Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Firmin by Sam Savage

Book CoverReview by Maggie:

If you like the sound of an anthropomorphic rat and who does’nt ???? Read Firmin by Sam Savage.  It is subtitled the story of a metropolitan low life.  Firmin was born in a Scollay Square bookstore in a nest made from a shredded Finnegan’s wake .. who knows what the author is saying about Joyce.  His mother, Flo was a promiscuous tosspot —his twelve siblings would turnout to have similar tendencies.  Firmin was saved from that fate by being number 13 of her twelve teats.  His sibs learned to love the taste of liquor…  that was mostly what they got when they tried to take nourishment from  mum.  By the time Firmin, the runt of the litter,  got his chance for a snack the others were  passed out from the liquor and milk was available. While his siblings were foraging for food at the nearby adult theater, slurping up spilled beer and dropped popcorn, Firmin was exploring his bookstore.  He learned a love of literature by at first ingesting it and then realizing he liked reading lit better than eating it...

Firmin has charm and is funny and sad.  This little novella is delightful and a tale for anyone who loves literature.