Hector and the Secrets of Love

Hector #2

by François Lelord, Lorenza García (Translator)

The irresistible second installment in the beloved series that has sold millions of copies worldwide.

Since his first captivating adventure in Hector and the Search for Happiness, Hector the young French psychiatrist has continued to explore the mysteries of the human soul. Having found that love seems virtually inseparable from happiness, he begins taking notes on this powerful emotion. But unbeknownst to him, Clara, the doctor’s beloved, is making her own investigations into love.

As much a love story as a novel about love, Hector and the Secrets of Love is a feel-good life manual wrapped in a globetrotting adventure, told with the blend of a fairy tale’s naïve wisdom and a satirist’s dry wit that has won Hector fans around the world.

Genres: Fiction, Psychology, Romance, Philosophy, Contemporary, Love, France

267 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2005

About the author

François 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.

Reviews

[Manny · Rating 2 out of 5]

As usual, the old Chinese monk was sitting at his very modern Western desk, and the moment he saw him Hector felt better.

"Please sit down," said the old monk in his kindly voice. "I see there is something you are worried about."

Hector sighed. The monk looked at him sympathetically.

"It's this new book," said Hector at last. "My book about happiness was a big success. Now they want me to do another one."

"And what will your new book be about?" asked the monk.

"Love," said Hector, and he sighed again.

The monk waited for him to go on.

"I have some ideas," said Hector. "I'm going to explain about dopamine and oxytocin and their role in creating desire and attachment."

"I am sure your readers will find that very interesting," said the monk politely.

"And I will talk about the five components of heartbreak. I will give examples of how they work in practice," continued Hector. "I have made up a story, and they will all play a part in it."

"It seems like you have quite a lot of ideas really," said the monk. "Do you want to tell me a little about the story?"

"Well," said Hector, "I have problems in my relationship with Clara, my longtime girlfriend. I visit Asia and fall in love with a beautiful young Asian woman."

"It sounds a little bit like your first book?" asked the monk. "Maybe I am not remembering it well."

"It is rather a lot like it," said Hector. "But I can't think of anything else."

"There is a question I might ask you," said the monk. "Though perhaps you will find it impolite."

"No, no, please ask!" said Hector.

"Do you love this book?" asked the monk. "I know you loved the first one."

Hector looked very unhappy. "Not really," he said. "But they talked me into doing it, and now I can't get out."

[Anne Goldschrift · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mhpf ne, ich habe es abgebrochen nach 120 Seiten - Hector und ich, wir werden wohl einfach keine Freunde... :(

[Winna · Rating 2 out of 5]

A holiday read.

I like the Search for Happiness better, it has a sort of a children's book allure to it, whilst this one doesn't. It's a lot longer, and a bit more complicated, but not a lot of them makes sense. I don't like most of the characters, even Hector, and there are so many boring bits I'd skipped because of that.

Frankly speaking, I don't find this one really representing its title well. It's about the Secrets of Love, but Hector himself is tangled up in his relationships. Is it really just about chemistry and sex? The thing is, love is hard to pinpoint and a difficult subject to broach, and this book skews more towards the adventures of Hector and his own relationships with women and the people around him, so instead of discoveries, readers might tire of reading about Hector's messy love lives.

I hope the third one about Lost Time is better.

[Rizal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoyed this book as I really thought I would. I really appreciate the 'essays' in this book that tackles on the subject of love (feelings and emotions attached when a person in love and etc) but I really didn't like the 'expedition' in this book where Hector went to the Asian countries and joined an experiment to creates 'a potion of love'. I felt its too fiction-y and a lil bit stretched out. Also, I really didn't care or connected at all to Hector or any other characters in this book.

However, there are lots of quotable phrases in this book that I really love (and partially agreed).

- Because love, it seemed, to be an endless source of suffering.
- seedling no. 25 : Love is the ability to dream and to know when to stop dreaming
- seedling no. 26 : Love is resisting temptation
- seedling no. 10 : Men's sexual desire can creates many hells.
- seedling no. 27 : You can only have 1 love at a time.

The components of Heartache
1. Neediness.
2. Guilt.
3. Anger.
4. Loss of Self-Esteem.
5. Fear. Fear of Eternal Emptiness.

The 5 components vs 5 components.

The components of Love
1. Fulfillment.
2. The joy of giving.
3. Gratitude.
4. Self-confidence.
5. Serenity.

