L'Élégance du hérisson

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Muriel Barbery

Europa Editions

I don't know if I loved this book because it made me feel somewhat educated and slightly cultured, or because it made me feel entirely dull-witted and slow. I definitely had moments of both while reading this text and I am sorely pressed to say which captured me more.

Set in an elegant Parisian apartment, the novel intertwines the narratives of two of the building's residents -- Renée Michel, the building's dumpy, slow, and stereotypical French concierge, and Paloma Josse, a twelve-year old girl, whose understanding of the absurdities of life would put Ionesco to shame. Both characters go to great lengths to hide themselves from the outer world. Renée portrays herself as others expect her to be and she lives a clandestine life full of philosophy, music, art, culture and custom. Paloma hides by retreating into herself, rarely speaking, but keeping a journal of profound thoughts and movements. If I were still an academic, I think I would be tempted to construct a semester-long course around this novel. You could easily spend weeks discussing the ideas that each character presents.

What made this novel especially beautiful was the author's use and range of language. Even in translation, I was caught by Barbery's lush descriptions and gorgeous phrasing. She can find the rightness in quoting a lyric from Eminem as easily as she can find it in a passage from Tolstoy. The book was just so full of Beauty that I felt like I was breathing fresh air through my eyes. Five heartfelt sighs out of five.