The Rats

The Rats Series, Book 1

By: James Herbert

Narrated by: David Rintoul

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Book One in Herbert’s classic ‘rats’ series.

The terror begins. London is struck by an invasion. Women, children, old and young, none are safe from the deadly menace. The attacks are swift and sure, escape is impossible. A state of emergency is declared. Evacuation seems the only solution in the face of a growing panic and mounting death toll. War is declared on the public enemy number one. The Rats!

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.

©1974 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)

Outstanding!

Terror!
Sex!
Death!
This story has it all!
Fantastic writing!
Outstanding narrative!
Thank you Gentlemen!

Food of the Gods Vibe

This book had me enthralled from start to finish and some rather interesting cast of characters. The fact that the rats aren't just giant monster, but more overgrown animals is a nice touch even with the basis of how they came about. The reason they do what they do in away is also interesting. Heck this is a story that does not hold back which I enjoyed as much as the setting it was thrown into and the way the narrator brought it to life.

This is a creature feature worth owning especially if your more into the animal vs mankind genre. I went from this book straight through the next and right into the third before taking a break. Trust me it is a rather riveting adventure indeed. More than I bargained for when I picked it up myself.

Old Time Scares And Gore

Herbert is a very acquired taste. His books don’t follow usual formulas. He is definitely not pc. So if you like gore then buy this book. He is definitely 70s 80s in his writing. During the heyday of splatter novels and movies. If you need trigger warnings and a soft pillow then his books are not for you. The Rats, like most of his books, are not big on characters...most of them die gruesomely. I say all of this in awe...Because I think he has been an under-appreciated author because he is considered a pulp writer...which he is. But, he is one of the best pulp horror authors. And he is pure horror. My favorite book is The Fog...no relation to the movie. This book is non-stop action with rats doing unthinkable and grizzly things. It’s not a story about Ben. The only negative think, is the narrator. It took me awhile to adjust to his voice. But, in the end, the production worked. I’m glad audible is bringing back this author that deserves a place in any horror aficionados library.

You're right there running from the rats!

If you could sum up The Rats in three words, what would they be?

Worst nightmare ever!

What other book might you compare The Rats to and why?

The closest book I have is,"The Colony" by A.J. Colucci because its another when nature goes wrong book!

Which character – as performed by David Rintoul – was your favorite?

I found the main character extremely brave and very capable! If I were in that situation I would have wanted him keeping me safe!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Mostly I just cringed!

Any additional comments?

I'm in the process of listening to it now and all I can say is if I'm ever in charge of telling a campfire story I'm bringing this! (I'll get permission first!)

Who Will Survive?...The Rats!

What did you love best about The Rats?

The story captures the mood and feel of London and its suburbs about 30 years ago. A bit dated but as much as you would think. The story is actually pretty well written with realistic characters. Not overly gory but no one is safe. I will definitely get Parts 2 and 3.

Have you listened to any of David Rintoul’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm not sure but he does a a good job narrating The Rats so I am sure he did a fine job on other books.

If you could take any character from The Rats out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Considering that many of the characters ended up AS dinner I wouldn't want to say.

Rats! Disgusting! Vile! RAAAATS!!!

RATS is one of James Herbert’s most famous ( or infamous? ) horror novels.
It like a 1970’s 'Exploitation Movie'. It luxuriates in all its excessive drinking, smoking, overly abundant sex, and strange depictions of silly-brained 1970's women.
But, mostly, it all about the really delicious... ( oops, I mean dreadful ) ...uber- violence.
All the unnecessary details of some very explicit '70's drive in ...GORE!
Yes, it’s so freaky-'70’s you feel "Karl Kolchak • The Night Stalker" will make a cameo appearance... ('cept for its dank n' dreary London location. )
However, it's far more GROSS than any '70's television show could be. This is 'pre-splatter-punk', right up there with "The Wizard of Gore" kinda' imagery from the Drive-In of yesteryear.
SEE ~ the gross description of the mutant rat attacks, an' the horrible disease they infect their victims with!
SEE ~ It's detailed gory violence when the distorted vermin tearin' apart their human prey!
SEE ~ Most of all, it’s oh so disgusting lurid passages describing the revolting, breathless, fumbles & sweaty rutting that humans do in their unpleasant hormone driven reproductive obsession called... (yuck) sex.

It's all lovingly brought to you with that hip-Hollywood "Never-enough" style of story-telling that ROB ZOMBIE is the king of.
So, put on a your 'old WHITE ZOMBIE tunes, click on the audio book, an' tremble with pleasure as the Rats, the Vile Disgusting RAAAATS come to get...everyone!

gory fun

I started April with a gory bang😆. Yesterday, I listened to “The Rats”, by James Herbert. 😳What a wild ride.

The book is about rats. Countless rats. They are everywhere! These are not your normal run-of-the-mill black rats. Rats are cute. Right! WRONG!! Herbert created mutant rodents with a taste for human flesh. The Rats cause chaos and death in London. They are breeding much too fast for the horror to be contained.

Herbert moved full throttle with this book. There were no backstories. There were a lot of action scenes. The book well paced that even the slower sections moved along.

It was gory. There was a decent plot, but the spilled blood and torn flesh is the real hook in this book.

What about the characters? Honestly, the only characters that stuck with me were the enormous rats😰.

Today, I started “Lair” ( book two).
What was your first book of April?

I started April with a gory bang😆. Yesterday, I listened to “The Rats”, by James Herbert. 😳What a wild ride.

The book is about rats. Countless rats. They are everywhere! These are not your normal run-of-the-mill black rats. Rats are cute. Right! WRONG!! Herbert created mutant rodents with a taste for human flesh. The Rats cause chaos and death in London. They are breeding much too fast for the horror to be contained.

Herbert moved full throttle with this book. There were no backstories. There were a lot of action scenes. The book well paced that even the slower sections moved along.

It was gory. There was a decent plot, but the spilled blood and torn flesh is the real hook in this book.

What about the characters? Honestly, the only characters that stuck with me were the enormous rats😰.

Today, I started “Lair” (book two).

Wow! Let's get right to the action! Awesome!

This story is nasty great 1970's style horror from beginning to end.

Great character development with full side story lines and then James Herbert uses his Rats to slaughter some of them as if they were just more gristle for his blood thirsty appetite to digest.
I was expecting James Herbert's writing to be more involved in the beauty of the language... nope, it's a beautifully written gore fest.
FUN!!!

David Rintoul reads the story with extreme passion!

Well-narrated little horror story about giant 🐀s

A solid listen and strong beginning to what I'm sure will be an awesome horror trilogy.

Rats... powerful in numbers & resilient.

It was a gripping read throughout & there was never a dull moment. The writer captivates your mind with his words and the best choice made for the narrator who does justice to the writer's vision.