BOOK REVIEW

Savage, Sam. Firmin: adventures of a metropolitan lowlife.

In ten words or less: Rat learns to read and contemplates the meaning of life.

Born in a run-down bookstore in Boston’s Scollay Square, Firmin the rat discovers a taste for literature. While competing with his many siblings for food, Firmin discovers that great books can be quite tasty. It’s while he’s munching on Shakespeare and Dickinson that his hidden talent for reading emerges.
After a life threatening encounter with the bookseller, Firmin is adopted by an eccentric science fiction author. Definitely not a book for children, Firmin’s black humor and literary commentary will appeal to readers who enjoy the, ahem, weird.

Why bother? A unique perspective on life and literature from a world weary rodent.