Hector and the Search for Happiness

by Francois Lelord Narrated by James Clamp

Overview

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

Hector is very good at treating patients in need of his help. But he can't do much for those who are simply dissatisfied with life, and that is beginning to depress him. When a patient tells him he looks in need of a vacation, Hector takes a trip around the world to learn what makes people happy-and sad. As he travels from Paris to China to Africa to the United States, he lists his observations about the people he meets. Is there a secret to happiness, and will Hector find it?

Combining the winsome appeal of The Little Prince with the inspiring philosophy of The Alchemist, Hector's journey ventures around the globe and into the human soul. Lelord's writing inspires us to consider life's great questions. Uplifting, empowering, and optimistic, this is a fable for our times and all time.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

This trite debut follows a psychiatrist named Hector as he attempts to understand "what made people happy." At a crossroads professionally and personally, Hector resolves to take a trip, first landing in China, where he reconnects with an old friend and encounters Ying Li, with whom he spends a night. He also meets an old monk who offers a bit of happiness-related wisdom. Having suffered disappointment in his relations with Ying Li, Hector next heads to Africa, where he makes the acquaintance of a drug lord with a depressed wife, is kidnapped, and learns that "it's harder to be happy in a country run by bad people." Next up is the "big country where there were more psychiatrists than anywhere else in the world" and a meeting with a professor of "Happiness Studies." Lelord, a psychiatrist, writes in the simple prose you'd find in a children's book, and this stylistic choice quickly becomes irredeemably grating. Though the book is an international bestseller, it is far less a novel than a maudlin self-help guide that substitutes pat aphorisms for development. (Sept.)

From the Publisher

‘A series of philosophical bonnes bouches … their effect is unexpectedly cheering’ The Independent

‘Even the most aloof, the most detached reader will be won over by this book’ Cosmopolitan

‘Provides a dollop of warm, fuzzy, feel-good escapism’ Woman

‘Intelligently naïve’ Marie Claire

‘A fast-paced, enchanting story. Lelord himself is a psychiatrist, and his interest in the human mind is infectious’ Book Page

‘A feel-good gem . . . Francois Lelord has created a 21st-century hero’ Good Housekeeping

BookPage

Utterly charming . . . Hector and the Search for Happiness turns psychological research into a fast-paced, enchanting story. Lelord himself is a psychiatrist, and his interest in the human mind is infectious. . . . Fans of Eat, Pray, Love and The Elegance of the Hedgehog won’t want to miss this gem of a book.”
—BookPage

Marie Claire

Intelligently naïve.”
—Marie Claire

Library Journal

Lelord's internationally best-selling debut novel was first published in France in 2002. It is a parable centering on Hector, a young Parisian psychiatrist who, disheartened by his patients' misery, sets out in search of the secret to happiness, traveling to China, Africa, and, eventually, the United States, i.e., "the country that has more psychiatrists than any other." He returns to Paris wiser and, indeed, happier. The fable is presented in a deliberately simple style recalling Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince. Narrator James Clamp's precise British diction is perfect for the occasionally pedantic text, whose detailed scenes are revealed with often delicious irony and humor. Highly recommended. [A film adaptation of the Penguin pb, which was described as being "charming, clever, humorous, and insightful" (LJ 9/15/10), is currently in development; Lelord's next Hector book has already been signed by Viking.—Ed.]—Nann Blaine Hilyard, Zion-Benton P.L., IL

NOVEMBER 2010 - AudioFile

This charming tale spins a whimsical fable around Hector's pursuit of the elements that comprise true happiness. Written with fairy-tale simplicity, the story takes the psychiatrist on a trip around the world to learn more about what makes people both happy and sad. His observations result in keen nuggets for attaining joy in life. James Clamp speaks to the story's childlike quality, imbuing Lelord's brief sentences and basic vocabulary with profundity. Clamp is in tune with the author’s often-humorous style and astutely gives each sentence its lighthearted essence. Somehow this makes this novel all the more enchanting and enables the listener to focus on Hector's insights as each new gem is revealed. A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171735555
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	08/31/2010
Edition description:	Unabridged

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