Le Chapeau de Mitterrand

by Antoine Laurain

Daniel Mercier dîne seul dans une fameuse brasserie parisienne quand - il n'en croit pas ses yeux - un illustre convive s'installe à la table voisine : François Mitterrand. Son repas achevé, le Président oublie son chapeau, que Daniel décide de s'approprier en souvenir. Tel un talisman, le feutre noir ne tarde pas à transformer sa vie. Daniel aurait-il percé le mystère du pouvoir suprême ? Hélas, il perd à son tour le précieux couvre-chef qui poursuit de tête en tête sa promenade savoureuse, bouleversant le destin de personnages pittoresques et brossant, sous la forme d'une fable, un tableau de la France des années quatre-vingt.

Genres: Fiction, France, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, Literary Fiction

211 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Antoine Laurain (born 1972) is a French author. He previously worked as a screenwriter and antiques dealer.

His first novel "The Portrait" was published in 2007 and he achieved wide international acclaim with "The Red Notebook". Since then his works have been translated into 14 languages and partly made into films.

Reviews

[Richard (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel Mercier buys himself a meal in a smart Parisian Brasserie. He’s having a hard time at work and missing his wife and son, who are away for a few days. Fresh seafood and a chilled bottle of expensive white wine seems a fitting treat to lift his spirits.
Three distinguished gentlemen sit down at the next table, one of them, to Daniel’s amazement, turns out to be Francois Mitterrand the French president!
Daniel is excited to spend time in such rarified company and is further surprised when the premiere inadvertantly leaves his hat on the shared bench seat.
Thus begins this slim novel, The Presidents Hat by Antoine Laurain.
The stylish hat starts a journey and is passed, haphazardly through an unconnected group of Parisians. It is the theme that connects a finely drawn and humorous series of vignettes.
The hat manages to subtly change the fortunes of those that wear it. It seems to bring positive changes wherever it lands - a shift in mood, some good luck, a little bit of magic and a surge in the self confidence of the wearer.
The President’s Hat is elegantly written, quirky and profound.
A lovely, memorable little book.

[Nat K · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Sometimes life carries you in different directions and you don't even realise you've gone down a fork in the road...”

J'adore! J'adore!! J'adore!!! Oh my goodness, what is it about Antoine Laurain's writing that just gets to me "so".

I have to admit to shedding a little tear at the end, as it was just tied together so beautifully, and there is this amazing melting moment in Venice. But you'll have to read it to find out what this is...

”Could a felt hat have the power to change lives?”

So asks the blurb on the back cover of this book. And the answer is…yes. Unequivocally, mysteriously it can.

1986, Paris, France. A black felt hat. A Homburg. The original owner being the French President François Mitterrand. Who accidentally leaves it behind after dining in an elegant Parisian brasserie. And so begins the hat’s journey to four temporary caretakers thereafter. While they have this hat in their lives, they find things turn around for them, their lives move forward, as if some unseen hand is moving the puzzle pieces to fit.

How can it be possible that an inanimate object can act as such a good luck charm? Think of an item that is important to you. A memento of sentimental value. Something that brings you joy or comfort. That makes you stand taller. Smile. Or helps you feel more confident. Believe in yourself.

Well this hat sprinkles faery dust over the wearer for long enough that changes fall into place like a spell has been cast. Then it moves onto the next person. Could it be the hat that is helping these changes to take place?

Our cast of players who are swept up in the magic hat’s path are:

Daniel Mercier - who was dining at the brasserie at the same time as President Mitterrand. It is he who first “borrowed” the hat rather than hand it in to staff at a the restaurant. He’s an all-round nice guy & family man. He’s also tired of being a deputy to a bullying departmental head who is making everyone’s life a misery. He’s ready for a long overdue promotion at work.

Fanny Marquant - a woman who is no longer satisfied with the status of being a long term mistress to a man who “still needs time” to leave his wife. What started as a romantic tryst has lost its charm. A quickie a few times a month just isn’t fulfilling anymore, and she wants more.

