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The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (Oxford Modern Playscripts) Review

I'd love to live in a world where cats and rats talked, although around here they'd probably only say things like, "Not dry food again," or "Don't touch that piece of cheese." However, in the middle school book by Terry Pratchett, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, a cat and a group of rats can not only talk, but they plot, scheme, and foil evildoers.

Pratchett, the author of this children's story (that adults will love too), tells a lively, humorous tale starring Maurice, a scruffy con artist of a cat; Dangerous Beans, a thoughtful albino rat who ponders the meaning of their newfound intelligence; Darktan, a streetwise rat bristling with derring-do; and Peaches, a female rat who is the conscience of the group. Many other rats have walk-on parts. Two humans appear in supporting roles: Keith, a quiet boy who plays musical instruments, and Malicia, the Mayor's daughter, who tries to make everything that happens turn out like a story in a book.

As the story opens, Maurice and the rats arrive at a new town and the cat convinces the rats to pull the same trick they've used in other towns: the rats will invade all the homes and swim in the cream, widdle on the muffins, and generally make nuisances of themselves. Then Maurice will negotiate a fee with the town Mayor for removing the rats. When the fee has been paid, Keith will play a flute and "lure" the rats out of town. But the scheme goes wrong when the Maurice and the others discover that the local rat catchers are up to no good and that deep beneath the town lives a mysterious something that has the power to control minds.

This book for middle school readers has as many twists and turns as the dark, creepy tunnels beneath the town where it is set. The dialogue is witty and I laughed out loud many times. I found some scenes touching as well--who knew I would care what happens to rats? The plot is like a good soup--it keeps thickening; new threats keep popping up to make things worse. Danger and death lurk around every corner and even wily, selfish Maurice the cat rises to heroism.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (Oxford Modern Playscripts) Overview

Maurice is no ordinary cat. He's amazing. He can think, he can talk...and he has an amazing scam going. And all he needs to pull it off is an army of intelligent rats and one stupid-looking kid. But when his gang enter Bad Blintz, the town they have decided to con next, they soon realize that all is not as it should be - and decide to investigate. Three squads of rats spread out under the town, their mission to dismantle traps, bury poison, do some serious widdling, and to find out exactly what those resident rat-catchers are up to...

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Customer Reviews

Beware School & Library Binding-Fail! - A Saboe - Saint Paul, mn United States
Comments ONLY pertain to School-Library Binding-

An insulting and wretched edition of a splendid book. For one thing, the cover art is different than that shown. This wouldn't be so bad unless, like me, you're trying to match cover styles for a gift- you see the cover, read 'library binding', and recall what the book at the library looks and feels like, not to mention its physical size. Yep, just what you wanted.

Then this this fragrant little turd shows up. Turns out 'School-Library Binding' doesn't mean a durable, well-made book printed on nice stock and a pleasure to hold and read. It really means, 'cheap nasty mass market paperback with flimsy, glossy hard covers slapped on and no dust jacket'. Who knew?
It's even the same size as a mass market paperback, but the hard cover destroys a paperback's ability to fairly easily tuck into a pocket.

Perhaps I should have read the description a bit more carefully, but I had seen and purchased the version pictured before, so it just never occurred to me. Also, I have yet to see something this awful on a library shelf that doesn't have a paper cover instead of the chintzy cardboard. If you 'look inside!', you do get a warning that this is a different edition. But no visual reference as to what it truly looks like. I had no need look inside, since I knew the book already.

Had I any idea that travesties like this existed, you can bet that I'd have never ordered. This isn't a book-it's a cruel hoax. Mr. Pratchett's incandescent words deserve better. I ordered this embarrassment for a friend's birthday. She also deserves better.

That said, it's a helluva tale. Being Pratchett, though, that's pretty much a given. Zero stars for the edition, ten for the writing.

Speaking of fragrant, it smells bad, too-like bargain basement newsprint. Epic fail as a physical book. It's already packed up for return.

OK its for young folk, but I liked it too (60 yr old) - William R. Gilsdorf - Angier, NC
The pied piper was never so funny. This happy story must be a take off of the potential of three mile island or Chernoble. Talking animals (OK the dog was ok, but Cats and Rats? YES!!!!!!!!!!! And their out look on live is well done yet again.

Somehow I think Terry could also be a philosopher or maybe he is.

One of the best of Discworld - Laurie A. Brown - SANDPOINT, ID USA
A stupid looking young boy arrives in the town of Bad Blintz, along with a scruffy looking cat and a troop of rats. This is the Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. No, Maurice isn't the boy. Maurice is the cat, who talks and is the brains of the operation. Maurice is, to put it bluntly, a con artist. The rodents also talk, courtesy of the garbage pile behind the wizard's university. They are intelligent and self aware, and in fact are evolving their own system of ethics and religion. They do this in between running scams on towns where the rats invade people's homes, eating their food, widdling in the cream, and then the boy pipes them out of town. Oh, by the way, this is a Discworld novel. Knowing that might make all this more understandable.

In Bad Blintz, things don't go the usual way. They can find no regular rats, but food is disappearing at an incredible rate, and the two town rat catchers are coming up with a huge number of rat tails to show what they're catching. And a girl named Malicia Grim sees through the boy and Maurice right off the bat. Soon the merry band is embroiled in a life or death adventure.

The story is adventure, comedy, mystery, a bit of horror and a commentary on society. The plot moves swiftly and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. But the best part was watching the rats (and Maurice) develop emotionally and philosophically. They aren't just animals who can speak about their instincts; they are now self aware and capable of thinking in the abstract. Great stuff!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Sep 07, 2010 03:06:05

Children's Books

Tuesday, September 7, 2010