Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife (edit title)

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Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It 2 of 2 members found this review helpful Rated 5 stars “A darkly comic rat's tale of exile, unrequited love, and the redemptive power of literature. Unforgettable! Set in the 1960s, this richly allegorical story follows a literate rat through his life in Boston's Scollay Square during the last days of its famous bookstores and infamous burlesque...” see full review » see other reviews »

Didn’t Like It Rated 2 stars “To quote mef: "...they're pleased with the book because they could check off, in self-congratulation, every title Firmin mentions." This in fact, is the only pleasure I got out of reading it. The book itself comes off as little more than pretentious title-dropping. While...” see full review » see other reviews »

Newest Reviews

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  • Rated 2 stars

  “To quote mef:
  "...they're pleased with the book because they could check off, in self-congratulation, every title Firmin mentions."
  
  This in fact, is the only pleasure I got out of reading it. The book itself comes off as little more than pretentious title-dropping.
  
  While I'm not one to be turned off by vulgarity, Firmin seems to be randomly crass for no other apparent reason than the author can't keep his mind out of the gutter long enough to develop a decent plot.”

  varia wrote this review 4 days ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “Chosen by Chris
  Score - 60 out of 100”

  Stirling Book Group wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “Chosen by Jan
  Score - 68 out of 100”

  Book Group wrote this review Wednesday, November 18 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 5 stars

  “The story of an extraordinary and literary rat, exquisitely written. The best book I've read all year. Despite being told by a four-legged narrator, the story lacks sentimentality and triteness and, although Firmin is undeniably imbued with the most humane of human qualities, he is also always a rat. I particularly liked Firmin's observation that his friend, Jerry, attributed a personality to him: "And in my heart I always knew, though I liked to pretend otherwise, that during our evenings together, when he would drink and talk, he was really just talking to himself." Highly recommended; a book I will re-read for the pure joy of it.”

  Robin Theiss wrote this review Friday, October 23 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 5 stars

  “If you like books, and books about books, and books about a rat that likes to read books, you'll like this book”

  Spidermandel wrote this review Monday, October 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “A bit artificial in the beginning (come on, do we need yet another man-like mouse story?!), then strangly gripping, and ultimately moving.”

  Roberto Z wrote this review Saturday, October 10 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 3 stars

  “It was interesting and funny, although not a whole lot happened in it. It was also a little more adult than I hoped it would be. I don't remember a whole lot about it, as my wife was in labor the day I read it.”

  Curtis H wrote this review Wednesday, September 16 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 5 stars

  “Loved it!”

  chocolate o wrote this review Thursday, September 3 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No

  
  
  • Rated 0 stars

  “I thought this was a really interesting book from the perspective of a rat. He loves Literature, art, music, and even popular culture. The story is told from his point of view. ”

  Ana D wrote this review Tuesday, August 4 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No