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mrscottaustin's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book in a free little library in Pittsburgh and read it in the 3 days I was there. It’s perfect for that. Short chapters. Characters who are likable and easy to distinguish. It was a little light fluff after reading Swann’s Way.
Everyone loved that hat.
Everyone loved that hat.
jessicasshelfies's review against another edition
4.0
I have read this before, so I knew it was a feelgood story, and that’s exactly what I was after. It’s a sweet story, and I like that it’s set in the Eighties. Quite short to be a book, feels more like a short story.
vrenchen's review against another edition
5.0
J'ai bien aimé l'idée d'un objet qui donne des pouvoirs ou plutôt du courage et de la confiance aux gens même si c'est peut-être seulement dans leur imagination. Une sorte d'effet placebo qui permet aux gens de faire des choses qu'ils n'ont pas osées faire avant. La langue m'a plu aussi et les caractères étaient aimables.
jeanpatterson2's review against another edition
4.0
This charming little book, translated from French, is set during the 1980s. President Francois Mitterand accidentally leaves his hat behind in a restaurant, which is picked up by Dennis Mercier, an average ordinary Frenchman, who decides to keep the hat, and while Mercier has it in his possession, his life changes for the better. The hat seems to have magical properties and those who encounter the hat on its journey are similarly transformed.
emilyfay22's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
frazzle's review against another edition
2.0
Part of my dislike of this probably comes from the translation. I found the prose of this book to be uninspired at best, and completely pedestrian at worst. Perhaps turns of phrase were more natural in the French.
But I think it's also the book itself. Even the bits that were supposed to be touching I simply found hackneyed. At least three times (which in a small book is a lot) Laurain chooses to describe in some detail the oyster quivering when someone squeezes some lemon onto it. And I really don't think there's anything symbolic to be read into this.
The concept was nice but ultimately self-limiting. A magical hat? Or perhaps there's a physical explanation for all of these weird events?
Who cares?? Not me. Won't be rereading this one.
But I think it's also the book itself. Even the bits that were supposed to be touching I simply found hackneyed. At least three times (which in a small book is a lot) Laurain chooses to describe in some detail the oyster quivering when someone squeezes some lemon onto it. And I really don't think there's anything symbolic to be read into this.
The concept was nice but ultimately self-limiting. A magical hat? Or perhaps there's a physical explanation for all of these weird events?
Who cares?? Not me. Won't be rereading this one.
moni_lkszyk's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
biancam89's review against another edition
4.0
A funny and lovely novel about the presidents hat in which you end up loving the characters and how they grow by spontaneously embracing change.