What do you think?
Rate this book
Hector #3
Hector and the Search for Lost Time
The delightful third book in the multimillion-copy internationally bestselling series
"Being up against the clock was a real problem for so many people, thought Hector. What could he possibly do to help them?"
First he tackled happiness. Then he took on love. And now Hector, our endearing young French psychiatrist, confronts the persistent march of time.
His patients lament that there is not enough time in the day. Or they feel that life is passing them by. And in one case, a young boy turns the problem on its He's impatient to grow up! Hector himself is increasingly aware of He doesn't feel quite so young anymore, and the clock is ticking on his relationship with his beloved Clara.
So as time flies, so does our wise and winsome hero in his latest adventure, traveling around the world to understand the past, the future, and how best to enjoy the present.
"Being up against the clock was a real problem for so many people, thought Hector. What could he possibly do to help them?"
First he tackled happiness. Then he took on love. And now Hector, our endearing young French psychiatrist, confronts the persistent march of time.
His patients lament that there is not enough time in the day. Or they feel that life is passing them by. And in one case, a young boy turns the problem on its He's impatient to grow up! Hector himself is increasingly aware of He doesn't feel quite so young anymore, and the clock is ticking on his relationship with his beloved Clara.
So as time flies, so does our wise and winsome hero in his latest adventure, traveling around the world to understand the past, the future, and how best to enjoy the present.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2006
55 people are currently reading
965 people want to read
About the author
François Lelord
54 books208 followersFrançois Lelord, born 22 June 1953 in Paris is a French psychiatrist and author. He studied medicine and psychology. After getting his doctoral degree in 1985, he was a post-doctorate researcher with Robert Liberman at the University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles. He then worked as an attending physician at Hôpital Necker (which is affiliated with Descartes University) in Paris for two years.
In 1989 he opened up his own practice which he closed down in 1996 to work as an advisor on stress and job satisfaction for several companies. Having co-written various self-help books, he was commissioned to produce another but found himself instead writing a novel, Hector and the Search for Happiness, the first in a series of adventures featuring a psychiatrist protagonist. In 2004, Lelord went to work for an NGO in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. He now lives in Thailand with his wife and son. The film of Hector and the Search for Happiness is released in UK cinemas in August 2014, starring Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike.
In 1989 he opened up his own practice which he closed down in 1996 to work as an advisor on stress and job satisfaction for several companies. Having co-written various self-help books, he was commissioned to produce another but found himself instead writing a novel, Hector and the Search for Happiness, the first in a series of adventures featuring a psychiatrist protagonist. In 2004, Lelord went to work for an NGO in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. He now lives in Thailand with his wife and son. The film of Hector and the Search for Happiness is released in UK cinemas in August 2014, starring Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
June 13, 2021
This was the first of the Hector books. I picked it up because I needed a light and breezy read.
I don't think one needs to be steeped in Freud to see that our friend Hector isn't really searching for the meaning of life or time or any other intellectual mumbo-jumbo. It often seems that Hector is a middle-aged man searching for p***y -- or to use Hector's euphemism, "mischief". Like many middle-aged men who love the bachelor life, he's terrified of settling down, having his roaming freedom's stripped, and being limited to the same "mischief" every day. Perhaps Hector is searching for the meaning of time, but I think what he's really looking for is a way to avoid spiritual death. I think this book has more in common with the HBO series "Entourage" then it does with "Sophie's World".
So, why the 3 stars instead of 2 or 1. I suppose I love the idea of a YA book written for middle-aged adult men. I don't think there is much depth to the book, but there certainly is some depth to the book. It is possible to take some deeper meaning from the book if you are not too well-read or simply don't want to concentrate that hard. I think it's the perfect book for a long 14-hour plane ride, where you're too miserable to concentrate on a difficult book, and you need just enough stimulation to get you through the flight. I can imagine kicking out 2-3 page chapters while drinking mini-vodkas and devouring little peanut packets.
I probably won't read another Hector book...but I might write something like this at some point. I think it would only take me about a month or two of writing if I did a 2-3 page chapter a day. That's a pretty cool way to write a book. Could I see myself writing something shallow but useful? Of course!
