Mr. Summer's Story [Hardcover]

Patrick Suskind (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 9, 1993

A young boy's fleeting encounter with the enigmatic Mr. Summer has a profound impact on the child's life, in a poignant story about childhood and innocence lost, as seen through the eyes of that grown-up child now turned middle-aged. 15,000 first printing. $15,000 ad/promo.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

German novelist and playwright Suskind, whose sophisticated novel Perfume drew international attention, now offers a deceptively simple, rather slight fable of childhood and lost innocence. Mr. Summer, a tall, gaunt eccentric whose first name none of the townsfolk knows, roves through the unnamed European countryside every day from dawn until late evening. The goal of his endless nature walks remains a mystery. The nameless narrator, a middle-aged man recollecting his boyhood, tells how he resolved to commit suicide after receiving a verbal thrashing from his hunchbacked piano teacher, only to be inadvertently thwarted by Mr. Summer. When their paths cross again on a black October night six years later, the youth, now in high school, witnesses the mysterious man's final plunge into darkness. Is Mr. Summer a redemptive figure? Is he emblematic of our ruptured unity with nature? Suskind leaves the answers open-ended in a beautifully translated tale. Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Suskind, whose novel Perfume ( LJ 10/15/86) was an international best seller, has a lightness of touch rarely associated with German literature. The narrator of this slender volume, a middle-aged man looking back on his childhood, reveals on the very first page a delightful personality: innocent, whimsical, eager, and filled with wonder. Mr. Summer, the ostensible main character, is an enigmatic, ultimately tragic figure whose capacity to walk endlessly through the countryside gives the narrative a fairy tale-like quality. A plot summary would give away too much without ever elucidating this magical work's essence. Highly recommended for general readers.
- Michael T. O'Pecko, Towson State Univ., Md.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Knopf (March 9, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679419950
• ISBN-13: 978-0679419952
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #637,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most enjoyable book I've ever read., January 2, 2003

By 

steven (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Summer's Story (Hardcover)

My latest out of print Suskind book finally arived today and I tore through the packaging which I let fall to the floor and I sat down and would not get up until it was finished. I had to stop every couple pages and pound the table and laugh and shake my head. When I got about halfway through, I had to get up and walk around and compose myself before continuing. I was walking around wiping my tears of joy and wondering why there aren't more people going insane over Suskind like me. I had just gladly spent 60 bucks on this out of print book. As soon as I save up more I'm going to fork over 200 more to get The Double Bass to finish my collection of his literary efforts. I wonder why everyone just stops with Perfume, they seem to like that one enough.
I'm still young and there's a lot more books beyond Suskind to be read. Maybe he won't seem so brilliant after I've more, but for now, man he's good. I've never laughed so hard at reading anything in my life as the piano lesson part of Mr. Summer's Story. This book is so beautiful. I hope Patrick Suskind continues to publish more in the future that will blow more people's minds and influence publishers to reprint these wonderful books.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suskind is a master storyteller, June 5, 2005

By 

Sebastian Fernandez (Tampa, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mr. Summer's Story (Hardcover)

A man tells the story of how he met Mr. Summer when he was a kid and how this peculiar man changed his life, starting with stopping him from committing suicide. The narrator was at the time planning to jump from a tree, and Mr. Summer was in one of his usual walks that constantly took him around town with his distinctive walking stick and carrying his backpack. Nobody knew much about Mr. Summer, and he never talked with other people, but he took the time to dissuade our storyteller from ending his life at such a young age. As we get to read more about the relationship with Mr. Summer, we notice that the story may really be about something else, but I will let you figure that one out on your own.

Suskind shows how good a writer he is through various aspects present in this story. First, this is a book that can be read by children and adults alike, even though some of the finer symbolisms may be hard to understand for kids. In this aspect, I find Suskind similar to Snicket and Rowling, whose books appeal to all ages. But Suskind's writing has a more serious tone and aims at a broader topic. Another aspect that really surprised me is how the author can infuse the story with such level of emotion and make it complete in such a brief number of pages. He accomplished what few can, one of the examples off the top of my head being Ira Levin with her novel "The Stepford Wives". Finally, I love the way in which Suskind writes, how he describes people and places, and how he builds up the momentum of his stories. I was extremely pleased with his famous novel "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer", and was rewarded for deciding to search for some of his other works.

Besides the great writing, this book has a set of illustrations by Sempe that complement the story nicely and that give it a liveliness not usually seen in other places. Of course, kids will certainly appreciate this feature. I am now planning to continue exploring Suskind's work in the hope of finding more reading of this same quality. In the meantime, I highly recommend this book, along with "Perfume..." to those that love good literature.

5 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!, January 22, 2000

By 

Jack Altair (CT, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr. Summer's Story (Hardcover)

This is one brilliant book. I've read it in a library about four years ago, and I still a lot of it. Read it, you'll love it. Also read The Double Bass