Pierre Aslan* - a star perfumier (aka “nose”) who has not created a scent for eight years. Both his mojo and muse have left him; he is suffering from a crippling creative block and is a disappointment to himself. But how to get the juices going again?

Bernard Lavilliére - after a disastrous dinner party where he insulted his apparent close friends, he questions his and his wife's lifestyle. And the true meaning of friendship. Does going to the same universities and same parties mean that this social circle actually care about you? An interesting turn around in thought patterns and social classes begin to stir in Bernard's mind, as he dips his toes into the world of art, and starts to collect works by the then unknown Jean-Michel Basquiat.

I have to say that the part about Pierre Aslan was my favourite. I adored the scene where he set himself the task of walking through the gardens to the Louvre, his goal being to identify as many of the “scents” people were wearing as possible. So many gorgeous fragrances were named! I had to smile as I have worn many of them (it was a trip down memory lane for me). Only a Frenchman could have written a scene as delightful as this 💕

I wanted something lighthearted to read to lift my spirits. My mind kept wandering back to Richard’s fab review of this book, and I knew this was the book I needed.

But don’t be fooled! Light hearted it may be, but the vignettes about the characters have depth and nuance. Like an extravagantly well made chocolate mousse, that melts on the tongue…where you can taste so many more different flavours than just the chocolate.

Having recently read “The Red Notebook” with Collin (loved!) it was nice to again slip between the covers of another Antoine Laurain book. This guy does quirky & whimsy with the most delightful Gallic flare.

Gorgeous, lyrical & utterly enchanting. I cannot rave enough about the simple beauty of this book.

Make sure you check out Richard’s review at…
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

* Pierre Aslan – I can’t help but wonder if his surname was an intentional choice? The book does have Narnia like qualities. You just have to believe in the magic 🍃

PS: If anyone finds this hat, you know where I am...

[Demis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. A sweet little story, well-realised characters... gave me a real feeling of that magic I used to get reading stories as a kid, except instead of dragons, monsters and knights, it was all about the oysters, perfumes and Parisian parks I know all too well.

It's a quick read - anyone looking for a wonderful way to waste your afternoon, this one's a treat.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another success from Antoine Laurain. Fable-like it follows the subsequent wearers of The French President during the 1980's Francois Mitterand after he leaves it in a Parisian brasserie.

The hat continues to be left and each person who becomes its temporary caretaker experiences something new and transfromative in their lives.

Impossible to put down, uplifting and a joy to read, it is wonderful to come across one of those 'turn-to' authors when in need of a literary pick-me-up or just a fun read!

My complete review here at Word by Word.

[Paria · Rating 3 out of 5]

طی یک سری حوادث و اتفاقات کاملا تصادفی کلاه رئیس جمهور بین افراد مختلفی دست به دست میشه و بدون اینکه اطلاعی از مالک اصلی کلاه داشته باشن، روند زندگیشون رو دچار تغییر میکنه. حضور این کلاه در زندگی این افراد، به اون ها جسارتی میده که پیش از اون هرگز نداشتن و به لطف این کلاه جسارت به وجود آوردن تغییراتی جدی در زندگیشون رو پیدا می کنن.
بعد از کتاب "دفترچه یادداشت قرمز" این دومین اثریه که از آنتوان لورین خوندم. ایده ی این کتاب هم بنظرم جالب و خلاقانه بود. بیش از اون اشاره به این نکته رو دوست داشتم که خیلی از مواقع رسیدن به موفقیت های بزرگ زندگی فقط نیازمند داشتن جسارت، شجاعت و اعتماد به نفس به وجود آوردن تغییراته..
در کل کتاب جالبی بود ولی من همچنان دفترچه یادداشت قرمز رو بیشتر دوست دارم.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you want to get ahead get a hat”

It’s a play on words, used as an advertising slogan in the UK in the 1940s. It would seem that those words struck a chord, as they remain in the public consciousness to this day. Maybe that’s because they’re true.

They certainly were in Paris, in 1986.

Daniel Mercier was an accountant, with a career that was solid but not spectacular.

One evening, when his wife and child were away, he decided that he would treat himself to a lovely meal and a good bottle of wine at a smart brassiere. While he eating a man sat down on the banquette next to him: Daniel was amazed to find himself sitting alongside President Mitterrand, who was dining with a couple of associates.

Daniel was thrilled: he would have a wonderful memory and a fine tale to tell!

The Presidents HatWhen the presidential party left the president left his hat behind. Nobody noticed, and so Daniel tried it on. The president’s hat! He rather liked it and so he walked out of the restaurant wearing it.

And then his whole life seems to changed. He was more confident at work, more ready to speak out, and he impressed his colleagues and his superiors. He won a fine promotion.

But then Daniel lost the hat.

A young woman writer found it. She tried it on, she rather liked it, and as there was no sign of the owner she kept it. The hat gave her the confidence to change her life, but then she lost it.

Somebody else picked it up, their life changed, and then they lost the hat. And so it went on.

Daniel was the only one who knew where the hat had come from, and so he was the only one who chased it. That tied the stories together, making this a proper novel with a beginning, a middle and an end, rather than a series of linked stories.

The story of the president’s hat says much about what many things. Big things. Love, work, creativity, recovery, hope, politics …. It says that small things, random chances, can change the course of a life. And it says that you really should reach out for your dream.

But, of course, the big question is this: does the power lie within the hat, or does it simply awaken the power in each individual who wears it. That question stays up in the air, but I know what I think.

The setting – Paris nearly thirty years ago – was perfect. Long enough ago to be nostalgic, recent enough to be familiar, and could you really imagine this story anywhere else but Paris?

I found it very easy to keep turning pages. The style was light and bright, the stories were charming, and I always wanted to know what was happen enough.

There was just enough substance, just enough to think about.

And the ending was perfect.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the 1980s in Paris, President Francois Mitterrand leaves his hat behind in a brasserie. Daniel Mercier, another restaurant patron, decides to take the president’s black felt hat. The hat imbues confidence causing those who possess it to each take action to change his or life starting with Mercier to aspiring writer Fanny Marquant, perfumer Pierre Aslan, and Bernard Lavallière experiencing a mid-life crisis. A darling and optimistic story recalling a less technological time and French impulsiveness. I recommend you read this gem if you just want to enjoy a lighthearted good book.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The President's Hat" is another charming novel by the French writer Antoine Laurain.

I loved his "Red Notebook", so when I spotted this on Netgalley, I had to request it. Many thanks to the publishers, Gallic Books, for allowing me to read it.

The President's Hat is about the French President, Francois Mitterand's hat. I've grown up hearing about him. He was the French president for a very long time (14 years!).

The story takes place in 1986. Daniel Mercier finds himself in a brasserie, enjoying a quiet dinner by himself. At the table next to him sits Francois Mitterand and two other people. The President and his entourage leave, but Mitterand leaves his hat behind. Daniel decides to keep the hat as a souvenir.

Unbeknownst to him, things start changing for the better. He gets a promotion at work. The unthinkable happens: he forgets the hat on the train.

I will try not to give too much away. I will just say that the hat changes owners from Daniel Mercier to a young woman, Fanny Marquant, then to Pierre Aslan, a perfume maker, and to Bernard Lavalliere, an affluent Frenchman, part of the rich, conservative elite.

The hat seems to influence and provoke changes in the lives of all those who have it in their possession. They know it's the hat. Besides Daniel Mercier, none of them knows of its provenance.
I'll leave it at that.

This is a short novel that reads like a fable. I especially enjoyed the 80s references. While I'm not French, I recognised many of them.

Antoine Laurain's writing is deceptively simple, but it flows beautifully. Obviously, the translator (I couldn't find who it was) did a wonderful job translating it.

I thought the story was very original and very well written and its conclusion was very satisfying.

Antoine Laurain's writing and stories have a "je ne sais quoi" quality to them that really appeals to me. I read that this novel/novella was turned into a movie. I wouldn't mind watching it, especially since I'm a French movie fan.

Très agréable!

4.5 stars

I've received this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

Cover: 5 stars

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fable for adults. Can a hat make a difference in one’s life? Apparently.

It begins when a man, alone for the evening, has dinner at a restaurant and President Miterand and his party happen to sit next to him. After they leave and Daniel finishes his wine he reaches for his coat and realizes that the president has left his hat. Daniel, almost without thinking, puts it on and wears it home. The next day he impresses his boss with his analysis of a financial plan and gets a promotion. He feels it is due to the hat, which gives him great confidence.

But a few days later he leaves the hat on the train, and it is picked up by a woman who is on her way to meet her married lover. The hat works its magic once again and the woman is the better for it. And so it goes. The hat moves from one person to another, and each person who temporarily wears the hat has a significant improvement in their situation.

I found the entire story charming and fun. I loved roaming the streets of Paris along with each person who had possession of the hat. I liked learning about each one of them, what made them tick, why they felt “less than” and how they found their courage to move on and up. It left me feeling happy and optimistic. Just delightful.

[Ioana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pot să spun că aceasta a fost o lectură foarte plăcută! Am citit cartea dintr-o citire, în mai puțin de 3 de ore, deci mi-a plăcut mult! Primele 70 d epagini au curs ca apa și după, o dată ce am ajuns la 130, am zis că nu mai e mult și am și terminat-o 🤗
Îi dau doar 4 stele, pentru că probabil că nu o să o mai recitesc pe viitor, fiind o lectură care dacă aș mai citi-o, nu cred că aș avea aceeasi experiență

[Holly R W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novella about a hat belonging to President Francois Mitterand of France. It is a plain, black hat which has Mitterand's initials stitched inside it. Through a series of events, the hat finds its way to different, temporary owners. The hat seems to inspire people to become bolder and more decisive. The reader watches them all take steps to change their lives.

To me, the book read like linked short stories. I found it to be whimsical and a good escape.

3.5 stars

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

One for lovers of whimsy...

Daniel Mercier is eating alone one night in a restaurant when François Mitterrand, President of France, and some friends settle themselves at the next table. Daniel is thrilled to be so close to the great man, and begins to imagine that he's part of the President's group. When they leave the restaurant, Daniel notices that Mitterrand has accidentally left his signature black hat behind. Succumbing to an overwhelming temptation, Daniel picks it up, crams it on his own head, and scuttles quickly out of the restaurant before Mitterrand notices and comes back for it. The strange thing is that, almost immediately he acquires the hat, Daniel, usually a rather diffident and anxious young man, finds his confidence growing and his bosses appreciating him more. So when he in turn accidentally leaves the hat on a train, he is very upset. But the woman who picks it up suddenly finds the desire and courage to change her own rather unhappy life...

And so the story progresses, with the hat being passed from one person to another. In each case, we learn a bit about their story and then see how the possession of the hat leads them to make fundamental changes for the better in their lives. The book is well-written and quite entertaining, though undoubtedly a little on the twee side for me. The stories vary in their interest level. One that I enjoyed tells of a 'nose' – a man who used to have a glowing reputation for creating lovely and highly successful perfumes, but who in recent years seems to have lost the knack. The descriptions of how he finds himself inspired by various smells that he comes across and how he then goes about recreating these is done well, and I enjoyed the idea of him being able to identify the scent each person he met was wearing. Other episodes were less successful for me – like the man who found his entire political outlook on life changing as a result of wearing the hat. Even whimsy must have some basis in reality, and the idea that one shows one's conversion to socialism by buying up lots of expensive art to hang around one's home seemed a little odd.

It's not a book to over-analyse, but... well, when did that ever stop me? ;) I found it intriguing in an irritating kind of way that all the men in the book were inspired to change either their working or political lives, while the solitary (beautiful, of course) woman's story is one of breaking off a romantic relationship where she's being used, and then finding true love. The book was written, I believe, in 2012 – have we really not got beyond these stereotypes? I also didn't much care for the portrayal of Mitterrand – a man I know almost nothing about, so it's not that I have a bias. In the book he comes over as rather creepy, misusing his position as President to use the Secret Service for personal rather than political purposes, and lasciviously drooling over a photo of the woman who briefly has his hat. For all I know, this might be an accurate portrayal, but even if it is, it didn't feel right in a book as frothy and fanciful as this one is.

Still, it is quite readable and lightly enjoyable for the most part, so I'll stop criticising now. Not one that worked terribly well for me, as you'll have gathered, but I'm sure will work better for people who are more skilled than I am at immersing themselves fully in a bit of whimsy...

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Gallic Books.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could a hat absorb the qualities of the person who's head it's been sitting on?
In this delightfully quirky story, the lost hat of the President of France seems to change the lives of those who wear it, making them bolder and more confident, and therefore allowing them to make the choices that could change their lives for the better.
It all begins when Danielle finds himself dining in close proximity to the leader of his country, who leaves behind his hat. The temptation is too great for Danielle, who decides to keep it as a memento of what has been a very special evening.
And so begins a series of events that sees the hat change the lives of those who come, completely by chance, to wear it......but does the hat have an influence over who that wearer will be........

[Arash · Rating 4 out of 5]

_

چطور ممکن است به همین سادگی از زندگی کسی محو شوی؟ شاید، وقتی همه ی کارها را انجام دادی و همه ی چیزها را گفتی، آن وقت به همان سادگی که وارد زندگی اش شدی، از آن بیرون می روی. فقط یک ضربه ی تقدیر و چند کلمه ممکن است آغازگر یک رابطه باشد، و فقط یک ضربه ی تقدیر و چند کلمه ممکن است یک رابطه را پایان دهد. پیش از آن، هیچ، و پس از آن هیچ.

_

در زبان عامیانه اگر بخواهیم اوج اعتماد به نفس را مثال بزنیم می گوییم اگر من اعتماد به نفس داشتم، الان رئیس جمهور بودم. همه چیز از یک کلاه شروع شد، کلاهی که بر سر هرکس که رفت اوج اعتماد به نفس رو به اون فرد داد. البته به همین راحتی که کلاه رو بدست آوردن، به همون راحتی هم از دست دادن. خوشبختی ماندنی نیست و لغزنده است، باید اون رو سفت چسبید وگرنه مثل کلاه رئیس جمهور ما زود از دستت میره یا میدزدنش.

[Jae · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Sometimes life carries you in different directions and you don't even realise you've gone down a fork in the road; the great GPS of destiny has not followed the planned route and there has been no sign to indicate you've passed the point of no return. Life's Bermuda Triangle is both myth and reality."

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favourite book of mine and the third time I have read it. Probably my favourite book of the last ten years and definitely my favourite author. ❤️

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The President's Hat . Whose hat?

Nope. Not Abraham Lincoln's hat. Look hard at that cover. Eiffel Tower. . .mm-hmm. That handsome Gallic profile, that I'd never considered before.

Tangible items with an agenda are ever one of my favorites in a quirky storyline. . .and it is here in five circles of magic, making life better with each turn around. And was FM in on it? Oh I think so. I don't want to take away a moment of your surprise, so just take my 5 star recommend and on an afternoon, or dusky evening, or late lonely night pick this one up, prop it and read. Its not over long, and so glazed over with fairy dust I dare you not to smile a little as you move through the pages. I held it to my chest for a long time at the end. Just thinking. The magic of mindchanging. It just takes a little push to change one's mind and then an entirely new horizon presents itself. I might need a new hat.