[Teguh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saya lebih suka yang ini daripada kisah Hector yang pertama. Kalau di kisah pertam Hector and The Search of Happiness, seolah hanyalah kolase perjalanan-perjalanan kemudian dirumuskan menjadi sebuah pelarajan soal kebahagiaan. Kalau di novel ini, kisah dan alur mengalir seperti kebanyakan. Hector dan Clara saling diuji daya cinta antara keduanya. Ketika orang ketiga muncul, Vayla dan Gunther atasan Clara. Ya, selalu ada ujian dan rasa sakit untuk sebuah cinta.

Adegan paling epik adalah saat HEctor dan Gunther bertengkar. Hector mimisan, Gunther giginya rompal. Kemudian Hector merasakan sakit yang melebihi darah dari hidungnya, yakni saat melihat Clara justru mendekati dan merangkul Gunther.... jeeeesssssss, sedih banget deh.

Menarik untuk dibaca dan diikuti kelanjutan kisah Hector di seri yang ketiga

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the originally in French, 'Hector' series, in which the doctor is set the task of finding a brilliant scientist who's doing some apparently earth shattering research into the nature of love and possibly about to create a chemical to enable it! Funny, but also brilliantly philosophical and yet pragmatic at times. An interesting debate and analysis of love hidden in an adventure novel! 7 out of 12

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as strong as the previous Hector novels--perhaps because I had already known a little bit about the science they wanted to explain, perhaps because we want so much to love every part of Hector, but in this book, he shows flaws that make him more him--and maybe that's okay.

[Fitra Hidayat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reviewing a book, it's been a while since I've finished this book I'm quite bored with the storyline and the complicated relationship with Hector, Clara and Vayla and Professor Cormorant who suddenly disappeared and just appeared.

My favorite point is the relationship between hector and jean marcel and this seems to me to stand out throughout the story rather than his love triangle story with clara and vayla. Points are called the seeds of love from each chapter. I think the author is quite creative with the concept of love with an adventure like this.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I admit it! When I first started reading, I thought that I wouldn't finish this book. It took me a few pages to get used to the unusual style (which reminded me of childrens' literature, due to the simple, short sentences and equally short chapters). However, after a few pages I quickly became hooked. In fact, the simple style was actually perfect for bedtime reading, as were the very short chapters.

So, the plot......Hector the psychiatrist heads off on a mission to discover the answer to the eternally baffling question - what is love?. He meets various people along the way and there are a few twists in the plot, which keep the reader guessing. He is searching for the elusive Professor Cormorant, who has diasppeared with the secret love potion, which must be recovered. Hector has left behind his rather tumultuous relationship with his long term partner, Clara, which means that the mission is also about Hector discovering his own thoughts and feelings regarding Clara.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book, as it certainly gives the reader food for thought, not just on love, but relationships and humanity in general. At times, the characters (other than Hector) can be a little one dimensional, but generally speaking, this is a thought provoking novel which certainly deserves to be read. So, if you're looking for something a little different, which gently makes you think and isn't the usual boy meets girl love story, then this is the book for you!

[G.R. Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry François, you shoulda quit while you were ahead.

[Jesse A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know all the criticisms and I think most are pretty valid. It is similar to the first book but not as good. It is simplistic in its approach to its overall subject. It shouldn't really work but I just love it. Maybe I'm a person who just wants to believe things like love and happiness are simple and explainable.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first Hector book, but this was a little out there even for me!!!

It was to do with a love potion that the big pharmaceutical companies wanted, and also Hector falling in and out of love. It was quite boring!!!

[Michelle Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a very simple read on love. It contains some insights into love as well. Makes you ponder on the meaning of love at times.

[❀ Tina ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5*

[Andrew Hoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this a 3.5. I enjoyed the story, but never really became obsessed with it. It wasn’t much of a page turner for me but it was still an enjoyable book, even though it is a bit cliché.

[Meg Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not good at all, especially compared to the first one. :(

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah yes, Hector!

We met last year, I very much enjoyed his search for happiness, and so I was delighted to be invited to join him on another quest.

This time Hector was searching for the secrets of love.

He had noticed, in the course of his work as a psychiatrist, that so many of his patients came to him because they had problems of the heart.

And he was thinking about love on his own account too. Wondering about his relationship with girlfriend Clara. Whether they should be lovers or friends. Why Clara’s attention seemed to be elsewhere. What it was that he really wanted.

And maybe that’s why Hector was so receptive when a large pharmaceutical company asked him to track down a renegade scientist had discovered a scientific formula for true love.

“My dear friend, you are now going to be part of my experiment, assuming that you have the courage. If you take part, you will be contributing not only to a major scientific advance, but to the beginning of a revolution in the history of humanity, which will transform our customs, culture, art and most probably our economy too. Imagine how different the world would be if we could harness the power of love!”

