The President's Hat

Was looking for a book that emulated the whimsical character of Amelie and this very much captures that. Well written, easy to read, and with an engaging plot.

The President’s Hat begins in Paris in November 1986. Accountant Daniel Mercier is at the train station to greet his wife and son who have been on holiday in Normandy. Mercier is wearing President Francois Mitterand’s black felt Homburg hat. The day before he was at a restaurant when the president sat at the table next to him. When the president left, he had forgotten his hat. Instead of trying to return it, Mercier stole it.The hat turns the quiet Mercier into a more confident man. Even his work colleagues notice his ‘calm demeanour, air of assurance, the extraordinary way he had of saying the unpalatable with the utmost tact … true class!’ Wearing the hat, touching the hat, and even having it close to him gives him a feeling of authority and ‘immunity to the torments of everyday life.’ It sharpened his mind and gave him the ability to make important decisions.But one day he leaves it on the train. Different people come to own the hat for a short period of time. Each story links the characters together through the hat. And each person feels like a changed person, just by wearing this hat. ‘It had the power of destiny’ and each person’s destiny is changed – for the better.Laurain’s writing is easily readable and wholly engaging, painting a picture of each character’s life and lifestyle as they undergo personal transformations that impact their fate and fortune. The narrative dips in the middle as Daniel Mercier continues to find the – his – lost hat. But the beginning and the ending are solid and enjoyable. Overall, it’s a wonderful novel about the sequence of decisions and actions that lead to important events in people’s lives.

This book was just what I needed now. A great diversion and step back in time to a decade filled with good memories. I found the plot quite clever and those who didn't missed the point completely. We are all at the mercy of serendipity. It wasn't about some magical power of the hat, but how one serendipitous event can change our lives--if we are open to change. I listened to the book and greatly enjoyed the narration.

This book is light as a soufflé and can be read in a couple of hours. It is full of charm but doesn't go very deep. It's al about the magical qualities of a hat worn by President Francois Mitterand. The president leaves it behind in a restaurant where it is purloined first by a frustrated middle-manager. He puts it on his head and suddenly he's a new man, a much better version of himself. But this hat cannot be possessed. It has a mind of its own. He loses it and it falls into the hands of a frustrated writer in the middle of an unsatisfactory affair. A few days with the hat are enough to turn things around for her as well. She leaves it behind and it is picked up by a creator of perfumes whose gift has deserted him. Before you can say "merci beaucoup," his genius flares once more.It's a nice fairy story but I have to say it's not nearly as entertaining or compelling as the author's other listed work, "The Red Notebook" which for me had more emotional resonance.I think there's a place for this kind of whimsical entertainment -- but I don't understand all the prizes it has been nominated for. The author has clearly tapped into some kind of Gallic nostalgia for the innocent days of the 1980s and 1990s when the socialist president finally toppled the Gaullists and took power. It was a time before the Internet and social media -- but it was no age of innocence. However, nostalgia is a pleasant pastime and this book also whiles away some minutes with charm and grace.

A very special person loses his hat. The hat is found and lost again. This hat has what might be described as a magical spell, it is intriguing to all who find it. But was it ever really lost? I could not stop reading this book once I started. I absolutely Loved the ending of the book. Perfect. I have read one other book by this author and he is really quite the artist with words. I think anyone who reads this book is in for a surprise and a smile.

Charming, lighthearted modern fairy tale about a hat seemingly endowed with supernatural properties that bring out the best qualities in the series of people who wear it. In different hands this could seem a silly story, but Laurain has handled his material deftly and sensitively, creating a very enjoyable book.

Antoine Laurain seems to have found his niche in writing quirky amusing and clever little stories that will appeal to a wide reading public.Like The Red Notebook which I read a couple of weeks ago, The president's Hat offers a charming read that is such a pleasant relief after all the "dark" literature that is on the market nowadays.Uplifting and elegant, I absolutely recommend The president's hat for those of you looking for escapism in the best possible way.The theme has been described in previous reviews so I won't attempt further explanations of the plot; enough to say, get this book and smile your way into the lives of the people who were transformed in one way or another by possessing Francois Mitterrand's hat.

I read another book by this author a few weeks ago, The Red Notebook, and had to read another story told by such a fun writer. How I enjoyed this read. So sweet and beautiful. I could see this becoming an Amelie style film, it has all the sweetness and magic that life really does contain if one pays close attention.After reading this book, I now want to take the paperback and put a note on it *read me* and leave it in the hallway outside the college art classes. It is a couple weeks before spring break... it would be perfect timing. A short and sweet story to make one smile during the couple weeks off.I am totally doing that now.