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Frenchtown Summer
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 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.
128 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
6 people are currently reading
319 people want to read
About the author
Robert Cormier
55 books634 followersRobert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925–November 2, 2000) was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged in multiple libraries. His books often are concerned with themes such as abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal and conspiracy. In most of his novels, the protagonists do not win.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
January 7, 2016
It was the summer of the airplane.
Written entirely in free verse, Frenchtown Summer is the story of Eugene - a 12 year old boy who writes down the events of a single summer in a series of short vignettes. Obviously modeled after the author, Eugene is a shy and sensitive but also very observant boy: he notices many small details of the city as he delivers the local paper, and tries to make sense of them to understand the world and himself. Eugene says that he knows his name, but does not know who he is; he feels unimportant and unnoticeable, "as transparent as rain"; he adores his mother, who looks like a movie star and fills the home with warmth and love; but he is unable to connect to his father, who Eugene thinks is "Like a silhouette...as if obscured by a light shining behind him".
Even though he is quiet and unassuming, Eugene displays a budding love for adventure and a sense of wonder; he gets a first pair of glasses and sees the world sharply for the first time, falls in love with a nun teaches piano lessons. As he delivers the local paper, he observes many places and situations in his part of town, even venturing into the cemetery. Although Eugene writes about his favorite aunts and uncles with interest and even affection, it is always his silent, distant father, with whom he most wishes to notice and acknowledge him, and whom he wishes to understand and bond with. As the Frenchtown summer will draw to an end, a surprising experience might draw Eugene closer to his father than he would ever have expected.
Frenchtown Summer is very different from other novels by Robert Cormier not only in form, but in tone; it is full of nostalgia and sentimentality of a world long gone, but is not overdone and schmaltzy. Cormier's work is usually very bleak and even depressing - see my reviews for as I Am the Cheese, The Chocolate War and After the First Death - butFrenchtown Summer is an exception: it's full of bittersweet nostalgia and longing, and is ultimately very satisfying. Obviously basing Frenchtown on his own hometown of Leominster and Eugene on himself, Cormier is very successful at conveying a young boy's longing for his father's love and the wish to understand life's "unanswered questions and mysteries". Although very short, Frenchtown Summer is full of genuine emotion and great reading for both children and adults alike.
Written entirely in free verse, Frenchtown Summer is the story of Eugene - a 12 year old boy who writes down the events of a single summer in a series of short vignettes. Obviously modeled after the author, Eugene is a shy and sensitive but also very observant boy: he notices many small details of the city as he delivers the local paper, and tries to make sense of them to understand the world and himself. Eugene says that he knows his name, but does not know who he is; he feels unimportant and unnoticeable, "as transparent as rain"; he adores his mother, who looks like a movie star and fills the home with warmth and love; but he is unable to connect to his father, who Eugene thinks is "Like a silhouette...as if obscured by a light shining behind him".
Even though he is quiet and unassuming, Eugene displays a budding love for adventure and a sense of wonder; he gets a first pair of glasses and sees the world sharply for the first time, falls in love with a nun teaches piano lessons. As he delivers the local paper, he observes many places and situations in his part of town, even venturing into the cemetery. Although Eugene writes about his favorite aunts and uncles with interest and even affection, it is always his silent, distant father, with whom he most wishes to notice and acknowledge him, and whom he wishes to understand and bond with. As the Frenchtown summer will draw to an end, a surprising experience might draw Eugene closer to his father than he would ever have expected.
Frenchtown Summer is very different from other novels by Robert Cormier not only in form, but in tone; it is full of nostalgia and sentimentality of a world long gone, but is not overdone and schmaltzy. Cormier's work is usually very bleak and even depressing - see my reviews for as I Am the Cheese, The Chocolate War and After the First Death - butFrenchtown Summer is an exception: it's full of bittersweet nostalgia and longing, and is ultimately very satisfying. Obviously basing Frenchtown on his own hometown of Leominster and Eugene on himself, Cormier is very successful at conveying a young boy's longing for his father's love and the wish to understand life's "unanswered questions and mysteries". Although very short, Frenchtown Summer is full of genuine emotion and great reading for both children and adults alike.
April 8, 2009
While I wasn't sure about the whole poems-as-novel thing, Cormier still managed to do what every writer strives for: pull some emotion from these hardened bones.
There are a few moments in this book that are just gorgeous, some of which I wish were expanded upon. But all things considered, Cormier compacts a heartfelt story into these 113 pages, that are made even more sparse by the poem format.
Truly, Cormier is one of the better writers you've probably never heard of, and I'm glad my interest/liking/admiration of him has been re-awakened by this quick little read.
There are a few moments in this book that are just gorgeous, some of which I wish were expanded upon. But all things considered, Cormier compacts a heartfelt story into these 113 pages, that are made even more sparse by the poem format.
Truly, Cormier is one of the better writers you've probably never heard of, and I'm glad my interest/liking/admiration of him has been re-awakened by this quick little read.
July 4, 2022
I loved this beautifully written little book..it makes me want to read more of this author’s work….
December 27, 2015
Frenchtown Summer was, at first, a bit normal for me. I mean, it seemed to just be accounts of Eugene's life (which it is). Then came the flashlight and the metaphor, the meaning of the flashlight, almost made me cry. I really enjoyed the whole book after the page about the flashlight he received. I believe it was page 81 and I think people should read this book especially for the metaphor on life which, vaguely put, is that happiness is not eternal but can be rekindled.
August 23, 2010
GENRE: Fiction, realistic fiction, verse.
SUMMARY: Eugene experienced a busy summer. He had a paper route, got glasses, endeavored to learn more about his family, and visited the cemetery, among many other adventures. So much happens to Eugene during that summer, and he is hyper-aware of it all, from how his piano teacher smells to the few things that his older brother cares about.
EVALUATION: Written in verse and told through a first-person perspective, Frenchtown Summer takes the reader on a magical journey to experience things at a certain place and time in a young boy's life. Sometimes before we can figure out who we are, it helps to figure out what kind of people your parents are. Eugene understands his mother, though his father remains a mystery and distant from him, until a special incident brings them closer together. I really enjoyed Eugene's telling of how he saw his world.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: A solid tween collection should include some variety, and this fictional account is told in a verse format that may not be fully familiar with some tweens. It can be read fairly quickly, though it still contains a strong story that includes much activity.
READER'S ANNOTATION: Through the eyes of Eugene we learn about Frenchtown one summer, its locations, some of its inhabitants and the varied things they do.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.
• Stop Pretending by Sonya Sones.
• Foreign Exchange by Mel Glenn.
SUMMARY: Eugene experienced a busy summer. He had a paper route, got glasses, endeavored to learn more about his family, and visited the cemetery, among many other adventures. So much happens to Eugene during that summer, and he is hyper-aware of it all, from how his piano teacher smells to the few things that his older brother cares about.
EVALUATION: Written in verse and told through a first-person perspective, Frenchtown Summer takes the reader on a magical journey to experience things at a certain place and time in a young boy's life. Sometimes before we can figure out who we are, it helps to figure out what kind of people your parents are. Eugene understands his mother, though his father remains a mystery and distant from him, until a special incident brings them closer together. I really enjoyed Eugene's telling of how he saw his world.
WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: A solid tween collection should include some variety, and this fictional account is told in a verse format that may not be fully familiar with some tweens. It can be read fairly quickly, though it still contains a strong story that includes much activity.
READER'S ANNOTATION: Through the eyes of Eugene we learn about Frenchtown one summer, its locations, some of its inhabitants and the varied things they do.
ITEMS WITH SIMILAR APPEAL:
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse.
• Stop Pretending by Sonya Sones.
• Foreign Exchange by Mel Glenn.
June 12, 2015
Frenchtown Summer
Frenchtown summer a realistic fiction book by Robert Cormier felt like a tour through the gloomy section of town known as Frenchtown. Eugene is a boy who lives with his joyous mom and his mysterious and silent father who he wants only to connect to but his father's persona gets in the way of their father son relationship so then he is forced to go through the significant summer with no plans of trying to connect with his dad. This is a book I really enjoyed.
