The municipal library in the town of Crozon, Brittany, is a little different - it contains a section devoted to books that have been rejected by publishers. When up-and-coming young editor Delphine Despero comes to a nearby village to visit her parents with a new boyfriend in tow, the pair decide to check out this library. They while away a long afternoon at the library, and by the time they leave, Delphine believes she may have discovered the-next-big-literary-thing. It's a novel titled The Last Hours of a Love Affair, ostensibly written by the local, late pizzeria-owner, Henri Pick. The book is a sensation across all of France! Only, Pick's widow doesn't believe he could have written it. His daughter is doubtful too, although she welcomes the opportunities that arise from the publicity. Freelance journalist Jean-Michel Rouche is also in the sceptics camp, and with nothing much better to do, he decides to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This book was a major hit for Foenkinos upon its original publication in 2016. It was made into a movie in 2019 before being published in English for the first time in 2020. I didn't know about the movie, but I could have made a good guess, because it actually reads as if it was written for its screen potential. Perhaps Foenkinos was also making some kind of statement against the publishing industry? I don't know enough about him to be sure, but it's certainly possible. Apart from a couple of grubby male fantasy moments that made me cringe, it was a charming, quick read.

Love this book; David Foenkinos creates utterly wonderful quirky characters in this endearing ‘who wrote it’ novel.

A caper about authors, publishing companies, literary critics and libraries will appeal to many readers. At the current time, with the pandemic, it is great to escape into a novel about literature that has great quirky characters, a plot that is satisfying paced and a great twist at the end.

The story is based in Crozon in Brittany where there is a library that has a section that houses manuscripts that have been rejected by the publishers. Amongst the manuscripts Delphine, who works for a publisher, and her boyfriend find a novel that she believes will be a sensational hit. The name on the manuscript is the now deceased Henri Pick, who used to be the proprietor of a pizza restaurant. His wife is shocked to find that Henri has written a literary novel with references to Pushkin as she had never known Henri to read a book or write anything except one letter to his daughter.
Rouche, once a top literary critic, now out of work believes it is a hoax and sets about trying to prove Henri Pick didn’t write the novel.

Loved this book, it was a joy from the first page to the last - highly recommended.

In a very appropriate move, the Pushkin Press has published their first novel in association with ‘Walter Presents’ – Channel 4’s selection of foreign language drama and comedy. Originally published in French, the mystery of the title is a ‘who wrote it?’ as opposed to a ‘whodunnit?’. With Pushkin a recurring theme, a novel is serendipitously discovered as a manuscript in a “library of rejected books” in a small Breton town. Apparently written by Henri Pick, the proprietor of a pizza restaurant, everyone who knew him is surprised to consider him an author, and as Henri has passed away it is not possible to ask him about it. Daphne the editor secures publishing rights from his widow, and thus has a gift of a marketing campaign. Unsurprisingly the book becomes a runaway bestseller, perhaps more because of the story behind the story than anything else, but curiosity is aroused, and the whole phenomenon has unforeseen consequences for many of the characters. Recommended as an easy read with an enjoyable fast paced plot and insight into the world of writing and publishing books.

This is the first ever stinker for me from Pushkin. Not sure how it slipped through as they usually have discerning taste. Due to the theme of this book the fact that it slipped through to be published by Pushkin makes me laugh. Perhaps it was intentional though I think not.

Nothing here worked for me from the weak characters to the incessant name dropping of authors and books. It was just too overdone. The plot was messy and the ending was laughably bad. This book belongs on the rejected manuscript shelf.

This is a wonderful, delightful, thoroughly entertaining book for anyone who loves literature and storytelling. The characters are fab, although it was easy to lose track at times. Regardless, it was a well-paced and intelligent read, offering a valuable insight into the world of publishing and books. Since this was written by a French author, and the novel itself is set in Brittany, it was also a lovely chance to step into French life and culture - so a certain recommendation for any francophiles!

The Mystery of Henri Pick is a humorous romp through literary culture in the guise of a search for the true author of a mysterious, surprising bestseller. I kept finding myself asking, "Can I read you another sentence?," and, lucky for me, my wife is patient with things like that. Also, she enjoys a good line as much as I do. It's like hearing a comic do a deadpan routine—and the story seems serious until gradually, gradually you come to the realization that "serious" was abandoned long ago.

