BEDA 10: Hector and the Search for Happiness

This morning I finished the book my school sent me for orientation, Hector and the Search for Happiness by Francois Lelord. I started it with a good feeling because it looked short and sweet, but once I got through a couple chapters, it started to infuriate me. The story is pretty good, it's about a psychiatrist who hated having his patients be unhappy for no reason and he wanted to travel around the world to figure out what makes people unhappy. He goes to China, Africa, and Los Angeles. Of course, the narrator never explicitly says that Hector goes to Africa or Los Angeles, you have to figure it out for yourself. And thus began the infuriation (I think I just made up that word). The author writes as if the reader is a five year old, using euphemisms to avoid using Grown Up Words for things, like sex or...I should have written down examples because there is an abundance. It got so that I could only read a chapter or two at a time before I rolled my eyes at the condescension and put it down for the day. The last couple chapters got better because it was mostly wrapping up and they didn't have to introduce any new concepts difficult for the reader's small brain to handle. If you like books that are written simply, then you will enjoy this. Not to sound pretentious and pedantic, I like books with more complex writing (like anything by Michael Chabon, who, if you haven't, you must read immediately.) so most of the time I found it boring and condescending and I just couldn't take it.

However, I am going to try to write an essay on it by friday so I can possibly win an essay contest and get all of my first semester books paid for. And that would be amazing.

Speaking of first semester, I started packing last night! I'm surprised I made it this far into the summer without packing for this year. I LOVE packing. I don't know why. It may have to do with my being excited about whatever it is for which I am doing the packing. I haven't started packing clothes yet, except sweaters, because I'm, well, wearing them. I've mostly been scouring my room for things to put on my walls because last year my walls were depressingly blank and it drove me crazy. Not this year, my friend! My walls will be filled and everyone who comes into my room will have a brief glimpse into my personality and I want to make sure it accurately represents who I am inside.

And now, if you excuse me, I am going to go eat some chocolate chips.

Days until I go back to Seattle: 13
Days until school starts: 19