Hector and the Search for Happiness: Hector's Journeys … (2025)

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 Hector meets along the way (particularly those who reside/live in the country he is visiting) are tokenized or stereotyped. Perhaps Lelord tried to give some dimension to humanity, as that was one of the purposes of the book, but I felt as though he fell considerably short. Lastly, Hector's approach to his search is clearly privileged, and I consistently sensed something very smug about Hector's character, even when he was intentionally trying not to be.

This novel was entertaining enough, especially considering how brief it is. But in truth, I didn't find it particularly enjoyable.

More like Hector and the Search for Fine Ladies to Sleep With. I found this book annoying and overly cute, and the more I think about it, the more irritated I get. Shut up, Hector.

So I studied to be a psychologist, a cognitive scientist, mind you, but as it turned out later I didn't become one. The moment came when I had to grow up and choose a profession and, being as I am, I chose one that didn't bring me a lot of happiness, but had a considerable influence on the amount of my alcohol-intake (which, if you ask Hector, can be really beneficial for your levels of happiness). Still, in this pain-in-the-ass job of mine I find happiness because my paycheck is big enough for me to spend on books that I don't even have enough space to store in. And as we all know books=happiness.

But this is supposed to be a review of the book and I don't want it to end up being deleted >> decrease of my levels of happiness >> increase of alcohol-intake to make it up, you know how it goes. So let me say that I bought this book because I liked the cover, it is very pretty and yes, I am superficial like that. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but at the end of the day, it wrapped up pretty nicely and I can say that I enjoyed it. It also made me think about happiness and how different people define happiness. Of course, back in the day when I studied to be a psychologist, my colleagues and I used to have many a drunken discussions on the matter, but books that you don't have to read for school are always better!

François Lelord tells a very simple story through Hector. It's about how grown-ups, being all serious and businesslike, forget what happiness is, and that you can find happiness everywhere, if are not, by nature, a grumpy old fart (then you just need to take pills, man). You shouldn't expect to find the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything (which is, as we know, 42), but you can pick up this book with an open mind and, who knows, it may help you change the way you perceive stuff.

I know what happiness for me--it's having crazy wino friends, it's buying books, it's my possessed cat that likes to sleep on my books, it's hearing the screaming 'I'm so happy!' ringtone of my email at 6 am (I still wanna kill you though). What the book says is: Just don't take stuff too seriously, try to smile more and find something positive in everything around you, and, you know, law of attraction.

Гектор – молодой психиатр, любящий свою профессию и, действительно, интересующийся людьми. Книга наполовину художественная, наполовину из разряда «помоги себе сам» с двумя дюжинами уроков, который герой вынес из своего путешествия. Абсолютно все уроки абсолютно всем известны, но о них никто не задумывается. Лелорд простым языком обозначает сложные психиатрические проблемы, делает краткий обзор типов медикаментов для различных психиатрических проблем. Есть в книге и наблюдения, которые на первый взгляд кажутся интересными, но поразмыслив, оказывается, что они дискутабельные. Например, автор утверждает, что значительно добрее те взрослые, у кого были добрые мама и папа, потому что дети учатся, подражая. Тогда получается, если папа и мама были злые, то взрослый будет злее? Нет, мне кажется, это не во всех случаях работает. Вот еще интересная мысль: сумма трех разниц – между тем, что у него есть и тем, что ему хотелось бы иметь, между тем, что у него есть сегодня и тем, что у него было в прошлом, между тем, что у него есть и у других, средняя величина суммы этих разниц тесно связано со счастьем. Чем она меньше, тем человек счастливее. Но опять таки, мне кажется, по второй разнице (между тем, что у него было в прошлом и тем, что есть сегодня) спорно, что меньшее значение делает человека счастливее. Например, в прошлом ребенок был сиротой, воспитывался в детском доме, а сегодня он женился, у него есть семья, дети, возможно, квартира или дом. Разница огромная и человек гораздо счастливее. Нет, здесь не все так однозначно. В книге довольно раздражающим было быстрое увлечение психиатра женщинами и замена слова секс эвфемизмом «то, что делают влюбленные».

The cutest and most memorable part of this book is the cover, which looks like the movie Up except Parisian. And if that's not a dream I don't know what is.

