Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord

Hector and the Search for Happiness – Reviewed

Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord is a wonderful tale of a young psychiatrist who goes on an adventure around the world in search of happiness.

My Book Review Rating:

Fiction or non-fiction? What’s the genre?

This is a delightful and heart-warming work of fiction.

Why did you decide to read this book?

I was asked to review this book by the publishing company – and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Summarise the plot – without revealing the ending!

Hector is a young psychiatrist who becomes disillusioned with his job because many of his patients are not ill, they are just unhappy with their lives. This begins to rub off on Hector, making him feel unhappy too. So he decides to take a holiday and visit some friends in far off countries in an attempt to discover the secret of real happiness.

What did you like about this book?

After the dark tale of politics and revolution in The Army of the Republic this book was completely the opposite. A light hearted and easy read that I tore through in a matter of hours. Given its a translation it was surprisingly well written and who wouldn’t enjoy a book about happiness?

What didn’t you like?

I really can’t think of a single thing that I didn’t like about this book!

What did you think of the main character?

Hector is brilliant, he has some great encounters during his world adventure and his reactions to those encounters make him an engaging character who is easy to relate to.

Are there any other interesting characters in the book?

I have a soft spot for Ying Li, the Chinese girl who’s life is truly changed by Hector – and who makes him realise that he is really happy and he has already found love.

Share a quote from the book:

“Lesson no. 2: Happiness often comes when least expected.”

Hector uncovers 23 Happiness lessons during the novel – but I think this one is my favourite.

Share a favourite scene from the book:

There are many scenes I enjoyed in this book which I can’t share because I’ll give away too much of the story. My favourite is the scene the morning after the night before, between Hector and Ying Li – and that’s as much as I’m telling you!

What did you think about the ending?

It was perfect

Have you read any other books by this author? What did you think of them?

No I haven’t – but if anymore of his novels are translated into English I’ll be sure to look them up.

Which of your readers are likely to enjoy reading this book?

I think everyone should read this book to be reminded that we don’t need to search for happiness, it’s inside all of us and we just need to take a step back and see the bigger picture to understand that

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• Daily Bookshot: Say Hello to Hector (robaroundbooks.com)

