“Journey of 14”: A journey to find the meaning of friendship

SGGPO November 8, 2023 16:25

Journey at 14 (Chibooks and Lao Dong Publishing House) by Italian writer Guido Sgardoli brings readers a meaningful message about friendship.

What if one day you discovered that you and your best friend are not really compatible? Franco and Gabry have such a friendship. Starting from the “quicksand pit” incident, when Franz was in danger, Gabry bravely stretched his skinny body towards his best friend, reached out to grab Franz and said firmly: “I will definitely not leave you here!”.

Two people, two completely different pieces from appearance to personality. Gabry is short, skinny and weak while Franz has the well-proportioned body of a regular swimmer. Gabry is messy, talkative, sloppy and emotional, impulsive. Franz is the complete opposite: orderly, quiet, rational, principled and calm. Even Franz himself, with his passion for mathematics, commented that "we are like complementary angles, when put together, they will fit into a 90-degree angle". And the friendship between the two has always been as close as two peas in a pod.

Cover of the book "Journey at 14" by writer Guido Sgardoli

It wasn’t until the summer of their senior year of high school that their first “backpacking trip ” completely changed the relationship between Franz and Gabry. For the first time, Franz felt a clear and uncomfortable difference in their relationship.

“On this trip, we became two very different people. Not like the best friends I used to know - best friends who could share together or almost share everything together when we were in Bologna.”

Franz and Gabry's contrasting views, personalities, and emotions, when placed in a situation where they had to rely on each other, and go through challenges and difficulties beyond their control on the trip, created countless conflicts and arguments. Typically, the adventurous Gabry did not tell Franz in advance about the real destination of the trip - which made Franz feel like he was deceived and always thought about wanting to return.

Writer Guido Sgardoli

Franz and Gabry’s re-examination of the boundaries of friendship set during their 14-year-old journey played a big part in their growth. Especially for two very different people, the recognition, acceptance and respect for each other is the foundation of the two teenagers’ deep, mature and steadfast friendship.

Writer Guido Sgardoli was born on October 19, 1965 in San Donà di Piave, is one of the most famous Italian children's writers with more than 100 titles. He also writes for newspapers, cinema and television.

Typical works: Journey of 14 years old , Dragon boy , The frozen boy . During his writing process, he received awards such as: Penne Award, Andersen Award, "Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Cento" Children's Literature Award, Italian Andersen Award in 2009, 2015, 2018; Strega Children's Award in 2019, and more than 10 other awards. His works have been translated into 12 languages.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/hanh-trinh-tuoi-14-hanh-trinh-di-tim-y-nghia-cua-tinh-ban-post713254.html