Vroege Recensenten

In the form of a rediscovered memoir “edited” by Russell Potter, PYG: The Memoirs of Toby, the Learned Pig tells the story of Toby, a truly exceptional pig who lived in the late eighteenth century. After winning the blue ribbon at the Salford Livestock Fair, he is daringly rescued from the butcher's knife by Sam, his guardian and steadfast companion. The fugitive pair find themselves at the door of Mr. Silas Barnett, impresario of a traveling circus. Alongside a menagerie that includes dancing turkeys and violin-playing cats, Toby stars in the centerpiece act, wowing audiences across Britain with his abilities to count, spell, and even read the minds of ladies—“but only with their permission,” of course. “The remarkable sapient pig” quickly sparks a national sensation, packing sold-out houses at every stop on the tour. But as Toby confronts brutes, detractors, imposters, and more, he learns that celebrity comes at a cost. A serendipitous connection eventually spares him from the entertainer's life and lands him plum university spots at Oxford and Edinburgh. He meets many of the era's luminaries—Samuel Johnson, Robert Burns, and William Blake, among others—and eventually puts his education to use recounting his illustrious exploits. PYG is a heartwarming debut that blends the sophistication and satire of Jonathan Swift with the charm and character of a Pixar film that will appeal to fans of Alan Bennett, Christopher Moore, Sam Savage, Benjamin Hale, and more. Quirky, beguiling, and endlessly entertaining, PYG is a one-of-a-kind treasure.