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	Title: Hector and the Search for Happiness: A Novel Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) Average review rating:   List Price: $14.00 Sale Price: $7.49 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Free Shipping Available
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More reader reviews
Such a wonderful tale!   Review Date: August 25, 2010 Reviewer: M. Hertzler, East Coast USA I overlooked this book more than once, thinking it was a children's book. Thank goodness I finally gave it a go! From the moment I started reading the first chapter, I was hooked. The language is that of a child's fable, explaining things in simple language. It certainly made it entertaining from the start. The book itself, a tale about a psychiatrist's search for the meaning of happiness, isn't a new one. Hector's search takes him on many adventures to China, Africa and the country of "More". He meets several people who help him define happiness in different ways. If you are looking for an end of the book heart swelling moment, you will be disappointed. It does not take away, however, from the joy of reading this tale. Simply written, simple story, wonderful experience. Hector is a Little Self-Centered   Review Date: August 24, 2010 Reviewer: K Sprite, I have totally mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, you have to really give some love to someone who writes a book about happiness. There seemed to be a lot of thought put into this book, genuine research with real scientists at UCLA who study what makes people happy, because it is somewhat of an art and skill that can be learned. So kudos to the author for writing a book that tries to share with us his the formula for happiness. And really, there are some good reminders in there for us. If you write down the list (that Hector keeps), which is a pretty simple list, you can pretty much keep remind yourself of when you are straying from thoughts and behaviors that keep you happy. Though some are intagible, like "Living in a country where the government treats you well." So, I compliment the author on his good intentions. Ok, so why only three stars? I found the whimsical parable-like children's book style of writing to be completely inconsistent with the character's behavior. It seemed kind of charming and adorable at first, but then it got totally annoying. Especially since you'd be skimming along quite nicely, thinking it was a Universal tale with Universal themes (and thus the parable-like narration)and then next thing you know the author is sleeping with a prostitute. Of course, the character writes in such a naive tone that he didn't realize it was a prostitute - Oops! But I thought that was really jarring - especially since the main character, Hector, had a girlfriend at home when he did this. He went off and slept with another woman too, just because he could. I realize that he is a young French man, and that is what young boys can do in their quest for happiness, but it really didn't fit in with the tone of the book at all. The character didn't show any remorse or regret about cheating on his girlfriend at all. It was just part of his experiment. Mind you, this wouldn't annoy me in another book, with a more complicated character, but that is not what this book was trying to pull off. He would describe these one night stands as "we did what people do when they are in love". It was pretty annoying. Another totally annoying aspect of the book (as another reviewer pointed out) is that he would say he was in China but would refer to his own country as "the country where Hector is from", and never said France. Why the mystery? He referred to America as "the Big Place with the most psychiatrists". He would say he was in Africa but not what part, and would describe in these childish phrases some countries but could name others. I saw no reason why the author and editors chose to keep the names of these places a secret. Additionally, they kept referring to him and his comrades as speaking English when that didn't make sense either. So many inconsistencies. So, if you are expecting a mystical travel book with insights into different people in different countries, you are not going to find that here. If you are looking for a whimsical way to pass the time, and want something completely light that gives you a little bit to ponder about happiness perhaps you might give this a go. Charming, sweet little book!   Review Date: August 19, 2010 Reviewer: J. Peplinski, Michigan I absolutely loved this book. The writing style reminds me of the film Amelie, I could practically hear the narrator's voice in my head as I read. It presents a detailed, not always very happy, story in a sweet, simple way that is kind of a statement in itself: even the most tragic situations need not be so complicated that we can't sum them up simply and sweetly and get past them somehow. Beyond the style of the prose, it really is a very interesting novel that I couldn't put down. If you don't like the "fable" style of writing then it might not be for you, but I absolutely adored it. I usually like to read my books once and pass them on to someone who might like them, but I'm going to have to keep this one to read again in the future. I'll buy my friends their own copy! Don't Worry, Be Happy...   Review Date: August 13, 2010 Reviewer: delicateflower152, Texas Francois Lelord's "Hector and the Search for Happiness" is a pleasant reminder that happiness comes from within and is not dependant on others. Hector is a young psychiatrist; he is puzzled as to why individuals, who seemingly have everything, are dissatisfied with their lives. While he understands and sympathizes with his patients who are truly suffering from depression, he has difficulty finding compassion for those habitual complainers with whom we are all acquainted. Further, Hector feels some dissatisfaction with his own inability to make all his patients happy, with his life and his relationship with his fiancée Clara. As a result, Hector sets out on a world quest to discover just what does make an individual happy. As he travels through different countries, Hector memorializes a number of lessons he learns along the way. These lessons are a result of his interaction with others, of his observation of their attitudes toward life's challenges, and of experiences he has during the journey. Each of the nineteen lessons is set forth in one brief sentence; most of the lessons are powerful ones to which the reader can relate. "Hector and the Search for Happiness" would have been a perfect book for individuals of all ages, but for Hector's promiscuity. He leaves his fiancée in order to learn what makes individuals happy, but during his travels he goes to bed with a number of the women he meets. As a result, I would hesitate in recommending this book to younger readers even though the lessons Hector sets forth are ones that would be valuable for preteens (middle schoolers) who are experiencing the angst of growing up. It is for this reason that I rated the book as a four-star read rather than a five-star one. Nevertheless, older teens and adults might benefit from Hector's reminders with respect to happiness and its sources. Will someone please STOP the popular disaffected style already?   Review Date: August 9, 2010 Reviewer: J. GARRATT, "Hector and the Search for Happiness" felt a little like Roger Hargreaves was telling me the story of "The Catcher in the Rye" through the eyes of Mr. Bounce. The naïveté, which was refreshing at first, gradually wears out its welcome. A psychiatrist takes time off from his practice to do some traveling and tries to find what makes people happy. Pretty general, right? So are the realizations he comes to. His intercontinental hops are occasionally punctuated with observations on happiness that are so banal, so pedestrian, that I almost cringed when reading a few of them (being with the ones you love...really?). Hector the psychiatrist takes this big no-duh list to two "experts" on happiness; a Chinese monk and an American professor, both of whom more or less validate his findings. Is it really that easy? The author, a psychiatrist himself, seems to think so. But I've always hated it when others set up happiness as something so easily attainable, like falling off a log. Painting life and the outside world in a simplistic way is one thing. Reducing the struggle for happiness to an act as simple as grabbing a physical object in front of you is another. Putting them together is what gets you "Hector and the Search for Happiness."
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