Firmin, the vermin

The cutest book I've seen in a really long time entered the bookstore this week on a non-suspecting rainy Tuesday afternoon. It's name was Firmin by Sam Savage and I simply had to have it. Inside a neat little box with the fury protagonist on the cover is an adorable little book full of gorgeous drawings of rats and what not.

Rats you say? I did indeed. Firmin is the sad and beautiful story of a little rat who was born in an old bookstore. He isn't your run of the mill rat however seeing as he loves books, he even devours them, literally. Due to his uncanny hobby, Firmin tries to become friends with his fellow book loving creatures namely the humans that also inhabit the store. Not only does he become intellectually stimulated, his emotions also start to take him places he didn't even know existed and soon he finds out that the world is no place a unique literature-loving furball like himself.

If the cover and the drawings are anything to go by, I'll be in for a wild and highly original ride with a hint of magic and a dash of melancholy. This is an unusual ode to literature as well as a tail (pun intended) about the decay of hope and individuality in modern day society with one of the most endearing and unforgettable protagonists I've encountered in a while.

I can't wait to read it! Sadly he's got to wait in line with a couple of dozen other books that were lucky enough to make my "to be read this summer" pile.