I loved everything about this book!

Although I teach English and engage in a lot of literary analysis, my off-time reading tends to be a little more light and frothy. Not so with this book, however.

This was not a "quick read" for me, normally a very fast reader. I found that this book required me to take my time, savor the words, and think about the ideas. There is a philosophical bent to it--and that's not a bad thing. Particularly of interest to me was the power of language in dictating our place in the world.

Speaking of language, this book is beautifully written, and kudos must be given to Anerson, who translated it from the original French, for finding not just the right words, but the best words.

Some have complained about the ending, but I loved it. It was wholly unexpected, very effective, and right for the characters.

This story of society, expectations, and unexpected friendships is one I have recommended and will read again.

Be warned, though: This book tends to be a polarizing, love it or hate it, read. What I found engaging and thought-provoking, others have found pretentious drivel. If you read it on my recommendation and hate it, do not throw things at me.

Possible Objectionable Material:
Teenage angst, including planning a suicide. Deaths of a couple of characters.

Who Might Like This Book:
Again, it is not an easy read. It takes reflection and thought. If you want quick and easy, pass this by. It’s fine for teens who like to think deeply about life and what makes it worthwhile. Apprixomate Lexile: 1070

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ebook.

For the past 27 years, 54 year old Renee Michel has been a concierge of the rich at the apartments in which she lives in Paris. Overly judgmental and precocious Paloma Josse, is a 12 year old with the aspirations of a suicidal arsonist. These are two of the charmingly original characters that live at 7 Rue de Grenelle. Yet, this is not a story of quirky Parisians—it is too thoughtful for that. The first half of the book is rather ponderous, but because it is so clever it escapes tedium. There is a sumptuous sensuality to the way Barbery gently sows her words. I fought with her languid plot, wishing something, anything, would happen. After spinning and spinning this story in my head, I’ve come to realize that this is Barbery’s intent; she is giving us the experience of these women. This is a book that will burrow its way into memory. Blinded by my impatience, I hadn't realized how strongly this story had seared within me until its end. I am bereft. The truth of The Elegance of the Hedgehog is that is not a book at all—it is an opera, an opera seria. Brava!

One of the BEST books I've ever read! Absolutely loved the writing, characters, story, and emotion within this fabulous novel. Simply amazing!

Wonderful, wonderful book. Despite featuring two elements that I am usually not fond of - extended philosophizing in a novel and a wildly precocious child protagonist - this story completely won me over. It's clear that this novel is meant to be Literary-with-a-capital-L, but many of those types of books are cold and cynical, while this one has a big heart, largely exemplified by Renee. The ending, though not entirely unexpected, made me cry, which I almost always count as a point in a book's favor. This is one that will stick with me and that I will recommend to others.

What is life for? And how should we live? Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog revolves around these two questions through two characters who live in the same apartment building. Paloma Josse, at 12, thinks she has discovered life’s racket and makes plans to avoid her fate. Renée Michel, the building’s concierge, has been hiding her intelligence from everyone in her life, disappearing into a stereotype to avoid notice. Nothing would have changed if Kakuro Ozu hadn’t moved in upstairs and upset the status quo.

Both Renée and Paloma are highly intelligent and well read. Unfortunately, neither feel they can express their intelligence. We learn Renée’s reasons later in the book. Paloma hides her intelligence because her family is so terribly banal; any attempt to speak up is quashed as rudeness. (To be fair, Paloma can be rude.) Over the course of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, we see how similar the two are. At the beginning of the book, they seem very, very different.

When we first meet Paloma, she is planning her suicide and wants to burn down the apartment building. Her reasons for suicide are not the usual ones. Instead of depression or bullying or drug use, Paloma just doesn’t want to grow up and turn out like all the other adults she meets. It’s not a particularly good reason, but Paloma doesn’t have anyone in her life who understands her. She just doesn’t see any point. Paloma struck me as a person who has spent so much time in her own head she never learned empathy. She irritated me for most of the book and I wanted to smack her upside the head with Man’s Search for Meaning. Life does have meaning, you little twerp. You just have to find the things and people that make it meaningful for you.

Renée, on the other hand, does have things that make her life meaningful. She reads philosophy and criticism. She loves Tolstoy. (Her cat is named Leo.) She loves art and music. She just hides it all from everyone because she doesn’t want to be noticed. She works hard to maintain her cover as a slightly stupid but competent concierge while the rich people in the building care on with their self-absorbed lives. If The Elegance of the Hedgehog had been about Renée only, I think I could have fallen in love with it.

