and got a good chuckle out of the story's proudly and earnestly Danish characters. The Minnesota angle was the one that I thought worked against the book at times; sections on, say, turkey hunting were illustrative of local culture, but not necessarily additive.
Still, I revel in absurdity, which was plentiful here, and affectionately rendered. (I was hoping for more rats, though.)
May 20, 2010
After reading a few serious books for sometime, I needed something light-hearted and fun. And since it was on my to-read list, I decided to try Mike Nelson's "Death Rat" and it is a fun book. It centers on the writer Pontius Feeb, who is an unsuccessful writer living in a small town in Minnesota. Inspired, in part, by the insanely popular yet nonsensical novels that have been a hit with the nation, writes a novel that not only puts him in awkward relationships with the town, but leads him on a very thrilling adventure of his life.
It's a great book and it's a fun read. The story does end a little bit sudden and I just felt the book wanted to tie up the loose ends quickly, but this is super enjoyable. I definitely enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read Nelson's other novels.
It's a great book and it's a fun read. The story does end a little bit sudden and I just felt the book wanted to tie up the loose ends quickly, but this is super enjoyable. I definitely enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read Nelson's other novels.
January 9, 2008
Mike Nelson is an hilarious individual, and his comedic genius served him well in this novel. Although Death Rat isn't laugh out loud funny like the first Hitchhiker' book, but the basic elements of the novel, plot, description, theme, are all well served by Nelson's comedic mind. Mostly, I enjoyed how Nelson could descibe his characters by point out there amusing qualities with such acuracy. The description of Gus Bromstead's dress, and the observation that Bromstead would never dress differently shows hilarity and insight to the character. Bravo Mr. Nelson! I look forward to many novels in the future (but don't quit your day job: www.rifftrax.com)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews