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Hector and the Search for Happiness (Le voyage d'Hector #1)

3.5 of 5 stars 3.50 · rating details · 3,110 ratings · 479 reviews

A charming fable about modern life that has touched the hearts of more than two million readers worldwide.

Following on the success of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and already a worldwide sensation, Hector and the Search for Happiness finally comes to America, where readers will delight in its uplifting humor. As Hector travels from Paris to China to the United States, h...more

Paperback, 192 pages

Published August 31st 2010 by Penguin Books (first published August 10th 2002)

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Oct 01, 2012 Manny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: french, linguistics-and-philosophy, science, too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts, well-i-think-its-funny, parody-homage

Hector was sitting on another airplane, and he was reading a novel he had bought at the airport just before leaving. Curiously enough, it was called Le Voyage d'Hector, and it was about another young psychiatrist with the same name, who took it into his head to wonder what happiness was and went on a long journey to find out. From time to time, Hector looked at the man next to him, who was also reading. He had a thick book, but Hector noticed that he only read one or two pages at a time, and in...more Hector was sitting on another airplane, and he was reading a novel he had bought at the airport just before leaving. Curiously enough, it was called Le Voyage d'Hector, and it was about another young psychiatrist with the same name, who took it into his head to wonder what happiness was and went on a long journey to find out. From time to time, Hector looked at the man next to him, who was also reading. He had a thick book, but Hector noticed that he only read one or two pages at a time, and in between he took little naps. And somehow he looked a bit sad.

"What are you reading?" asked Hector after a while, because Hector was always very interested in the people round him. The man seemed pleased to talk to Hector, and he told him the name of the book, which was quite famous.

"I have never read it," said Hector, and the man looked happy for a moment. Then he looked down at the book, and Hector could see he was thinking that he had still read less than half of it, and now he looked sad again. But since he was a polite person, he asked Hector what he was reading, and Hector showed him his book.

The man looked at it, and he said that he had heard about this book, and that it was written in a very simple way, almost like a book for children. And he said that he did not think it was a very good book.

"But some good books are written in a simple way," said Hector. "Le Petit Prince is written in a simple way, and I read it every year. And I am happy when I read this book. Does your book make you happy?"

"Yes," said the man, but Hector, who you will remember was a psychiatrist, had heard many of his patients say things that weren't quite true, and he wondered if what the man said was quite true. And when he started reading again, he only read one page, and then he took another little nap.

Hector thought he had learned another useful lesson. He opened his notebook, and he wrote:

Lesson no. 24: Some books can make you happy.

He thought about it a bit more, and then he added:

Sometimes, reading a book is almost like being with a friend.
(less)

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Aug 12, 2009 Xirxe rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookcrossing, psychologie

Grundsätzlich: eine nette Idee. Wer ist nicht auf der Suche nach dem Glück und hätte gerne etwas Hilfe dabei? Völlig neue und überraschende Erkenntnisse sind jedoch nicht zu erwarten, im Großen und Ganzen sind wohl alle Ratschläge, Empfehlungen in irgendeiner Form schon in anderen Büchern erschienen.
Wirklich gestört haben mich zwei Dinge: Zum einen, dass es auf der Suche nach dem Glück scheinbar dazugehört, sich bei jeder Gelegenheit zu verlieben und eine Affäre zu beginnen (immerhin mit einem...more

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Apr 01, 2010 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hector is a psychiatrist. A successful psychiatrist who enjoys his job and is very good at it. Because he likes people and is interested in them.

But Hector had a concern. Why were so many people who had everything - career success, money, family, friends - not happy. It really worried him.

And that was why, when one of his patients told him that he looked tired, he decided to take a holiday. To travel the world and uncover the answer to the question that caused him so much concern.

Where does happ...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2010 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Francoise Lelord has had a successful career as a psychiatrist in the USA and France, and now writes full-time.

'Hector and the Search for Happiness' is almost child-like in it's simplicity, yet is so intelligent. It's really difficult to compartmentalise this novel into any specific genre - it's fictionalised self-help in a way, and could be classed as a modern-day fable.

The lead character, Hector, is a psychiatrist, he is successful in his career and enjoys helping people. Hector has noticed th...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Rose rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this book immensely! It was an utterly charming little book. I haven't been so amused & charmed & fallen in like with a main character this much since Mma Ramotswe from the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. Hector's search in trying to understand what makes people happy or unhappy was touching & funny & quite insightful. Loved it. Can't wait to read book 2.

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Feb 13, 2013 Kim Tong Lim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Francois Lelord, himself a psychiatrist, created this fictional character named Hector who is also a psychiatrist in practice. I believe Hector is his alter ego in this novel. Hector was too successful with his practice and had many patients consulting him. He reached a stage that he had been seeing many patients who were unhappy. He himself was tired and he questioned himself whether he was happy with his life. This is the start of his journey in search of happiness.

The writer injected wit in...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Inga rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Francois Lelord war bis 1996 Psychiater in Paris, schloss seine Praxis und zog in die Welt hinaus, um etwas über den Sinn des Lebens herauszufinden. Die erste Veröffentlichung war "Hectors Reise oder die Suche nach dem Glück" 2002. Weitere Bände zum Thema Liebe und Zeit folgten.

Hector ist Psychiater in "einer großen Stadt mit breiten Alleen, die von schönen alten Gebäuden gesäumt wurden" und er zieht in die Welt hinaus, um etwas über das Glück zu erfahren, denn er ist nicht mit sich zufrieden, w...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Anya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“Once upon a time there was a young psychiatrist called Hector who was not very satisfied with himself… . ” – this is how Hector’s tale on happiness begins. As a successful psychiatrist, Hector grows weary of treating people who aren’t happy with what they have, and, ultimately, with who they are. Even though some of his patients might battle real problems, he feels that most of them are unnecessarily unhappy as they appear to have it all.

Triggered by that paradox of happiness or the lack of it,...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Nurul Nadzirin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't decide if this book was meant for children, or if it was a satire of some kind. Usually when that happens, it's.. a satire. Here is Hector, obviously a brilliant psychologist, written in a mind-numbingly dumbed down fashion. Some grand ideas about happiness, some thoughtful and intelligent anecdotes were completely stripped, and written like they're told by grandma. Why I think this isn't simply just 'a children's book', is because those notes Hector made at the end of each chapter are a...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Tahira rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am not really sure how Hector and the Search for Happiness became a best-seller. In fact, I found it fairly offensive mostly because I found "Hector" (who, as far as I understand it, represents the author) unlikeable. Primarily, his relationship with women is troubling as they are either fetishized, exoticized or objectified throughout the novel--Hector is constantly noticing how attractive women are, and commenting on this impulse as uncontrollably male, bleck. Secondly, most of the people He...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Jim Hammond rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A relatively enjoyable book to read once you get used to the fact that it reads like a children's book. This is an affectation the author uses to emphasize the simple nature of the "lessons" learned during Hector's (a psychiatrist) journeys to learn the secrets of happiness. My first impression was that this was satire:

"Once upon a time there was a young psychiatrist called Hector who was not very satisfied with himself.

"Hector was not very satisfied with himself, even though he looked just lik...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Sd rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: imagining

"'Well,' the professor said, tucking into his chicken, 'do you feel that you know more about happiness?'
Hector said that he did, but right at that moment, he felt something tugging at his trouser leg: it was a squirrel wanting some of his lunch. And this made him think. Did the squirrel realise how lucky he was to be there? Or on the contrary did he spend his life wondering whether he might not be better off somewhere else, or feeling that he didn't have the life he deserved? In the end, it depe...more

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Jan 08, 2012 astried rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, on-falling-down-n-getting-up-again