It's like 42 pages long, so theoretically I could probably reread it and review it in the span of a couple hours, but that sounds like the logical thing to do and therefore I won't do it.

I am nothing if not ruled by whimsy and cute book covers, in conclusion. And when I read this I thought it was fine but nothing to write home about.

Or a review about, apparently.

this is part of a series i sometimes remember i'm doing in which i review books i read a long time ago, because i'm a completist and annoying. also that's not really the right definition of completist.

I gave up in the middle of the book. I can't take it anymore, I can't take anymore of his pseudo-psychological bullshit which has nothing to do with "happiness" or how to achieve it. This book is degrading women and relationships in every possible way while being extremly racist on the side. I had to stop reading so I don't scream and rip the whole book apart.

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 by bedding down other women in the course of his travels (and glossing it over by saying they were 'doing what people in love do'). Throughout the travels, he builds a little list of happiness characteristics, and has a few trusted people look it over...which always seems to erupt in gales of laughter...and which seems silly because anything on this list can be learned from a basic course in psych and/or sociology, or any number of self-help books, or a set of stable parents!
Geos included are France, America, Africa, and China. It would have been *really* interesting if the Middle East were part of the itinerary!
I did appreciate that it's a reminder that each person will essentially make their own lists (most likely the happy people will not be that invested in qualifying happiness, but unhappy people will continue the search/list-making); and there's no definitive one-size-fits-all formula. Other than that, I was completely unmoved or inspired by this work. Maybe I expected too much, but I found it to be a bit disappointing.

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 ganz kleinen schlechten Gewissen gegenüber seiner Freundin daheim). Ist das die Quintessenz? Gehe ausser Haus, koste dein Leben aus ohne Rücksicht auf das/die Zurückgebliebene/n um das wahre Glück zu finden?
Wesentlich störender fand ich jedoch die Sprache: Das gesamte Buch ist in einem Ton verfasst, der an einen Erwachsenen erinnert, der versucht, Kindern etwas nahe zu bringen. Wenn ich mir vorstelle, jemand würde versuchen sich auf diese Art und Weise mit mir zu unterhalten, wäre das Gespräch nach spätestens 5 Sätzen beendet.
Fazit: Idee gut, Umsetzung schlecht.

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.

Ich möchte nicht den Fehler begehen, das Buch an falschen Maßstäben zu messen, denn einen Roman hat Lelord hier trotz einer dünnen Fiktions-Schicht nicht geschrieben, sondern einen Wohlfühl-Ratgeber als typisches Weihnachtsgeschenk für "die Herren der Schöpfung".
Die Inhaltszusammenfassung steht im Titel, Hector sammelt auf seiner Reise um die Welt 20 Erkenntnisse zum Glück.

Man bekommt viel von dem, was man erwartet: Binse, Binse, Binse.
Geld allein macht nicht glücklich, aber kein Geld auch nicht, Menschen arbeiten viel, was oft doof ist, weil sie doofe Arbeiten verrichten. Ebenso klischiert sind die Schablonen: Der buddhistische alte Mönch hat das Glück gefunden, der schnaufende Banker gar nicht. Wo liegt der Mehrwert in solchen Stereotypen?
Der Ton ist bewusst naiv gehalten, was freilich nicht zum Psychologen Hector passt, aber immerhin dafür sorgt, dass die fehlende Ausleuchtung des Themas nicht auffällt. Ton und Tiefe ergeben hier eine einheitlich glatte Fläche, über die Lesende easy gleiten können.

Mit Literatur hat das wenig zu tun, was für eine Text-Erinnerung daran, dass das Glück in unserem Leben wichtig ist, auch voll ok wäre. Ratgeber-Bücher sind zwar nicht mein Ding, aber das muss ja nicht stören.

Irritierend sind allerdings die sexistischen Verweise auf die vielen Frauen, die schön und vornehmlich zum Beischlaf zu gebrauchen sind.

Auch, dass Lelord unreflektiert nur aus männlicher Sicht schreibt, hat mich gestört.
Z.B.: "Die Afrikaner spielen Ball am Strand, essen Eis oder reden mit ihren Frauen." Nicht bloß an dieser Stelle ist der "normale Mensch" ein Mann.

