Anglický jazyk

How I Learned French

Vydavateľstvo: wwgoss
Rok vydania: 2022
Formát: Paperback
Rozmer: 203 x 133 mm
Jazyk: Anglický jazyk
ISBN: 9798986921549

Na objednávku, dodanie 2-4 týždne

15.05 €

bežná cena: 17.10 €

O knihe

A grandfather tells his granddaughter about learning French via friends and hijinks. Otto Pulaski comes from a family that keeps a lot of secrets. He is surprised when, on a Zoom call, his precocious teenage granddaughter, Zadie, who is questioning her gender identity, asks how he learned to speak French. Otto leisurely reflects on his life and recalls his unusual education. He starts with his first exposure; as a teenager, he got caught stealing a car and went to a rehab camp in Wisconsin. Near the camp, on yet another misadventure (involving getting stuck on a cliff), he befriends a Frenchman who taught him some French basics. The chapters are organized by the escapades through which Otto learns a few key words and phrases, such as attends (wait). As his granddaughter peppers him with questions-and his daughter, Kali, tries to stop her because she's aware of her father's traumatic past-he talks about crushes; the kinds of trouble he got himself in as a young man, including shooting a man in self-defense; the many places he's lived (Chicago, Wisconsin, and Oregon); and the twists of fate that led him to multiple French speakers on his sojourns. The novel is a short but complex read. Otto doesn't always act nobly, and he doesn't regret his choices: "This chronicle is about how I learned French; it is not a confessional," he says. Goss' structural choice of basing each section on a French word or phrase works well; it highlights the themes of a flawed man's life and the characters who passed through it. Perhaps like any life, though, there are dropped threads, including a mysterious incident with Otto's friend Bumper that doesn't really pay off. This surprisingly affecting story includes some delightful moments-especially between Otto and Zadie. A short, endearing tale of one man's linguistic coming-of-age. - Review by Kirkus Reviews