Mike Nelson's Death Rat!

[on:]

Anyone else here read the subject book, Mike Nelson's latest? (Yes, I know this is a TV Forum, but given all the MST3K fans there seems to be here, this seemed a better place to post). The copy I have I obtained at a book signing Mike Nelson had last month in St. Paul. If there is interest, I may write a review of sorts.

[Reply #1 on:]

I found the book to be pretty mediocre.  It didn't end so much as just... run out of steam.  Very anti-climactic.  And don't get me wrong, I'ma  fan of Mike's writing and found much to enjoy too, but the ending really did it in for me.  I'd still get Mike to sign my copy given half a chance, though.

[Reply #2 on:]

Oh really? Because Mike does book signings almost monthly in my home state.

[Reply #3 on:]

I am interested in what the hell it is.

[Reply #4 on:]

 

Originally posted by Binder:
Oh really? Because Mike does book signings almost monthly in my home state.

Sure, but I'm willing to bet your home state is nowhere near mine.  (I'm in Canada.)

[Reply #5 on:]

It's nice to see some fellow Minnesotans on these boards.

[Reply #6 on:]

 

Originally posted by Australian Guy:
I am interested in what the hell it is.

It's the hell a book.

[Reply #7 on:]

Well, since there's interest, here goes. I'll try to keep it short. About the book signing, it is apparent that Nelson really was playing himself on the Mystery Science Theater 3000 TV show. He is a nice, unassuming guy with a dry sense of humor. Although MST3K has an international following, this novel surprisingly is for and about people from Minnesota, with a lot of local in-jokes. Boingo, I think that's probably why you didn't find it too funny. Aside from sports personalities, the most well known Minnesotans are Garrison Keillor (sp?), the author of the "Lake Woebegon" stories, the rock star Prince, and ex-wrestler/navy seal/governor Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Keillor, who is represented within as the bad guy of the book Gus Bronstad, is brutally savaged by Nelson. That's OK with me; Keillor is a walking cure for insomnia, IMHO. The MST3K troupe's distaste for Keillor is legendary. Prince (or whatever his name is) is parodied in the book as the character King Leo. I thought Nelson went easy on Ventura, though. Maybe they're neighbors.

Briefly, Death Rat is a story of a book within a book: an author (Pontius Feeb) writes a best-selling story ("Death Rat" ) about a man who saved a backwoods Minnesota town in the 1800s by killing and skinning a 6-foot tall rat (a parody of the Paul Bunyan legend perhaps?). The book is mistakenly published as nonfiction, and so the author and his partner go to great lengths to make the story appear true to the outside world in general, and to King Leo in particular, who sees the book as a religious scripture. The bad guy, Gus Bronstad, tries to expose the hoax. That's about it.

I did find "Death Rat!" to be humorous, but not laugh out loud funny. I was disappointed in that some of the parts of the book seemed to be lifted straight from movie scenes. For instance, at one point Feeb and his partner go to a town meeting to bribe the townsfolk to go along with the hoax; a nearly word for word scene is found in "Funny Farm", where Chevy Chase and his wife go to a town meeting to bribe everyone there to help them sell their house. Other parts appeared suspiciously like scenes from the movie "The Great Outdoors". Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10; but others not from MN might give it 5 or worse.

[Reply #8 on:]

I didn't say I didn't find it funny.  I laughed so hard I embarresed myself (read into that what you wil) at the line "Something about knowing he wound up inside a moose made it very effective."  I said that I found the plot to be very weak, especially the ending, which didn't seem to end as much as just... run out of the will to see what happens next.  Also things get wrapped up a little to tidely for my taste.  I understood the Prince and Ventura references, both of which seemed kind of tame, though I've never heard of Garrison Kieller more then just in passing until just now.  I'd say it's a good book to check out of your local library, but unless you're a MST3K completist, there's no reason to buy it.  I pretty much agree with your review, but I'd give it a 6.5, maybe a 7 on a good day.  My cheif complaint in Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters was so good, I was expecting more then I got.

[Reply #9 on:]

D'oh. I was looking forward to this book, too. Negative reviews are making me cry.