Hector and the search for happiness : a novel / François Lelord.

165 pages

I picked up this book while browsing because a review likens it to The Little Prince. This story follows Hector, who is a psychiatrist, as he seeks to understand what makes people happy. In his practice, he works mainly with people who are rich, with jobs, family, etc., but are somehow dissatisfied with their life. On the other hand, he occaisionaly works with people who don't live the nice parts of town, and who may have mental illness or other conditions, who seem to be happier than his well-off patients. So Hector decides to take a year-long sabbatical and travel around the world to find out the secrets of what makes people happy. Through China, Africa and the US, Hector writes his observations in his little notebook.

The book is written in a simplistic, childlike style, similar to The Little Prince. In this book, however, the viewpoint is from Hector who is a very intelligent psychiatrist, as the narrator keeps feeling the need to remind us. This simple style allows Hector to ask seemingly naive questions (Why do the children begging on the streets smile?). It seems completely incongruous with the way we would expect a psychiatrist to act. I think this is the author's point, though. He's reminding us to approach the world with curiosity, and to not be afraid to ask to ask naive questions.

This quick read is not exactly mindblowing, but is a nice reminder to step back once in awhile for a fresh look at the world.