Book Review

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery

This thoughtful and often philosophical novel concerns (and is narrated alternately by) Renee Michel, the frumpy middle-aged concierge of a posh Paris apartment building, and Paloma, the precocious 12 year old daughter of one of the bourgeois families living there. They are both more than they appear, clandestine fish out of water. Renee, despite her poverty-steeped peasant origins, is extremely well-read and self-educated to a high degree. Paloma is not only highly intelligent, but also has a razor-sharp perception that allows her to see through the pretensions and banalities of her family's upper-class life. The arrival of a new resident, Mr. Ozu, a wealthy retired Japanese businessman, causes both Renee and Paloma to come out of their self-imposed shells and to rethink their approaches to life.
( spoilery discussions ahead )