The central mystery was not all that mysterious, but the commedy of literary manners it engenders makes for a fun read. When you need a laugh, when you want to roll your eyes at the book world, this is a book you can turn to.

I received a free electronic ARC of this title for review purposes. The opinions are my own.

4 fun-loving stars

The Mystery of Henri Pick is a comedy-mystery-romance-spoof for the book lover. And “Everybody could love reading as long as they had the right book in their hands, a book that spoke to them, a book they could not bear to part with.” This book is that, so in this reviewer’s opinion – add it to your To-read list now.

Fun writing with clever turns of phrase delighted me. “here was a man capable of withdrawing into himself like a Russian doll.” He “was endowed with a minimal dose of sociability.” “Writers came from all over France to rid themselves of the fruits of their failure.”

“Writing provides you with some extraordinary alibis. Writing is the only job in the world where you can stay under the duvet all day long and still claim to be working.” David Foenkinos did a masterful job, wherever he happened to write The Mystery of Henri Pick.



Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In a word: irritating.

It’s not so much that the book irritated me (though it often did) as that I’m irritated with myself. If I had read the blurb carefully enough, I would have seen the word "farcical" and never requested it. Farcical rarely, if ever, works for me. It didn’t here, either.

The premise sounds intriguing. Insights into the publishing industry, a sensational masterpiece found in obscurity, and a library of rejected manuscripts! What could pique the interest of a writer more than that?

The observations about publishing and writing ring true even as they are inserted into otherwise absurd situations. I liked the commentary on writers, especially failed ones.

But the characters themselves irritated me. I knew the situations were supposed to be absurd, the characters were intended to be quirky, etc. But so many things irked me. For example, when a character jokes that her parents being a French teacher and a math teacher is the reason for her “schizophrenia,” it’s not funny. It’s irritating and in bad taste, if not downright offensive, and there were more things like this.

Sure, it’s supposed to be a joke. Sure, humor is in the ear of the hearer. Sure, some people are touchy and too easily offended. But still, these little things add up over time and can harm just as much as amuse. I recently read something along the lines of, we’re free to write what we want, but free does not mean that anything goes.

LITERARY REFERENCES
There are multiple references to literature. Normally, I love this sort of thing. But I wasn’t really familiar with the authors; most appeared to be French. (Despite my literature degree, my classes focused on British and American writers.)

So the implications of these particular references puzzled me, just as references to Bleak House or Pride and Prejudice would bewilder those unfamiliar with Dickens and Austen. I didn’t understand if the references are humorous or not. When the author describes someone as looking like “someone who would adore The Lover by Marguerite Duras,” I had no idea what he meant. What does that mean for this character? I have no idea.

(I could google it, of course. But I’d have to interrupt my reading, and whatever results the search engine gave me might or might not help.)

Unfortunate. This is a translation, of course, so perhaps the author assumed the French audience would pick up on the implications. But the references felt like insider jokes, with me, the reader, stuck outside, wondering if the joke was worth understanding.

PLOT
The plot ambles along, pleasantly enough, never really gathering energy or making much of an impact. When the final plot twist comes, it’s not that interesting. It’s supposed to be making a statement, rather too obviously. But it felt so listless that I merely shrugged my shoulders and felt as though I’d wasted my time on a book with a trick ending.

OVERALL
In short, this book wasn’t what I expected, which is my fault for not reading the blurb carefully enough. Even so, I did my best to like and understand the book. But while it had some interesting thoughts on publishing and writers, that wasn’t enough to compensate for my problems with it.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Steerforth Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

(This review will appear on my blog on August 31, 2020.)

Thank you to the author, Pushkin Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this story - a sanctuary for manuscripts that have been rejected for publication - hooked me, and parts of it were interesting. Together with her BF, a promising young author, a young editor discovers a manuscript in the stacks, it's published and unexpectedly becomes a bestseller. As the story progresses, it becomes ever more obvious that the purported author couldn't have written the book to save his life. Since he's already died, we meet his widow and his daughter, each with their own stories, and the librarian who inherited the sanctuary when her boss died. And this is where the book loses me - too much time is spent and information is given about characters on the fringes of the story, that are irrelevant to the overall story. After tangents and twists and turns, the final twist shows that involving half the village in the story was just a way to fill up pages.