Auch solche Stellen finde ich zum Kotzen: "Der chinesische Kellner war wie ein normaler Kellner, nur sah er chinesisch aus."
Zur Klärung meines Urteils: Figuren dürfen gerne sexistisch, rassistisch etc. sein, um eine Auseinandersetzung zu ermöglichen. Aber Hector ist von Lelord ja klar erkennbar als "sympathischer Jedermann" aus Europa, als Typus konstruiert worden. Wenn ich es zugespitzt formulieren müsste, würde ich sagen, dass die Suche Hectors (und seinesgleichen) nach dem Glück das Unglück von vielen nach sich zieht.

Vielleicht tue ich dem Buch auch Unrecht, indem ich es als Debattenbeitrag ernst nehme. Wenn ich das tue, fallen mir auch Widersprüche in der Bewertung der Welt auf: Die UN wird für ihre Embargos gegen afrikanische Staaten unter Warlords kritisiert, die die Bevölkerung dazu bringen, die Bäume zu hacken, um heizen zu können. Gut Gemeintes, so der Vorwurf, führe also zu Schlechtem. Gleichzeitig hat Hector nichts gegen eine Freundschaft zu einem Drogenboss einzuwenden, der ihm am Ende auch noch mit der geliebten Ying Li aus der Patsche hilft. Wenn man das Schlechte also gleich anerkennt, wird es gut? Sorry, komplett idiotisch.

Daher trotz manch berührender Szene und eines im Kern immerhin nicht ganz Coelhoesken Anliegens kein gutes Buch.

Hector is a Psychiatrist who cannot make his patients happy so he decides to go on a pilgrimage to see what makes people happy. Will he be satisfied with the answers he seeks? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good read. I saw the film first starring Simon Pegg and it went just like this book which is a good and sad story. Definitely check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.

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 a long walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains
Lesson no. 7: It’s a mistake to think that happiness is the goal
Lesson no. 8: Happiness is being with the people you love
Lesson no. 8b: Unhappiness is being separated from the people you love
Lesson no. 9: Happiness is knowing your family lacks for nothing
Lesson no. 10: Happiness is doing a job you love
Lesson no. 11: Happiness is having a home and a garden of your own
Lesson no. 12: It’s harder to be happy in a country run by bad people
Lesson no. 13: Happiness is feeling useful to others.
Lesson no. 14: Happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are.
Lesson no. 15: Happiness comes when you feel truly alive
Lesson no. 16: Happiness is knowing how to celebrate
Lesson no. 17: Happiness is caring about the happiness of those you love
Lesson no. 18: Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at the same time
Lesson no. 19: The sun and the sea make everybody happy.
Lesson no. 20: Happiness is a certain way of seeing things
Lesson no. 21: Rivalry poisons happiness
Lesson no. 22: Women care more than men about making others happy
Lesson no. 23: Happiness means making sure that those around you are happy?

I spent a great great time with this lovely book, Hector takes you through his journey to find out more about happiness, and indeed, he gives a lot to think about...

So…this book was enjoyable if you can get past the simplistic writing style and message. There is nothing new or revelatory but it also was an easy read that made me realise happiness is a hard thing to define and cannot be easily summed up. So in other words you won’t necessarily find the secrets to happiness reading this book.

This is one of those times I really wished I would have checked out the reviews here first before I picked the book up. I bought this book on a whim at a used bookstore without really knowing much about it, and being totally honest the adorable cover art really had a lot to do with the purchase. I had heard some buzz about the book but had not looked into it much and I haven't seen the film and definitely won't now. As many reviewers have stated(much more eloquently than I can) the "lessons" Hector supposedly learned are nothing that you can't find elsewhere and they are really overshadowed by the way that Hector both treats and thinks about women, which quite frankly completely undermines any rapport I may have had with the protagonist. I feel that this makes both the narrative and the character of Hector completely unsympathetic and ruins this book for me, cute cover art or not.

A cute little parable about happiness, this book is thought provoking and amusing. It’s one of many books about what makes us happy. What defines happiness? It’s a meditation on happiness. I read it because it will be a movie in 2014 with Toni Collette and I adore her.

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.

Nope.
Hector's search for happiness includes traveling around the world, sleeping with women while cheating on his girlfriend and making it okay by saying it is "what people in love do", making a list of pretty basic things that make a person happy, turning people into clichés and kind of racist comments, and all of this in a childlike almost too simple language.

