Firmin: Adventures Of A Metropolitan Lowlife
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Product Description
Review
'The charming and allegorical tale of a rat born in a bookshop who inadvertently eats Finnegans Wake, and so begins his lifelong taste for high literature.' (TIMES )
'A melancholy and quirky debut novel...a heartbreaking tale of frustrated intellect and urban regeneration' (OBSERVER )
'Cannot fail to move even the hardest of hearts' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
'A melancholy and quirky debut novel...a heartbreaking tale of frustrated intellect and urban regeneration' (OBSERVER )
'Cannot fail to move even the hardest of hearts' (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
Product Description
This is a novel told through the voice of a rat. Firmin is born in the basement of a ramshackle old bookstore but because he is the runt of the litter, he is forced to compete for food and ends up chewing on the books that surround him. Firmin soon realizes his source of nourishment has endowed him with the ability to read and this discovery fills him with an insatiable hunger for literature and a very unratlike sense of the world and his place in it. As Firmin navigates the shadowy streets of his decaying area, looking for understanding, his excitement, loneliness, fear, and self-consciousness become remarkably human and undeniably touching. But the days of the bookshop and of the close community around it are numbered. The area has been marked out for 'urban regeneration' and soon the faded glory of the bookshop, the small local theatre, the unique shops and small cafes will face the bulldozers and urban planners. Brilliantly original and richly allegorical, Firmin is brimming with charm and wistful longing for a world that understands the redemptive power of literature and treasures its seedy theaters, one-of-a-kind characters, and cluttered bookshops.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A fantastic and through look at modern urban life through the eyes of a lonely (or should that be and lowly? ... I'm not sure) commentator. Firmin is honest in a way that people can't be, because although he is by no means unaffected by society, he cannot participate in it because he's a rat. Rejected from the world he so obsessively observes, Firmin creates his own somewhat idealistic dream-world, in which he becomes increasingly absorbed.
Sam Savage's first novel is completely unique, utterly heartwarming, absolutely unforgettable.
Sam Savage's first novel is completely unique, utterly heartwarming, absolutely unforgettable.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Firmin is a book about a rat that learns to read through devouring books. His story is possibly the saddest I have ever read.
As a baby he is rejected by his family as the runt of the litter, his love for the bopokshop owner is unrequited and so on.
This book is truly original and should be read by everyone.
As a baby he is rejected by his family as the runt of the litter, his love for the bopokshop owner is unrequited and so on.
This book is truly original and should be read by everyone.
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A most unusual tale about a rat born in a bookstore. In order to survive amongst all his siblings he resorts to eating books and by some miracle realises he can read! He makes a home in the bookstore, feeling sure that the owner will one day be his friend. Sadly, Firmin ends up with a broken heart but soon finds a new home with a struggling writer. This little rat is sure to wriggle his way into your heart as you read his story. Savage has written it with such tenderness and gentle humour that the reader can't fail to be entranced by Firmin's story.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Different but not engaging
I liked this book, but I didn't feel fully engaged by it. This book wasn't what I expected, it was a lot stranger and more adult than I had expected. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Stepping Out of the Page
Thought provoking read
A whimsical, yet poignant, story of a rat who yearns to be human. He is a flawed character with apparently few immediately redeeming qualities yet this little fellow somehow... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Shalbie
Certainly wish I liked Firmin the Vermin more!
I received this book as a present from my boyfriend as he'd read some pretty good reviews and was confident that I'd love it. Read more
Published on 12 May 2010 by glowworm
A Rat's Tale
This sad little tale of a rat that wants to be human is a brief but moving story of failure and longing. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2010 by Oracle
Disappointed.
I work in a bookshop and have read many interesting synopsis. I was eager to get my paws on Firmin. Unfortunately I was really disappointed when I got round to reading it. Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2010 by Dragon Lady
A Tale of A Tail and It's Owners Love of Books
Sam Savage's book `Firmin' comes with the addition subtitle `Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife' and the lowlife is not what you might think in fact Firmin, who is also our... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2010 by Simon Savidge Reads
Literary Popcorn
'Firmin', notable for its narrator being a rodent, is an enjoyable read, but sadly, one that left little impression on me. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Quicksilver
Nostalgia, dreams and hopes.
Boston, the 60s. The rat Firmin's life begins in the basement of a old bookshop, the runt of litter of 13. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2009 by Stephanie Noverraz
A poignant read.
The world as perceived through the eyes of a very endearing little rat. I have to say the illustrations of Firmin are enough to make you fall in love with him just by themselves. Read more
Published on 10 Nov 2009 by Pen pal
Unrequited love is bad, but unrequitable love can really get you down.
"Firmin" is Sam Savage's debut novel, and was first published in 2006. It's also one of the very few books I've ever read where the lead character has been a rodent. Read more
Published on 23 Sep 2009 by Craobh Rua
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