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The Elegance of the Hedgehog

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By: Muriel Barbery
Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat, Cassandra Morris
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About this listen

An enchanting New York Times and international best seller and award-winner about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, seen through the eyes of a 54-year-old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.

Renee Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior (short, ugly,and plump) and demeanor (poor, discreet, and insignificant) belie her keen, questing mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the 16th of June, her 13th birthday.

Both Renee and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them, until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that haunts Renee, winning Paloma's trust, and helping the two discover their kindred souls. Moving, funny, tender, and triumphant, Barbery's novel exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.

©2006 Editions Gallimard, Paris (P)2009 Highbridge Company
Coming of Age Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring Thought-Provoking Witty Feel-Good Tear-jerking

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Editor reviews

The Elegance of the Hedgehog tells the story of a life spent in hiding. Madame Michel is the concierge of a luxurious Parisian apartment building, tending to the plants, signing for packages, and polishing the brass, retreating when she can to her rooms on the first floor. She keeps a television blaring where the tenants can hear it; she zealously polices her speech and gestures to keep from giving herself away. What is the secret she hides? Madame Michel is an intellectual. She knows Kant, but she's separated by class from other people who do, so she discusses his work with herself while we listen in. Her musings are voiced by Barbara Rosenblat, who lends an air of theatrical irony an auditory raised eyebrow to her descriptions of class blind spots and philosophical rabbit holes.

The other pole of the story is Paloma Josse, a 12-year-old tenant in the building, voiced by Cassandra Morris with an appropriate measure of sarcasm and outrage. Paloma is a wildly precocious girl raised in privilege who has all the gifts of intellect and all the faults of a pre-adolescent. She's grandiose she favors us with excerpts from a journal titled "Profound Thoughts". She's happy to throw stones at glass houses, and even plans to burn hers down, with the aim of teaching her family a pithy lesson about deprivation. She describes the currently deprived in terms that, while well-intentioned, condescend and distort. She is, in other words, a burgeoning intellect in serious need of the influence of an adult she can respect. An adult, perhaps, like the 54-year-old concierge on the first floor. But it takes more than a ride in an elevator to truly meet a woman who has spent her life in hiding. The novel takes two world views, both meticulously constructed from sound philosophical materials, and happily pulls them apart. Rosalie Knecht

Critic reviews

"Gently satirical, exceptionally winning and inevitably bittersweet." ( The Washington Post )
"An exquisite book in the form of a philosophical fable that has enchanted hundreds of thousands of readers." (Italian Elle)
"Kinetic minds and engaging voices." ( New York Times Book Review)
"By turns very funny and heartbreaking". ( Publishers Weekly)
"Life-affirming." ( Time)
“You might have guessed that Muriel Barbery is a philosophy lecturer turned novelist. Not much happens … Probing into the gloriously, infinitely complex human nature of human consciousness is what it’s really about. Done as wittily and elegantly as this (Barbara Rosenblat’s amused, self-deprecating portrayal of Renee is bliss), it’s no wonder it sold a million.” Sue Arnold, The Guardian
All stars
Most relevant  
There are books we enjoy, but also ones that we learn from and re-discover time after time.
I have this book in print, bought the film and also in audio format. Never got bored of it and always want to read some parts over and over again.
Simply great!!

Cannot have enough of it!

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A book of eloquence and a masterclass in grammar, unfolds its tale through the thoughts of a Parisian concierge, Renee Michel, who, in order to keep her job, must hide her supreme intelligence and knowledge of art, classical music, books, philosophy and love of all things Japanese.

Coupled with the interaction of the journal entries of a rather precocious 12 year old child, Paloma (whose parents are residents) whose supreme intellect is admired by Renee, the book of observation and deep thoughts, magnificently unfolds.

It is rich in characters, strong, moving, deeply sad and a wonderful example of the class distinction and hypocrisy that rules the bourgeois and their to see beyond their misplaced ideals.

The narrations are sublime.

In all a beautiful read and worthy of more than 5 stars

Eloquent, Intelligent and Beautiful

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Reading literature in translation is so rewarding, because so often we don't read outside our own language. So often books in other languages are especially sweet and unique! This novel is beautiful, and bittersweet and a wonderful depiction of philosophy, love, tragedy and life. Both Barbery and the narrators perfectly capture the different mindsets of the characters and the ending is so unexpected! This is a short but very poetic novel, which everyone should read!

A Masterpiece!

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This book is filled with wonderful insight, deep wisdom and moments of hilarity. The narration was excellent and perfectly presented the characters. I loved this book, it was a real pleasure.

What a joy to listen to

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Si Prof Barbery … prétentieuse.!
You should have had Stephen Fry reading instead of a Jewish Newyorker and a whining child.!
I read it in french and listened in English as I like to see a professional translation as well.
The French have a passion for philosophy and the «  Grandes Écoles Supérieures. » so went crazy over this. My wife loved the snobbery of the «  Haute Bourgeois. » and there were some really hilarious moments ( the two dogs and the Requiem in the toilet. ) so overall it’s a good read and worth it if only to laugh at the grenouilles .!

Prétentieuse moi.??

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Just a great book from start to finish with interesting characters and storyline, kept me interested all the way through. I would suggest the others by Barbery too.

A great book, well worth it

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Beautifully brilliant book. Listen once for a taste, twice to digest and three times for the full flavour. I shall miss Madam Michel in my ears joining me on my dog walks. Enjoy.

So good you have to listen three times ***

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I can’t deny that the child’s drawl was really very irritating. Hard to listen to. The author was clearly determined to show herself up as educated and clever but there were so many silly banalities. There was a sensitivity in the story despite it being a very simple and predictable vehicle for the author being educated until a Lille twist at the end that did kind of sum up all the points. I did manage to complete it. But it was effort full.

Really mixed feelings

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I watched the movie before reading the book, the movie is superb! the book I didn’t like it.
Listening to this audiobook and the interpretation that this two actress did of it, I think that this audiobook is like the movie, SUPERB!

Marvellous!

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I enjoyed the audio so much that I have purchased a hardback copy for rereading.

Excellent. I will read it again.

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