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grubstlodger's review against another edition
4.0
Doctor Rat by William Kotzwinkle is not recommended as the feel-good book of the year, it is an engaging and interesting book, however.
Doctor Rat is a test subject in an a laboratory that receives grants for testing things on animals. It doesn’t actually seem that the grants are based on those tests being anything useful and most of the experiments consist of torture and mutilation. It’s more a horror-lab than anything else. Driven mad by his time in the mazes, the Learned Mad Doctor, as he calls himself, is a full convert to humanity’s ascendance over other animals. It’s not that the rat performs any of the experiments himself but he so identifies with the humans that he regards them as ‘we’ and celebrates every nasty thing they do.
In other places, chickens are kept in the dark in small cages, bulls are ground into mince and pigs slit open. Even an attempt to communicate with whales through music ends up making them easier prey for other vessels loaded with more harpoons than harpsichords. However, there’s a stirring. It starts with the dogs but builds to animals all over. We meet radicalised chimpanzees, old elephants ready to fade away but getting new life, even hurrying sloths. These animals are all driven to congregate together.
The result of this in the lab is insurrection, which Doctor Rat does everything he can to fight off. When the animals congregate, they all feel as one animal, they merely wait for the humans to join and become that one animal with them. Will they? What do you think?
This book is occasionally beautiful, often extremely nasty to comical levels and in the end has a slightly unearned melodramatic element. It all feels a little childish - but it is gripping and even (despite it all) surprisingly entertaining.
Doctor Rat is a test subject in an a laboratory that receives grants for testing things on animals. It doesn’t actually seem that the grants are based on those tests being anything useful and most of the experiments consist of torture and mutilation. It’s more a horror-lab than anything else. Driven mad by his time in the mazes, the Learned Mad Doctor, as he calls himself, is a full convert to humanity’s ascendance over other animals. It’s not that the rat performs any of the experiments himself but he so identifies with the humans that he regards them as ‘we’ and celebrates every nasty thing they do.
In other places, chickens are kept in the dark in small cages, bulls are ground into mince and pigs slit open. Even an attempt to communicate with whales through music ends up making them easier prey for other vessels loaded with more harpoons than harpsichords. However, there’s a stirring. It starts with the dogs but builds to animals all over. We meet radicalised chimpanzees, old elephants ready to fade away but getting new life, even hurrying sloths. These animals are all driven to congregate together.
The result of this in the lab is insurrection, which Doctor Rat does everything he can to fight off. When the animals congregate, they all feel as one animal, they merely wait for the humans to join and become that one animal with them. Will they? What do you think?
This book is occasionally beautiful, often extremely nasty to comical levels and in the end has a slightly unearned melodramatic element. It all feels a little childish - but it is gripping and even (despite it all) surprisingly entertaining.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
4.0
Before I begin, I'd like to share few facts about me. I love animals. Probably more than humans. I've been vegetarian for twenty years, more than half of my life. I can easily enjoy epic battles and stories, in which human suffer and die. But if you hurt a dog or a cat a rage ignites in me. I can't help it.
This book contains extensive and visceral scenes of animal experimentation and it pulls no punches. Whole species are destroyed. Despite using grotesque aesthetic and containing hilarious moments, it was a difficult book for me.
Kotzwinkle's imaginative fable features Doctor Rat, friend to man and foe to all other species. Doctor Rat is an insane lab rat who revels in the despair and brutality of animal experiments. He's even composing songs in honor of gruesome experiments.
When animals start to prepare rebellion, Doc wants to squash it.
There's plenty of shifting perspectives in the book. The plot revolves around Doc Rat fighting against the rebellion, but we see parts of the plot told through the eyes of other animals and species. The ones near the end of the novel are heart-breaking and lyrical. Sentimental? Probably yes.
Obviously, there are oversimplifications and shortcuts in this book. Animals are beautiful, humans cruel and sadistic. The balance is off and the perspective is strongly biased. But it does deliver a message that can be interpreted in many ways.
Is it a life-changing book? I don't know. I've made plenty of adjustments to my life years ago and I do my best to minimize my negative impact on the environment. I guess, I still can improve in certain areas.
It's definitely a book that got more than one visceral reaction from me. It's devastating and powerfully written. It's a book that made me want to shout "To hell with Pacifism!" and build a bomb or, even better, hack a Death Star and wipe out all laboratories that experiment with animals from the face of the earth.
It's a brutal and maniacal satire. It's terrifying, heart-wrenching, grotesque and sad. Usually, I plow through books like Duracell bunny on speed, but in this case, I had to make frequent pauses because it was a bit too much for me.
This book contains extensive and visceral scenes of animal experimentation and it pulls no punches. Whole species are destroyed. Despite using grotesque aesthetic and containing hilarious moments, it was a difficult book for me.
Kotzwinkle's imaginative fable features Doctor Rat, friend to man and foe to all other species. Doctor Rat is an insane lab rat who revels in the despair and brutality of animal experiments. He's even composing songs in honor of gruesome experiments.
When animals start to prepare rebellion, Doc wants to squash it.
There's plenty of shifting perspectives in the book. The plot revolves around Doc Rat fighting against the rebellion, but we see parts of the plot told through the eyes of other animals and species. The ones near the end of the novel are heart-breaking and lyrical. Sentimental? Probably yes.