Maybe I've became cynical... I noticed I can't enjoy those philosophical full-of-meaning yet so straightforward kind of book anymore. Once upon a time I've loved Coelho's The Alchemist. I found it so profound and it enriched my life to the point of overflowing. Now I cringe each time I read deep-meaningful sentences. I run away from books that were marketed as insightful, life changing, etc. I bought Laskar Pelangi series for my mother and refused to touch it despite her being wax poetic about i...more Maybe I've became cynical... I noticed I can't enjoy those philosophical full-of-meaning yet so straightforward kind of book anymore. Once upon a time I've loved Coelho's The Alchemist. I found it so profound and it enriched my life to the point of overflowing. Now I cringe each time I read deep-meaningful sentences. I run away from books that were marketed as insightful, life changing, etc. I bought Laskar Pelangi series for my mother and refused to touch it despite her being wax poetic about it. I'm afraid to re-read Seno's short stories collection that used to be my anchor in life, afraid of ruining what it meant for me.

The thing is... I suppose all those books are so keen on being sincere and earnest I can't trust it anymore. They practically spelled out their belief on good way of living your life as if me as a reader is incapable of reading between the lines; incapable of learning from something bad as much as from something good. Perhaps I found that a bit insulting as well. What about being subtle? What about letting me find out what I want to learn from it by myself? What about crediting me with some brain? I never did like being lectured or reading books with an obvious lesson in it.

Hector... was ok I suppose. I read it at a wrong time. I should've read it years ago when I saw it first filling bookstore's and library's shelves in Germany. When I still liked to read Jostein Gaarder.

Not to say that this book is completely bad. The list itself is fairly valid for me. It's just wrapping story that sucks so bad. You know what, if he had published only the list in coffe table format with some wonderful illustration, I might've enjoyed it more. As it is, I needed to force myself to read through it just because I'm so near the end and the book is so thin I don't think I can forgive myself to abandon it.

Goodbye Hector, don't expect to meet me again. Perhaps I'll continue reading the book on history of marriage which feels so dry yet authorative. Give me some statistic or technical elaboration. Give me acidic words, burnt bridges; I'm swearing off cotton candy for a while. Give me some Greene; Greene is always good; Greene is a nice piece of medium raw steak.

Btw, had I known being a psychiater meant having the capability to talk yourself out of brigand's clutch or to make friends with practically everyone or made yourself being loved by all women you met, I'd have chosen your career long time ago. Tough luck for me!(less)

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Jun 16, 2011 Danielle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this is defintely a 'self-help' book in the guise of fiction. not buying it, but thanks for the boost in morale.

the long and short of it: this book explain therapy and medication and unhappiness and happiness. it does all this by having a psychiatrist, HECTOR!, travel and look at people's mundane lives, and analaze these lives and make assumpitons on what would make these lives better, and THEN calling these assumptions 'lessons on happiness.' he also finds happy people and "smart" people and a...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought that this was an amazing book. I practically couldn't put it down, and the entire time I was reading it I felt like everybody I knew should read it.
I saw that this book got an average rating of about 3.5, and I think that's probably because of the simplicity of the book. The author was very careful to present people in almost generalities. I appreciated it, because although you find yourself wanting more detail because that's what you are used to, the fact of the matter is more detail...more

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May 30, 2011 Hana Candelaria rated it 2 of 5 stars

I picked up this book because I was intrigued by the title, the artwork, and the idea that a psychiatrist might travel to other lands in pursuit of a formula for happiness. It's a fast read, and the writing is extremely elementary (some reviewers equate it to 5th grade level). At first, the child-like style was interesting, but it became increasingly annoying as the psychiatrist gets into some stupid situations, including his cheating (with no remorse whatsoever) on his lady-who-remained-at-home...more

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Jan 02, 2011 Mackenzie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Paulo Coelho, fans of Mitch Albom

This is not usually the kind of book I read. The first thing that caught my attention was the cute-looking cover. It was so pleasant to look at that I couldn't help myself and bought it. When I read the introduction and the first few pages, I was immediately reminded of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist and Mitch Albom's Five People You Meet In Heaven. It seemed like that type of books that tried to 'spiritualize' its readers by churning out life lessons and whatnot through a fictional tale... which...more This is not usually the kind of book I read. The first thing that caught my attention was the cute-looking cover. It was so pleasant to look at that I couldn't help myself and bought it. When I read the introduction and the first few pages, I was immediately reminded of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist and Mitch Albom's Five People You Meet In Heaven. It seemed like that type of books that tried to 'spiritualize' its readers by churning out life lessons and whatnot through a fictional tale... which I usually find quite sickening, really, becuase they're usually full of themselves. But I didn't give up on this book and before I knew it, I was already halfway through and I was - surprisingly - pleasantly enjoying it.