I don't think one needs to be steeped in Freud to see that our friend Hector isn't really searching for the meaning of life or time or any other intellectual mumbo-jumbo. It often seems that Hector is a middle-aged man searching for p***y -- or to use Hector's euphemism, "mischief". Like many middle-aged men who love the bachelor life, he's terrified of settling down, having his roaming freedom's stripped, and being limited to the same "mischief" every day. Perhaps Hector is searching for the meaning of time, but I think what he's really looking for is a way to avoid spiritual death. I think this book has more in common with the HBO series "Entourage" then it does with "Sophie's World".
So, why the 3 stars instead of 2 or 1. I suppose I love the idea of a YA book written for middle-aged adult men. I don't think there is much depth to the book, but there certainly is some depth to the book. It is possible to take some deeper meaning from the book if you are not too well-read or simply don't want to concentrate that hard. I think it's the perfect book for a long 14-hour plane ride, where you're too miserable to concentrate on a difficult book, and you need just enough stimulation to get you through the flight. I can imagine kicking out 2-3 page chapters while drinking mini-vodkas and devouring little peanut packets.
I probably won't read another Hector book...but I might write something like this at some point. I think it would only take me about a month or two of writing if I did a 2-3 page chapter a day. That's a pretty cool way to write a book. Could I see myself writing something shallow but useful? Of course!
July 23, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed the first of Hector series - Hector and the Search for Happiness. But this one...I'm not so sure.
Yes, it's enjoyable in some parts, a little child-like, but...it's still just okay. It's almost like I'm going round and round in circles trying to "find time". And then there were some complicated equations about defining time in the most scientific way ever and I get lost.
Some of his Time Exercises are meaningful, and got me thinking real hard about Time. While some I let pass because I have no idea what he's rattling on about.
One of my favourite Time Exercises has to be Time Exercise No. 13: Whenever you meet an elderly person, always imagine what they were like when they were young. :) Helps when I'm at work.
Pretty disappointed (with myself?) when I reached the end of the book and it says:
"But if you've read this book properly, you'll already have guessed."
GUESSED WHAT???! *dying of curiosity here*
Let me end this with a little conclusion of my own:
Time is past, present and future altogether. Time is eternity.
Lol.
Yes, it's enjoyable in some parts, a little child-like, but...it's still just okay. It's almost like I'm going round and round in circles trying to "find time". And then there were some complicated equations about defining time in the most scientific way ever and I get lost.
Some of his Time Exercises are meaningful, and got me thinking real hard about Time. While some I let pass because I have no idea what he's rattling on about.
One of my favourite Time Exercises has to be Time Exercise No. 13: Whenever you meet an elderly person, always imagine what they were like when they were young. :) Helps when I'm at work.
Pretty disappointed (with myself?) when I reached the end of the book and it says:
"But if you've read this book properly, you'll already have guessed."
GUESSED WHAT???! *dying of curiosity here*
Let me end this with a little conclusion of my own:
Time is past, present and future altogether. Time is eternity.
Lol.
November 14, 2015
In this book Hector, the psychiatrist goes off in search of an old monk he knows in order to help him understand the meaning of time. Along the way he relates some lessons he's learned. Some, which come from his patients are so funny that I laughed out loud. Patient Hubert is especially interesting in that he measures time according to how many dog's lives he has left.
If you've ever thought about getting older or the meaning of time this little gem of a book is for you. It's amusing, entertaining and profound at the same time. Many of Hector's lessons and time exercises are thought provoking and shouldn't be missed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallic Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you've ever thought about getting older or the meaning of time this little gem of a book is for you. It's amusing, entertaining and profound at the same time. Many of Hector's lessons and time exercises are thought provoking and shouldn't be missed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallic Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 25, 2020
This is the third in the originally in French, 'Hector' series by François Lelord … in which the doctor looks into the nature of time. The idea was appealing, but its execution did little for me… maybe it got lost in translation? 3 out of 12
January 23, 2011
Auch in diesem Buch geht Hector wieder auf die Reise. Diesmal nicht auf der Suche nach dem Glück oder der Liebe, sondern nach der Zeit. Ihm fällt auf, dass viele seiner Patienten über entweder mangelnde Zeit klagen oder über Langeweile. Manche möchten unbedingt schon älter sein und manche trauern ihren jüngeren Jahren nach. Verbindend ist, dass die meisten nicht glücklich darüber sind, wie sich die Zeit in ihrem Leben ausdrückt. Und so beginnt Hector Ideen von Zeitetüden festzuhalten, mit Hilfe derer er seinen Patienten Hilfestellungen geben möchte, um über die Zeit in ihrem Leben nachzudenken.
