Essentially, the novel concentrates on only one character: Jonathan Noel. It narrates his life grievances and how they have filled him with distrust, caused him to cower in fear at change and cling timorously to his daily routines. It explores how a slight disruption in his mundane routines, caused by a pigeon, leads to his mental collapse.

Seventy-five pages long, yet packed with unfathomed riveting content, "The Pigeon" is the most fitting book for someone of my otiose nature. Perfect almost. It passes all of my requirements in a book: (1) Brevity (Seventy-five pages long. Hell yes! Tick!) (2) Well-written (Tick!) (3) Engrossing factor (Tick!). Fantastic!!

I loved Suskind's writing style in this book. The words moved with pace and vigour, trudging across each page with no cerebration of rest, with no intention of admiring sceneries with superfluous, fanciful verbs and metaphors - no, there was no hiatus, there was only a crusade of words marching diligently towards the very last page of my orange Penguin book. That's not to say Suskind did not write the book eloquently - no, no, no! Far from that, very far from that. Concision did not prevent him from showing off artistic verbosity- each word seemed to selected with purpose and each sentence seemed to be constructed to be relished. He has recreated every mundane, everyday event into something enthralling. For example, an excerpt from the book, pertaining to Noel's room:

"... it would remain Jonathan's island of security in a world of insecurity, his refuge, his beloved- yes she received him with a tender embrace each evening when he returned home, she offered warmth and protection, she nourished both body and soul, was always there when he needed her and did not desert him. She was in point of fact the only thing that had proved dependable in his life." - page 7

Fantastic!

Should you read this book?
In celebration of Suskind's style of brevity (but without the grace and brilliance), I will keep this review brusque. YES. YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!