The Rats cover art

The Rats

The Rats Series, Book 1

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The Rats

By: James Herbert
Narrated by: David Rintoul
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About this listen

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 Horror Scary England Fiction Classics

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Editor reviews

Veteran actor David Rintoul delivers a superb performance of best-selling British author James Herbert’s The Rats, the first book in the classic The Rats series. His rich voice and charismatic delivery heighten the exciting nature of this audiobook. London comes under attack and a state of emergency is declared. The problem? Rats. Swift, terrifying rodents wreaking havoc in the big city. No one is safe. As the death toll rises, it appears that evacuation may be the only option left - that or war.

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)
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Read this book more times than I can count. 1st read this book when I was 15 (I'm 46 now) This was the start of my James Herbert fan ship. Even my fantasy loving husband put down his David Gemell for these 3.
Sad now he has died and we'll never get anymore from him. :-(
I love all his books but these 3 (The lair and Domain) have always been my favourites. To have in Audio is just a bonus that I can listen while dosing off to sleep. I even own 2 rats and hasn't put me off.

A favourite of mine for years

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Superb story. Great performance. Not much more to say. Have read all James Herberts books. Listening to this brings out a new dynamic - excellent!

James Herbert. One of my favourite authors ever.

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A refreshing approach to the zombie tale with the zombies replaced with rats. the narrator isn't great at voices as they aren't diverse.

A zombie story but with rats

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I read a lot of James Herbert when I was in my teens in the 80s. I listened again to The Fog recently and enjoyed it but this seemed dated. just the use of some of his language. referring to school girls as crumpet. it just seemed a bit cliched.

Not aged wel

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I read these books years ago and now they are gathering dust in a storage cupboard, it feels different when someone else is reading it to you . You get more into the action

Rats

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did not like narrator. was OK when only reading but when taking on characters voice he was way over the top. Will look out for this narrator in future and not listen thdn

short and predictable

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Read it years and years ago but worth a listen also....
Strange listening to a book that was written in a more sexist time.... describes ‘Fat Girls’ and the boys staying calm as the girls become hysterical...not offensive though, a great listen.... engaging story.

Good yarn... rips along.

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Really enjoyed it and David Rintouls narrating was first class adding to the tension, and dynamics of the story. You could say his voice was made to read this novel.

Old memories

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I read this book whilst I was still at school during the late 1970s and it stood out for me then because it showed me that story books and reading in general didn't have to be boring with stale old tales to tell. It inspired me to try and read more which I did. But this waned over the years with work and life until I discovered audio books and now I can't stop listening . This wasn't the way I remembered the rats but there were elements that were familiar. It gave me the impression this time round of the literatural equilevant of a Hammer horror movie. I used to love those too when I was a kid but are a little comic now to a grown up more sophisticated me, Otherwise with late 60s/70s setting it remind me of the early days of my childhood without the giant rats of course. Will I bother with the sequel ? I know I read it at the time but I don't think I will bother thus time.

One of the first books I ever actually read

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This is a riveting story, I was hooked from the very first chapter and can't wait to hear the other books in the series.

Absolutely Brilliant

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