Er trifft auf seinen Reisen einige Bekannte, wie in China auf Ying Lee, die er auf seiner Suche nach dem Glück kennengelernt hatte. Mit von der Partie ist auch sein alter Freund Eduardo, den er diesmal am Südpol besucht und er versucht den weisen Mönch wiederzufinden, von dem er sich kluge Einsichten erhofft und der wie vom Erdboden verschwunden scheint.
Daneben schlägt er sich selbst noch mit so existenziellen Fragen herum, ob er denn nun seine Clara ehelichen sollte oder nicht. Ob es dafür überhaupt den richtigen Zeitpunkt gebe oder ob er nicht schon verbei wäre.
All das webt Francoise Lelord zu einem wunderbaren Portrait der darin vorkommenden Menschen zusammen. Sprachlich auf seine unnachahmliche Art und Weise mit Metaphern und köstlichen Vergleichen, die einem vieles komplizierte auf einmal ganz deutlich begreifbar machen. Hector gehört zu den Psychiatern, denen man in seinem eigenen Leben gern begegnen möchte. Der einen mit Zuhören und klugen Fragen dazu bringt, sich in seinem Leben neu zurechtzufinden. Z.B. mit der Zeitetüde 25: 'Hören Sie Musik und sagen Sie sich dabei, sie sei ein Sinnbild für die Zeit. Welche Melodie hat Ihr Leben?'
Er trifft auf seinen Reisen einige Bekannte, wie in China auf Ying Lee, die er auf seiner Suche nach dem Glück kennengelernt hatte. Mit von der Partie ist auch sein alter Freund Eduardo, den er diesmal am Südpol besucht und er versucht den weisen Mönch wiederzufinden, von dem er sich kluge Einsichten erhofft und der wie vom Erdboden verschwunden scheint.
Daneben schlägt er sich selbst noch mit so existenziellen Fragen herum, ob er denn nun seine Clara ehelichen sollte oder nicht. Ob es dafür überhaupt den richtigen Zeitpunkt gebe oder ob er nicht schon verbei wäre.
All das webt Francoise Lelord zu einem wunderbaren Portrait der darin vorkommenden Menschen zusammen. Sprachlich auf seine unnachahmliche Art und Weise mit Metaphern und köstlichen Vergleichen, die einem vieles komplizierte auf einmal ganz deutlich begreifbar machen. Hector gehört zu den Psychiatern, denen man in seinem eigenen Leben gern begegnen möchte. Der einen mit Zuhören und klugen Fragen dazu bringt, sich in seinem Leben neu zurechtzufinden. Z.B. mit der Zeitetüde 25: 'Hören Sie Musik und sagen Sie sich dabei, sie sei ein Sinnbild für die Zeit. Welche Melodie hat Ihr Leben?'
September 8, 2016
I'm not sure how this author's work has captured so much attention... although the subject matter is rather weighty, it reads like a bad children's chapter book (without the benefit of any discernable plot). Perhaps it was written in French and it loses everything in the translation? Or maybe I was supposed to have read the prior novel, "Hector and the Search for Happiness" first? [I may watch the film, if it's available at my local library, as it has a decent 7/10 rating on imdb.com... otherwise I'll never know, as I'll not be reading this author's work again].
October 30, 2017
Life changing
March 24, 2014
The early parts of the book had be guessing that is this book almost the same as Mitch Albom's Timekeeper book but it isn't since this book questions more on our perception on time.
I really enjoyed reading the 2 other Hector books but this one was a little dull for me since the plot is more on the question of Hector and his age from my POV and I didn't find it exciting as much as the other series.
However the good thing about this book is that it has a few philosophy in it and I always like any book with philosophy in it haha.
I really enjoyed reading the 2 other Hector books but this one was a little dull for me since the plot is more on the question of Hector and his age from my POV and I didn't find it exciting as much as the other series.
However the good thing about this book is that it has a few philosophy in it and I always like any book with philosophy in it haha.
December 19, 2015
I really liked this book. It is written almost like a children's book, in a very simple style, but the subject matter, time (and infidelity) are not for children. The author says he was inspired by Voltaire's Candide, and Hector, like Candide, moves from country to country. The style of this book is also very similar to Candide. Hector is in search of the truth about time, and explores all the thinking, in science, philosophy, religion and poetry in various settings.
