“Something loved by many”: one of the best-selling novels of recent years is becoming a series on France 2.

A recognized author of modern French literature, Virginie Grimaldi has been the number one bestseller in France for several years. In 2023, he will become the second best-selling author after Mel and Costa.

If it has already been read by millions of people, Virgin Grimaldi will soon be seen by millions of France 2 viewers. In fact, the author of Bordeaux is seeing one of his novels on screen for the first time.

The smell of happiness is stronger in the rainHis bestseller, published by Fayard in 2017, will be adapted for television as a four-episode mini-series called The Scent of Happiness.

The series tells the story of Pauline, a 38-year-old woman who refuses to mourn the loss of her relationship and end her ten-year marriage to Ben. Convinced that he is the man of her life, she will do anything to win him back, between crazy and absurd attempts and exciting inventions of their memories. He remains deaf to the concerns of family and friends and aims to achieve this by the end of summer.

But what happened between their funny and poetic meeting and the apparently inexplicable end of their marriage? Returning to the formative moments of her relationship with Ben, Pauline questions her own history and uncovers family secrets.

For almost 8 weeks, the cameras of Baia Kasmi, the director of this fiction, were located in the Aquitaine region, and more precisely between Bordeaux and the Bay of Arcachon, to bring to life the story imagined by Virginie Grimaldi.

The house with the blue shutters, an iconic location in the novel and TV series

On October 29, 2024, Alocine had the chance to go to Arcachon to attend the last day of filming for the series.

In a quiet neighborhood, facing the sea, there is a house with blue shutters. This setting, central to the novel, is brought to life one last time for the final scenes of the series, with Caroline Anglade, Felix Moat and their partners Julia Fauré and Xavier Robique.

For Virgin Grimaldi, the discovery of this house paused for a moment.I imagined smaller and most importantly less expensive (laughs). But it’s elevated and it has blue blinds like in the book. It’s incredible that they found a house with blue shutters because it’s not the kind of house you’d find here“.

If the author does not hide his enthusiasm for this environment, he was also very happy to bring his story to life. “It’s incredible. The actors are incredible. I really see my heroes“, he confides.

And in front of certain scenes, emotions even ended. “I came to the set for the first time and I actually cried a few times. As much as this is a story that touches me personally, there are passages that touch me more than others. Michel Boujena and Caroline Anglade He literally shot me in one scene. I was crying. It was brilliant, extremely emotional and very exciting. “

7 years of human adventure

Adapting this bestseller was not an easy road. Paul Schmitt, the producer of the series, recalls the first reading of Virgin Grimaldi’s work.I fell in love with this story, this family and the topics covered. But in 2017, the market was not ready for this type of story“.

It was together with the producer Sandra Karim that the idea of ​​adaptation was formed. While the project was originally considered for a movie, the richness of the story eventually led the team to a TV series. “By making a film, we were afraid to miss half of the richness of this story“.

It must be said that the arrival of streaming platforms and the evolution of the editorial lines of TV channels have opened up new possibilities that will allow this project to finally see the light of day.

“We are lucky that France 2 accompanied us on this adventure, because it was important for us to bring this story and especially this topic to the screen on a public channel and in prime time.“- concludes the producer.

The pressure of faithful adaptation

Adapting a successful novel for television is a delicate exercise, and the team behind Scent of Happiness is not immune to this pressure. In this regard, Paul Schmitt emphasizes the responsibility that comes with this type of project.

“We are working on something that many people loved. But we’re very comfortable with Sandra Karim that we took this piece to tell that story and not to tell anything else, so there’s no betrayal. We really carry the story and characters of Virgin Grimaldi“.

By staying true to the story, characters and themes of the book, the producer hopes to “People will enjoy discovering this story in a different way“.

For her part, Virginie Grimaldi does not shy away from admitting some fear in the face of readers’ expectations. “Every time I talk about this, many people tell me that they are afraid of disappointment or that they don’t watch the book to preserve their memories. Yes, I’m under pressure, but I hope they like it because what I’ve seen is really great“.

The series is expected in 2025

With a passionate team, faithful settings and a desire to honor the spirit of the novel, the scent of happiness promises to touch everyone. Whether you’re a fan of Virginie Grimaldi or just interested in discovering the story for the first time, this series promises to be quite the thrill ride.

The scent of happiness… from 2025 on France 2.