Hector & the Serets of Love, by Francois Lelord

The idea behind the book is Hector is on the search for a previous colleague who has gone missing whilst researching a pill that helps you fall in love. He sets off across the world, leaving his girlfriend behind, and his quest takes him into Asia and the arms of Vayla. According to the blurb, it's a book designed to give us insightful thoughts into the human desire to find love. I was subjected to the less insightful thought that I would be a happier person without this book and without Hector in my life. I really can’t tell you a great deal more about the plot because the above two sentences actually sum up ¾ of the book. It seems to take the author an awful long time to write not very much. Or for not very much to happen. In case you can’t tell - I really really disliked this book. From the very start, I did not like Hector, which is a major issue since the book is told from Hector’s point of view. We are given a great deal of insight into Hector’s thoughts and feelings and his contemplation of the age old question “what is love”. Unfortunately, despite the blurb on the back, I don’t feel I gained any insigh I did not like the way the book was written and I did not like the style of language that was used. Although the book was quite clearly for adults, it was written in a tone of voice as though someone very clever was talking down to someone they considered not so clever. And all in all, I felt patronised and irritated by the novel. And just for the record, I read a lot of books written for and aimed at children, and I rarely feel as patronised and as belittled as I did whilst reading this book. Even taking the style of the novel into account, and taking into account the fact there had been a previous book (Hector's search for happiness) which I hadn't read (and will never read) - the story itself was ridiculous and really not my cup of tea at all. It’s hard to find anything to like about Hector (who has to be the most boring character I’ve ever met) and I really couldn’t have cared less about his quest. It’s very rare I dislike a book so much, and whilst I have read some boring books in my time, I tend to think at least it’s a book ticked off my to-read list and at least it means I won’t have to read it again. In this case, I wish I had never wasted my time reading it in the first place.