"There is joy, there is humour, there is sorrow: here is Life, writ large in all its complexity."
Sometimes, there is a fine line to be drawn between the craft of beautiful writing and the pompous display of a writer’s skill. The Elegance of the Hedgehog invites you to choose which side of the fence you favour. Its publication provoked heated discussion. It seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it read. Certainly, it’s a book that demands proper attention, not one you want to pack for a lazy beach read. The joy of this book is the portrayal of the eccentric and entertaining characters; also in its cultural and philosophical references and entertaining observations of people and society. This novel made me stop reading and think for a while. If you want a thrilling, can’t-put-down book, look away now. This one take time and effort.
Renée Michel is the concierge for the eight fashionable apartments at No 7, Rue de Grenelle in Paris. To the residents she is the drab stereotype of an uneducated, middle aged woman with little self-awareness and few aspirations. She wears dreary clothes, eats cheap food and watches daytime TV. She is reliable, good at her job, but she lives a small life. Renée fosters this perception because it’s good for business, but she is hiding in plain sight. She is an autodidact, an acute observer, well versed in art, philosophy, music, literature and gourmet dining.
In one of the upper floor apartments, twelve-year old Paloma Josse lives a privileged life with her parents and sister. But she too, is playing a stereotype while hiding her real self. Like Renée, Paloma is much more intelligent and observant than she seems. Her outlook on life is both precocious and pretentious. She hates the world she has been born into and has decided to end her life on her thirteenth birthday by burning the apartment down, unless she is presented with a compelling reason not to. Meanwhile, Paloma has her suspicions about Madame Michel not being quite what she seems.
When a new tenant, the fabulously wealthy and cultured Ozu Kakuro, moves into the building an unlikely but deep bond develops between the three characters. Comfortable with each other, they reveal something of their true selves and undergo a degree of personal transformation.
There is joy, there is humour, there is sorrow: here is Life, writ large in all its complexity. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is worth the time and effort – and a shout out to Alison Anderson for a superb translation, too.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog is published by Gallic Books.
Renée Michel is the concierge for the eight fashionable apartments at No 7, Rue de Grenelle in Paris. To the residents she is the drab stereotype of an uneducated, middle aged woman with little self-awareness and few aspirations. She wears dreary clothes, eats cheap food and watches daytime TV. She is reliable, good at her job, but she lives a small life. Renée fosters this perception because it’s good for business, but she is hiding in plain sight. She is an autodidact, an acute observer, well versed in art, philosophy, music, literature and gourmet dining.
In one of the upper floor apartments, twelve-year old Paloma Josse lives a privileged life with her parents and sister. But she too, is playing a stereotype while hiding her real self. Like Renée, Paloma is much more intelligent and observant than she seems. Her outlook on life is both precocious and pretentious. She hates the world she has been born into and has decided to end her life on her thirteenth birthday by burning the apartment down, unless she is presented with a compelling reason not to. Meanwhile, Paloma has her suspicions about Madame Michel not being quite what she seems.
When a new tenant, the fabulously wealthy and cultured Ozu Kakuro, moves into the building an unlikely but deep bond develops between the three characters. Comfortable with each other, they reveal something of their true selves and undergo a degree of personal transformation.
There is joy, there is humour, there is sorrow: here is Life, writ large in all its complexity. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is worth the time and effort – and a shout out to Alison Anderson for a superb translation, too.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog is published by Gallic Books.
Yvonne is a regular reviewer here. For more of her choices, see:
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
The Outrageous Fortune of Abel Morgan by Cynthia Jefferies
Adventures in Human Being by Gavin Francis
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
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