The reason why I end up liking this book quite a lot, actually, is not through the writing itself. The book is originally written in French and I don't think I'll be qualified to judge whether the quality of writing is good or not because I haven't read the original version. The translation is nice enough and retained some of that 'French' voice at different turns of the book but not on the whole. The language is quite easy and shouldn't be a problem to non-native English speakers, although at times I find myself wanting the words and the phrases to be more 'challenging'. The point is, the book is light and shouldn't repel people from reading it because it's not some high form of literature. But that's not why I enjoyed the book... it's because I read the book at the right time of my life.

I didn't realize I've been unhappy until I read Hector. The main character, Hector, made a few observations about life and happiness and his and other people's perceptions of it in the story that made me in turn question myself on whether I am happy or not. The answer to that question is: no, I am not at this period happy with my life. So, like Hector, I wanted to find happiness. Since he's already in the search for it, I decided to follow him on his journey to see if he managed to find it at the end. The story itself is unimportant (although, I have to say, it is very entertaining to read about a Frenchman's journey to various places in the world and trying to learn of its cultures) because, in the end, what the book does is make us reflect on our lives and ourselves. We're not going to be made happy by the story of the book - hence, Hector's story itself does not necessarily bring the happiness in our life - but we can learn and find ways to be happy by reading about him.

At least, that's how Hector makes me feel. At the end of the book, I was still unhappy but I feel like I could do better things in my life and try to make myself happier instead of just complaining all the time. It's a book that makes me take a closer look at my life and question myself... not in doubt, but in an attempt to make things better to myself. All in all, it was very clever. The author, Francois Lelord, is a psychiatrist. The character in his book is a psychiatrist. I feel like I've consulted with a capable, understanding shrink through the pages of this book... it sure does save me a lot of money! :)

In any case, I know that perhaps a lot of other books will give you the same result through reading it. Hector is hardly original so I wouldn't put it on a pedestal, say that it's changed my life and recommend it to everyone. Reading it is a personal experience, so I think I'll just end this review by saying it was good for me and I'm glad I read it. It might also be good enough for you but it's entirely up to you if you want to try it.(less)

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Dec 08, 2012 Fuka-chan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

this is a really great book.

Hector is a psychiatrist, a good one, but he is getting tired from people, who fortunately had no serious illness but still feeling unhappy. Kenapa? Kenapa seorang yang mempunyai segalanya masih tidak merasa bahagia? So, Hector decided that he wanted to find what exactly made someone happy.

In what way does this book interesting? Cara penceritaan yang menarik. Buku ini seolah-olah buku philosophy yang langsung tak membosankan. Bagi aku, Hector adalah seorang individu y...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Mia Queen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mix between paulo coelho, chicken soup, mitch albom

Shelves: inspiring, lovely-cover, pushin-my-self-hard-enough

Saya senang membaca buku tipe begini, hampir setipe dengan The Geography of Bliss *adooh, baru inget belum review*. Narasi yang menjual, terlebih ada iming-iming dua buku favorit saya The Little Prince dan The Alchemist dan didukung pula dengan cover buku yang rainbowish minimalis membuat saya tanpa pikir panjang membeli Hector and the Search for Happiness di Periplus Juanda 2 tahun lalu.

