Frenchtown Summer

Rating:
Summary: Analyzing "Frenchtown Summer"
Review: "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.

Rating:
Summary: More Plot, story and poetry than other free verse novels
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Frenchtown Summer
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: More Plot, story and poetry than other free verse novels
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Frenchtown Summer
Review: 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. In comparison to other stories I have read, The Chocolate War and Heroes, Frenchtown Summer is not tell a dark story, but is intricately shadowed with secrets and tragedy.

The story follows a young 12-year old boy named Eugene during the summer of his first paper route. Eugene spends the summer in search of his identity (a common theme among many teens) and finds him self in need of approval from his father. Eugene also discovers a desire for adventure and through this learns deep secrets about his family.

Although this book was a quick read, it should be read several times as it written in poetic verse. The pages are open and allow for the imagination to visualize the story as it unfolds. I particularly enjoyed this story because Eugene reminded me somewhat of myself at that age. Frenchtown Summer was defiantly one of Robert's most unique stories.

Rating:
Summary: Sarah Swafford . Bak Middle School of the Arts .
Review: Magnificent sights, sounds, smells, and emotions; all intertwined into one book, written in verse. A young male, one extremely eminent summer. Many different memories, some more outstanding than others.

Eugene, pushing his way through a summer in the 1930's in the book Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier.

A summer of new experiences: his first love, interesting conversations with friends, arguments with fiends, dealing with death, and the airplane, being the most outstanding. Throughout the story, Eugene complains of how he feels "like a ghost on Mechanic Street, transparent as rain..." especially to his father, who rarely paid attention to him. The airplane represents the stretch between him and his father contracting.

"First, a wink of color, orange, in the corner of my eyes, at the far end of an alley between two three-deckers." Eugene finally, vividly, describes (like the rest of the chapters) the airplane. "...I tossed my paper bag to the sidewalk and followed the flash of orange to a backyard where I saw, unbelievably, and airplane, orange, yes, with lightning streaks of white on the fuselage..." Eugene thinks that the airplane has landed in a back yard of someone in Frenchtown, but no one believes him. His father then mentions it, and Eugene is enthused by his father seeing it as well.

If looking from above into someone else's life from a different time period than today, not to mention the wonderful details of everything, from Eugene's new glasses, to his 'silent uncle' interests you then I would suggest Frenchtown Summer to you.

Rating:
Summary: Frenchtown Summer
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Poetry that tells a story
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Poetry in motion
Review: 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!