I still have sixty pages left to read, but noticed The Mystery of Henri Pick has hit the bookshop shelves so (a) thought I had best post my review now and (b) picked up a copy, because having been able to read it for free pre-release, I know it is a book I will want to read again.

As a librarian and writer, I found this book ticked all my boxes - it is well-written (and brilliantly translated), comedic, with some real pathos at its core, and set in an amazing library.

The characters are exceptionally well-drawn. It would have been easy to go too far and make them stereotypes, but Foenkinos has stayed just the right side of portraying "the usual suspects" we see congregating around special collections without turning them into tropes, and his humour is affectionate rather than mocking.

I will be recommending this one to all of my bookish friends. For those of us who can't visit our favourite special libraries because of the Covid-19 lockdown, reading about Crozon's library of rejected manuscripts is the next best thing.

This novel got a lot of coverage as a result of the Walter Presents link, and it deserves to be read. It reminded me of the Red Notebook. It isn't twee, but it has the same homey charm. A great holiday read.

I was thoroughly charmed by The Mystery of Henri Pick. Originally written in French, this English translation captures all the bounce and delightfulness of its original language. Set in both Paris and the small town of Crozon, Brittany in France, it tells a very intriguing literary-themed story indeed.

Opening sentence: 'In 1971, the American writer Richard Brautigan published The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966, a quirky love story about a male librarian and a young woman with a spectacular body.'

Local Crozon librarian, Jean-Pierre Gourvec, inspired by the book referenced in the above quote, creates a library for rejected books. Budding authors can bring their unpublished works to the library, as a sort of final resting place for them.

When Delphine Despero, a young and enthusiastic editor at a Parisian publisher takes a trip back home to her parents’ house in Crozon, she learns about the existence of the unique library. Intrigued, she, along with her writer boyfriend, Frederic, take a look through the abandoned manuscripts and hit gold – a story that she believes should indeed by published.

In an age where everybody wants to be famous for everything and nothing, here was a man who spent months of his life perfecting a work destined to be dust.

It turns out the author is a local man – Henri Pick – known mainly for running the pizzeria until his death, not for his literary talents. So the news that he wrote a great book comes as a surprise. Especially to his widow, Madeleine and daughter, Josephine.

Henri’s book is titled The Last hours of a Love Affair and had a unique premise: 'It’s an extraordinary idea to blend the end of a love affair with the death throes of a great Russian poet.'

Once the manuscript is discovered by Delphine, the narrative wonderfully weaves the stories of several characters together, each cleverly tying back to the central theme of the fictional novel. We get to know Delphine more, as well as Josephine. Then we meet Magali the current rejected library books owner and Jean-Michel Rouche, a literary critic, amongst others. It explores how the unexpected publication of this book can effect so many lives directly.

I also love how The Mystery of Henri Pick looks the power of a reader taking what they want from a story; pulling out the parts they relate to and connecting: 'Readers always find themselves in a book, in one way or another. Reading is a completely egotistical pleasure.'

Another reason this book appeals to much is that Brittany was my family’s destination of choice for holidays every summer when I was a child. I just love it there and its beautiful landscape and coastline are wonderfully captured in these pages. Makes me want to visit again very soon!

I totally recommend The Mystery of Henri Pick – an effortless to read page-turner with a delightful knowing tone directed at the reader and a layered plotline that was just a joy to read. Plus, it has books, novels, writing and a good-old mystery as its central plotline – I dare you not to be captivated by it.

I LOVED this one!! It had all the magical lyricism I love about French stories from authors like Antoine Laurain, with a sweet underlying sensibility that just resonated for me... I'm pretty much a sucker for any books about books/authors, but there was something truly magical in this one. The idea of a library of rejected books, the mystery behind the novel, the relationships between all the disparate characters - everything about this one was well-crafted and well-presented. The writing is beautiful, the story is thoughtful and entertaining at the same time, and the characters grabbed hold of me from the opening pages and never let go. This was a great find and Foenkinos is definitely on my watch-list going forward!

The idea behind this was interesting and i liked what it was trying to do but it just didn't work for me. The plot was too slow and ploddy and it didn't have any drive or need behind it. The characters were kind of meh and could have been done much better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in an exchange for an honest review.

