By CHAUNCEY PARKER III (Signet; 1981)
A unique entry in the “nasties” horror fiction cycle. THE VISITOR is in the same league as THE RATS and RATMAN’S NOTEBOOKS (a.k.a. WILLARD), being a killer rat themed paperback original, but it has an edge. Several edges, actually, being about, unlike the abovementioned books, just one rat, and containing a reality-based arc. This is to say that, fanciful though this novel might seem, there’s nothing herein that couldn’t actually happen given what we know about rats.
…there’s nothing herein that couldn’t actually happen given what we know about rats.
The situation is this: Bart Hughes, a young NYC businessman, finds himself alone in his Manhattan brownstone after his wife and children leave for the summer. One day he spots something skittering across the floor and, thinking it’s a mouse, puts out traps to ensnare it. When this fails to do the trick and the rodent continues to make its presence known—it being not a mouse but a rat—Bart ventures down into the cellar to do battle with the critter directly. There he discovers a litter of baby rats, birthed, apparently, by the very rat that has been terrorizing Bart. He promptly kills the infant rodents, which heightens the stakes considerably.
THE VISITOR is in the same league as THE RATS and RATMAN’S NOTEBOOKS (a.k.a. WILLARD), being a killer rat themed paperback original, but it has an edge.
The severely peeved mother rat steps up her campaign of harassment, moving into Bart’s bedroom and attacking him directly—at least when the critter isn’t eating his food and vandalizing his personal possessions. This leads to Bart becoming increasingly introverted and antisocial, with his private war against the rat overtaking his life and his sanity.
It’s suggested (during a last act psychiatrist visit) that the whole business might be a figment of Bart’s imagination, but that possibility thankfully isn’t taken very far. Author Chauncey G. Parker III (1926–2013), a onetime Marine and full-time businessman, clearly understood that the human-rat mano-a-mano is the book’s major driving point, and keeps it front and center in an unerringly focused and suspenseful narrative. Shakespeare THE VISITOR isn’t, but well done pulp it definitely is.
Author Chauncey G. Parker III (1926–2013), a onetime Marine and full-time businessman, clearly understood that the human-rat mano-a-mano is the book’s major driving point, and keeps it front and center in an unerringly focused and suspenseful narrative.
You may remember OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN, the 1983 movie adapted from this novel. It starred Peter Weller, who was fairly strong as Bart, but was directed, unfortunately enough, by George P. Cosmatos (of RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II and TOMBSTONE). He frankly wasn’t up to the challenge, leaving us with a film that was at best a good try. Luckily we still have THE VISITOR, which demonstrates how this material should play.