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!

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 happiness come from?

Now this may be sounding a little simplistic. A little child-like even. And in a way it is - Hector's story is written in the style of a children's book. But it works because that perfectly balances an underlying intelligence and a serious theme. And that particular combination turns this little book into a lovely fable for grown-ups.

And so to Hector's journey.

He crisscrossed the globe, meeting an extraordinary array of characters, and getting into - and out of - some very strange situations. His professional skills and his genuine interest in people came in very useful.

Those characters and those experiences bring light and shade to the story, and they allow Hector to build up a list of twenty-five important lessons about happiness.

Hector is an engaging character and his is a lovely story. it is warm and insightful, and it cleverly avoids the pitfalls of silliness and sentimentality.

It's the sort of story that I could probably find a hole in if I wanted to, but I don't want to. It's that kind of book!

And so to the final question. Does Hector get a happy ending? Well, that would be telling!

But there are sequels, and so the ending of this book is not goodbye for good.

I'm looking forward to meeting Hector again one of these days.

Description: 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.

Opening: 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 like a real psychiatrist: he wore little round glasses that made him look intellectual; he knew how to listen to people sympathetically, saying ‘mmm’; he even had a little moustache, which he twirled when he was thinking very hard.

Hector, our eponymous, kind, caring, yet also very tired hero decides to head to China in Tintin's footsteps...

A quick, simply wrought story that left me in a state of quiet happiness.

Film Trailer. In the words of BrokenTune: 'what a cast'. I couldn't agree more.

Beklaidžiodama bibliotekoje tarp lentynų atradau šį kūrinį. Akis patraukė pavadinimas, autorius buvo visai negirdėtas ir imdama šią knygą, tikėjau, kad ji bus ne tik optimistiška, turės "cinkelio", bet ir bus šiek tiek komiška.

Hektoras dirba psichiatru pas kurį vis plūsta žmonės, o jam sekėsi dėl trijų priežasčių: mokėjo išklausyti, išmanė vaistus ir mokėjo į klausimą atsakyti klausimu. Tik Hektoras vieną dieną pasijuto labai pavargęs ir jam reikėjo atitrūkti, tad sugalvojo... pakeliauti bei sužinoti, kas tai yra laimė.

Taip, pati kūrinio idėja visai neprasta, bet pačiai perskaityta istorija buvo lėkšta. Komiškų vietų buvo ne viena, bet pačiai tai buvo taip banalu. Užteko perskaityti, kad Hektoras "nusuko į kairę" - jam kalta jo mergina, kuri neišvyko kartu..., tad po tokio pasakymo, veikėjas tapo neigiamu. Kaip taip galima... Pati istorija visai neintrigavo, atrodė, kad ir rašytojas, parašyti šį kūrinį, įdėjo per mažai pastangų ir darbo.

Was für ein schlechtes Buch.... Sprachlich auf Kindergartenniveau, und so naiv wie Hector kann man doch nicht sein. Ich verstehe wirklich nicht, wie dieses Buch so viele gute Bewertungen haben kann!

http://www.procitajto.com/recenzija-h...