May 3, 2016
Nicht mein Buch
July 23, 2017
The idea of a very full life is dangerous. Because you can't ever fill it as much as you'd like to. And you also fill it with mistakes, inevitably. What counts is sometimes feeling your life is full. Or, rather, living some moments to the full.
pg 177
Thankfully this final installment of the Hector's Journey series has ditched the unnecessary soap-opera sleaziness that made the 2nd installment Hector and the Secrets of Love so unbearable. In fact this final installment restores back ths charm of the first book Hector and the Search for Happiness, further improving on that, by muting down the self-help element of the narrative, and ramping up the philosophical introductions similar to Sophie's World. A very fulfilling conclusion to the series.
pg 177
Thankfully this final installment of the Hector's Journey series has ditched the unnecessary soap-opera sleaziness that made the 2nd installment Hector and the Secrets of Love so unbearable. In fact this final installment restores back ths charm of the first book Hector and the Search for Happiness, further improving on that, by muting down the self-help element of the narrative, and ramping up the philosophical introductions similar to Sophie's World. A very fulfilling conclusion to the series.
April 7, 2020
An odd jumble of a book. Not a conventional novel, although at times the author appears to want us to care about the lead character and whether he will find happiness and start a family with his longtime partner. The book doesn't really work at this narrative level, since the characters are so sketchily drawn and serve really as mouthpieces for various philosophies or as exemplars of various problems having to do with time. Lelord's primary purpose seems to be to present a series of incidents, which allow him to wrestle with a number of different philosophical problems involving the human race's reactions to time. This format could certainly have its uses - - much like Samuel Johnson dealing with the human condition in "Rasselas" - - but I thought Lelord failed to dazzle or provide much depth or insight (and the interludes when he would drag in prominent philosophers like Pascal and Kierkegaard seemed both tedious and simplistic). For me this was an interesting idea not very interestingly executed.
December 23, 2017
I picked out this book randomly when I was in Halifax, NS last summer. The subject matter of time interested me so I decided to give this book a go. At first, I thought it might be a children's book because of the cover illustration but it isn't at all. Little did I know it is part of a series but this book can be read separately. I honestly have nothing negative to say about this book. Hector is a young-ish psychiatrist who embarks on an adventure to better understand the passage of time, and thus the meaning it brings to life. Along the way, we meet a medley of his patients and people who marked him.
It's a very fast read but the writing style is really pleasant, almost child-like without being annoying. This book has help myself have a better grasp of time and how it affects our lives.
I loved it so much I would consider reading other stories on Hector's adventures.
It's a very fast read but the writing style is really pleasant, almost child-like without being annoying. This book has help myself have a better grasp of time and how it affects our lives.
I loved it so much I would consider reading other stories on Hector's adventures.
July 19, 2023
Ein Psychiater, der offensichtlich selbst in einer Midlife Crisis steckt, auf pseudophilosophischer Reise, um die Frage nach unserem Zeitverständnis zu beantworten. Die eigentliche Frage, die er sich aber zu stellen scheint ist: Sollte ich noch schnell ein paar andere Frauen abschleppen oder doch so richtig sesshaft werden und meiner Freundin nicht schon wieder fremdgehen?
Frauen werden konstant auf ihr Äußeres beschränkt, ganze Stämme von Ureinwohnerinnen grundsätzlich auf ihre süßen Gesichter reduziert. Und natürlich wollen wir Damen auch einfach alle nur Kinder bekommen und unser Alter vergessen. All in war ich konstant genervt von der Hauptfigur.
Warum der zweite Stern? Weil es sich extrem schnell weglesen lässt. Ein Kapitel ist zwischen zwei bis fünf Seiten lang und alles ist sehr simpel geschrieben.
Frauen werden konstant auf ihr Äußeres beschränkt, ganze Stämme von Ureinwohnerinnen grundsätzlich auf ihre süßen Gesichter reduziert. Und natürlich wollen wir Damen auch einfach alle nur Kinder bekommen und unser Alter vergessen. All in war ich konstant genervt von der Hauptfigur.
Warum der zweite Stern? Weil es sich extrem schnell weglesen lässt. Ein Kapitel ist zwischen zwei bis fünf Seiten lang und alles ist sehr simpel geschrieben.