God bless you, Antoine Laurain. Your words and written people tickled me anew and made me laugh out loud, then catch my breath and hold it. . .thinking. thinking. thinking. (that's mind changing stuff, that.)

First thing I googled? Francois, of course, and then the hat. Of course.

*A sincere thank you to Antoine Laurain, Pushkin Press, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #ThePresidentsHat #NetGalley 25|52:41f

[blueisthenewpink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mikre nem képes egy madártoll vagy a francia elnök kalapja! Néha mindenkire ráférne egy kis önbecsülés-javítás, hogy rendbe rakjuk a rendberakni valót az életünkben. Aztán kiderül, hogy már nincs is szükség a varázserővel bíró tárgyra.

Helyes volt, kellemesen szokatlan figurákkal, pörgős cselekmény, remek kikapcsolódás.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short novel about the adventures of a unique hat may not sound like much, but it was thoroughly enjoyable. I am loving Antoine Laurain's magical short stories!

[Kavita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really did not expect such a fun and brilliant story when I picked this up. I thought this whole concept was rather unique and different; something I have not actually read before. The President in question in The President's Hat is François Mitterrand and the story is set in the late 80s. When Daniel Mercier finds Mitterrand seated nearby in a brasserie, he is delighted. When the President forgot to take his hat, he swipes it. And then his life changes!

But the changes do not stop with Mercier. He loses his hat, which is found by Fanny Marquant, a novelist who is unable to leave a relationship in which she is the unfulfilled mistress of a mediocre man. Once she achieves both professional success and romantic satisfaction, the hat passes on to Pierre Aslan, a perfumier who has developed a block. Of course, the hat helps in the creation of a brilliant new perfume before it gets passed on to Bernard Lavilliére.

The entire book was great fun, but I particularly loved Lavilliére's story. Moving around in traditional aristocratic circles, Lavilliére feels disconnected from the rest of his circle who are straitlaced and scoff at modern changes. In fact, some of them don't even have television, and are proud of the fact! Finding the hat changes Lavilliére as a person as he enters the world of art and buys up a collection of the then unknown black American artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The flavour of France comes off strongly, and that's the most enjoyable thing about this book. I felt such a strong sense of nostalgia that I wanted to visit and live there again. That shows how evocative Laurain's writing is. It's definitely a great book to pick up if travelling to Paris. It's rare to have such small details written so evocatively that you can simply be transported there in your mind.

It's a very light read, but it's a great book. And if anyone finds Mitterand's hat and wants to pass it on, I am here! 👋👋👋

[N D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book based on a review by Richard, posted here on Goodreads not that long ago. It is an absolutely delightful read and I don't think I can add anything to Richard's excellent review. A short novel full of wonderful insights into the frailty of human character, this is a little gem.

[Alena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Потрясающе, по-французски очаровательная история 💓

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really a series of short stores, cleverly cobbled together by the president’s miraculous hat. It started out very interestingly, and got better as it went along and the stories all came together.

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read a French translation novel during the 2024 Olympics in Paris and The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain was given to me by a friend who loves France so it was the perfect choice.

Published in 2012 and set in 1980s Paris, the author offers us a simple enough premise, a hat is lost and found by a number of characters in succession who find their individual circumstances beginning to change when they start wearing the hat. One character observes:

"Wearing a hat gives you a feeling of authority over someone who isn't, he thought to himself." Page 35

I was so invested in the first character to find the hat that I was annoyed when it left his possession, almost to the point of wanting to put the book down permanently. However, once my irritation subsided I was able to continue the story with renewed interest.

I enjoyed seeing how the individual wearers of the hat began to prosper and make changes to improve their lives, leaving the reader to wonder if there was any power in the hat or if each of the characters brought about their own changes in fortune.

