The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

An enchanting New York Times and international bestseller 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 sixteenth of June, her thirteenth 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.

Muriel Barbery is the author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Europa, 2008), Gourmet Rhapsody (Europa, 2009), and The Life of Elves (Europa, 2016), all of which were New York Times bestsellers. She's lived in Kyoto, Amsterdam, and Paris, and now she's settled in the countryside of France.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781933372600
ISBN 10	1933372605
Title	The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Author	Muriel Barbery
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Europa Editions
Year published	2008-09-30
Number of pages	336
Prizes	Commended for International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 2010
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.