Customer Reviews

Frisco Pigeon Mambo

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have become an avid C.D. Payne fan after reading Youth in Revolt for the first time last year. And with this book he continues to crack me up beyond all belief. An absolutely absurd notion of (almost) self aware chain smoking sherry swilling pigeons who escape from their cages in a berkeley laboratory and take San Francisco by storm. Again, like Civic Beauties, this book isnt quite as funny as either of the Nick Twisp books (if that is possible), but it holds its own against other books of this nature. These pigeons have some of the funniest one liners I have ever read. The conclusion is mighty funny, and also does an excellent job at poking fun at us humans for some of our ridiculous assumptions of grandiosity. Reading the back cover of the book I laughed thinking how in god's name would Payne pull this off, yet he does, and with authority. Please read this, you will get a kick out of it.

FRISCO PIGEON MAMBO is a wild satirical romp through the streets and parks of San Francisco. Unwillingly liberated by an activist group, a band of chain-smoking, sherry-drinking pigeons are unleashed upon an unsuspecting city. These aren't ordinary pigeons. They think they are human, only shorter than most, and they have panache. Narrated by a sensible though deluded pigeon with the unlikely name of Robin, this story touches upon issues of stereotypes, identity, animal rights, and human vice while giving the reader laugh after laugh. As our heroes meet up with a parakeet who believes he is a psychoanalyst, a seagull who rescues them with a halibut, and a peregrine falcon who falls in love with a statue, they hatch a plan to avoid the police and to find their way back to their Berkeley lab, where their daily supply of booze and smokes does not require mugging pedestrians.

This is the type of book college students slip into their backpacks when they go home for the weekend. It's fun, maniacal, and irreverent. As The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was for an earlier generation, this book could be the one everyone reads out of class. And if you're older than twenty-five, so what? You'll get cool points for reading it - and a healthy dose of over-the-top humor.

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! ...

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.

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....

I was really disappointed with this one. I read Youth In Revolt and Revolting Youth. They were both hilarious and they really got me excited about this one. The description of the book was pretty funny but I just haven't been able to get in to it. It does have funny parts and I am not saying it is bad but it is just not my thing.

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!

As a resident of SF, I found the book absolutely hysterical. It's a must read for anyone who has ever lived or loved in this city.