Yes, Hector set off on quite an adventure , in search of the intriguing and elusive Professor Cormorant.

He would travel, he would meet people, he would be experimented on … and along the way he did a lot of thinking and he made many notes about love.

He found positives, he found negatives, and he found that maybe things weren’t quite as simple as he had thought.

And the intentions of the pharmaceutical company weren’t as straightforward as they had led Hector to believe. That led to a dramatic conclusion …

Hector and the Secrets of Love is, of course, a contemporary fable. The style is simple, the chapters are short, but there is always an underlying intelligence, and there are many wise words about love.

I found Hector to be every bit as engaging as I remembered.

I’m afraid though that this story lost me in the middle. There was rather too much rushing about, too many characters, and too much plot.

Hector works best when he is given time and space to converse and contemplate.

My attention wandered, and I wished that Hector would consider more than sexual and romantic love. What about family and friends? But maybe that’s another book!

Fortunately though curiosity keep me turning the pages, and I was rewarded with a very clever conclusion that pulled everything together nicely.

I didn’t enjoy the search for love quite as much as the search for happiness. But I am looking forward to Hector’s next search – for time.

Now more time I could use!

[David Hebblethwaite · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve not read the first of Lelord’s ‘Hector’ books (Hector and the Search for Happiness), but I’d suggest on the basis of this second one that they’re an acquired taste. Lelord’s professional background is in psychiatry, which is also the career of his protagonist. Hector is pondering the nature of love when he attends a pharmaceutical conference with his girlfriend Clara, where he is sent on a mission to track down an old acquaintance, Professor Cormorant, who had been working on a love drug. On his travels, Hector – whose relationship with Clara is already under strain – meets a beautiful waitress named Vayla, and falls in love with her; but how much of that is real, and how much down to the drug that Cormorant persuaded them to test – and what difference does it actually make either way?

I suspect that a reader’s reaction to this book will depend on how he or she takes to the prose (the translation is by Lorenza Garcia). It has a faux-naif, ‘storybook’ tone, which allows for some wry humour (“because countries like [Hector’s] had invented psychiatry, they were the ones who decided what was normal and what wasn’t,” p. 191), but which can also be quite irritating. I appreciate the complex picture of love that unfolds as Hector’s journey progresses; but, at the same time, the observations Hector makes don’t feel particularly fresh or striking to me. So, I’m ambivalent about Hector and the Secrets of Love – it’s good in parts, but not enough to overcome my misgivings.

[Bella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I'm disappointed after reading this novel. For some reason, I felt so disconnected to the story as well as the characters. I remembered being so excited to read it but upon doing so, I just felt that the story was a little nonsensical. I'm not sure why I felt that way. There wasn't any lesson learnt in this book for me.

Despite a couple of suspense and unexpected turns of events, it didn't excite me. Instead it seemed kind of predictable. Even if it didn't I felt as though I couldn't be bothered with what is going to happen. Also, I hated Hector and Clara being apart from each other. I was dismayed that Clara screwed up. I'm not sure why I don't like Vayla. She seems like a nice person and all but I just don't think she is the one for Hector, casting aside their language barrier and cultural differences. I felt that Hector's relationship with Vayla was a forced one. It was like Hector convinced himself that he is in love with Vayla. There wasn't much proof of that "love". I didn't vibe it at all. The supporting characters were rather strange and I simply don't get why is there a need for Hector to come and get that professor when Gunther can just order men like Jean-Marcel to do that kind of job.

The plot seems weak to me. It just felt really uninteresting and tedious to read. I wish the author changed the story. There are so much room for improvements to be made. I prefer the first book because I felt so connected to the story. I had a high expectation that the second book would be better but unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way.

[Alanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the beginning of the book because I was looking for a nice fluffy read. I generally read books that are heavier and longer. The problem is that half way through the book I realized why I enjoy books with more depth. Rather than displaying the book's purpose through the plot and character descriptions, Lelord seemed to tell the purpose outright through Hector's components of love/heartache. It didn't help that I became very irritated when the character, Dr. Cormorant, said that Orangutans were monogamous. Orangutans are not monogamous; they are polygamous! Was anyone else annoyed by that or am I just being picky? All that being said, this could be a fun and easy read. It's just not my cup of tea.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Hector the main character is sent by a large pharmaceutical company to find Professor Cormorant who has absconded with a promising love potion. While searching high and low around the world Hector contemplates the components of love and the effects these have not only on the general public but on his own relationships.

He discovers some universal truths about life and love along the way, mostly that love is complicated but essential. The simple tone of the work is refreshing and delightful. It's well observed, thoughtful and highly entertaining.

Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sidra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book has potential no doubt...the storyline is indeed interesting.. But then the monotone narrative, one dimensional characters kill the story. I dislike the western man after Asian woman cliche, the Asian woman as massage lady cliche ... it's also weird the author refused to refer to Cambodia by her name .. claiming it to not be an ancient city...I also disliked the ambiguous ending...overall flimsy..

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed, having enjoyed Hector and the Search for Happiness. I just couldn't get into this one

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wie die Suche nach dem Glück nur vielleicht spannender, da die Geschichte schöner ist.

[Ju · Rating 2 out of 5]

Как все и говорили, на первой книге можно было остановиться.

[Spider · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Hector's Search for Happiness, however his "secrets" of love leaves me feeling like the paper used to wrap fish n chips- kind of gross.

[kutingtin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love in all its grandeur and complexities.

[Fadhlina]

ok. but not as kickin' as hector and the search of happiness

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second book is supposed to be more adventurous and exciting than the first, it is supposed to be building up a series of event to the climax, but apparently the building process is damaged. I think it is because the plot is so frequently disrupted by Hector writing down his lessons on his book or computer or in his mind, or his train of analyzing thoughts.

I don’t know why, like in his first book, Francois chose to leave the name of many places unmentioned. He then explained “Well, it’s because this is a story and in stories countries don’t have names, unless they are fabulous thousand-year-old empires like China”. I think it’s a lame excuse. I observe that everywhere he goes, Hector showed real minimum effort on learning other languages, despite his eagerness to learn things. I mean, his work is about communicating with people. And if it’s the people you love (who don’t speak your language and vice versa), he did not try to learn her language, while she did. His lack of learning is also shown when he was about to visit the temple in jungle, and other places he was about to visit. Also, I don’t think that ‘don’t forget that Hector is a psychiatrist’ or ‘don’t forget that people found it quite easy to talk to Hector’ or ‘You see how complicated love is’ should be mentioned every time. I know already, okay? And then, the fact that Vayla cannot speak any English is silly as she worked as a waitress at a hotel with international guests. And the only drink she could speak in English was orange juice.

I can agree with “once people get to know you, you lose your attractiveness” since it happen to me often, I mean, I lost interest on people the more I knew them better, friends or lovers. His description of neediness like a baby screaming until its mother comes back, a built-in alarm system meant to make her come back, in fact. It was conceivable that the same areas of the brain were affected in the abandoned baby and the rejected lover. It is fascinating but horrific at the same time that the power of ‘love’ may be the cause of cannibalistic behavior, like Hi ate Ha. My favorite is “Love was complicated, love was painful, love was the cause of so much unhappiness. ‘But love is freedom!’ he said out loud. And Hector threw the briefcase into the fast-moving stream.” That should do it.

All in all, I don’t find that Hector’s secrets of love is no secret at all. All things he concludes are already everywhere in many literature.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een fantastisch boek dat je eigenlijk elk jaar opnieuw zou moeten lezen.
Lelord weet op een treffende manier alle dynamieken van de liefde te verwoorden.
Het boek snijdt op een toegankelijke en humoristische wijze dieperliggende thema's aan.
Ook is het leuk om te lezen hoe het verder gaat met Hector na zijn zoektocht naar geluk in deel 1 en het personage zich ontwikkelt.
Het sterkt vond ik de verschillende componenten van liefdesverdriet die door het boek geweven zijn:
- Neediness. I need to see him or her, to talk to him or her, right now. The drug addict in need of a fix. The child separated from its mother.
- Guilt. We blame ourselves for the loss of the loved one, and regret everything we did and said that might have contributed to the waning of love.
- Anger. It is the object of our love whom we blame for having behaved shamefully towards us.
- Loss of self-esteem. The departure of the loved one is a huge blow to your self-esteem, because does it not show that once people get to know you, you lose your attractiveness?
- Fear. fear of eternal emptiness. The feeling that the rest of your life will be devoid of emotion now that you have lost the loved one’s companionship.

Deze worden aan het einde tegenover de componenten van liefde gezet:
- Fulfilment, the simple happiness of being with the love one.
- The joy of giving, feeling happy because we make others happy.
- Gratitude, being amazed by what we owe the loved one.
- Self-confidence. feeling happy to be who we are simply because the loved on loves us for who we are, with all our strengths and weaknesses.
who we are, with all our strengths and weaknesses.
- Serenity, knowing that, despite life’s ups and downs and its inevitable tragic end, the loved one will be with us on this journey.

"Love means still seeing the other's beauty when nobody else does anymore."