French literature summaries - 2021

Short summary - 95 Pounds of Hope
Anna Gavalda

A 13-year-old boy does not study well, but he loves to craft and enters a technical college. When his grandfather falls ill, the boy takes up his studies, believing that this will help the old man, and he gets better.

The story is told from the perspective of thirteen-year-old Gregoire.

Until the age of three, little Gregoire lived happily and carefree. He played a lot, watched cartoons, drew, invented all sorts of adventures about Groduda - it was his "favorite plush puppy." When Grégoire was three and a half years old, he was sent to school, and the boy's free life ended there.

The first day at school went well, but the next morning Gregoire flatly refused to go there - he had a lot to do at home. Mom began to persuade him, but he began to squeal and for the first time in his life received a heavy slap - "this is how the nightmare began."

Now Grégoire was thirteen years old and in the sixth grade. Everything is simple here - he twice "remained in the second year: in elementary school in the second and now - in the sixth." Because of problems at school, scandals often broke out at home. Parents were outraged by Gregoire's poor studies, but he only remained silent in response.

Of course, it's easy to tell yourself that you're good for nothing to do nothing.

The boy could not remember the school material, which for him was the same as “Chinese writing”. Gregoire was taken "to a million doctors, they checked his eyes, ears, even brains" and eventually came to the conclusion that he had problems with concentration. Gregoire's health was strong, he was just not interested in studying.

It was really good at the school “only one year - in the senior kindergarten group”, when the teacher Marie worked there. She was a needlewoman and a great inventor. Every day Gregoire returned home with different handicrafts.

Marie liked to say that "the day when you did something with your own hands is not in vain." It was thanks to her that the boy realized that more than anything in the world he loves to make something. In parting, Marie presented Gregoire with a wonderful book, 1000 Things for Skillful Hands.

It was difficult for Gregoire to endure the daily scandals of his parents, who could not stand each other, and vented their anger on their son. When the parents started yelling at each other, Gregoire plugged his ears and mentally imagined how he was fixing something: a spaceship or a giant pyramid.

Once Gregoire was expelled from school because of physical education. He did not like sports, because "he did not come out either in height, or in muscles, or in strength." The parents were furious, and only grandfather Leon supported the boy during that difficult period. They were a lot alike - my grandfather also loved to make something and never climbed into the soul. Much to Grégoire's chagrin, his grandfather's health left much to be desired. He coughed for a long time, and it seemed that his strength was leaving him.

Parents with great difficulty placed Gregoire in a non-prestigious school, where he became even more stupid, and then assigned him to a boarding school. Gregoire himself wanted to study at a technical college, where there were "metal and carpentry workshops", and even sent a letter to the director asking him to accept him. He confirmed the seriousness of his intentions with a drawing of a banana peeler.

I think grades are not the most important thing in life. I think it's more important to know what you want in life.

Much to Grégoire's surprise, he was invited to the college to take the entrance exam, and he passed it. On the same day, grandfather Leon fell into a coma and was sent to the hospital. Gregoire decided that his beloved grandfather would certainly recover if he changed his attitude to study.

From that day on, the boy “became resolute. Angry to work. Purposeful." The happiest day for Gregoire was the day when his grandfather visited him in college, sitting in a wheelchair.