Što je sreća? „Za mene je sreća imati puno knjiga“. „Za mene je sreća biti zdrav“. „Moja sreća ovisi o sreći dragih mi ljudi“…i tako unedogled. Definicija sreće je koliko i ljudi i, kao niti o ukusima, niti o sreći nema potrebe raspravljati. Zašto nema? Naravno, jer svatko ima svoju sreću. Ima li doista? Jer ako je svatko od nas sam za sebe otkrio što ga usrećuje i pronašao svoju sreću, zašto su onda police knjižara prepunjene kako pronaći sreću knjigama i zašto je red čekanja na posudbu sretne literature za samopomoć u knjižnici veći od onog za vampirsko-erotskim štivom? Naposljetku, ako smo sretni, zašto je psihoterapija jedan od najisplativijih biznisa (n)ovog stoljeća?
No, kako to obično biva, u postolara su najgore cipele pa, premda svojim pacijentima svakodnevno vraća osmijeh na lice, jedan (bit ćemo slobodni pretpostaviti) francuski psihijatar Hector ne može pronaći pravu formulu vlastite sreće. Ima on i posao koji ga ispunjava i djevojku u čijoj blizini malo jače zatreperi, ali sve je to, s vremenom, počeo uzimati zdravo za gotovo i sada se pita je li ta sreća nešto više. Putovanje mu, baš kao i rad s ljudima, pričinja zadovoljstvo, a godine privatne prakse osigurale su mu i određenu ušteđevinu pa se Hector odlučuje uputiti na put oko svijeta ne bi li pronašao sreću. Zapravo, ne bi li upoznao različite ljude, različitih kultura i iz različitih krajeva svijeta, otkrio što njih usrećuje i zamiješao sastojke univerzalnog kako biti sretan recepta. Ulaskom u zrakoplov, na let za Kinu, za srećom je krenuo Hector, a za Hectorom čitatelji. A takva, tematska, putovanja, rijetko ispadnu kako smo u početku planirali. Kao kada vam brošure turističkih agencija nude putovanja koja mijenjaju život, putovanja na kojima upoznajete sebe, a završite u osrednjem hotelu, vozite se rasklimanim autobusom, jurite naokolo ne biste li zadovoljili natrpan i zahtjevan program iako vas barem trećina sadržaja uopće ne zanima i naposljetku se, izmoreni, vratite kući i sretni ste. Sretni jer je gotovo.
Pomalo biste se razočaranima mogli osjetiti i posegnete li za Hectorom u potrazi za srećom ohrabreni najavama o spoju Alkemičara i Malog princa, literarnom priručniku za samopomoć i briljantno duhovitom i prpošnom štivu. Francuski autor (i sam psihijatar po zanimanju) François Lelord u svom je kratkom literarnom prvijencu, na 160 stranica, doista iznio 23 lekcije uz čiju ćemo pomoć biti, ako ne sretni, a ono bar sretniji. Iako je poimanje sreće vrlo osobno, neki su (pred)uvjeti njenu dostizanju ipak univerzalni; ne valja se uspoređivati s drugima niti pridavati previše pažnje njihovu mišljenju, a rastu količine sreće pogoduje i druženje s dragim nam ljudima ili provođenje vremena u aktivnostima koje nas usrećuju… Lelord je sve te lekcije gotovo taksativno popisao, dodao im još poneku i stvorio zdravorazumski priručnik za sreću.
Nije, također, posve jasno kome je knjiga namijenjena jer svojom duljinom i pojednostavljenim, gotovo banalnim stilom i jezikom čitatelja često navodi na pomisao kako se radi o kratkom poučku o sreći za djecu na pragu adolescencije, no neke situacije opisane u knjizi ipak im nisu primjerene (iako bi vjerojatno i oni scenu seksa opisali sočnije od u sobi, na krevetu, rade ono što rade zaljubljeni). Maštovit bi čitatelj jednostavnost u pisanju mogao objasniti time što je sreća u malim, jednostavnim stvarima i što njoj nije potrebna kićenost niti ozbiljnost, ona progovara dovoljno snažnim jezikom. Uostalom, ne tvrdimo li često kako su dječja srca najbolji poznavatelji te tajne, toliko nedokučive odraslima? No, i nakon puta, i nakon traganja, Hector je zaboravio da se sreća ne temelji na laži niti na prevari, a usput raditi ono što rade zaljubljeni dok djevojka na drugom kraju svijeta strpljivo čeka da se „usrećite“ nije, naposljetku, pošteno.
Je li Hector ipak iz ove priče izašao mudriji, valjalo bi provjeriti u nastavcima što ih je Lelord za njega napisao. U međuvremenu se i on sam iz Francuske preselio u Kinu pa se pitamo nije li i on na svom „putu ka sreći“, stvarnoj osnovi za ovaj roman, pronašao neku Ying Li. A želite li i vi popratiti Hectora na njegovu putovanju, ne očekujte sofisticiranog vodiča prepunog korisnih informacija. Hector će biti vaš pratitelj, dat će vam poneki okvir, dopustite li mu, ali kao i na svim najboljim putovanjima, ostalo je na vama.

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 paradoxes. I actually hoped he would discuss how the concept of happiness and the urge to live a “happy” life sometimes strike one as being a mere product of the modern world designed to keep the work force content and the society and the system stable.

