The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog – Muriel Barbery

Renee Michel is the concierge for an apartment building of wealthy and oblivious tenants in France. She molds herself to the expectations the tenants, responding promptly to the smallest beck and call to run errands, complete tasks, or perform other duties befitting a concierge. What she does not reveal, however, is her reflective and satisfying inner life, stimulated by contemplating philosophy, enjoying classical music, and performing her daily tea ritual. Paloma Josse, a 12-year-old resident in the same apartment building, similarly disguises her aptitudes and interests. Before reaching adolescence, she has already discovered that life is a lie that people dedicate themselves to perpetuating. Rather than grow into an adult who is complicit in the deception of life, she has decided to commit suicide on her 13th birthday. Paloma and Renee offer commentary on the habits of others while covertly pursuing their own interests until a new tenant arrives, which causes an unexpected intersection in their parallel lives. Kakuro, a foreign entity in every way, brings a new perspective to the apartment building by disrupting tradition and creating different possibilities. As a result, Paloma and Renee both find a new reality that challenges their previous ways of thinking and, despite the vulnerability and discomfort it may cause, encourages them to live honestly, openly, and fully.

“The Elegance of the Hedgehog” by Muriel Barbery is almost as much a work of art as it is a novel. Every page is filled with exquisite prose. Barbery’s descriptions are almost (but only almost) unnecessarily eloquent and detailed, vividly bringing to life the smallest task or most mundane setting. Amazingly, she never runs out of words. Throughout the book, she maintains the expressive tone of the story and characters by incorporating an unbelievably extensive vocabulary, which makes for entertaining and engaging reading. This is a book that cannot just be read; it must also be processed.

I absolutely loved this book, though I had some difficulties with it at the start. The story is told from two alternating perspectives, and for a while I was convinced that it was the same character at different points in time, which was quite confusing. Once I figured out the characters, though, the rest of the book was heartbreakingly beautiful to read. On multiple occasions, I had to stop reading to think about what was written on the page, and I was always happy to do so. I would have been even happier to discuss it with other people. Books that spark both thought and conversation are incredibly satisfying. If nothing else, you absolutely MUST read her page-long description of drinking tea. I read it three times in a row, and that still wasn’t enough. All around fabulous.