Antoine LaurainLe chapeau de Mitterrand (J'ai lu Roman)

Read it in English, now we're reading it in the original. Entertaining, fast read, droll humor.

It immediately struck me that Laurain was indulging in "magical realism" so popular in Latin American literature, e.g., "Like Water for chocolate," "Tortilla Soup," Garcia Marquez, Fuentes, etc. The hat is real, but it has magical properties. But a Frenchman could never let fate take over the way a Latin American is willing to. In the end, not only is every little thread tied up into a neat little knot, but (SPOILER ALERT) it turns out that an almost-omniscient Mittérand was pulling the strings all along. I enjoyed seeing how the French author handled the denouement. Not all readers will care about that. Some of my friends (I know about ten who have read it) think this is a delightful divertissement, others think it's silly trash. Me? I think I'll go along with my friends on this one.

It was a pleasure to read and has a great twist in the end that I absolutely didn't see coming. Just what I needed after the election.

A fairy tale for adults in easily readable French.

The former French president François Mitterand forgets his hat in a Parisian brasserie, a man takes it and a set of life changing events begins for those who wears it. The chapeau begins a journey through many heads that see their destinies modified for good.The story is original, sometimes entertaining but most of the time somehow dull. Unlike the hat, this short novel won’t produce any side effects in your life.

Very nice and light reading to freshen up on your French vocabulary before taking that Summer trip to Paris.

A fun book, but not for beginners. Difficult for intermediate readers too.

A very interesting book. Very captivating.

Lättläst och väldigt underhållande!

Uma história muito original em torno de um objeto, um chapéu, que transforma tudo por onde passa…

Aussi invraisemblable que crédible

Facile à lire, on se laisse entraîner dans les aventures de plusieurs personnages et on s’interroge sur le courage et l’audace qu’un chapeau peut donner et même changer le cours d’une vie 😃

Es ist ein Buch , welches den Zauber der Menschheit bzw. Menschlichkeit so vollendet zum Ausdruck bringt !Ich war absolut begeistert und habe mir daraufhin noch mehrere Bücher diese Autors bestellt.Ich bin Mitglied in einer Literaturrunde und werde dieses Buch in dieser Woche dort vorstellen.Beste Grüße