August 5, 2023
I remember really liking "Hector and the Search for Happiness" a couple of years back which is why I went on to get the two sequels this year and read them back to back. Unfortunately, while I still enjoyed the style of storytelling, I finished both with a sense of dissatisfaction. And as I was reflecting about it this morning, I came to the realisation that when I read the first instalment, I read it as an adventurer, going happily along with the discoveries that Hector made while on his mad trips around the globe. The sequels, on the other hand, I read as a person with serious questions, looking for wisdom. I don't think Lelord truly meant them to be pages of answers (The author's note at the end of the book confirms this I think). So perhaps I would have enjoyed it more should I have read through a different lens.
November 20, 2018
'Music is a very good way of thinking about time. A note only moves you because you remember the one before, and you're waiting for the next . . . Each one only means something wrapped in a bit of the past and the future.'
Quaint little story that made for a light entertaining read, peppered with little philosophical thoughts and insights on the nature of time and how our perception of it shapes our lives.
I enjoyed attempting Hector's 'Time Exercises', and intend to go back and think about a few of them in more detail... But safe to say I think I'll be keeping an eye out for more of Hector's adventures in the future (or the present)!
February 9, 2020
Zwar kommt dieser Teil von Hectors Abenteuern nicht an das Original "Hectors Reise oder die Suche nach dem Glück" heran, allerdings liest man auch hier gerne Seite für Seite, um mehr über Hectors psychologischen und philosophischen Ausführungen zu erfahren. Diese waren für mich persönlich nicht ganz so ergiebig wie erhofft, aber dennoch denke ich, dass es sich auf jeden Fall lohnen kann, diese Lektüre zu lesen.
June 5, 2019
I'm not sure why, but the charm of the written-for-children style of the first book is losing its lustre in this one. Or maybe it was just too jarring for me to go from N. K. Jemison to a book like this? In any case, I got about two-thirds of the way through before realizing I wasn't really enjoying it and was wistfully eyeing my pile of to-read books...
July 23, 2023
Follow hector as he finds time.
pretty interesting and easy novel to read, i enjoyed my read alot and it got me thinking about time too! recommended to anyone whose curious about this to pick it up! you won't regret it~ only thing is, its too rushed towards the end, but nevertheless, it was a good read.
pretty interesting and easy novel to read, i enjoyed my read alot and it got me thinking about time too! recommended to anyone whose curious about this to pick it up! you won't regret it~ only thing is, its too rushed towards the end, but nevertheless, it was a good read.
June 6, 2018
Interesting when a Young Adult SciFi Novel brings in actually Physics Principles into the discussion of TIME, and the search thereof!!! The storyline was intriguing because of the science universe it was in, and ...... was such a happy ending!!!!
March 27, 2020
Hector reist mal wieder. Asien spielt mal wieder eine große Rolle. Alles schön anzusehen und als Einstieg in das Thema Zeit, der Wikipedia Artikel zu einer Hausarbeit. Gut für den Überblick, aber den Rest muss man sich woanders holen.
December 28, 2020
I had given up on this book for several months when I was half way through because I thought it was very dull and tedious, but I'm glad I picked it back up because I liked the second half much more and found it very thought provoking.
January 11, 2021
I lost interest in this audiobook. It’s the third book in the Hector series. Sadly, they were less interesting as the series went on.
Alas, this time Hector is on the search for time. Kids want to speed it up, old folks want to slow it down. How do you even measure it?
Alas, this time Hector is on the search for time. Kids want to speed it up, old folks want to slow it down. How do you even measure it?
January 21, 2021
Definitely not as good as the first book about the search for happiness. I really wasn’t into it when I started reading it, but I enjoyed it more as I read further. I really do like the sense of humor the author has. That was the part I enjoyed most. Fast, easy read.
January 1, 2022
I really liked this series. This one felt a bit different like it was trying too hard but it had been quite a while since the last book in the series, these are hard to get your hands on!!! Glad I read it, a simple afternoon read and I liked catching up with Hector who has been a great character
August 21, 2022
It started out as a four-star book, but dropped down to three in the last third to half, as it began to drag. Still, I did enjoy it, found it thought-provoking, and will look for others by this author. My favourite aspect of the book was the light, dry humour.
May 9, 2017
Excellent conclusion to the Hector series. More philosophical, but doesn't leave you up in the air.
October 10, 2017
An absolutely adorable continuation of the psychiatrist Hector as he ponders the world. It's all the best of Alexander McCall Smith and more.
October 8, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
January 1, 2020
I like this series as Hector is always providing insights for the various topics that he ventures on :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews