Week 4: Rat King


This book was outside of what I’d normally read, but I really enjoyed the experience. I say that as somebody whose favorite genre is urban fantasy. Although a lot of the coming-of-age elements were reminiscent of the classical hero’s journey, the rest of the novel was definitely coming from a lot of other genres. The tone, for instance, was very dark, much less in line with traditional fantasy and much more in line with horror, where a protagonist has to struggle against a very negative world to find a little goodness. Though it was supported by the basis of the story of the Pied Piper, China Miéville managed to build something very unique on top of that classical fairytale, really emphasizing the violence of that original story. Our monster is the Piper, and that monster isn’t so much defeated as he is sealed away along with his cave of children who have to suffer for all eternity. Saul’s story begins with the murder of his dad and ends with him deposing his genetic father, a rapist obsessed with getting back his kingdom. These elements definitely solidify the dark tones and the horror elements of the story. I think the additional backdrop of Jungle music, the underground city of London, and the gritty superpowers of rats, spiders, and birds melded really well into a very specific, new language of magic that would complement the dark tone of the book. For a first novel, I think it’s really successful, despite some of the rough edges when it comes to jumping viewpoints or the structural organization of the plot. I’d definitely be interested in reading more by China Miéville when I have the time.

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