Sayangnya tidak segesit niat membeli, eh buku ini teronggok begitu saja di rak buku, sempat dibaca tapi karen...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Corrisande rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ob seiner "Kindischen Sprache" oder seiner "mangelnden Ratschläge" wird Lelords Hectors Reise von dem ein oder anderen kritisiert. Ein (kleiner) Roman von einem Psychiater, der sich aufmacht herauszufinden, was Glück wirklich ist, weil er seine Patienten nicht wirklich glücklich zu machen vermag.
Schnelle Ratschläge zum Glück findet man hier natürlich nicht (aber mal im Ernst: Wer das sucht, möge erfolglos einen der abertausenden Ratgeber lesen, die zu diesem Zwecke da sind, statt an einen Roman...more Ob seiner "Kindischen Sprache" oder seiner "mangelnden Ratschläge" wird Lelords Hectors Reise von dem ein oder anderen kritisiert. Ein (kleiner) Roman von einem Psychiater, der sich aufmacht herauszufinden, was Glück wirklich ist, weil er seine Patienten nicht wirklich glücklich zu machen vermag.
Schnelle Ratschläge zum Glück findet man hier natürlich nicht (aber mal im Ernst: Wer das sucht, möge erfolglos einen der abertausenden Ratgeber lesen, die zu diesem Zwecke da sind, statt an einen Roman zu bemängeln, daß er eben kein Ratgeber sei...), aber eben dies ist nun auch eine von Hectors Lehren.

Was als "kindische Sprache" betitelt und verlacht wird, ist allerdings weit mehr als das, und wer sie dergestalt kritisiert, hat wohl das Buch nicht verstanden. Sehr subtil gelingt es Lelord, durch seinen gewollt naiven, und als solchen auch betonten, Schreibstil, Kritik an der Gesellschaft und den Subgesellschaften, aus denen sie besteht, zu formulieren (wäre ich süffisant, so würde ich nun suggerieren, daß wohl nicht jeder über das Verständnis verfügt, dies zu bemerken), durch den Stil dessen er sich bedient ist es ihm möglich, kontroverse Themen anzusprechen ohne irgendjemandem auf die Füße zu treten: Statt anzuprangern, steht es jedem selbst frei, sich ganz heimlich angesprochen zu fühlen und die eigene Einstellung zu überdenken.

Hectors Reise befasst sich auf simpelste und doch umso wirkungsvollere Weise mit den Problemen unserer heutigen Zeit - Macht und Geld, Liebe und Einsamkeit, Glück oder Unglück. Seine vermeintlich arglose Herangehensweise bringt den Leser dazu, zu reflektieren, zu überlegen.
Hectors Lehren schließlich, die er für sein eigenes Leben zieht, sind fern davon, eine Schritt-für-Schritt Anleitung zu sein - stehen Sie um 8.15 auf, treffen Sie im Supermarkt an der Ecke Ihren Traumpartner und füllen Sie dann einen Lottoschein mit folgenden Zahlen aus - genau solche Ansprüche sind es vielmehr, die Lelord ohne große Worte kritisiert: Glück, das geht nicht so leicht - und ist doch gleichzeitig hundertfach einfacher, wenn man nur bereit ist.

Wer bereit ist, für diese Sorte Glück, dem wird Hectors Reise zusagen. Wem es nicht möglich ist, die subtile zweite Ebene des Buches zu sehen, die doch eigentlich der Hauptbestandteil ist, der ist ganz offensichtlich nicht bereit. Fast könnte man meinen, Lelord leise lachen zu hören, als sich seine Leser gleich den Menschen in seinem Buch in diese zwei Kategorien aufteilen.(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 Annisa Anggiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: philosophy, psychology

“Questions : Is happiness simply a chemical reaction in the brain?”

Sukaaaa.. Banget sama buku kecil ini.. Kalo The Alchemist nya Paulo Cuelho membuat kita mempertanyakan tujuan hidup dan merenung dalam, maka buku tentang pencarian arti kebahagiaan ini akan membuat kita tersenyum simpul dan berucap “Oh iya ya..”.. Simpel tapi bener banget.

Bercerita tentang Hector, seorang pshychiatrist di sebuah negara yang makmur dan aman dimana penduduknya rata-rata berkecukupan, namun memiliki banyak sekali ps...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, france, favorites

This is a novel about a psychiatrist who begins to wonder why so many of his patients are well-off, healthy, and have very few substantial problems, yet are unhappy. He wonders what is the secret to happiness and decides to go on a quest to find out. He travels around the world, to places where he has friends, and makes an effort to be attentive and to write down his observations about what makes people happy or unhappy.

