This is the second novel by Muriel Barbery, and was translated from French by Alison Anderson.
I saw this book frequently for over a year, and for some reason never picked it up before now. That was a mistake.
It’s a warm, beautiful book. It’s funny, entertaining, and best of all it gives you a lot to think about. It might make you cry.
If you would like a little taste, here’s a small passage I posted. There’s also an excerpt posted on NPR.org.
Even before I had finished this book, I had the urge to run out and buy copies for everyone I know, and poke them until they read it. Even more so now that I have finished it. (Look out, friends!)
I highly recommend The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I think if you read it you’ll agree – it would also make a great gift and an excellent choice for a book club.
Muriel Barbery’s first book – Gourmet Rhapsody – has been translated and is coming out in the US on August 25th. I will definitely be buying a copy as soon as it’s released.
THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG BOOK DESCRIPTION:
“Renée Michel is the dumpy, nondescript, 54-year-old concierge of a small and exclusive Paris apartment building….
“Paloma Josse also lives in the building. Acutely intelligent, introspective and philosophical, this 12-year-old views the world as absurd and records her observations about it in her journal…
“These two characters provide the double narrative of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, and you will — this is going to sound corny — fall in love with both….
“Tender and satirical in its overall tone, yet most absorbing because of its reflections on the nature of beauty and art, the meaning of life and death…. The intelligent Muriel Barbery has served readers well by giving us the gently satirical, exceptionally winning and inevitably bittersweet Elegance of the Hedgehog.”
—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post
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