Holden, mon frère
(My brother Holden) Book not yet available in English
Summary:
Kévin Pouchin comes from a disadvantaged family that has little time for reading and highbrow culture. The family watchword is “know your place!”. Kévin’s mother tells him not to “talk proper” with “long words” and “complicated sentences”. He feels different from the rest of his family and struggles to get along with them. One day, leaving his council flat to avoid his mother’s rage, he goes to the library to keep warm. He sees Laurie, top of the class, who spends all her free time there, with Irène, who used to run the library. Irène takes Kévin under her wing and sets out to introduce him to great works of literature, beginning with Catcher in the Rye. Kévin reads it in secret, terrified of his parents or classmates finding out. The book is a revelation: he identifies with the hero, Holden, who wanders around town after being kicked out of school. With Laurie and Irène’s help, he gradually improves his school marks and his relationship with his family. And soon, it is his turn to help Irène, whose daughter wants to put her in an old folks’ home…
Edited by: Université Sorbonne Paris Nord
Comment:
A witty novel on a topic that might not seem to lend itself to humour – social determinism. The story is told from the perspective of Kévin, who always sees reality with a heavy dose of irony. His family situation is dark, but not hopeless: the novel ends with his parents showing their pride when his marks improve and encouraging him to work hard to prove that “we’re not all a complete waste of space”. Kévin begins to write, and discovers the power of words. His hilarious descriptions of his social condition earn the respect of his classmates.
The author does not judge her disadvantaged characters, describing them with great fondness. She clearly demonstrates why it is hard for the working class to get to grips with highbrow culture, made by and for the elite. Libraries are presented as places of discovery and emancipation, opening up culture to everyone regardless of background. It also touches on marginalisation in the character of Irène, a live-wire grandmother who refuses to go to an old folks’ home, opening up the issue of the place of older men and women in society. Toxic masculinity is another theme: Kévin’s father is desperate for his son to be manly, and of course reading is not something his son should enjoy! But Kévin does not fit that mould. He loves reading and writing, he cries sometimes, and he loves looking after his little sister. The result is a subtle, funny, tender novel that takes a delicate, sensitive approach to highly contemporary social issues.