This pleasant, sweet book was such a breezy read. It's very well written and the plot shows how the actions and events can impact so many around it. Plus, who doesn't love a story about a forgotten manuscript being found and published? Definitely would recommend this to those who are looking for a quick, enjoyable read.

What happens to all those manuscripts rejected by publishers? In this quirky and charming book, they are said to be housed in a library in a small town in Brittany. When a young and ambitious literary editor visits the library on holiday, she discovers a novel which she declares to be so good she simply has to publish it.
The book is a sensation, not just because of the romantic tale it tells but also because of the mystery around the identity of its author – said to be Henri Pick, a now-deceased pizza chef. Sceptics cry that the whole thing is a hoax: how could such a man have written such a masterpiece, even his widow is perplexed. When a fading literary critic heads to Brittany to investigate the story the story takes a mysterious turn, taking us on a witty and mischievous journey through the French literary world.
The Mystery of Henri Pick is the first novel in the Walter Presents series. Walter Presents was established in 2016 by Italian film producer Walter Luzzolino and was originally dedicated to showcasing award winning drama. Now he has turned his attention to books and has handpicked his personal choices from around the world,
“I discovered Henri Pick in a Parisian bookshop whilst waiting for a train. The characters and setting are quintessentially French and the mystery that lies at the heart of the book has instant international appeal. It’s a charming plot, full of twists and turns, which will keep you guessing to the very last page. A perfect first selection for the Walter Presents Library.” – Walter
Not surprisingly, I really can’t fault Walter’s choice. This quintessentially French literary satire is a joy to read. It is a charming and light hearted romp that also manages to touch on bigger questions such as the nature of fame, ambition and literary pretensions.
Foenkinos tells a witty tale about ambition and pride. He writes in a deft and sparkling style that captures a love of books wrapped up in a mystery full of Gallic wit and charm, and he manages to keep us guessing, write to the very end.
Based on this book I’m looking forward to more in the Walter Presents series.
With thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the e-arc!
This book drew me in from the very first sentence. The Mystery of Henri Pick takes its readers on a whimsical, literary journey to uncover the mystery at the heart of the story. The quirky narrative will reignite a love for reading in all. Bibliophiles all around will enjoy this read! This novel has the mark of a modern classic and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

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The Mystery of Henri Pick is a nice mystery/drama/comedy novel about books. In a small French town of Crozon, there is a library of rejected books that have never been published. One day Delphine finds a novel that is worth publishing there and an investigation about the author begins.

I like the fact that many real-life people and events are mentioned in the story, including the idea of the library of rejected books. A light read. I like the writing style. I would recommend this novel to book lovers as it is a book about books.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this! All opinions are my own.

Goodreads review: This book was the read I was craving. An English translation of a French novel, the story was interesting and meandering and mysterious, which this translation handles well. The words feel crisp and clear as the mystery of the story surrounding a masterpiece discovered in a library of rejected book swirls through the psyche. A quick read that delves into the literary world in multiple ways (one of my favorite worlds when done well). My only misgiving is that there were times when certain messages (such as "fame ain't always what it's cracked up to be! #hotchacha) were a bit too hit-you-over the head. This annoyance is slight, however, and I do highly, highly recommend.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51256433-the-mystery-of-henri-pick
Blog Post - I note that I liked the book, and discuss the idea of reader entitlement and obsession.
https://letzbeereal.com/2020/06/21/is-the-truth-stranger-than-fiction/

The Mystery of Henri Pick by David Foenkinos
Source: NetGalley and Pushkin Press
Rating: 1/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: For most of this book, I was on the fence with my rating. The premise of the book is interesting, and I wanted to see what path would emerge, so I dove in. I can’t say I overly enjoyed the book, but I didn’t dislike it either. I determined to stick with the book hoping that by the end, something will or will not have happened to sway my opinion one way or another. I made it to the epilogue before that moment happened. Literally one sentence, one utterance from Delphine turned me totally and completely off this book. There are some things that should NEVER be said! While I fully understand the mentality of the character, her fear of losing everything material, some things just shouldn’t ever be threatened in any capacity or context, ever. I have never, in 40+ years of reading, had a book turn my stomach so completely with a single sentence. I was blown away that an author would even consider writing such a thing even in the context into which it has been written. I can’t, in good conscious recommend this book.