Eugene is remembering the summer of 1938 in Frenchtown, a time when he began to wonder “what I was doing here on the planet Earth.” Here in vibrant, exquisite detail are his lovely mother, his aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, and especially his beloved, enigmatic father. Here, too, is the world of a mill town: the boys swimming in a brook that is red or purple or green, depending on the dyes dumped that day by the comb shop; the visit of the ice man; and the boys’ trips to the cemetery or the forbidden railroad tracks. And here also is a darker world–the mystery of a girl murdered years before. Robert Cormier’s touching, funny, melancholy chronicle of a vanished world celebrates a son’s connection to his father and human relationships that are timeless.
Frenchtown Summer
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Robert Cormier, much-lauded author of fiction for teens, pulls a switch on his readers with this memoir in blank verse, and proves to be an equally dazzling success as a poet. The story takes place in the streets, alleys, and tenements of the French-Canadian district of Monument called Frenchtown, familiar to Cormier fans from Fade, Heroes, and Tunes for Bears to Dance To. A bookish young boy, lonely in his big family, spends his thirteenth summer watching, learning, fearing, wondering--"in the days when I knew my name, but did not know who I was." He yearns for a sign of love from his enigmatic, silent father, and hides a terrible secret about his beloved uncle and the girl whose broken body was found in the woods long ago. This is vintage Cormier--he has distilled the most powerful themes and images of his previous books into one intensely beautiful and deceptively small work. Every poem is capable of standing alone, yet each additional chapter adds insights and events to carry the story forward. The voice is natural and easy, recognizable from his earlier novels but with heightened emotional impact. Poetry-loving teens will take this book to heart, along with other verse novels like Stop Pretending, by Sonya Sones; Foreign Exchange, by Mel Glenn; and Karen Hesse's Newbery Award-winning Out of the Dust. (Ages 10 and older) --Patty Campbell
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
More wistful but equally as haunting as Cormier's usual fare, this novel in verse shapes an impressionistic portrait of a lonely, keenly observant boy living in post-WWI Frenchtown (also the setting for the novel Fade). Twelve-year-old Eugene finds his father enigmatic and distant: "My father was a silhouette,/ as if obscured/ by a light shining behind him./ He was closer to me waving from the street/ than nearby in the tenement/ or walking beside me." While hoping for some sign of paternal love or approval, Eugene quietly and contemplatively penetrates the secrets of Frenchtown. He watches as Mrs. Cartin contemplates taking a leap from the third-floor, stands by as a one-time friend becomes an outcast after a bout with St. Vitus' dance and connects his favorite uncle to an unsolved murder case. Every observation implies mystery and hidden dramas; while the short verse chapters seem less plot-driven than Cormier fans may expect, they subtly convey the shadows in Frenchtown and the action those shadows conceal. Feeling "as transparent as rain," Eugene is a ghostly presence here, taking readers back in time and slowly mesmerizing them with his memories of coming of age. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name but did not know who I was, we lived on the second floor of the three-decker on Fourth Street. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name but did not know who I was, we lived on the second floor of the three-decker on Fourth Street. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
FRENCHTOWN SUMMER is brilliant. Where other free verse novels
seem to be words thrown together in quick, uneven fashion,
this one (like OUT OF THE DUST and JUDY SCUPPERNONG) has
heart, poetic language and story. Robert Cormier has succeeded
in giving us real, solid, amazing literature.
Page after page is an easy, quick, yet worthy read.
seem to be words thrown together in quick, uneven fashion,
this one (like OUT OF THE DUST and JUDY SCUPPERNONG) has
heart, poetic language and story. Robert Cormier has succeeded
in giving us real, solid, amazing literature.
Page after page is an easy, quick, yet worthy read.
By Janna
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Frenchtown Summer is a book written in verse form. It is written from the point of view of Eugene, a 12-year-old, and tells the story of his summer living in Frenchtown, hence the title.
I was disappointed in this book. When I first saw it, I thought since it was short it would be very easy to read. This book was 113 pages long, but it took me 4 days to read it, which is sad since usually I finish books in this format in a day.
This book has no plot. All it is is this kid telling about different things that happened in his summer. The only thing close to a plot is him feeling separated from his family, especially his father, and then at the end he finally feels close to him. But that is just a minor part of the story, the rest of it is just descriptions of random things. The first few chapters aren't too boring or anything. They set the stage and setting for what seems like a good story. But then the rest of the chapters pretty much just describe random things. All of those random chapters are tied together slightly, but not enough to make it a good story.
If you are looking for an action-packed story, find another book. Even if you are looking for a book that describes a 12-year-old's summer, there are better books out there. If you are looking for a good book of poems that tells a good story, tying in the random chapters really well, there are also better books out there. Try Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse or What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones. If you are looking for a book that you can finish fast and read easily, don't be misled, this isn't one of them. This book just doesn't have that element that good books have that keep you wanting to read more. Sure, it's not the most boring book I've read, but it's sure one of them.
The way the verses are written isn't bad. They are actually written pretty well. This is a talented author, but this book isn't one of his best.
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This book was chosin in a book club at my school as the next book to read. I thought when I first saw it that it was small so it would probably be pretty boring, but easy to read. After I had begun to read it I found that it was anything but boring. Many different things occur that are mysterious or hard to understand. After reading the book within a couple of hours I had a couple of questions that lingered in my mind about it, with several different answeres that I could think up. When we were all done my club hada group discussion and answered some of those questions. I reccomend this book just because it is so mysterious yet easy to read. ~4 stars~
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4.3 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sarah Swafford . Bak Middle School of the Arts .
Magnificent sights, sounds, smells, and emotions; all intertwined into one book, written in verse. A young male, one extremely eminent summer. Read more
Published on May 19 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
Frenchtown Summer
I decided to read this book for a young adult literature class and was quite pleased to read a unique piece of work from Robert Cormier. Read more
Published on April 22 2002
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!
My teacher read this book to our class and I thought it was beautifully written. He is a great poet and is a genius. Read more
Published on April 21 2002 by James
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poetry that tells a story
Robert Cormier is an excellent writer. My co-worker didn't like this book, but when I read it I was impressed by how beautifully he told this story in poetic verse. Read more
Published on Jun 12 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Analyzing "Frenchtown Summer"
"That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name...," says Eugene, as he describes his somewhat odd and eventful summer. Read more
Published on Feb 29 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Analyzing "Frenchtown Summer"
"That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name...," says Eugene, as he describes his somewhat odd and eventful summer. Read more
Published on Feb 10 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Analyzing "Frenchtown Summer"
"That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name...," says Eugene, as he describes his somewhat odd and eventful summer. Read more
Published on Feb 10 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poetry in motion
The book was a quick read -- less than half an hour. But one read is not enough -- I had to read it again and again, four times in fact, and I'm satisfied -- for the moment. Read more
Published on Sep 27 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written, haunting and lyrical
This book is a departure for author Robert Cormier who has always been a favorite of mine because of his tight, twisting plots and his unflinching look at life. Read more
Published on Sep 22 1999
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