The Book Circle - Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife

The April Cardholders' Choice of the Month is Firmin by first-time novelist Sam Savage. Join in the discussion below to share your views on this charmingly original tale.

About the book:
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.

"The book is nostalgic for the time when bookshops and independent cinemas were thriving and shows that when they go, other things fall apart. The best way of describing this book is as a literary version of an intelligent Pixar movie for grown-ups. It is enchanting with wonderful illustrations which make turning the pages a pure joy."
Anja de Jager

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Comments

[Ria]

This is a wonderful weekend read. The way that Firmin developed as a character and his relationships with the people around him was a joy to read. I didn't think that the story would be up to much, but how wrong i was. I never thought I would feel such emotion for a rat, but that just shows the talent of Sam Savage.

[Muffy]

Disappointing, although I must say I never have been one for novels about anthropomorphised animals. I found Jerry a much more interesting character. I would hope that rats were much more resourceful than to be dependent on humans the way that Firmin is. Nothing happens in this musty dusty book. I don't think even other rats could stomach it.

[Pinky]

I agree with Muffy -- dry, uninteresting, basically a waste of time with a sour finale. I so wanted to like this book with a quirky twist but nothing can salvage poor storyline.