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claire200's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
amotisse's review against another edition
4.0
I love the enigmatic power of objects and coincidence.
How everything seems ultimately connected and life changing.
How strangers can touch each others lives so unexpectedly.
Could be mind over matter though it's hardly important.
Living is important and who are we to determine what kind of magic helps us to LIVE!
J'adore.
How everything seems ultimately connected and life changing.
How strangers can touch each others lives so unexpectedly.
Could be mind over matter though it's hardly important.
Living is important and who are we to determine what kind of magic helps us to LIVE!
J'adore.
gertrude314's review
5.0
I'm totally into French writers because they get to the point and tend to be very clever. I can't give away the end but a LOVED the journey.
hc21's review
4.0
Part fable, part magic realism, I found myself getting totally immersed in this cute short book. Although some of the 80s commentary and French political dynamics were doubtless lost on me, I found it quite enjoyable.
spinstah's review
5.0
I picked up an uncorrected prrof Os this at ALA Annual this yea, and am glad I did. It's a short but very engaging novel set in France in the late 80s. Francois Mitterrand leaves his hat behind at a Paris restaurant, and the man dining next to him takes it. The hat then begins a journey through several different owners each of whom makes some big changes in their life while they have the hat. In this way it's aoat like a series of short stories, but the novel is completely cohesive. There is a montage style epilogue at the end, which I enjoyed. This is a great read, I highly recommend it.
kategci's review
3.0
This is another wonderful selection from my Paperback to the Future subscription. Translated from the French, it tells the story of Francois Mitterand's felt hat which he loses after dinner in a restaurant. Several different people have the hat for varying lengths of time and all are seemingly changed by it. The story is set in 1986 which makes the story more believable as there is no internet to help reconnect the President with his hat. A light and easy story, perfect for the hectic holidays.
cristiana_criss's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5⭐
Despre călătoria unei pălării și influențele sale asupra oamenilor care aleg să o poarte. Despre cum fiecare decizie, chiar și aparent nesemnificativă, ne poate schimba cursul vieții.
O carte cu multe referințe la cultura, politica și societatea franceză din anii 1980. O lectură scurtă, ușoară, dar cu momente care îți pun zâmbetul pe buze și care te fac să te întrebi: "La cine va mai ajunge pălăria președintelui?"
Despre călătoria unei pălării și influențele sale asupra oamenilor care aleg să o poarte. Despre cum fiecare decizie, chiar și aparent nesemnificativă, ne poate schimba cursul vieții.
O carte cu multe referințe la cultura, politica și societatea franceză din anii 1980. O lectură scurtă, ușoară, dar cu momente care îți pun zâmbetul pe buze și care te fac să te întrebi: "La cine va mai ajunge pălăria președintelui?"
bianca89279's review
5.0
"The President's Hat" is another charming novel by the French writer Antoine Laurain.
I loved his "Red Notebook", so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I had to request it. Many thanks to the publishers, Gallic Books, for allowing me to read it.
The President's Hat is about the French President, Francois Mitterand's hat. I've grown up hearing about him. He was the French president for a very long time (14 years!).
The story takes place in 1986. Daniel Mercier finds himself in a brasserie, enjoying a quiet dinner by himself. At the table next to him sits Francois Mitterand and two other people. The President and his entourage leave, but Mitterand leaves his hat behind. Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir.
Unbeknownst to him, things start changing for the better. He gets a promotion at work. The unthinkable happens: he forgets the hat on the train.
I will try not to give too much away. I will just say that the hat changes owners from Daniel Mercier to a young woman, Fanny Marquant, then to Pierre Aslan, a perfume maker, and to Bernard Lavalliere, an affluent Frenchman, part of the rich, conservative elite.
The hat seems to influence and provoke changes in the lives of all those who have it in their possession. They know it's the hat. Besides Daniel Mercier, none of them knows of its provenance.
I'll leave it at that.
This is a short novel that reads like a fable. I especially enjoyed the 80s references. While I'm not French, I recognised many of them.
Antoine Laurain's writing is deceptively simple, but it flows beautifully. Obviously, the translator (I couldn't find who it was) did a wonderful job translating it.
I thought the story was very original and very well written and its conclusion was very satisfying.
Antoine Laurain's writing and stories have a "je ne sais quoi" quality to them that really appeals to me. I read that this novel/novella was turned into a movie. I wouldn't mind watching it, especially since I'm a French movie fan.
Très agréable!
4.5 stars
I've received this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
Cover: 5 stars
I loved his "Red Notebook", so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I had to request it. Many thanks to the publishers, Gallic Books, for allowing me to read it.
The President's Hat is about the French President, Francois Mitterand's hat. I've grown up hearing about him. He was the French president for a very long time (14 years!).
The story takes place in 1986. Daniel Mercier finds himself in a brasserie, enjoying a quiet dinner by himself. At the table next to him sits Francois Mitterand and two other people. The President and his entourage leave, but Mitterand leaves his hat behind. Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir.
Unbeknownst to him, things start changing for the better. He gets a promotion at work. The unthinkable happens: he forgets the hat on the train.
I will try not to give too much away. I will just say that the hat changes owners from Daniel Mercier to a young woman, Fanny Marquant, then to Pierre Aslan, a perfume maker, and to Bernard Lavalliere, an affluent Frenchman, part of the rich, conservative elite.
The hat seems to influence and provoke changes in the lives of all those who have it in their possession. They know it's the hat. Besides Daniel Mercier, none of them knows of its provenance.
I'll leave it at that.
This is a short novel that reads like a fable. I especially enjoyed the 80s references. While I'm not French, I recognised many of them.
Antoine Laurain's writing is deceptively simple, but it flows beautifully. Obviously, the translator (I couldn't find who it was) did a wonderful job translating it.
I thought the story was very original and very well written and its conclusion was very satisfying.
Antoine Laurain's writing and stories have a "je ne sais quoi" quality to them that really appeals to me. I read that this novel/novella was turned into a movie. I wouldn't mind watching it, especially since I'm a French movie fan.
Très agréable!
4.5 stars
I've received this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.
Cover: 5 stars