Doctor Rat by William Kotzwinkle

The book is a darkly satirical novel that takes place in a laboratory where animals are subjected to cruel experiments. The story is told from the perspective of Doctor Rat, a deranged lab rat who has been driven mad by the experiments and now champions the ongoing torture as a necessary pursuit of knowledge. As the animals around him plan a rebellion to escape their fate, Doctor Rat's delusions of grandeur and twisted rationalizations of the scientists' actions provide a chilling reflection on the ethics of animal testing and the nature of complicity in systems of oppression.

The 10268th greatest book of all time


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Total Points: 18

Since this book was first published in 1976, there is a penalty of 3.2%. The age adjusted score is 17.42.

This is to prevent newer books from reaching super high on the ranked list of the greatest books of all time. The greatest books should also stand the test of time.