| Author: | Harry Harrison |
| Copyright: | 1966 |
| Date Reviewed: | 12/16/84 |
| Rating: | 6.0 |
Synopsis: "Make Room! Make Room! takes place in the year before the turn of the next century. New York is a crowded, festering city with 35 million residents, most of whom are homeless. One of the barely fortunate ones is Andrew Rusch, a detective on the New York City Police force. Andy is lucky to be living in an apartment which he shares with only one other person, an old man named Sol. The story also follows, Billy Chung a young oriental boy who while burglarizing a gangster's apartment, is forced to kill him. Andy is called to investigate the slain gangster and meets and falls for the gangster's girlfriend, Shirl. A lot of politicians are very interested in the case, not knowing or believe it was a simple robbery gone wrong, and Andy is forced to work on the case second shift when he's not doing other police work on first shift. In the end, Andy finds the killer and is forced to kill him. He is blamed for not bringing Billy to justice and is reduced in rank to a patrolman.
Review: This year seems to have been the one to read books, that were made into movies and to see movies based on books. "Make Room! Make Room!" was the basis for the 1972 movie "Soylent Green" starring Charlton Heston. That movie had a few problems but was mostly enjoyable and a world better than the book.
In the movie, there is an organized purpose to the murder; one of global import. With Sol's help, the detective follows the investigation to its final conclusion. The book lacked even that much plot. Most of the plot happens in the first 1/4 of the book. It was interesting at first, but went straight down hill when it turned into a tragic love story.
The whole point of the rest of the book, a very tedious 200 pages, seems to be to show the futility of a love relationship in that kind of crowded existence. Sol, who was so interesting and compassionate in the movie is reduced to an old crag who says nothing useful until near the end when he gives a 20 page tirade against the church and any organization opposed to birth control. Birth control has not been a serious issue in America for many years (though abortion is) and I could hardly believe it would be an issue in the future. "Make Room! Make Room!" is depressing enough, as it was meant to be, but it was hard to feel for any of the characters.