The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By: Muriel Barbery

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat, Cassandra Morris

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

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

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)

An amazing memoir of a simple life

So different yet so compelling. A world within a world. So French. Too many characters.

A modern masterpiece

A book is a story through which we ultimately view a reflection of ourselves through, as ugly and beautiful as we can ever be.
This audio book, told from two very different narrators points of view, reminds me of the way I felt reading 'A Catcher in the Rye' because the characters, all of them, are imperfect and searching for a deeper meaning to their lives. Edgy, reflective, riveting, I finished listening to it in the driveway after a 10 hour shift and a 35 minute commute crying those good tears that only come when a story really is that good.

A great story enhanced by a great reader.

If you could sum up Elegance of the Hedgehog in three words, what would they be?

engaging, literary, humourous

What was one of the most memorable moments of Elegance of the Hedgehog?

too many to pick

What about Barbara Rosenblat and Cassandra Morris ???s performance did you like?

Rosenblatt is always amazing. Really captured the essence of the main character/narrator.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Several, but hard to specify without giving away important plot direction.

Any additional comments?

One of my favorites.

The whole is so much more--!

In spite of--or because?--the characters are so odd, flawed, not totally consistent (consonant!) annoying even--. I would not have missed this for anything. Like dear friends who are sometimes exasperating, I hung in there with them, listening patiently. And, surprise, when the book came to an end, too quickly, I find I miss them terribly but was very glad they were part of my life.

Fantastic Audibook

This is an audiobook that I really, really enjoyed, and I've been listening to excerpts since I finished it. I loved the two narrators. I thought it was beautiful.

It's a translation, and the English is beautiful. I thought it was funny and sweet, and I highly recommend it.

Exquisite

The first part of this book was very intellectual and philosophical and frankly boring. I started asking why it had been rated so highly. But then the characters became more engaging to me and I have to say that no matter how difficult the early part is the end alone is worth every second of the listen
I was so moved and surprised by the ending- I highly recommend this book- I suspect become one of my all-time favorites

Wondeful Performance!

If you could sum up Elegance of the Hedgehog in three words, what would they be?

A must listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Elegance of the Hedgehog?

When Renee is not recognize by two women in her building, she ponders how people don't really see people for themselves and she herself,

Rough until the end

I had a hard time listening to this story. While the two narrators were both very good, I thought the characters were both ridiculously pretentious and often found myself rolling my eyes at the drawn out descriptions of their philosophical, artistic, and other interests.

However, in the last two hours of the book, I really fell for the two characters. The author finally seemed to tell their stories, the intricacies of their selves. I greatly enjoyed the end of the book.

Overall, I'm glad I had the time to listen through to the end- and that I could listen in small doses.

An always of naver

I won't commit suicide. I won't burn any things.
Beauty in this world.
It was Satie.

a tale that slowly builds to an unexpected ending

This story is alternately told by the older French concigere (sp?) and the adolescent girl living in her building. Its strange because they seem unaware of each other for more than half the book. Instead both write reflections on life. If, like me, you are hoping for a tale about the interaction between the two main characters, you will have to wait until the very end of the book. I found the story interesting, but slow. However I kept listening and was rewarded by the end of the tale.