Customer Reviews

Frenchtown Summer

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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. Some of the lines in the poems are enchanting ("when I knew my name/but did not know who I was." "and knew bliss/in a sliver/of ice), and you must read them again. They flow, fluid, like a river, the Moosock River which ran red and green and purple depending on the dyes the factories were using that day... It's a lovely nostalgic book, showing a time I'll never experience, and yet there are some dark undertones too: Marielle LaMoyne, found strangled by a necktie years before Eugene was born...the near-suicide of one of Eugene's neighbors and the actual suicide of a relative... Naturally, of course, you can't have a Robert Cormier book without them. Tis lovely. Go away if you haven't read the book and buy it, NOW!

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. But Cormier's first novel written in verse is as marvelous as anything he has ever written and is truly a book to treasure.

I usually end up reading parts of Cormier's novels quickly in order to find out what happens next. But this is a book which makes the reader want to savor every word. He is a master at subtlty and understatement, using one or two words to convey so much meaning.

The relationship between Eugene and his mother, the glimpses into the lives of his neighbors, the secret of tragedy which surrounds his uncle...every one of the elements of this book with intrigue and move the reader.

Some books are great for a quick read and then either sit on a shelf gathering dust or are promptly returned to the library and forgotten. Not Frenchtown Summer. You will want to return to the passages again and again. It would also be a perfect gift for just about anyone and definitely a book to treasure.

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~

"That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name...," says Eugene, as he describes his somewhat odd and eventful summer. He speaks of his love for his mother, who fills the room with delightful smells, as she shows her true love for him. He speaks of how he does not understand his father, who is employed at the Monument Comb Shop. Eugene would visit him, delivering his lunch, reaching out for his love and attention, however he did not truly receive any in return (except for a nod of thanks and a gesture for him to leave). He tells of his pépère (French for grandfather) and his uncles, mentioning the one who was quite mysterious in his ways, secluding himself from society, away from his family. He describes his favorite uncle Med, who would spend time with him and take him places (unfortunately, he dies during the summer). It is the summer of his twelfth birthday, his astonishing discovery of an airplane (this story takes place in the early 1920's, showing the rare appearance of an airplane), and a time where he got to know his father better, finally understanding him. As Eugene walks the tenement canyons, he discovers a love for adventure, roaming the city with his cousins, and experiencing the world with open eyes. Although he is surrounded by loving people, Eugene does not understand most of them. He learns more about his father, bringing him closer to him, while creating a true bond. I recommend this book for all age levels because it is good and expresses great meaning. It is quite interesting and portrays Eugene's great and eventful summer with much detail. It does not take long to read, however, it is still an enjoyable novel. It is written in verse of intense lyricism and is a book to be read and cherished by all.

"That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name...," says Eugene, as he describes his somewhat odd and eventful summer. He speaks of his love for his mother, who fills the room with delightful smells, as she shows her true love for him. He speaks of how he does not understand his father, who is employed at the Monument Comb Shop. Eugene would visit him, delivering his lunch, reaching out for his love and attention, however he did not truly receive any in return (except for a nod of thanks and a gesture for him to leave). He tells of his pépère (French for grandfather) and his uncles, mentioning the one who was quite mysterious in his ways, secluding himself from society, away from his family. He describes his favorite uncle Med, who would spend time with him and take him places (unfortunately, he dies during the summer). It is the summer of his twelfth birthday, his astonishing discovery of an airplane (this story takes place in the early 1920's, showing the rare appearance of an airplane), and a time where he got to know his father better, finally understanding him. As Eugene walks the tenement canyons, he discovers a love for adventure, roaming the city with his cousins, and experiencing the world with open eyes. Although he is surrounded by loving people, Eugene does not understand most of them. He learns more about his father, bringing him closer to him, while creating a true bond. I recommend this book for all age levels because it is good and expresses great meaning. It is quite interesting and portrays Eugene's great and eventful summer with much detail. It does not take long to read, however, it is still an enjoyable novel. It is written in verse of intense lyricism and is a book to be read and cherished by all.

My teacher read this book to our class and I thought it was beautifully written. He is a great poet and is a genius. Some times his writing in the book is gloomy and sudden but overall this is amazing.

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. Gradually you learn about 12 year old Eugene's life and the life of the inhabitants of Frenchtown before WW II. Cormier is a dark writer and I often steer away from his books, but I would recommend this one to everyone.

Frenchtown Summer was an interesting book and It made remember alot of things from when I was Younger. I remember when i use to come home from school and my mom would be happy to see me she would hug and kiss me. This was exactly what the character Eugene use to get. Eugene was a bored little kid who lived on Mechanic street and everyday would run paper routes. I use to do similar things like Eugene constructive positive things and had a young good looking mother like him when I was younger.

This is a very different format for the author, but very readable. Anyone who has grown up in Massachusetts will surely recognize Frenchtown as Leominster. I could personally relate to the setting, sights and smells portrayed in this short, unique book. It was a nostalgic trip back to my hometown after being away for 50 years.

I really enjoy Robert Cormier's novels. I've read several of them and enjoy the Monument, Frenchtown setting particularly of some of them. I also like YA novels in verse, Hesse's "Witness" and Koertge's "Shakespeare Bats Cleanup," for instance, are terrific. Other reviewers here have quoted the first four lines of the book: "That summer in Frenchtown/ in the days/ when I knew my name/ but did not know who I was./ Perhaps I would have liked Eugene's story more a few years later when he did know who he was. This was uninvolving. Cormier's heroes tend to be lonely and loners, observers as Eugene is, but he's so very cut off.
I imagine I will *love* the next Cormier novel I read.