After one tenant dies and his apartment is sold to a Japanese man, the people in the building are shaken out of their routines. Ozu is perfect, as Barbery portrays him, and it isn’t long before he reaches out to Renée and Paloma. The plot moves slowly in this book. Much space is given over to Renée’s musings about art and literature and her role or to Paloma’s philosophizing and psychoanalysis of her family members and their friends. I’m still not sure if I’ve decided if the book is slightly pretentious or just a little too intellectual.

This might make it sound as though I didn’t like The Elegance of the Hedgehog. This isn’t true. I really enjoyed Renée and Ozu made me smile. Once the characters started to change, I was much more invested in the book. I’m not sure why the book was so wildly popular when it came out, though. It has some problems with pacing and the ending…well, to say more about that would ruin the book. I recommend this book, but with some caveats.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.

Enjoyable. Different in a good way.

I adore this book.. It's such a marvel of two languages.

I have tried to get through this title a couple of times now with no success. It's such a disappointment to me as I keep hearing wonderful things about it. I'll try again sometime I'm sure, but for now it's just not for me.

A quirky, entertaining read. The philosophical rants were sometimes a bit much, but the thought provoking passages helped make up for this, I enjoyed seeing the characters develop, pretending to live as was expected, while having so many other thoughts and dreams hidden away. Tea time was lovely and resonated with this description: "when tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things." I was saddened by the ending, but reminded to find beauty in the everyday moments.

Sorry to say I found this book bland and banal, full of run-on sentences and seemingly philosophical themes ending nowhere. Merely my opinion.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1609030821

and oldie but goodie!

Not my cup of tea, but it got rave reviews from some of my library members!

Love love love. A true classic

I had heard a lot about this book so I was glad to finally have the chance to read it for myself. It was a completely charming read! I will be recommending it!

I'm torn about this book. I kind of wish there was an abridged version. There were parts where I was completely enthralled, but the ending fell flat for me. All of the philosophical sections were hard to get through and slowed down my reading.

This book is a little hard to rate. The first half is full of interminably long inner philosophical musings and debates, interspersed with sharply funny episodes and passages so beautifully written that they are truly poetic. I struggled through the long philosophical ramblings, just to find the next wonderful bit. The two main story lines finally converged for the second half - I actually sat up straight, and thought "here we go!" While this was a far more difficult read than I expected, this book has some extremely valuable things to say about seeing people for who they are, and not for what your expectations are due to their age, class, etc. Like life itself, it is most definitely worth struggling through the difficult bits to find the truly wonderful parts. Strong 3 1/2 stars. Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallic Books for letting me read this lovely novel.

Good read. Liked the characters and story flow. Recommend reading. Makes you reflect. Given copy by NetGalley for honest review.

I have heard a lot of good things about this book for the last ten years. I wanted to love it, to enjoy that experience so many had... but I was bored. And annoyed. The first several chapters did not leave a good impression -- voice, style, plot -- and I admittedly gave in the towel early on this. I read perhaps 60 pages before DNFing.

This is a beautiful (coming of age?) story filled with the most delightfully quirky characters and unique situations. The prose is lovely; the characters and story are developed well. "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" is enthusiastically recommended for book club/discussion groups.

Finally I give 5 stars. As a bookworm myself, I loved this book.
I was not sure when I started it as some of the reviews said it was pretentious. I found it almost perfect and really enjoyed it. This is a book that might need to be read again.
Yes it was about a Parisian concierge called Renee who, typically working class and distant with hardly any friends on the outside, was actually an 'erudite princess'. A great lover of the arts, literature, music and art movies. An intellectual in disguise.

In the same building lives Paloma, a very precocious and intelligent 12 years old who thinks has nothing in common with her upper middle class and well educated family. Somehow Renee and Paloma get to know each other.

If you are looking for a plot, don't read this book, it has hardly any. If you are looking for insights and reflections on class, appearances, culture and above all kindred spirits, please read it.
It confirms what I have always believed, that you can find people similar to you in the most unlikely places. Nationality, class, gender and so on are only skin deep, to find kindred spirits you have to look beyond the appearances.