The novel is written as a kind of children's story (though there is plenty o...more

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Jul 22, 2012 wenshuren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was introduced by a friend and it was a pleasant and easy read.

Lesson no. 1: Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.

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

Lesson no. 3: Many people see happiness only in their future.

Lesson no. 4: Many people think that happiness comes from having more power or more money.

Lesson no. 5: Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story.

Lesson no. 6: Happiness is along walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains.

Lesson no. 7: It's a m...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Gigi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. there are plenty of books that take you on an earnest journey in search of the secret to happiness. from chicken soup for the soul to tuesdays with morrie to the alchemist, each has a distinctive path and consistent narrative voice that acts as our guide. perhaps the trick is to take a sound bite from each and cobble together your own quilt of optimism and joy. i approached hector & the search for happiness with the purpose of finding another nugget for my coffer. the simple retro jacket art...more there are plenty of books that take you on an earnest journey in search of the secret to happiness. from chicken soup for the soul to tuesdays with morrie to the alchemist, each has a distinctive path and consistent narrative voice that acts as our guide. perhaps the trick is to take a sound bite from each and cobble together your own quilt of optimism and joy. i approached hector & the search for happiness with the purpose of finding another nugget for my coffer. the simple retro jacket art drew me in and i had an immediately positive reaction to the size of the book, the font and the first few pages. the potential in this book made me giddy. hector sounded just like me! a sensitive and aware protagonist, he has the nagging feeling that there must be an operator's manual somewhere, a how-to that can banish bouts of ennui or worse, nondescript depression. in short, hector gets it.

a unmarried, fatherless psychiatrist in france, hector cares. he is diligent about his practice and his compassion and soon he becomes aware of how fleeting, if not completely unattainable happiness can be. his patients are privileged and gifted, yet most are miserable or numb. sleepwalking through life or dependent on pills, they find tremendous relief in hector's impeccable care, but it just isn't enough. and so, hector decides that he must take a holiday and visit a handful of far flung countries to look for answers. china, africa and the united states are on the list and he wastes no time taking his open eyes and inquistive mind on the road. he will come back with a working list of happiness' to dos. he will help himself and his patients to soar to new heights.

the book is short and neat. hector's experiences are engaging yet tightly drawn and words are not used recklessly. it is a curious experience to take this trip with hector because although you are introduced to him quickly, you learn absolutely nothing about him. there are few details about hector. ageless, faceless and last nameless, you know hector has a girlfriend named clara, but personal information is scarce. to that end, there is plenty of room for the reader to bring their own life experience and needs on the trip. see and learn with hector, not about him.

however, there is one strong and repetitive thread that seems utterly out of step with the character francois delord has painted. hector is a bit of a pervert and most certainly a cheat. in fact, he not only ogles every single "pretty young girl" in every country, he cheats on clara. twice.where it's likely a device to propel him toward a greater understanding, the reality is there are more mentions of lust and sex than any other human challenge or desire. and that is delord's literary shortcoming -- it seems he writes with a stereotypical hand in a country where faisons l'amour seems to be the biggest key to the happiness kingdom.

(less)

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Aug 14, 2011 Thebruce1314 rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: books-i-gots

I found this book on the clearance shelf at Borders and I'm very glad that I didn't pay full price for it. The book is a simple story about a psychiatrist who travels the world looking for the basis of happiness in different cultures. The author - a real psychiatrist - comes off as preachy and patronising to the reader, making assumptions that the average person doesn't understand basic terms and situations encountered in the course of Hector's travels. While I admit that some of the lessons of...more

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May 06, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must admit, at first, I was extremely intrigued by this book by François Lelord, especially because it seems to have received so much acclaim. The title, the cover art, the paring down of both subject and fictional devices such as narrative, character development, syntax, etc. all garnered my attention immediately.

I have so enjoyed similar books that break down societal conventions and philosophical notions into more approachable and illustrative narratives. Books such as Ishmael, My Ishmael,...more I must admit, at first, I was extremely intrigued by this book by François Lelord, especially because it seems to have received so much acclaim. The title, the cover art, the paring down of both subject and fictional devices such as narrative, character development, syntax, etc. all garnered my attention immediately.

I have so enjoyed similar books that break down societal conventions and philosophical notions into more approachable and illustrative narratives. Books such as Ishmael, My Ishmael, The Story of B (all by Daniel Quinn), as well as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, are aligning my shelves and I often pluck them as needed to make sense of this somewhat bizarre existence.

While I did enjoy Hector and the Search for Happiness, something about this book troubled me in a way the aforementioned did not. I kept anticipating the story would go deeper, and realized as the unread pages dwindled, that I would be disappointed.

Sure, the lessons are interesting and succinct to be sure, and if you haven’t previously read this type of fiction, by all means check it out. But for me, it simply wasn’t enough.

I’m also bothered by the characterizations of females throughout the novella. Only two female characters truly seem to have their lives in order, and I don’t mean because they are married with children compared to the others, (but that point alone is an interesting factor). The remaining female characterizations all require a man to rescue them from boredom or their unsavory professions. And only one female seemed to demand more from her partner than a passing affair or an unhappy, although lengthy “understanding.” Not to mention Hector’s misunderstanding of romantic love and disrespect for his long-time partner.

What I will say about this book is that it is a quick and often insightful read with some rather clever and funny sections. If you’re looking for something to enjoy in the park, this is a good bet. And should you disagree with me, I welcome your commentary.

I haven’t given up on François Lelord just yet, and plan to read the second novel featuring Hector’s adventures, Hector and the Secrets of Love: A Novel. Who knows? Maybe what I longed for from this book is continued in the second.(less)

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Apr 16, 2013 Baljit rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Witty, sharp and comical.....observations off real life, and an amazing message. I was chuckling thru the book!

Hector goes travelling to discover how people find happiness. He meet many different people form all walks of life and is able to draw lessons from each situation.

The part I was most struck by is the monk saying that you cant' make happiness a Goal...because if you do you, will most likely fail. The pursuit of happiness and personal fullfilment has become a priority in many developed c...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Nikzad rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was my first “pop-psychology” book, and I got it for free. The first few pages were good and didn't sound like the usual cliché; the author was hinting at more fundamental problems like the empty depression of the middle class as opposed to the more fundamental problems of the poor and less-privileged. I guessed it was hinting on the unfair class system pertinent to the modern world societies. At least the author starts his quest to quantify and understand “happiness” based on such paradoxe...more

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May 05, 2012 Wahidah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone looking for a quick and light read

Wow, this is a surprisingly pleasant read. Every thing's so simple (except for the huge and fast introduction of new characters in every chapter making it a little confusing) that it really was a very light-hearted and entertaining read.

I don't feel like the character's young at all - instead I feel like he sounds like an old, contented man, surprised that so many things aren't the way they seem.

It also feels as if this is a grown-up book written for children, or a child's book, written for grow...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: book group

Recommended to Connie by: QPB

This book is entertaining and informaative especially if you are into The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. There are many good quotes and insights into happiness. It appealed to me. At first it reminded me of The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The writing style is similar--like a children's book, but it is not a children's book. It would have to be rated PG or PG13 because of one word, and the sex which is actually described as 'that thing that people in love do',

In his quest for the meaning of...more

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About François Lelord

François Lelord, born 22 June 1953 in Paris is a French psychiatrist and author. He studied medicine and psychology. After getting his doctoral degree in 1985, he was a post-doctorate researcher with Robert Liberman at the University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles. He then worked as an attending physician at Hôpital Necker (which is affiliated with Descartes University) in Paris for two years.
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“Knowing and feeling are two different things, and feeling is what counts.” — 19 people liked it

“Lesson no. 5: Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story” — 10 people liked it

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Hector and the Search for Happiness (Le voyage d'Hector #1)

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