However, much to my dismay, as the author's trip unfolds he just can't help but point out the usual boring clichés about happiness. His trip and the book rolls on and on to form a compilation of 20 tips about what happiness is. Unfortunately, the tips can be found on mugs and posters sold in every supermarket, and its nothing new, theres nothing about the initial more fundamental problems. Just the usual: happiness is to have a fulfilling job and family and friends and someone to love and someone to love you back and so on and so forth. In the final chapter it seems the author feels kinda bad about stupefying his readers with this kind of bullshit, so he takes his findings to a reputable “professor of happiness studies”, and the prof puts his stamp of approval on the list and thus “scientifically” shows us that happiness indeed is a the usual over-rated list with 20 items.

Eine gute Zusammenfassung über den Stand der aktuellen Glücksforschung, sowohl vom psychologischen Standpunkt aus betrachtet, als auch bezüglich der wissenschaftlichen medizinisch-biologischen Erkenntnisse. Damit es auch jedermann kapiert, ist es sehr einfach geschrieben, völlig dem Stil des "Kleinen Prinzen" abgekupfert.

Bedauerlicherweise gibt es so gar nix Neues in diesem Buch.
Fazit Null Innovation! Stil komplett kopiert (was ich in der Literatur gar nicht schätze), Inhalt Standard - null Vorstellungskraft bei den Gleichnissen. Der große Pluspunkt ist, dass es sich flüssig liest und sehr leicht zu kapieren ist. Ideal für den Strand wenn ich so gar nicht nachdenken will - insofern hat es durchaus seinen Wert für mich.

Ach ja bei aller Reduktion auf Einfachheit ist Lelord dann auch noch ein inhaltlich-logischer Fehler unterlaufen (S. 133/34). Der Mathematik-Liebhaber Alan vergisst völlig alle relativen Koeffizienten (Glück= Vergleich mit den Anderen) in seine Berechnung miteinzubeziehen. Diese Gelegenheit würde sich ein echter Mathematiker nie entgehen lassen!

Was ich auch noch sehr charmant finde, ist dass Frau Heidenreich offensichtlich bei der Besprechung des Buches dem Leser geschworen hat, dass er/sie nach der Lektüre glücklich ist (Originalzitat Einband). *schmunzel* Alles ist relativ - vielleicht war die Dame vorher sehr unglücklich oder sie hat sich bis zur Lektüre noch nie mit ihrem eigenen Glück beschäftigt. Auf jeden Fall finde ich diese Aussage etwas zu mutig und tendenziös.

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 might bring a bit more dimension to the story, but then again, Hector is a psychiatrist and he sticks to the basics and the thought patterns... In this way, I think it makes it easier for the reader to understand what's going on, which could get lost in "flowery" details.
This book is a good one to read anytime but especially if you are feeling a little lost and aren't quite sure how to smile again. I found myself learning a few things I didn't know, and feeling comforted by the stories of others. Some of it isn't nice, but it isn't horrible to read, either.
Overall, I'm giving it a 5 because it was exactly what I needed when I read it, and I think it could me the same for many others.

I did rate this quite highly at first because I LOVED my reading experience of this. This is the first proper french novel (that I have read in french) for a looong time and I was super proud of myself that I understood it so perfectly and actually had zero problems getting back into the language.

Granted, this was a re-read for me but still, but it was an accomplishment nonetheless. I read this at first during my graduate year in high school and then I didn't see the problems that I see now (maybe because we've discussed it under a different aspect - what makes people happy?) and this time around I focused more on the characters and learned to despise them....

Hector - man - that psychologist really does need therapy for himself. He is a sexist, a cheater, a liar - a very unhealthy mixture wrapped in a childish voice and naive outlook on the world. He is such a weird character. Totally unbelievable.... This book was in parts written for kids and therefor Hector's way of saying things is very immature ("the thing that adults do when they're in love" instead of "plain ol' sex") but on the other hand he is just really a dick:

The story starts off with Hector being unhappy in his job because at times he fails to make his patients feel happy. Therefore he sets out on a trip around the world to connect with people from different culture and to find the formula for happiness. So far so good. He has a girlfriend in France (Clara) but sleeps with 2 other woman on his trip and is romantically involved with them. He didn't see a problem with that. He never told Clara. He didn't encourage the audience to question his behaviour. It made me quite furious.

