Of Unknown Origin

by Chauncey G. Parker

Their home was a secure castle – a haven of peace and safety amid the urban rot and threat of New York. Now with his wife and children away for the summer, Bart Hughes’ house was more peaceful still. Until he discovered that he was not alone. That an uninvited guest was in his house. Until the house became a stalking ground where he hunted his inhuman intruder. Until he realisz that he was hunted and not hunter. That he was trapped by the Visitor.

Genres: Horror

Mass Market Paperback

First published February 3, 1981

Reviews

[Grady Hendrix · Rating 2 out of 5]

A rich yuppie ruins his expensive house fighting a rat that wants to chew his dick off and I was rooting for the rat the entire time.

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly amusing novel, and one of the Paperbacks from Hell as well, but ultimately, it barely kept my attention enough to finish it. Our main protagonist, Bart, is a yuppie banker in NYC. He and his wife have a nice brownstone on the upper east side, but his wife and kids are spending the summer in Maine. The story kicks off with Bart just hanging out when he thinks he sees a mouse scurry into the house from the back garden. Bart has 'warred' with rodents before and quickly gets out his traps. Turns out, however, that the mouse is really a rat, and the story quickly devolves into a rat versus man battle. Bart is hardly likable, and I was rooting for the rat all the way! TV is decently written, although it comes of as basically a yuppie nightmare. I would not seek this one out, but you probably could do worse if you are really bored. 1.5 stars rounding up only because I finished it.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic rat horror - gotta love the cheese! And then you gotta buy the VHS movie.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars, because I eventually finished reading this book and I love the film adaptation starring Peter Weller, but the other reviewers are right: "The Visitor" would have made a great short story or novella, but it's a (somewhat) interesting failure of a novel due to its unnecessary length.

[Horror Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had trouble getting into this one and I think I've figured out why. For all intents and purposes, this is nigh identical to the movie based on it, Of Unknown Origin, which I watched first, so reading it doesn't feel as compelling.

[Brent Winslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read about a businessman home alone in New York city battling a vindictive, violent rat infestation at home. My only concern is that the novel was a bit too long.

[Alexis Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

To all the other reviewers of this book,


GEE SPOILER MUCH?

[Mikepottz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The upper Eastside resident Bartlett had his apartment beautifully renovated. It had a library with built in floor to ceiling shelves. Jealous. A mouse ran into the house from the garden. Bart now having nightmares of black beady eyes. Bart puts traps around the house. The mouse takes the cheese. He doesn't get an expert exterminator. He wants the fun, the catch, the hunt, the sport. The rat or is it a mouse? Anyway it eats his phone cable. The rat is shitting everywhere. Neglecting his job. Fully consumed with catching it. Bart kills a bunch of baby rats. The mother is a tough one. Bart is shit scared. The rat destroys his favorite chair from his grandfather. This is getting personal. Shitting in his bed. The rat nearly eats his face off. He is consulting with a doctor. His sanity pushed to the edge. Great satirical rat sttack. Time to move house mate.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid little man vs. nature yarn. The writing is workmanlike, which keeps it from being great, but it’s good enough and delivers the narrative at a steady clip. Overall though, the movie adaptation does it better by adding in a ton of formal nuttiness that ties into the whole “rat race” theme.