Summary of The Elegance of the Hedgehog
âThe Elegance of the Hedgehogâ is a philosophical novel with two main protagonists. The first is RenĂ©e, a poor concierge in her fifties, who works in a fancy townhouse in Paris. She hides her intelligence and cultural passions from the buildingâs residents. The second is Paloma, a bright and introspective 12-year-old girl who lives in the same building and has a difficult relationship with her family. When a Japanese man moves in, an unexpected friendship develops between the three.
Reasons to read The Elegance of the HedgehogÂ
âThe Elegance of the Hedgehogâ is a ânovel of ideasâ, with many references to philosophy and literature, that delves into themes of identity and class difference. The title symbolises RenĂ©eâs character – a prickly exterior that conceals a sensitive and cultivated nature. âThe Elegance of the Hedgehogâ became a bestseller both in France and internationally. It won the Prix des libraires (French booksellersâ prize) in 2007 and was adapted into a French film âLe hĂ©rissonâ in 2009. The author, Muriel Barbery, is a French writer and philosophy teacher of Moroccan descent. She also published âGourmet Rhapsodyâ (âUne gourmandiseâ), a novel about a French food critic, set in the same Paris townhouse.
Setting: Paris (France)
Book set in France: Paris, Rue de Grenelle 7, in the Saint-Germain-des-PrĂ©s neighbourhood; this street is also the setting for Christophe Boltanskiâs novel âThe Safe Houseâ.
Original title: L’ĂlĂ©gance du hĂ©risson
Year of publication: 2006
Nr of pages: 326