I wasn't familiar with the politics of France in the 1980s - and I'm still not - however the content of this slim volume does include a lot of political commentary from various characters. Thankfully this didn't overpower the narrative and I appreciated the 1980s references. I particularly delighted in this unexpected reference to an awesome song from the '80s:

"In the marble hallway, they handed their coats to some girls with incredible legs and followed the music: rock, or maybe it was pop, the words spoken off-beat in German with a chorus that went 'Rock me Amadeus', as far as Bernard could tell." Page 155

I love that song! Also unexpected was an epilogue at the end that neatly filled in some of the character arcs for the reader, but also raised a question or two that niggled.

The President's Hat by Antoine Laurain is a short, feel good novel that asks the reader to question whether they could transcend the lucky hat idea and make wholesale changes to their own lives themselves. Having just read 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson, I know the answer is a resounding yes, however Laurain leaves it to the reader to arrive at their own conclusion.

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed "The Red Notebook" so much that I bought my own copy and three other of Laurain's novels. I'm happy I did. "The President's Hat" is another delightful, well-told, intriguing story. Easily read, it captured my attention from the start. So much so that I startled my husband with my gasp at the first twist in the tale. Having read it prior to me, he smiled when I told him what had happened. A story about a hat doesn't seem like it could be interesting, but it is. I recommend you buy your own copy of this delightful novel.

[Nancy McKibben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The President’s Hat
By Antoine Laurain

A French novel in translation, The President’s Hat is a sweet bit of whimsy. Daniel Mercier, an everyday sort of accountant, inadvertently finds himself seated next to President Francois Mitterand at a brasserie; when Mitterand forgets his hat, Mercier appropriates it as a souvenir of the evening he sat next to the President. But when he dons the black hat, he feels transformed.

He felt as if his brain was bathed in a refreshing dose of sparkling aspirin. Bubbles of oxygen were fizzing through zones that had slumbered for too long.

In short order, the hat extracts his life from the rut in which it was stuck. But alas (or hélas, in French), Daniel, too leaves the black hat behind him on a train, where Fanny, a young woman becalmed in an affair with a married man, picks it up and puts it on to protect her hair from the rain.

The black felt brim acted like a visor, compressing the space around her and marking out a distinct horizon. In Batignolles, a man did a double take as he passed her. What kind of image was she projecting, walking along in the moonlight in her denim mini-skirt, high heels, silver jacket, and black hat? . . .The hat gave her jaw line a new air of distinction; she had put her hair up in a bun to help keep it in place. Perhaps she should always wear it up like this and put on a new black hat every time she went out. Donning the new accessory had made her feel somehow powerful; it had the same effect as the designer clothes she so rarely treated herself to.

The hat changes Fanny’s life, too, but rather than forget it, she generously leaves it on a park bench for the next lucky wearer, a perfumier who has lost his nose . . .

But not to give away any more of the plot. This little book is gracefully done: witty, wry, Gallic, and unpretentious, an enchanting glimpse into the lives of a few Parisian citizens, fortunate beneficiaries of the President’s Hat.

[Danielle Bauter · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming book from start to finish! This cleverly paced novel from a French author is the story of a hat's journey from its original owner (former French president Francois Mitterand) to a number of individuals who also take a turn with it. The magic of the story is the unraveling of how the hat transforms the lives of each of them in different ways. And how everything comes full circle in the end. A thoroughly satisfying read, I savored every page and was sad to have it end.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Antoine Laurain's writing style, it's very poetic. This short novel is, in fact, several little stories in one, following François Mitterrand's hat around, and I enjoyed them all, although I prefer "The Red Notebook".

[Simona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Velmi svieze, krasne, oddychove. Uzasne opisy miest, bola som s nimi v kazdej parizskej restauracii ci v kazdom parku.

[Davida Chazan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars.
Well, this was fun... a type of "traveling pants" story, but with a hat! You can read my full review here. http://tcl-bookreviews.com/2023/05/26...