RIP Review: Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison
by Jenners • 10/24/2012 • 3 Stars, Classics, Dystopia, Fiction, H Authors, M Titles • 42 Comments
Scream Rating: 2/5ths
This is a dystopic novel about what happens when the amount of people far outnumber the resources available. I went in expecting a freaky-ass horror book and found it to be more of a screed about the importance of birth control and resource management. (It was the basis of the movie Soylent Green, but the ingredients of soylent green in the book and the movie are quite different. In the book, soylent is just “soy” and “lentil.” The fact that I kept waiting for it to be made of something else based on my limited knowledge of the movie led to my disappointment with the book.)
THE BASIC STORY
New York City in 1999 (which was quite far in the future when the book was written in 1966) is miserable and overcrowded, with more than 35 million people competing for scarce resources. The plot focuses on a handful of characters: Andy Rusch, an overworked police officer trying to solve the murder of a rich man (the only kind of murder that gets investigated); Billy Chung, a desperately poor boy who has resorted to robbery to feed himself; Shirl, the attractive, young mistress of the murdered rich man who uses her looks and sex to survive; and Sol, Andy’s roommate and “eldster” (senior citizen) who rants about why society has degenerated The narrative switches between these four main characters—showing how they must struggle to survive in a world where there are too many people and not enough food, water and space.
MY THOUGHTS
I’m sure this book was more shocking and futuristic when it was written in 1966. Today, it feels a bit dated. Yet I think the message—humans must be careful with their management of the planet’s limited resources—is still timely. I suspect that a future world where we’ve exhausted our natural resources would be as miserable and horrible as the one described in the book. However, since I went in expecting more of a horror kind of read, I was disappointed when what I got was more of a political statement disguised as a novel.
The social commentary is not subtle. Sol exists solely to rant about the government and the need for birth control. Shirl represents how the rich will still live well despite the rest of the world barely having enough to eat. Andy is the “regular” guy who works hard and barely catches a break despite doing everything right. Billy represents the lengths people will go to when pushed to their limits. The writing is serviceable and plain; the author’s intent is to get his message across, not to create lovely sentences.
I think my expectations definitely affected my opinion of this book. And, after seeing the previews for Soylent Green, I suspect I won’t be watching it. (It looked incredibly cheesy.) Still, I admire Harrison’s environmental views and foresight; the world he imagined might still come to pass one day, and we’ll all be sorry if it does.
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I’ve never heard about the film or the book. It sounds like what the author imagined has somewhat come true.
His warnings definitely still apply. If we consume without thought, then we’ll pay the price eventually.
I would have been completely disappointed at the differences and waiting for the other shoe to drop as well. My parents let me watch that movie at a young age, along with a lot of other weird sci-fi & dystopic films like Logan’s Run – I really wonder sometimes just what they were thinking.
That was such a shocking reveal when I saw it the first time (at around 7 or 8 years of age). I have thought about watching it again as an adult but have a feeling I will be disappointed with the old special effects. I’ll definitely pass on the book.
I’m sure it isn’t aged well based on the previews. I just kept waiting and waiting for that horrible thing and it never came to pass. I see why they added it to the movie — it kind of made it better I think!
Although this is undoubtedly an important message, this doesn’t sound like my cup of tea — it sounds too heavy-handed. I like my social commentary to err on the side of subtlety.
Great review!
I hear you! It was pretty heavy handed and when no cannibalistic stuff came to spice things up, I kind of lost interest (sad to say).
I’ve never heard of this one – the movie nor the book! It doesn’t sound like one I’m jumping at reading although your review is fantastic…I’m a bit tired of politics and I agree with Kathy – aren’t we already there?!?
We’re not quite where they were in the book but we need to watch our consumption or we wil be!
Argggh!! I hate when I click “post” before proofing!! That should have either been “I’ve” or “saw” in order to make that gramatically correct!
I never read this or seen the movie, but I sure thought Soylent Green was people!
This sounds very disappointing.
I was holding on for the big reveal that Soylent Green was people … and it wasn’t in the book!
Funny how 1999 once seemed so far in the future. Sounds like one I will pass on
I know! And then 2001 seemed amazingly exotic. And now look where we are!
I remember watching soylent green when I was a kid. It was a pretty weird show. BTW-I’ve dropped the blogging moniker “kaye” and am now blogging with my actual name-kelley.
Well hello Kelley! I feel weirded out by this somehow. But now I won’t mix you up with the other Kaye that visits my blog! : )
My husband just watched Soylent Green the other week, and I was surprised by it’s cheesiness! The go-go boots, and the “hep cats” were just too much for me! I think the book sounds radically different than the movie.
I’m sure it came off as unintentionally hilarious than it was meant to!
Funny to visit your blog and see adverts for English trains.
I’m always fascinated by what makes some books date so quickly whilst others remain relevant and topical despite being published many, many years, even decades previously. Not a book I’d enjoy either by the sounds of it, thanks for your honest review.
I’m surprised the adverts are customized to your location too!!
Ah well – not all books can live up to our expectations.
Sadly they can’t. But I’ll keep on reading them!
Soylent meant soy and lentils? Wow, I always thought it was, I don’t know, Secret Slime or something.
Or people???
Lentils? Yuck! I’d never make it there – and your description sounds like it could be happening right now – I better tell The Mister to continue hoarding food.
And be sure to hoard the good stuff!
Wait … soylent green is NOT people? Seriously, I’ve never seen the film or read the book. But I’ve heard that line and now I feel a bit cheated.
That was pretty much the sum total of what I knew about the movie/book going in … imagine my surprise to find out that it isn’t true in the book at all!
Thanks for your honest review. I think I’d rather watch the movie.
Probably the better choice … if nothing else, you’ll giggle at its 1970s feel.
My kids MADE me watch Solvent Green. But… I’m not up for reading a book in that league,and now that you were so disappointed, I think I’ll pass.
Worth passing on … I suspect the movie was better in this case (but that isn’t saying much based on the previews I saw).
Aw, you know, a book with a political agenda? I am not sure I have it in me to read something like that. Could be that I’ve been drowning in political agenda for awhile and I’m tired of it.
Sick of politics? How could that be?
I’m going to say Mr. Harrison’s predictions have not come true at all. Overcrowding is not really much of a worry anymore, lots of places are declining in population at this point. True, there are still food distribution problems along with serious threats, but those don’t come from over-population.
That said, I liked this book much more than you did. For me it worked pretty well as a detective story. It’s not on my top ten list or anything like that, but I thought it was pretty good.
And Soylent Green is just too much cheesy fun to miss. Really. Go watch it sometime. Even if it’s just so you can shout along with Charleton when he screams that one immortal line…. ;=)
I’m surprised you liked it as a detective story … I didn’t think that was so good as we knew who “dunit” the whole time. The movie does look cheesy though. Laughably cheesy. Perhaps it would be a fun viewing after all!
I really think part of the reason this author turned to the Stainless Steel Rat series is that so much of what he predicted in his more serious SF did come true–the bit about the rich living as usual while the rest of the world starves, for instance.
I don’t know much about his other writings … this was a definite “whim” purchase but I think he wasn’t off in what he was concerned about.
Soylent Green? Wow, it has been awhile since I have heard about that movie. I think I remember watching it in Jr. High and scaring myself about it. The book sounds like it isn’t one that I need to put on my TBR. Bummer that instead of making it scary they made it political.
I think the filmakers decided it needed to be more “scary” in a horror way than in a dystopia way.
I think that book has already come true. :/
We’re not QUITE that bad yet .. but there is potential if we don’t watch our consumption.