Frisco Pigeon Mambo

If you haven't read Frisco Pigeon Mambo, you've been missing out! This hilarious book about boozing, chain-smoking pigeons is an excellent satire. Lots of funny cultural references and inside jokes about San Francisco life - not to mention, a great story with awesome characters (yes, they're birds, but that makes the story even better!). There should be more books like this one. I'd recommend this to anyone...it's one of my favorites. And if you're looking for another good book to read after FPM, check out National Darkroast Day.

My wife and I have widely different reading tastes, but we both enjoyed this book. The style has some similarities to Orwell's Animal Farm, but is lighter in nature. The plot is clearly outlined elsewhere on this page, so I won't bore you by repeating it. Frisco Pigeon Mambo pokes fun at a wide variety of human institutions (eg. research laboratories, the media, city hall) and proclivities, but it also has some very funny one-liners. So much fiction published is genre fiction, clearly fitting into a box of being romance, fantasy, thriller, etc.: it is nice for a change to read something well written that is different. The Killer Pigeons make for a killer of a fun read!

Note: It would be helpful to be familiar with "The Maltese Falcon" before reading this book. A familiarity with San Francisco and the area also helps greatly.The first few pages of this book didn't immediately capture me, but I slogged through, and it was worth it: This book is funny! Even if you hate pigeons, or don't want to hear a story from an animal's point of view, if you are an intelligent person, read this book! Payne's vocabulary continues to astound, and he is the master of unexpected plot twists. He'll have you seeing things from a bird's eye view in no time. Even if these birds weren't convinced that they were human, I have a feeling they'd still think they were pretty hip, continuing to trash talk, sleep around, smoke and drink. They're living the life some people dream about! ...

I read this hilarious tale in less than two days, it was just the thing I need to distract me from the horrible events of this week (9/11/01 terrorism attacks on US). I wasn't quite sure an author could pull off a whole book about pigeons who believed they were human, but Payne did it. Now to order Payne's other books....

A funny VERY readable book. Payne is a clever writer and the whole storyline is superb. A writer that can make the concept of pigeons thinking that they are human, seem reasonable, has got to be read. It is a fast read, but highly entertaining. A perfect *summer* read, but fine for any month. If you want your lips to curl into a smile and then some giggles, read this one. Or stay sad....