King Rat by China Miéville
After reading Un Lun Dun, I took the other China Miéville novel I had off the shelf, and dived into it, reading it as I lurched every-which-way on the daily bus rides. King Rat was Miéville's debut fantasy novel, published in 1998 and it is quite unlike Un Lun Dun. To begin with, King Rat is not written for younger readers. It is dark retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamelin story -- wherein many rats are drowned and children are kidnapped.
In the Rat King, the Piper is the antagonist. He's evil incarnate, with the ability to make anything he wishes, dance to his tune, and do his bidding. Back in Hamelin, he drowned the rats that had invested the village, except the King, who managed to escape. Through time, he's tortured other souls, including Anansi, king of the spiders, and Loplop, king of the birds. In modern day London, King Rat, Anansi and Loplop are plotting revenge on the Piper, with a secret weapon, King Rat's son, the half-man, half-rat, Saul Garamond, who just may not want to be a part of this little war -- but was bred for revenge, since being both man and rat, can't be seduced by the Piper's music played for rats or people.
King Rat is set against the underground drum and bass movement of London. The pounding music sets the tone for a savage story in the urban jungle. Miéville does an excellent job of bringing the music scene alive in King Rat, using it deftly to shape the landscape in which his brutal revenge story is playing out. The story comes with lots of twists and turns, which are cleverly inserted just before you start wondering where it's all going. The transformation of Saul from human to man-rat happens fast. It will make you think twice of the alleys and rooftops of cities. Overall, King Rat is a pretty good fantasy novel, set in today's London. It takes you away, but keeps reminding you that you didn't really leave.
I can see this novel being very easily adapted to a movie. That would be cool.
In the Rat King, the Piper is the antagonist. He's evil incarnate, with the ability to make anything he wishes, dance to his tune, and do his bidding. Back in Hamelin, he drowned the rats that had invested the village, except the King, who managed to escape. Through time, he's tortured other souls, including Anansi, king of the spiders, and Loplop, king of the birds. In modern day London, King Rat, Anansi and Loplop are plotting revenge on the Piper, with a secret weapon, King Rat's son, the half-man, half-rat, Saul Garamond, who just may not want to be a part of this little war -- but was bred for revenge, since being both man and rat, can't be seduced by the Piper's music played for rats or people.
King Rat is set against the underground drum and bass movement of London. The pounding music sets the tone for a savage story in the urban jungle. Miéville does an excellent job of bringing the music scene alive in King Rat, using it deftly to shape the landscape in which his brutal revenge story is playing out. The story comes with lots of twists and turns, which are cleverly inserted just before you start wondering where it's all going. The transformation of Saul from human to man-rat happens fast. It will make you think twice of the alleys and rooftops of cities. Overall, King Rat is a pretty good fantasy novel, set in today's London. It takes you away, but keeps reminding you that you didn't really leave.
I can see this novel being very easily adapted to a movie. That would be cool.
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