Chapter 9 Summary

Upon returning to Russia, the narrator dives into books about France and French history, spending entire days lost in the dust-covered volumes of the public library. His interest in French history has taken his attention away from other childhood things like sports and movies, which has made him a target for bullies in his school. The only person who treats the narrator kindly is a young man in school everyone considers to be a dunce. He is two years older than the narrator but still in his class at school. This outsider, Pashka, is a fisherman who lives off his catches in the woods. As outsiders, the two young men gravitate toward each other and Pashka eventually begins inviting the narrator to join him on his fishing excursions in the woods. There, Pashka silently fishes while the narrator recounts some of his favorite...