The President's Hat

Immediately, Daniel is a character who is easy to connect to. He is in a restaurant having a rare "bachelor evening" when Francois Mitterrand sits on the table next to him. FM leaves without his hat and Daniel, in an unusual moment of impulse, decides to take it. I have had bad experiences with translations, as this is, of late but was completely delighted with this book. The description of inner feelings is amazing and I found myself rereading some sections to make sure I had picked up every word. It is a small book (approx 200 pages) with very short chapters, making for a quick read. The hat passes from person to person and the book seems to be becoming a series of related short stories. I started to feel a bit disappointed with that idea as I felt I wanted to know more about each of the characters, so was delighted that the book is more complex. There is a bit of mystery, a bit of magic and a lot of Paris, all mixed up with great dollops of positivity. The story is set in 1986/87 and there are many nostalgic references to the era. The setting is quite subtle and does not take over the plot but is a definite period. Well worth reading for something a bit different.

France has moved on a lot since I was confined to the language lab, and this is a snapshot of the 80s, after my release. The author admits his return to this period was for reasons of nostalgia, but you don't have to be a Francophile to enjoy it for yourself. With a premise reminiscent of the plot of The Mask, the hat in the title changes the lives of all who wear it, giving them courage. A mild-mannered accountant holds his own against a domineering colleague, impressing his boss and gaining promotion. A put-upon mistress finds the pluck to end her affair with the married man she never goes out with. A blocked perfumer, five years under psychoanalysis, dons the Homburg, dismisses his shrink and scores a final hit with his legendary nose, recombining different elements from the story. An aristocrat declares his inner socialist. The smells, the tastes and the textures of the period are rendered here for you to relish. I even discovered a French affair with technology, pre-dating the PC, that I was totally unaware of before. Just surrender to the narrative and let yourself be carried along by the unfolding story. A delightful, humorous, satisfying read.

Brilliant. Book in great condition all the way from a book shop in India. Delighted customer.

Daniel Mercier finds himself alone in Paris whilst his wife and son are away. On the spur of the moment he decides to visit a brasserie. Whilst eating President Mitterrand sits down at the table next to him. As Mitterrand leaves the restaurant, he leaves behind his black Homburg hat. On the spur of the moment Daniel keeps the hat for himself. As he begins to wear the hat he notices a change come over him. Could it be the hat? This is a short novel, only 208 pages and is a charming concept; following the journey of a hat from the head of the Head of State all the way to that of a middle aged French aristocrat. Each new wearer of the black felt headpiece begins to act in a way they would not have before, or discover a new lease for life. Some, like Daniel, attribute the change to the hat, others are unaware of its effect. There is a magical, almost fairy tale like quality to this book. This is in some part due to the setting of Paris but also to the writing style of Laurain. The book feels almost like a series of short stories, each one linked by a common theme. The snapshot into each life is brief but also well rounded, you get a feel for each character in a short space of time. In fact I soon found it easy to establish who were favoured characters and who I did not feel for too much. Daniel for example, felt to me to be a needy character, easily led and one who does not stand up for himself. He is also obsessive to the point that it becomes unhealthy and has a very understanding wife. It is however a joy to see how each character changes as the story progresses. The epilogue nicely fleshes out and finishes the story, completing the picture as a whole. The story is set in the 1980s and features real life characters, interspersing the fictional ones. This adds to the surreal feeling of the novel, being never quite sure who is real and who imagined. I am looking forward to Laurain's next book The Red Notebook, which is published by Gallic Books in 2015.

Some of the best stories are the most simple ones. The concept of the a life changing hat was brilliant and the prose, light and easy. I loved the characters - all of them endearing and unique in their own way. It had just the right balance of seriousness, humour and adventure and you just had to keep turning the pages because you wanted to know where the hat ended up. If you want to know - you'll have to read it yourself :0) I highly recommend this as an uncomplicated and enjoyable read and excellent if you're looking for something short and sweet for your getaway this summer.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book on holiday recently and admired the originality of the storyline, where President Mitterand's lost hat gives the wearer special powers. By something of a coincidence, my latest reading is Simon Singh's book "The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets". It highlights a 1993 episode "Springfield (Or,How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalised Gambling)". In this episode, Edward Kissinger is touring Homer's workplace and drops his spectacles down the toilet while visiting the washroom. He says "No one must know I dropped them in the toilet. Not I, who drafted the Paris Peace Accord." A short time later, Homer visits the toilets, finds the glasses, and can't resist trying them on. They endow him with the power of Kissinger's brain and he starts regurgitating a variant of the Pythagoras theorem. This episode in turn was derived from the "Wizard of Oz" (1939) where the Scarecrow is given a brain by the Wizard and blurts out a similar conjecture. The story line of "The President's Hat" appeared so original that I was waiting for more from the same author, but this may be more of a challenge than I imagined!

This is such a charming little read. A simple, but quite intriguing premise - President Mitterand has lost his hat and it now sits on the head of the diner who sat on the next table to him in the restaurant. Can the hat (and a little of Mitterand's confidence) rub off on its new wearer? Life-changing moments are in store for the succession of people who wear the hat. The story is a sequence of vignettes held together by the hat, which is passed on, oft times accidentally, from one needy person to the next. A really delightful, French read that doesn't lose its charm in the translation. A sweet and enjoyable tale with a pleasing end. I would also recommend The Red Notebook by the same author - which is a little more on the romantic side.

Following the journey of the French president's misplaced hat and the apparent impact it has on a variety of temporary owners, this book trots along at a brisk pace. Translated from the original French, it is full of Gallic charm and atmosphere while the author's easy style makes it an excellent choice for anyone reading in short snatches, on the tube, during a coffee-break...dip into this over a strong, dark-roast espresso and you can almost smell the Gitanes! There's something of the contemporary fairy tale about this short novel - it's an all-too-brief but thoroughly enjoyable read and I'm pleased to have stumbled across it.

Mal ganz was anderes. Interessante Reise, die dieser Hut auf dem Weg zu seinem ursprünglichen Besitzer nimmt. Wäre auch ein schönes Geschenk für Frankreich-Fans, gibt's aber leider nicht in der deutschen Übersetzung.

This whimsical tale of the magic of an everyday object is both charming and inspiring, and although set in France does not require knowledge of the language or country to be enjoyed . And I very much enjoyed The Presidents Hat and its ensemble cast of realistic characters; it left an impression on me that has lasted after closing the book. The most compelling character, the hat, remains on my mind - I am intimately familiar with the way that a good hat can change the way you feel. Was the hat truly powerful? Or did the real power lie in the hat bringing out a facet of the wearers that already existed, but could not be expressed by their everyday hatless selves? I plan to look for more work by Antoine Laurain.

Una storia insolita che piace molto, sia in francese sia in inglese

Fast moving, easy to read, felt I was watching the great characters from the sidelines, cheering them on.

Uma fábula moderna, bem escrita, agradável de ler. Achei melhor que A Caderneta vermelha, história também interessante. A história se baseia nas mudanças que passam a ocorrer na vida das pessoas depois que estas encontram um chapéu, perdido pelo ex-presidente da França. O chapéu passa por várias pessoas e é perseguido pelo seu dono e pela pessoa que, sabendo que era de Mitterand faz tudo para reavê-lo. O final surpreende.