Average Bufph Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Muriel Barbery
2008-09
The phenomenal New York Times bestseller that "explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building" (Publishers Weekly).
In an elegant hôtel particulier in Paris, Renée, the concierge, is all but invisible--short, plump, middle-aged, with bunions on her feet and an addiction to television soaps. Her only genuine attachment is to her cat, Leo. In short, she's everything society expects from a concierge at a bourgeois building in an upscale neighborhood. But Renée has a secret: she furtively, ferociously devours art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With biting humor, she scrutinizes the lives of the tenants--her inferiors in every way except that of material wealth.
Paloma is a twelve-year-old who lives on the fifth floor. Talented and precocious, she's come to terms with life's seeming futility and decided to end her own on her thirteenth birthday. Until then, she will continue hiding her extraordinary intelligence behind a mask of mediocrity, acting the part of an average pre-teen high on pop culture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter.
Paloma and Renée hide their true talents and finest qualities from a world they believe cannot or will not appreciate them. But after a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building, they will begin to recognize each other as kindred souls, in a novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us, and "teaches philosophical lessons by shrewdly exposing rich secret lives hidden beneath conventional exteriors" (Kirkus Reviews).
"The narrators' kinetic minds and engaging voices (in Alison Anderson's fluent translation) propel us ahead."--The New York Times Book Review
"Barbery's sly wit . . . bestows lightness on the most ponderous cogitations."--The New Yorker
In 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog,' Muriel Barbery juxtaposes the lives of the wealthy inhabitants of a Paris apartment building with those of their seemingly unremarkable concierge, Renée. This novel offers a departure from my usual science fiction and historical reads, yet it captivates with its philosophical musings on human nature and societal class structures. Barbery's prose is elegant, and her characterization of Renée, in particular, is both poignant and intellectually stimulating. The novel, while not a usual choice for me, provides a refreshing exploration of the human condition and philosophical inquiry.
A delightful intertwining of intellectualism and domestic life, this novel presents an engaging narrative that juxtaposes the lives of a concierge and a young mathematics prodigy. The philosophical dialogues are refreshing, offering a nuanced exploration of existential and aesthetic themes. Though not a traditional science fiction novel, its intricate character studies and contemplative prose provide a satisfying intellectual experience.