One thing I liked about this book is the setting the setting of Frenchtown is very strange kids dive in a river running in many colors because of dye poured in by Frenchtowns many hair shops. And the clown sitting on the street corner who mysteriously disappears and comes back years later. I also thought the characters had unique personalities like the good cop of Frenchtown who has the hots for a married lady, the multiple bullies walking through Frenchtown looking for new victims and Eugene's sad uncle Med you loathes for an unknown lost love.
Frenchtown summer is a great book most everyone generally would enjoy if they are ok with the plot mysteries. And the setting is mysterious as I didn't know if they were in America,Canada or France. Overall I give this book four out of five stars since it is such a short read I recommend you read this as a time killer.
Frenchtown summer a realistic fiction book by Robert Cormier felt like a tour through the gloomy section of town known as Frenchtown. Eugene is a boy who lives with his joyous mom and his mysterious and silent father who he wants only to connect to but his father's persona gets in the way of their father son relationship so then he is forced to go through the significant summer with no plans of trying to connect with his dad. This is a book I really enjoyed.
One thing I liked about this book is the setting the setting of Frenchtown is very strange kids dive in a river running in many colors because of dye poured in by Frenchtowns many hair shops. And the clown sitting on the street corner who mysteriously disappears and comes back years later. I also thought the characters had unique personalities like the good cop of Frenchtown who has the hots for a married lady, the multiple bullies walking through Frenchtown looking for new victims and Eugene's sad uncle Med you loathes for an unknown lost love.
Frenchtown summer is a great book most everyone generally would enjoy if they are ok with the plot mysteries. And the setting is mysterious as I didn't know if they were in America,Canada or France. Overall I give this book four out of five stars since it is such a short read I recommend you read this as a time killer.
November 19, 2009
poetry, coming-of-age
I stumbled across this book of free verse poetry written by Robert Cormier and didn't really know what to expect. Apart from the fact that this book is written in verse, the narrative style is different from Cormier's other work. Each chapter is a separate vignette about some aspect of the narrator's summer, so it's a little hard to piece together what this boy's life is really like. He has a brother and spends his summer exploring the areas around the Frenchtown. He lives close to several extended family members, and the story seems to focus mainly on the narrator's relationship with his father, who is cold and distant to the boy.
This book contained a little more conclusion than in other Cormier works, but there still is a lot of emotion unresolved. This set of poems is largely autobiographical, and it's interesting to see Cormier in the story.
I stumbled across this book of free verse poetry written by Robert Cormier and didn't really know what to expect. Apart from the fact that this book is written in verse, the narrative style is different from Cormier's other work. Each chapter is a separate vignette about some aspect of the narrator's summer, so it's a little hard to piece together what this boy's life is really like. He has a brother and spends his summer exploring the areas around the Frenchtown. He lives close to several extended family members, and the story seems to focus mainly on the narrator's relationship with his father, who is cold and distant to the boy.
This book contained a little more conclusion than in other Cormier works, but there still is a lot of emotion unresolved. This set of poems is largely autobiographical, and it's interesting to see Cormier in the story.
May 22, 2010
This is the story of summer in frenchtown. The comb factory is the center of life, and all the members of town work there. The story is told in poetry, so it is a different sort of read, but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. There is not really a coherent plot to this novel, it is more like a collection of impressions throughout the summer. Since it is told through poetry the narrator can tell the sensory perceptions of his childhood summer, and even the terrible events that are portrayed in some of the chapters are softened.My diagnosis of the book is the same as my diagnosis of the author... interesting but odd. There are always some disturbing scenes in his novels, but they are very well told stories. Robert Cormier, as always, makes you think.
January 11, 2011
This was an interesting, very quick book about a boy's summer in the 1930's (I believe), and his struggle to define his relationship with his father. It is written in verse form and has some beautiful writing. I have to give it four stars because I thought the writing was great, even though poetry isn't my thing so much. I really enjoyed how Robert Cormier used metaphors in his writing, and how the feel of the book did make me think it was a story being told by a young boy.
February 23, 2013
Autobiographic vignettes of Cormier's youth written in verse that is succinct and vibrantly evocative of the author's boyhood and his hopeful, yet sad, soul. I read this soon after reading Gantos' Dead End in Norvelt. They are excellent companion books, with similar themes, yet two distinctly different tones.
