Reviews

The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos

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ifollowedthatrabbit's review

4.0

4.5⭐ out of 5⭐
I'm totally surprised, but in a good way. The title and the epilogue called my attention, although I couldn't have imagined it was going to be this way. It's quite original and even funny. I like the way the author writes. The narrator tells us the story in a very particular way; witty and original. Therefore, it makes you keep on reading. You need to know what's going to happen next. You totally need to know how this mystery ends.

There're several characters and, in my humble opinion, I think they're all interesting. Each one of them is important, they're like the threads that compose this intrincated pattern.

The story itself is interesting, original, fun, and it has even some sad elements which are narrated with mixed emotions; sometimes, the narrator tells us these facts in a way we can totally empathize with the characters, therefore we can feel this sadness, but then it takes a different turn, and we can see bits of irony.

I find it difficult to summarise the story without giving spoilers, so I won't tell you anything new by saying that the story revolves around the mysterious manuscript called The Last Hours of a Love Affair, by Henry Pick, who died two years ago and owned a Pizzeria in a little French town. This manuscript was found in the peculiar library of rejected books by Delphine -a young editor- and Frédéric -an author whose first book was rejected several times until read by Delphine, therefore it ended up being published but with no success.

Who was Henri Pick? How could a man who seemed to have no interest in books write such a novel? Everything around the book's author seems contradictory. That's why the journalist Jeane-Michel Rouche is so intrigued. He thinks there's something strange about this whole media story. He won't be at peace until he demonstrates that Henri Pick couldn't have written that novel.

Thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

katykelly's review

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3.0

Literary subterfuge and mystery, slow going.

I found I was putting this down and picking it up again a lot, despite its slight length. Though the plot should have held my interest - a library of rejected books, one becoming a publishing sensation, a pizza maker writer, individuals delving to find the truth - it just didn’t grab me and make me race through.

As I’ve said, a French library contains a section of books rejected by publishers but kept safe by a librarian for many years. Later, his assistant, now in charge becomes more the focus as one title is’discovered’ and the revelation that the writer was a simple pizza maker, who never appeared to read or write anything, is rooted in people’s hearts.

The story then takes various roots, from the young female publisher championing the book and its author’s romantic story, the librarian and her small-town life, the author’s grown-up daughter and the way her world changes after her father’s book is published, and the man chasing down the ‘true’ story of Henri Pick.

It does all come together, and the elements are all quite well written and interesting, but as a whole, for me, it just didn’t ‘grip’ in the way I thought it should. It would make a lovely gently film, with a lot of emotion and hidden stories, loves and dreams and regrets.

One for lovers of books, of stories, of literary puzzles.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.