The Rats is a delightfully gory James Herbert classic
I first read The Rats by James Herbert in the 80s when I was a teen. I loved it then and thought it was time for a revisit.
The book is part of that genre that has an animal in the title and features said animal killing humans in spectacular, gory and novel ways. Think The Birds, The Bees, Anaconda, and Slugs. (The Birds is a classic, and Anaconda is fun, but you aren’t missing much with the others.)
The Rats was published in 1974, and marked Herbert’s debut into the literary world, instantly establishing him as a notable figure in horror fiction. I think it was an immediate bestseller – deservedly so, in my opinion.
It is a fast and exciting book that masterfully intertwines elements of suspense, terror, and a deep exploration of human psychology, making it a thrilling read. I finished it in a couple of days, aided by the fact that it is quite short.
What is The Rats all about?
Set in a bleak, post-war London, the story revolves around an unexpected and horrifying rat infestation. And those last three words are underselling it. These are no ordinary rats, they’re oversized, intelligent, and possess a deadly ferocity. They are described as being the size of small dogs – really, really peckish, fast and aggressive small dogs with razor-sharp teeth and a hankering for human flesh.
The narrative follows several characters, but the central figure is Harris, a high school teacher who becomes entangled in the chaos and horror unleashed by these mutant creatures. He generally has a pretty crap time, but he’s likeable and works well under pressure. Which is what you need in these kinds of scenarios.
The rats grow increasingly daring and their kills more gory, and as the much-chomped-upon body count goes up, so does the excitement. Soon, Harris is working with the government as they desperately find a way to combat the problem. And it is a problem that grows alarmingly fast. Rats can breed like rabbits after all.
That’s pretty much the plot. Any more and it will ruin it for you.
Is it any good?
One of Herbert’s strengths in The Rats is his ability to paint a vivid and unsettling picture of a city under siege. His descriptions of the rats – their size, the slickness of their fur, and their glowing red eyes – are chilling and evocative. The setting of London, with its dark alleys and decaying buildings, provides a perfect backdrop for the horror that unfolds.
Herbert was born and raised in London, so he knew what he was talking about. He creates a sense of place is not just a mere background; it becomes a character in itself, contributing significantly to the overall mood of the book. He does touch on themes of post-war neglect and the more run down parts of the city like East London. (Which has now been gentrified in a kind of different type of creeping horror).
I lived in London for 20 years and there are quite a few rats there. You often see them scurrying around. I lived in a townhouse for 10 years, between a fried chicken shop and a Chinese restaurant, and you could hear the rats running under the floorboards between the two. The idea of them suddenly getting a tast for human flesh is pretty damned terrifying.
Herbert’s pacing is masterful. I’ve read a lot of his work and he knows how to make things exciting. (’48 is the most exciting book ever.) The narrative builds slowly, creating a sense of impending doom that keeps the reader on edge. The story unfolds with a series of vignettes – a character is introduced and just as you get to know them, they are killed. Not always by rats either.
When the action begins, it is relentless. The attack scenes are gruesome and graphic, not for the faint-hearted, but they are essential to the story’s impact. These scenes are executed with precision, each one more terrifying than the last, as the city’s inhabitants come face to face with the spreading horror.
Essentially, it is very gory and very exciting.
Conclusion
The Rats is not without its flaws. Some of the dialogue can feel a tad dated, and certain secondary characters are not as well-developed as they could be. Moreover, readers looking for a deep, philosophical exploration may find the book lacking in that regard. It is, at its heart, a horror novel, and its primary aim is to thrill and terrify, which it does exceptionally well.
To conclude, The Rats by James Herbert is a seminal work in the horror genre. It sold out its first run in just three weeks – and keep in mind, it was a gory-filled book from a first-time author. It combines a fast-paced, terrifying plot with a well-realized setting and a keen insight into human fears and societal issues. While it’s not exactly deep, it never pretend to be. It frightening thrill ride.
Stephen King said, “Herbert was by no means literary, but his work had a raw urgency. His best novels, The Rats and The Fog, had the effect of Mike Tyson in his championship days: no finesse, all crude power. Those books were bestsellers because many readers (including me) were too horrified to put them down.”
The novel is a compelling and horrifying tale that has rightly earned its place as a classic. I’m a big James Herbert fan (you can probably tell) and it all began with The Rats. It is the first in a trilogy, and all three are fun.
There’s also a comic set in a post-apocalyptic future that follows the trilogy. It is superbly bizarre.