The actual observations that Hector made weren't novelities. You get less happy if you compare yourself with other people. Being with friends and family makes you happy. etc etc It wasn't very meaningful.

Overall I'm glad that I have read it because french (duh) but the actual story really isn't that good.

Mau membuka dengan quote dari temen, yang lebih tepat kalau dijadikan penutup review ini, bahwa "Bahagia itu milik orang yang bersyukur". *Keprok sabandungeun*

Agak lama bacanya dan selalu menjadi pengantar tidur yang lelap, karena emang bawa ngantuk bukunya. Awalnya ngira mirip2 geography of bliss yang mencari makna kebahagiaan versi berbagai macam negara, tapi ternyata kalau ini lebih ke aspek psikologis kenapa orang-orang bahagia. Make sense sih beberapa catatan perjalanannya, kayak bahagia itu kalau enggak membanding2kan dengan kehidupan orang lain, bahagia itu kalau melihat orang yg kita cintai bahagia, dll (selebihnya baca sendiri wkwk).

Ada bagian Hector merasa galau terhadap penamaan perasaannya pada Ying Li dan Clara. Apakah dua-duanya disebut cinta atau cuma perasaan iba kepada salah satu (karena di catatan perjalanan dia #18, bahagia adalah mencintai dua wanita di saat yang bersamaan. Dan buat perempuan yang baca feel like "WTH" -iya, gue juga feeling gitu kok-).

Serius bahasannya, tapi penyampaian ringan, entah efek translating atau apa ya kerasa boring banget bacanya, dan bikin ngantuk, but worth to read kok.

Lagi, bahagia itu pilihan, bukan sebab akibat, dan ternyata sederhana, bersyukur sih.
"Karena bahagia itu milik orang bersyukur" - bio nya Galuh Rahayu P :)))

Nuhun bookmate (dan teman-teman yang udah mau udunan langganan bookmate sama akoeeeh. Seriously, nuhun!)

Emang yah kalo udah pake reward, beda hawanya :))

Jadi yah pertama-tama saya kembali mau tepuk tangan buat saya sendiri karena sudah berhasil menyelesaikan satu buku SELF HELP. SELF HELP SODARA-SODARA! SELF HELP! OPAT BACA SELF HELP! Seperti kata Hector, kebahagiaan itu adalah perayaan. Maka mari kita merayakannya!

Yah, dari judulnya juga jelas. Yah, sebenarnya karna dari judulnya ini sih saya tertarik. Kata "happiness" selalu menjadi daya tarik buat saya. Pas saya gugling, wah yg main Simon Pegg. SIMON PEGG SODARA-SODARA! WHO DOESN'T LOVE SIMON PEGG!

Oke balik lagi, yah Hector yang seorang psikiatri jalan-jalan ke Cina, ke Afrika, ke Amerika, buat menemukan apa itu kebahagiaan. DASAR ORANG KAYA! KAPITALIS! Nyari kebahagiaan aja sampe sejauh itu! APA? APA? TRAVEL IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY? MODYARO! (Sabar pat sabar, kamu harus sabar dan berbahagia, Pat).
Oh bukunya bagus kok. Kalimatnya juga sederhana dan mudah dicerna. Dan pelajaran soal kebahagiaan juga bisa bikin tersipu.

Cuma ada 2 hal yg mengganjal:
1. Itu Hector kok bosen banget ya, dicurhatin cewek sekali langsung kebayang2 terus -__-
2. Judul2 chapternya selalu diawali dengan kata "Hector"; Hector Merasa Sedih, Hector Merasa Tidak Puas, endebray endebray. Yaaa gak papa sih cuma jadi inget Noddy aja; Noddy Goes to School, Noddy at the Seaside, endebray endebray lagi.

Akhirul kalam, Wassalam.

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 happiness that Hector eventually produces (and repeats ad nauseum throughout the book) do make sense, the approach is insulting and, at times, offensive. For example, when Hector writes "Lesson no. 18: Happiness could be the freedom to love more than one woman at the same time." He later crosses it out to prevent his girlfriend from finding it - his girlfriend that he cheats on twice during the course of his journey. I didn't find this book particularly enlightening and I wouldn't waste my time reading it again.