What is the happiness index? I asked him. “It’s not a very important statistic, since it lacks objectivity,” he replied, “but it’s the best we have. In fact, it’s based on a questionnaire that includes a single question: ‘On a scale of 0 to 10, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole?’” He took a drag on his cigarette, then added: “I think most people answer the questionnaire lightly, because most of them don’t understand anything about happiness.” * * * Starting with the title, happiness occupies a central place in this wonderful novel, which won the European Union Prize for Literature, was translated into several international languages, and was recently turned into a movie. Where do we place ourselves on a scale of 0 to 10 in light of the vicissitudes of life that shape a person’s happiness or misery? This beautiful work prompts us to ask this question, along with many others, about what truly makes us happy and how we realize this desired happiness, despite the harshness of our era and the lukewarmness of human relations that characterizes it. The values ​​of solidarity, assistance, love, and compassion for others are constantly repeated in this intelligent novel, which is brimming with wisdom, tenderness, and inspiration. A touching novel that instills in us the spirit of perseverance and hope.