August 30, 2015
Vignettes in free verse of memories during a sweltering summer when Cormier was 12. Like his fiction, these have a way of leaving one a bit bruised, those memories that crush. Although found in the children's section, I think adults would get more out of this.
November 11, 2011
Short lines of concentrated wording spin a deep story of family life from a snapshot in history.
April 25, 2014
alright.
March 21, 2015
Short and sweet! More of a long poem than novel. Evan though it takes place before I was born, still evokes childhood memories of my hometown.
September 12, 2016
A young boy's memories of a working class walk-up tenement enclave.
Odd formatting on the e-Book version I read
Odd formatting on the e-Book version I read
June 15, 2017
Beautiful poetry and phrasing. Quiet and unsettling and depressing, but written so beautifully that I didn't mind. Not sure if kids would appreciate as much as adults.
October 26, 2017
Amazing
March 18, 2021
Frenchtown Summer reads more as a collection of memories of Eugene and his life living in Frenchtown. Each "chapter" has a piece of things remembered. Getting glasses> The cemetery with the grave of a woman strangles with a neck tie. His silent father going to the funeral of the factory owner. His uncle Mel taking he and his brother on hikes. Confessional.
Several themes and stories are thread through the novel such as PTSD from WWI in the adult men in Eugene's life and his youngest uncle Jules who was saved from the draft by a freak accident in the factory causing a broken leg. Eugene disliking the houses where wakes were being held and his discovery that his own father was aging and losing his hair. His first love- that of a nun who came only for a summer to teach piano lessons.
While the book was a nice one and quick I find it requires a bit more picking apart than other YA novels. There are themes there id you know to look for them. I'm curious to look up if the plane Eugene saw at the end of the book was Amelia Earhart's or not. I know she had an old war plane that was yellow for a while and she often flew around. On one of her attempted trips she landed in a farmer's field due to mechanical issues. I'd have to do research to see about her ever landing in such a small area though, and why she would. But it's a concept. There is also the idea that Eugene is an unreliable narrator, that he didn't see the plane and his father collaborated his story so he wouldn't be so ostracized by the other kids (as he had been all his life preferring books to sports).
Several themes and stories are thread through the novel such as PTSD from WWI in the adult men in Eugene's life and his youngest uncle Jules who was saved from the draft by a freak accident in the factory causing a broken leg. Eugene disliking the houses where wakes were being held and his discovery that his own father was aging and losing his hair. His first love- that of a nun who came only for a summer to teach piano lessons.
While the book was a nice one and quick I find it requires a bit more picking apart than other YA novels. There are themes there id you know to look for them. I'm curious to look up if the plane Eugene saw at the end of the book was Amelia Earhart's or not. I know she had an old war plane that was yellow for a while and she often flew around. On one of her attempted trips she landed in a farmer's field due to mechanical issues. I'd have to do research to see about her ever landing in such a small area though, and why she would. But it's a concept. There is also the idea that Eugene is an unreliable narrator, that he didn't see the plane and his father collaborated his story so he wouldn't be so ostracized by the other kids (as he had been all his life preferring books to sports).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2021
Frenchtown Summer focuses on Eugene, a young boy who is in the midst of a war going on around him. He notices it and begins to question all that is going on around him. The book focuses a large part on Eugene’s childhood, and also on the questions that he continually asks and what he’s seeing in the world around him. This feels like a “coming of age” type of book, but in a different manner. Eugene begins to see the darkness and hardships in the world around him, something he never saw a child, and soon it becomes clear to him about life and death. This book was definitely tough, as so much of it was a happier moment followed by something ruining it. The writing is wonderful, as it has a poetic fashion from Eugene’s point of view, so we witness his questions and the world around him. We see his perspective on those around him, and just what’s going on at a difficult time, which is entirely different for a child compared to an adult. Some questions, if not most, aren’t even answered, which becomes all the worse, as it shows that there aren’t answers, or no one knows what to say when asked a certain question.
December 11, 2021
The poetry of young Eugene tells the story of a summer in Frenchtown, where he lives with his family in the second floor of a "three-decker" on Fourth Street. His father is unreadable, and Eugene longs to know if he has his love and approval. At 12 years old, he is beginning to notice the problems in the adult world around him, while still sequestered to the world of early adolescence.
