reminiscent of The Alchemist, with it's journey and constant meditation, this is another simple parable about one man's life that is supposed to make you reflect on your own. in this case, the meditations are on happiness. and yes, I did reflect on these simple truths. but I confess to being even more interested in the real story between the lines. hector meets a high class prostitute in Hong Kong and falls in love with her, even to the point of wishing it was possible to love 2 women at once (he has a steady companion back home already; in fact he 'chooses' to be with her by the end of the parable and she, feeling this steady love, dedicates more of her time to be with him).
meanwhile, in Lelord's real life, he married a Vietnamese woman and they live in Thailand - both hotbeds for sex tourism. does this fact imply life is not as simple as this parable? perhaps simply choosing and loving someone doesn't make them a better fit for you? or maybe, potential wives don't WANT to read about their mate visiting a prostitute and falling in love so quickly with their beauty, or that one night with such a woman could so easily displace their feelings.