Domain

By: James Herbert

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 14 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's Summary

Book Three in Herbert’s classic ‘rats’ series. The final countdown. The long-dreaded nuclear conflict. The city torn apart, shattered, its people destroyed or mutilated beyond hope. For just a few, survival is possible only beneath the wrecked streets - if there is time to avoid the slow-descending poisonous ashes. But below, the rats, demonic offspring of irradiated forebears, are waiting. They know that Man is weakened, become frail. Man has become their prey.

James Herbert was one of Britain’s greatest popular novelists and our #1 best-selling writer of chiller fiction. Widely imitated and hugely influential, he wrote 23 novels which have collectively sold over 54 million copies worldwide and been translated into 34 languages.

Born in London in the forties, James Herbert was art director of an advertising agency before turning to writing fiction in 1975. His first novel, The Rats, was an instant bestseller and is now recognised as a classic of popular contemporary fiction.

Herbert went on to publish a new top ten best-seller every year until 1988. He wrote six more bestselling novels in the 1990s and three more since: Once, Nobody True and The Secret of Crickley Hall.

Herbert died in March 2013 at the age of 69.

©1984 James Herbert (P)2013 Audible Ltd

Critic Reviews

“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 best sellers because many readers (including me) were too horrified to put them down.” (Stephen King)
"There are few things I would like to do less than lie under a cloudy night sky while someone read aloud the more vivid passages of Moon. In the thriller genre, do recommendations come any higher?" (Andrew Postman, The New York Times Book Review)
"Herbert goes out in a blaze of glory" ( Daily Mail)

A fitting end to a great trilogy!

"Domain" is the third and final installment of "The Rats" trilogy. It is primarily about London dealing with the fall out of Nuclear destruction and the survivors of the attack. But of course when the meek inherit the earth, in this case we're talking about the rats, who are anything but meek. They are violence, hunger and fury rolled into one.
This is 1970's style horror story telling at its best.
Read excitedly by David Rintoul.

Not what I exerted for the final chapter.

I really enjoyed the first two books but this Domain took a big left turn. It was alright and David Rantoul did a great job as usual. I would still recommend it so you can finish the story of the rats.

Gripping

Would you listen to Domain again? Why?

There would be no need to as every word is embossed on your brain,(excuse the pun)

What was one of the most memorable moments of Domain?

The killing of the "THING" and is offspring..

What about David Rintoul’s performance did you like?

He made you feel as though you were involved in the story.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of the doctor.

Any additional comments?

The story tells you what could happen when Man interfers with Nature.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

outstanding. a slog that's worth it.

Slow to start but it lays out the necessary elements for you to understand this new world. a gripping tale of human endurance. i listened at every given oppurtunity and have raved about these books to friends.

Great narration

I love this book, for me it’s the best in the Rats trilogy, the narrator keeps up the fast breathless pace throughout which stops you being able to put it down. Classic Herbert horror with fantastic narration.
What more could you ask for!?

Just as good as I rememberd

I read these books when first published and enjoyed them, the only negative was some of the dramatization was a bit over done, however I would recommend this to James Herbert fans.

Breathless

Great story as usual for James Herbert but performance a bit excited and breathless for me.

very good. a must

Yes I liked it so mush, would here again when I get some time to do so.

A fitting end to the series

(providing you ignore the graphic novel)

This is an excellent final part of the Rats trilogy. While it lacks some of the more personal horrors of the first book, the vision of a destroyed world is truly unsettling.

David Rintoul's narration deserves special mention, he imparts an urgent sense of drama to the book.

As Brilliant as I Remember it

This is another book I read as a teen and decided to get as an audiobook. It's excellent value for money given the length of the reading - I've been listening to it for weeks while travelling and only just got through it. My lasting memory of the book wasn't that it was particularly gruesome, but 20 years on and approaching it again, it is pretty grim.

Herbert has made the grimness all the more real by bringing nuclear holocaust and its very real effects in parallel with his fictional ratties. Given the current tensions on the Korean peninsula and some of the rhetoric coming from the States, at least half of this book is pertinent to current times.

Some of the language and settings may feel a little dated, but it's true to the time it was written. I've found not only does mood, age and actual story affect how a book is perceived but the narration. Here, I wasn't sure initially, it felt like Rintoul was hamming it up a little, but as he got into the story and I got used to his style it worked well. He hammed it up again at the end, but I'll let him off; I'd probably do the same after 19 hours of edited reading and Herbert's closing paragraph.

In summary, not one for this school run, but a great and chilling classic to spend some quality "me" time with.

superb climax to an excellent trilogy.

superbly read, gripping listen from the first word. James at his very best. Would recommend to all.

great post apocalyptic story.

very well read. .consistent and paced well. .. if you like post apocalyptic story's it's a good choice very well described environment and situation. .really felt what it would be it like after a nuclear war. .