1. Rats by Robert Sullivan

I dig these sorts of books. Singular in focus, quirky, infotaining, pop history without being brainless. Rats is exactly what it claims to be (and a little more, my only complaint): "Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants." Sullivan spent a year (by happenstance starting no long before Sept. 11, 2011) observing a dogleg alley in Manhattan, close to Wall Street, and in this book chronicles said alley's vermin inhabitants.

Honestly, it's pretty good.

Sullivan explores the nature of the "wild rat," but also uses it as a lens to focus on certain aspects of the city, population expansion, trash and disease. He also digs into the rat itself, its social habits and habitat, how it thrives, its negative image in the broader culture (and really, it's sort of deserving of it) and how it will always fit into our ecosystems. The rat, its life based around our detritus, certainly says something important about our way of life (right? Yeah, maybe).

Of particular interest are the times when he first observes them and sees how they start rummaging through trash bags, their wriggly bodies seen only as bulges roaming underneath the black plastic of the Chinese restaurant's garbage sacks. We all know rats exist in the alleys and sewers of "the world," especially the city, but rarely do we get the opportunity to examine their behavior. Nor do historians or zoologists care about these four-legged flea factories save when their actions coincide with an outbreak of plague. But they are a fascinating animal on their own, able to survive and thrive in a variety of locations and environments. It's that history we get into over the course of the book, their crossing our paths.

Yet...it's these diversions from the more zoological aspect of the book that didn't always carry water for me. The rent strike in large part because of rat infestation - yeah, that was interesting social history. But not all of the rest. I will admit, I wanted more of his stories observing from his camp stool across the street from the alley, further detail on all aspects of the urban (and beyond) dwellings.

Wouldn't it have been great if he followed an exterminator on a long-ranging underground excursion, not to find the rat Shambhala, but just to see these hidden dens in full flower. Not that his trip with some city trappers wasn't informative, but I love the nature documentaries that stick the camera down into the nest, follow the creek's bottom dwellers: a zoom lens on the micro among us. He certainly looked at the city's trash and visited more than one exterminator (once more proving they aren't all crazy chemical-spewing, kill-happy stereotypes).

Reading this, I didn't find his presentation gross, but I'm not squeamish when I'm just reading about something. Perhaps, in the oily fur, some of these scenes would be a little much (no, not in the slightest, says the kid in me). This is pretty good urban zoological history; just don't expect it to have quite the breadth of a book written by a true biologist. Sullivan's eye looks to the social impact and tangents for healthy chunks of this slim book.

Still, not disappointed that I read it, and I will absolutely read more by him (such as The Meadowlands, about the maligned NJ swamp home to an abundance of wildlife and pollution in equal measures).

And how about that cover! One of the best I've seen. One more time:

3.75/5

-EMH

0. Lucky Wander Boy by D. B. Weiss

Two distinctions: this is the only novel by Game of Thrones (TV) co-creator Weiss; and this is the first book I read on my new Kindle Paperwhite!

The Kindle will have me coming back for more; Weiss...stick to TV, buddy.

Here's what I wrote on Goodreads:

The book as described is not what was written. Oh sure, it started that way, and was very engaging, humorous. But as it continued, that lighter quality, a playful satire of geek obsession, vanished. It got depressing, and with no likable character to anchor the story, faltered. I think those who want to find profound meaning in the intersection of their childhood angst and video game obsession will praise this book. But unless you find yourself damaged by society for your 16-bit habit, this book won't resonate.

Not as favorable as I could be.

My issues stem from the main character, Adam Pennyman, being not only less-than-dynamic, but a sad sack that I just didn't care about. His "Catalogue of Obsolete Entertainment" is a lot of fun, interesting as a series of interludes, nicely assembled. In his desire to complete the catalogue, he must uncover more information on the near-mythical arcade game "Lucky Wander Boy," a fever dream Japanese import that defies easy categorization. The book flap, on his quest's difficulty:

But even with the help of a plucky fellow game-head named Clio, such a reckless expedition will require the agility of Pac-Man, the nerves of Mario, and the tenacity of Frogger. Not to mention, a whole lot of luck.

Sounds fun, a little irreverent. Video game nostalgia is a growing sub-genre of pop fiction (or maybe sci-fi/speculative; perhaps the delayed Bildungsroman), and when I discovered and bought this book (on sale) based on it's quirky description, I expected a lighter story, a little mad-cap, with some good satire and a small amount of personal growth. It simply wasn't described as a heavy book, or depressing.

Which is, unfortunately, what it becomes. It almost verged on existential horror, as Adam gropes for meaning in his life, with the only hope (in his mind) resting on a video game no one remembers. If he can find the creator, finish the book, put this behind him.... By the closing pages, I was hoping he would crack his nut in some small way and not leave us in a psychological dark room.

As I said, it starts down the road with good, snarky cheer. The cast of characters are all entertaining, the game studio setting perfect for what he had planned. I am quite sorry it fell apart by the end.

The cover quote is by his GoT co-creator, David Benioff. He also tries to tie Michael Chabon to this (..."does for video games what Michael Chabon did for comics."), and I could not stress the differences more. You actually care about Chabon's characters, plot and resolution.


2.5/5

(One positive: I really liked the Kindle Paperwhite's reading experience. Highly recommended.)

-EMH