Obviously, there are oversimplifications and shortcuts in this book. Animals are beautiful, humans cruel and sadistic. The balance is off and the perspective is strongly biased. But it does deliver a message that can be interpreted in many ways.
Is it a life-changing book? I don't know. I've made plenty of adjustments to my life years ago and I do my best to minimize my negative impact on the environment. I guess, I still can improve in certain areas.
It's definitely a book that got more than one visceral reaction from me. It's devastating and powerfully written. It's a book that made me want to shout "To hell with Pacifism!" and build a bomb or, even better, hack a Death Star and wipe out all laboratories that experiment with animals from the face of the earth.
It's a brutal and maniacal satire. It's terrifying, heart-wrenching, grotesque and sad. Usually, I plow through books like Duracell bunny on speed, but in this case, I had to make frequent pauses because it was a bit too much for me.
jokoloyo's review
4.0
This book has good gripping at the start with mad Doctor Rat as central character, then it has strong ending.
This book had been in my blind spot when I was actively searching good fantasy/science fiction books at my college period. My awareness about the existing of this book was due to GR review of a friend.
This book reminds me of some other great books: the crying voice of anti-animal experimentation are strong at the beginning, reminds me of anti-war message of [b:Johnny Got His Gun|51606|Johnny Got His Gun|Dalton Trumbo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386925458s/51606.jpg|180461]; the switching POV at each chapter reminds me of [b:Stand on Zanzibar|41069|Stand on Zanzibar|John Brunner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360613921s/41069.jpg|2184253] creating rich atmosphere of the world.
As from other reviews that I've read, I also want to emphasize to read at least until half book before you judge this book. At first half, the plot of this book is not clear, and at almost 50% of the book there is a clue about the author's message.
Spoiler
tragicThis book had been in my blind spot when I was actively searching good fantasy/science fiction books at my college period. My awareness about the existing of this book was due to GR review of a friend.
This book reminds me of some other great books: the crying voice of anti-animal experimentation are strong at the beginning, reminds me of anti-war message of [b:Johnny Got His Gun|51606|Johnny Got His Gun|Dalton Trumbo|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386925458s/51606.jpg|180461]; the switching POV at each chapter reminds me of [b:Stand on Zanzibar|41069|Stand on Zanzibar|John Brunner|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1360613921s/41069.jpg|2184253] creating rich atmosphere of the world
Spoiler
and the rich atmosphere made the tragic ends shook my heartAs from other reviews that I've read, I also want to emphasize to read at least until half book before you judge this book. At first half, the plot of this book is not clear, and at almost 50% of the book there is a clue about the author's message.
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
2.0
Without the historical context, which I did not have when I was trying to read this (I got it as a random Amazon deal), it doesn't work at all. Once I read the context, it didn't make up for the fact that I didn't like the book.
deimosremus's review
challenging
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warning: Animal abuse, violence.
As I've said in other recent reviews, I've been slowly working through all the World Fantasy Wards Winners for best novel, starting with the 70s and 80s. This is my Sixth WFA read.
Doctor Rat is an incredibly bleak and disheartening satirical novel narrated by various wild and laboratory animals, the most vocal of which is the sardonic and intelligent, yet crass and horrible Doctor Rat, who believes that all animals should be willing to give their bodies to science, to benefit mankind... no matter how cruel or pointless the experiments may be-- that death is the only path to freedom. Conversely, a revolution in and outside of the lab is brewing, much to the human-idolizing Doctor Rat's chagrin, as the rest of the animal kingdom has had enough with man's treatment of their kind.
A stunning novel about animal cruelty, but also one that functions as an allegory for the Holocaust. Devastating in its message, yet offset by Kotzwinkle's brilliantly dark sense of humor. One of the absolute best things I've read this year so far.
As I've said in other recent reviews, I've been slowly working through all the World Fantasy Wards Winners for best novel, starting with the 70s and 80s. This is my Sixth WFA read.
Doctor Rat is an incredibly bleak and disheartening satirical novel narrated by various wild and laboratory animals, the most vocal of which is the sardonic and intelligent, yet crass and horrible Doctor Rat, who believes that all animals should be willing to give their bodies to science, to benefit mankind... no matter how cruel or pointless the experiments may be-- that death is the only path to freedom. Conversely, a revolution in and outside of the lab is brewing, much to the human-idolizing Doctor Rat's chagrin, as the rest of the animal kingdom has had enough with man's treatment of their kind.
A stunning novel about animal cruelty, but also one that functions as an allegory for the Holocaust. Devastating in its message, yet offset by Kotzwinkle's brilliantly dark sense of humor. One of the absolute best things I've read this year so far.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Genocide, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
2000ace's review against another edition
5.0
A view of animal research from the point of view of Dr. Rat, PhD. It is satirical, and funny, but also a troubling look at the world where humans think everything and everyone else is subordinate to them. This book is a neglected and ignored masterpiece.
repixpix's review against another edition
5.0
Imposible no reflexionar y sentir empatía por el dolor que provocamos a millones de seres cada día.
Muy bueno.
Muy bueno.
thereadingrambler's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bmartino's review
2.0
I almost put it down when Doctor Rat referenced a quite literal "baking a trayful of cats" but stuck with it since it was easy to skim. Yeah, it didn't get much better from there.
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