Eugene sees the life of his parents, a mother who looks like a super model, and a father who looks like a backlit shadow, and the lives of his aunts and uncles, especially his uncle Med, who he is closest to. He comes into contact with different versions of the same concept: That Which is Sacred. Whether it be a job, a church confessional, love, or a cemetery, where some are deemed unworthy to be buried. He must contend with each of them, deciding for himself that which he holds most dear, and what worthiness and love really mean.
Frenchtown Summer was a refreshing read, even as it was such a dark subject. It felt a little clunky at times, but a repeated theme of death, and those who can be killed, and those who can, or can't, be saved, left me thinking for quite some time.
Eugene sees the life of his parents, a mother who looks like a super model, and a father who looks like a backlit shadow, and the lives of his aunts and uncles, especially his uncle Med, who he is closest to. He comes into contact with different versions of the same concept: That Which is Sacred. Whether it be a job, a church confessional, love, or a cemetery, where some are deemed unworthy to be buried. He must contend with each of them, deciding for himself that which he holds most dear, and what worthiness and love really mean.
Frenchtown Summer was a refreshing read, even as it was such a dark subject. It felt a little clunky at times, but a repeated theme of death, and those who can be killed, and those who can, or can't, be saved, left me thinking for quite some time.
March 15, 2021
Beautiful coming of age tale set in a fictionalised northern bluecollar town of French-Canadian heritage. I've always enjoyed the rare instances of novels written in verse and this slight book by one of the great YA authors is full of childhood memories with melancholy and dark undertones, but also of parental love and the complexities of living in the same town as extended family.
Cormier, like his novels, doesn't particularly target a YA mindset. There's suicide and drinking and marriage tensions and ambiguities that only hinted at when I first read this many years ago. It has stayed with me and I enjoy re-reading it every year or so. A perfect story of self-awareness and memory.
Cormier, like his novels, doesn't particularly target a YA mindset. There's suicide and drinking and marriage tensions and ambiguities that only hinted at when I first read this many years ago. It has stayed with me and I enjoy re-reading it every year or so. A perfect story of self-awareness and memory.
February 27, 2019
I really enjoyed Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier. Loved the style and the short-story version of each section. Vintage stories of a young boy in New York. It offered insight into the life and relationships in his little section of the world, as seen from the perspective of a preteen in 1938. Very "real". Whether you are male or female, young or old, I imagine everyone shared some of his emotions and thoughts at a similar age. I recommend it.
December 16, 2021
Starting a Cormier Author Study because reading dark books in the holiday season, when it gets dark at 4p, is just my whole vibe. I’ll post an in-depth review on www.HowIFeelAboutBooks.com soon. This felt like a very unique Cormier book because it’s a novel in verse. I liked his style, though. There isn’t as much darkness as his other books, but it was worth reading.
January 8, 2019
The author had an amazing talent for describing the people in his life, reflecting on his family members and friends from his youth. This free verse compilation was published just one year before he died.
November 10, 2017
I enjoyed it, but it will be over the head of most YA readers. It was subtle and sweet to watch the longing of the boy for his father.
February 9, 2018
quality literature
November 4, 2019
I can't imagine any 12+ child liking this memoire. So depressing and empty.
July 3, 2022
Such a sweet book!
With the knowledge that Cormier wrote all his books for his son, teaching him about life, it made me appreciate the book so much more.
With the knowledge that Cormier wrote all his books for his son, teaching him about life, it made me appreciate the book so much more.
February 17, 2024
Quick read giving a glimpse into L town today...curious if there was some truth to some of the stories that changed names...
January 14, 2023
This book has been in my school library since 2006, over 15 years, and it has NEVER been checked out. I read it and I can see why. It's about a boy living in the tenements in Boston, an area called Frenchtown. It doesn't relate to any historical event. It's just a summer in the life of a Catholic boy. I couldn't exactly place the time period, perhaps during the Depression. Older adults enjoy reading books that harken back to a time when families were close and every day was an adventure, but kids today can't relate unless the author does a bang up job building character and place. This book is written in verse, so the amount of description required to pull the reader in is absent.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews