#31 King of the Ants, by Charlie Higson (Abacus)

Under siege by ants at work, as I currently am, this seemed an appropriate book to tackle at this stage of my challenge, but unlike ants themselves, the novel proved to be less than fascinating.

It’s billed as a darkly comic story of an amoral man who operates beyond the normal sensibilities of society. There is clearly a link here with ants, who have devised a completely interdependent society based on every member making a valuable contribution to their colony, but it’s not entirely clear what point author Charlie Higson is trying to make.

In summary, the main character takes on a job which he knows isn’t entirely legal, and things progress to the point where he commits murder and finds himself on the run from the people who employed them. There’s plenty of sex and violence – and some of the violence is particularly nasty and hard to read – but I was never gripped by the story, and, like the anti-hero (as you come to regard him) himself, you begin to treat what’s happening with ambivalence.

In that respect, the book is effective, but it doesn’t make it an interesting story, and I would rather spend the time watching ants – even when they’re suddenly appearing out of my computer and in my tea.

So, rating time:

#31 King of the Ants, by Charlie Higson (Abacus) - 5/10

Next up: Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (Harvest Books)

Click here for the full list of books so far, and their rating