James Herbert The Rats Reviews

Dreadlocksmile's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!
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Good Points: Jam-packed with graphic horror and chilling suspense. This is the original splatter-punk horror novel that is a definite must for all fans of the genre.

Bad Points: It is impossible to fault this classic.

General comments: Here we have James Herbert's first novel, The Rats, which became the founder of the splatter-punk horror genre. Herbert introduced the world to extreme splatter gore and unashamed violence in a style that has produced so many followers. With this one novel alone he has created a whole new aspect to horror novels that will later be saturated by up and coming influenced authors such as the likes of Shaun Hutson. But Herbert is the true master of the splatter punk novels. And this novel set it all off!

The Rats brings us a concoction of blood-soaking gore, uncomplicated sex and a narrative that races through the pages with non-stop gore-fuelled violence and horror. The novel involves giant rats that have acquired a keen taste for human flesh, who terrorize London with their rampage of slaughter. The plot certainly isn't the most complicated affair, but it keeps you gripped with suspense from the start. There are times in the novel where you know what's coming next, and the suspense of the inevitable slaughter is killing you (try using the Underground in London with hungry, dog-sized rats on the loose). This book is nothing short of a classic, in which you will not be disappointed.

Out of Herbert's work, I place this novel within the top three. Once you've read it, there's also the sequel, "Lair," to read which is controversially an even more gut-churning, gore-packed rollercoaster of a ride. Then there's "Domain" which is the third installment, where I feel Herbert let the idea come off the boil a little. Then lastly, there's "The City", which is a graphic novel-type of thing, which is a bit of fun, but that's about it! And that's your lot to date for Herbert's Rats series.

Be sure to check out some of his other work such as The Fog, The Survivor, Fluke, '48 and Sepulchre. Enjoy!

thewampster's review has yet to be rated - Be the first!
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If you want to read James Herbert's best work then you have to go right back the begining in my view. His later novels seem to have either toned down a bit or lost some of the punch that made him a big name in horror fiction.

The Rats is Herbert's first and possibly best novel. Plotwise it is incredibly simplistic but it makes for the kind of page-turning action any horror fan can appreciate. Basically some rats have fed on contaminated grain and moved into the sewers of London. There they gr ...