Rene Goscinny's Nicholas

The last book I have chosen to present is Nicholas, written by french author Rene Goscinny, who is the creator of Lucky Luke. It is illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé and was originally published in 1959. It is actually part of a series of five books, which recount the everyday adventures of little Nicholas and his group of friends. The books were originally written in french but have been translated into english by Anthea Bell. I have picked them for my last presentation , because they were probably my favorite books as a child. Nicholas, the protagonist of the books, is a little troublemaker and although he does not have bad intentions, he and his group of friends have a talent for creating mayhem out of simple, everyday situations. The stories take place in France in the 1950's.

                                                  

 

Nicholas would be classified as historical realistic fiction. It takes place in the 1950's, yet the depiction of the events and the characters seems very contemporary and overcomes the time barrier. The adventures depicted take place in a realistic setting, yet they are somewhat extreme, and the book owes a lot of its humour to this extremity. The writing style of Goscinny is simple, but not simplistc. It is desciptive, very intelligent and funny. What is great in this book is that the stories are told through the viewpoint of Nicholas, and Goscinny conveys a child's confusion and misapprehension about the world and the reactions of adults very effectively. Characterization is another of the strong points of the book. Each child and each adult is a unique character with their own traits and flaws.

The black and white pencil illustrations are sparse and somewhat abstract, and they resemble comic illustrations. They are very funny and fit the mood of the book perfectly.

 

 

As a motivational activity I would ask my students to compose their own little Nicholas adventure. Another activity could be to do a presentation on 1950's Paris.

I would ask them the following questions:

1)Who is your favorite character in this book? Why?

2)In what ways are children different today from the children depicted in this book?

3)What do you think of Nicholas's escapades?Do you approve of them?







The Nicholas book series kept me hugely entertained in my childhood years, though I have to admit that they are somewhat politically incorrect compared to other children's books. There is some swearing in the books and Nicholas and co do some inappropriate things, like getting into fights or trying to smoke a cigar. Still, these are only a few passages, which the teacher or parent can discuss with young readers.



René Goscinny (1926-77), met Jean-Jacques Sempé in the 1950s and together they created the character of Nicholas, the famous schoolboy. He later worked with Albert Uderzo on making the adventures of Asterix the Gaul.



Jean-Jacques Sempé's (b.1932) world-renowned illustrations and cartoons are featured on the covers of the New Yorker magazine and amuse the readers of Paris Match and the Figaro Littéraire on a weekly basis.

 



References:

Galda, C. &. (2011). Literature and the Child Seventh Edition
Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing .

Goscinny, Rene.(2011). Nicholas. Phaidon Press

Goscinny, Rene(2006). Nicholas Again. Phaidon Press.

Goscinny, Rene.(2011). Nicholas and the Gang. Phaidon Press.

Goscinny, Rene.(2011). Nicholas on Holiday. Phaidon Press.

Goscinny, Rene.(2011). Nicholas in Trouble. Phaidon Press.