Summary of The Elegance of the Hedgehog
“The Elegance of the Hedgehog” is a philosophical novel with two main protagonists. The first is Renée, a concierge in her fifties, who works in a fancy townhouse in Paris. She hides her intelligence and cultural passions from the building’s 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 Mr. Ozu, a cultured Japanese man, moves in, an unexpected friendship develops between the three.
Reasons to read The Elegance of the Hedgehog
“The Elegance of the Hedgehog” is a ‘novel of ideas’, with many references to philosophy, art and literature, that delves into themes of identity and class difference. Although the narrative itself is relatively simple, much of the novel’s appeal stems from the richness of its philosophical observations. The title symbolises Renée’s character – a prickly exterior that conceals a sensitive and cultivated nature. “The Elegance of the Hedgehog” became a bestseller both in France and internationally. It won the Prix des libraires (French booksellers’ prize) in 2007 and was adapted into the French film “Le hérisson” in 2009. The author, Muriel Barbery, is a French writer and philosophy teacher of Moroccan descent. She also published “Gourmet Rhapsody” (“Une gourmandise”), 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-Prés neighbourhood; this street is also the setting for Christophe Boltanski’s novel “The Safe House”.
Original title: L’Élégance du hérisson
Year of publication: 2006
Nr of pages: 326
