Firmin. A rat life
Firmin. A rat life (published in German translation in 2008) is the first novel by the American writer Sam Savage and was published in 2006 under the original title Firmin. Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife . In the novel, the rat Firmin tells of her life with other rats, with people and with books.
content
Firmin the rat is born in the dark basement of a Boston bookstore. Of all his siblings, he is the smallest and weakest and therefore gets the least amount of food. Hungry, he finally nibbles on a book page and so he discovers the world of books for himself. Firmin develops into a true bookworm in the course of the book : he takes the reader on his literary journeys, devouring both high and trivial literature. He reads people's books and first gets to know people with their ideas, longings, fears and wishes.
Not only does Firmin read books, he also writes; so in the novel he tells his story and the story of his rat family; nobody has a really easy and beautiful life. Firmin dares to look at the human world outside of the book and he takes the readers of his story with him on a journey into the human world. He tells the story of the bookseller in whose cellar he and his family live; he tells the story of the small bookstore, the Boston borough and its people.
Narrative style and interpretation
The novel is written in the form of a first-person narrative or in the form of an autobiography. A (rat) life is portrayed in which things are often very critical, so that there are many serious and tragic passages that are characterized by serious and melancholy language. However, a moody and cheerful tone predominates, which lets the story continue from every low point. The character of the story makes many negative and sad things more bearable (to read); the "how" of describing devastating events and in which contexts they are uttered invites you to smile.
The novel Firmin. A rat life paints a picture of the life of the outsider in a world that is ugly for them; but the dark and sad reality experiences a beautiful side - analogous to the narrative style of the novel - precisely through stories, through books, through literature. In addition to the abysses and heights of human life, this novel shows what space and what significance literature has for humans (and the rat).
literature
- Savage, Sam: Firmin. A rat life . Roman, Ullstein Buchverlag, Berlin 2008. ISBN 355008742X (Original title: Firmin. Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife . Coffee House Press, Minneapolis 2006)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Savage, Sam: Firmin. A rat life , Berlin 2008 (3rd edition).
- ↑ Ibid.
- ^ Criticism and interpretation by Denis Scheck (hot off the press - ARD) ( Memento from December 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive )