Can we learn how to be happy? Hector is a successful young psychiatrist. He s very good at treating patients in real need of his help. But many people he sees have no health problems: they re just deeply dissatisfied with their lives. Hector can t do much for them, and it s beginning to depress him. So when a patient tells him he looks in need of a holiday, Hector decides to set off round the world to find out what makes people everywhere happy (and sad), and whether there is such a thing as the secret of true happiness... Over a million readers worldwide have engaged with psychiatrist François Lelord s modern fable. Narrated with deceptive simplicity, its perceptive observations on happiness offer us the chance to reflect on the contentment we all look for in our own lives. More like Tintin than Freud François Lelord on Hector Intelligently naïve Marie Claire
Hector and the search for happiness (Hector's journeys)
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Hector and the search for happiness is a feel-good gem and has already sold two million copies around the world.Francois Lelord has created a 21st-century hero in kind-hearted psychiatrist Hector, who travels the globe to find out what makes people happy. --Good Housekeeping
Even the most aloof, the most detached reader will be won over by this book. --Cosmopolitan
This book is really quite funny.Dryly funny. It also has a genuine edge to it, with on-the-button observations about human behaviour and the way they think and behave. It is these qualities that make this book so clever and enjoyable. Written in the style of a children's book or fairytale in simple language, this book is quite knowing: the faux naive style contrasting with a plot that sees Hector consorting with prostitutes, cosying up to drug barons and being kidnapped by criminals. I found Hector's journey hugely enjoyable and with just that little cynical edge to make it doubly delicious. --Rosy Barnes
Even the most aloof, the most detached reader will be won over by this book. --Cosmopolitan
This book is really quite funny.Dryly funny. It also has a genuine edge to it, with on-the-button observations about human behaviour and the way they think and behave. It is these qualities that make this book so clever and enjoyable. Written in the style of a children's book or fairytale in simple language, this book is quite knowing: the faux naive style contrasting with a plot that sees Hector consorting with prostitutes, cosying up to drug barons and being kidnapped by criminals. I found Hector's journey hugely enjoyable and with just that little cynical edge to make it doubly delicious. --Rosy Barnes
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Catkin
Format:Paperback
I heartily recommend this wonderful little book. It only takes a few hours to read and is written in such a simple style, as if the author was speaking to a child. Yet you soon find yourself reading about prostitution, globalisation and death, as Hector attempts to uncover what makes people happy (or unhappy) around the world. Hector's discoveries about happiness are not new information - you'll find them in any literature on happiness - but the way they are presented, woven into the story, is clever and much more thought-provoking. The penultimate chapter, when Hector meets the professor, is a bit clunky and laboured compared with the rest of the story but I finished the book with a smile on my face and a sense of clarity about what I wanted to do with my career. Not bad for a little book!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Verve
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Hector is a real gem of a character, and this book is an easy-ride in the nicest, cuddliest kind of way... smooth prose and dry wit that translates beautifully. I bought this recently and have just ordered another copy as a birthday gift. It's not that it's an everyman story it's that it probably couldn't offend a soul and will most likely amuse and warm the hearts of most readers. And it's true, despite being a light read, it is thought provoking, and I found myself working through a few things as I went along, hard not to given the subject matter. But there's a light touch at work here and the humour is totally uplifting.
Though much deeper, I will also recommend,
Soothing Music for Stray Cats by Jayne Joso especially for those interested in psychology and how to deal with the heavier stuff in life.
Though much deeper, I will also recommend,
Soothing Music for Stray Cats by Jayne Joso especially for those interested in psychology and how to deal with the heavier stuff in life.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Chris Morgan
Format:Paperback
This book seems deceptively simple and naive in its style but manages to pull out life lessons in each chapter. Hector's search for happiness is actually about what is really important in life. There is no preaching but gentle questioning and a variety of experiences help Hector and the reader to come to a positive conclusion. It is an easy read that has hidden depths which made me smile and ponder.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book
Brilliant little book. I read it in a few hours and enjoyed every page. Simple easy reading with a heartwarming message
Published 3 months ago by SD
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting book
I simple straight forward book and easy to read. It kept me interested all the way through and I am thinking of getting more in the series.
Published 4 months ago by Barbara Stead
5.0 out of 5 stars
A brilliant, brilliant book.
I read this book last summer, and it was just fantastic. However as a warning to people who expect a strong story with lots of drama and adventure maybe you should try a different... Read more
Published 22 months ago by CKobrak
4.0 out of 5 stars
Simple lessons about happiness
The strength of this book resides in its simple language, written as if it were a fairy tale. We join Hector in his journey around the world looking for what makes people happy and... Read more
Published on 10 May 2011 by M.I.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming and thoroughly enjoyable
An incredibly easy read and a quirky and enjoyable book. I loved it and couldn't put it down. It's charming and different and I highly recommend it
Published on 23 Feb 2011 by CAROLINE
5.0 out of 5 stars
happy reading
This was a chance purchase, at an airport where the rather unusual cover suggested a closer look. I was not disappointed. Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2011 by Ms. Riane Revah
4.0 out of 5 stars
simple yet complicated
A well meaning book what was easy to read unexpecting aswell predictable giving the book four stars. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2011
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent reading for travelers and language learners
The way the book is written makes it easy to read for everyoe who's not English native speaker.
The story is simple and heartwarming, I definitely recommend this as a... Read more
The story is simple and heartwarming, I definitely recommend this as a... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2011 by TheBigMtt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simple yet elegant (and scientifically proved!)
I was sent this book by the book's editor after he's learnt that a lot of what Hector has learnt on his journey in discovering what makes people happy coincides with the real,... Read more
Published on 5 Nov 2010 by Nick Powdthavee
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Happy Book
Francoise Lelord has had a successful career as a psychiatrist in the USA and France, and now writes full-time. Read more
Published on 29 Oct 2010 by Lincs Reader
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