In The Mystery of Henri Pick, David Foenkinos makes fun of popular books: are they popular because they are good or because of the story behind it?
Location: set in Crozon in Brittany, France
The Mystery of Henri Pick synopsis
In the small town of Crozon in Brittany, a library houses manuscripts that were rejected for publication: the faded dreams of aspiring writers. Visiting while on holiday, young editor Delphine Despero is thrilled to discover a novel so powerful that she feels compelled to bring it back to Paris to publish it. The book is a sensation, prompting fevered interest in the identity of its author – apparently one Henri Pick, a now-deceased pizza chef from Crozon. Sceptics cry that the whole thing is a hoax: how could this man have written such a masterpiece? An obstinate journalist, Jean-Michel Rouche, heads to Brittany to investigate.
By turns farcical and moving, The Mystery of Henri Pick is a fast-paced comic mystery enriched by a deep love of books – and of the authors who write them.
Book review
“According to him, it was not a question of liking or not liking to read, but of finding the book that was meant for you.”
What if the book you were meant to read – a book that is just right for you and you shouldn’t live without – was rejected by a publisher? Luckily, in the world of The Mystery of Henri Pick you could go to the library of rejects in Crozon, Brittany (France). Gourvec, the owner, would examine a reader’s physical appearance to work out which author they needed to find a book that speaks to them.
Humor is embedded through the subjects the characters talk about and the thoughts they express. But even though you see it as funny, there is a grain of truth in most things that happen. Sometimes the situation reveals a bitter truth, sometimes something beautiful. In a way, this book is about dealing with failure – and hopefully turning it into a belated success – and about picking yourself up again when things don’t go your way.
“An author can write the most farfetched or implausible story ever, but there will still be readers who will say: ‘I don’t believe it: you wrote the story of my life!'” Food for thought… many lines in this book made me think and reflect. Are books moving to form over substance? Is the story around it more important than the story within? In The Mystery of Henri Pick, David Foenkinos makes fun of popular books: are they popular because they are such good books or because of the story behind it. And if it’s the latter, does it matter? An interesting person or story sells at least as well as a good book. If your book becomes a success by accident, shouldn’t you just celebrate your mastery of luck?
The Mystery of Henri Pick is not a book I read from front to cover. New characters get introduced so frequently, that I couldn’t connect to any of them. Whenever the book switches to the point of view of a new character, I would take a break from reading. This can be a positive thing if you only want to read a few pages a day, but negative if you like to read a book in one or two sittings. Because of this I felt less immersed, as if I were merely a spectator.
Which brings me to one last thought: what if the book that is meant for me won’t ever exist? Perhaps it won’t ever be written, finished, published, or it has been published out of my sight? In case it is the latter, the book would be a perfect fit for the library of invisible books… At least The Mystery of Henri Pick has a different destiny, because I found it and recognize its existence.
Translated from French by Sam Taylor.
Many thanks to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Interested?
Pre-order your copy of The Mystery of Henri Pick from Amazon (available 1 September 2020).
