Book Review: The Heart of Everything by Marc Levy

Book: The Heart of Everything 

Author: Marc Levy 

Translator: Maren Baudet-Lackner

Pages: 205

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 

Price: ₹129 (free for Kindle Unlimited users)

'Even stories that seem impossible can become real if just two people believe in them.’

One day, I happened to watch a film called ‘Just Like Heaven’, or maybe someone has recommended it on Twitter, I don't remember. I loved the film. And later re-watched it. When I googled it, I found out that it was based on a French novel, ‘If Only It Were True’ by Marc Levy. And with that search came another, very familiar book cover: ‘The Strange Journey of Alice Pendelbury’, which I had already read but, sadly, couldn't remember the author’s name. The author was Marc Levy, and I remembered that I had loved that book too.

And ‘The Heart of Everything' is no exception either. I loved it. There's a fascinating common factor of all three books I mentioned —they all have an element of fantasy or magical realism,
which makes the story even more intriguing and fascinating

‘The Heart of Everything’ tells a heartwarming story of Thomas, a pianist, and his dead father, who suddenly appears in front of him five years after his death, with a very strange request and a shocking secret that dates back to thirty years ago. And hence, they both, yes both, travel from Paris to San Francisco.

The book is all about this journey and the beautiful bond of a father-son duo. I won't tell you more, but it was such an entertaining read.

The writing is lovely, the conversations so endearing. The dialogues were so interesting and witty, from which pops out effortless humour. You might feel that humour is inappropriate for the setting (I sometimes felt bad laughing out loud) but it comes so naturally.

Every character, including the secondary ones, are so well defined. Thomas, as his father says, is such a nice man! Raymond rocks.

The ending, though, is poignant, a kind that fills you with a sense of loss.

‘There’s nothing funny to me about leaving you. But I’ve always found humor to be the most elegant strategy for dealing with adversity.’

I will definitely read more of Marc Levy books, as he is becoming one of my favourite authors. Pick this book up. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you, Netgalley for the review copy.