Book - The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

Translated from French by Alison Anderson

Renee Michel is the concierge for a luxury apartment building in Paris. She’s a self taught “expert” in many areas yet plays dumb for the people in the building because she feels that’s her “place” and what people expect of her. What happens when she discovers she is a kindred spirit with several of the building’s tenants? Paloma, Renee and Kakuro are misfits of sorts among the so-called high class of Paris that dwell in their apartment building. Paloma and Renee aren’t comfortable with who they are “supposed” to be. Kakuro doesn’t buy into the class distinctions because he’s from a different culture and country. 

At first I didn’t like the book and considered giving up on it. But then it grew on me. Parts of it reminded me of conversations around my childhood kitchen table. Discussions of art, literature, philosophy, pets, daily routines and so forth. No one was trying to impress anyone, everyone was just sharing observations from experiences, reading and thinking. The author explores the meaning of life, the life paths and choices one’s so-called place in society seems to dictate, confining ourselves because of what others expect of us or what we think we have to do. What is beauty and why do we need it? 

I don’t mind books that make literary references and drop names I don’t recognize. I usually look up words and names I don’t know and enjoy the learning process. But there’s a balance the author has to achieve. I was fine with it in this book. I also don’t mind words or phrases in other languages as long as it’s not overdone. I’ve read some books where I felt there were way too many foreign phrases. I didn’t want to look them all up yet I felt I was missing parts of the story by not knowing the language. 

A reviewer commented that she wanted to read the book again with a highlighter. That was a thought I had. I borrowed the book from the library and think I might buy a copy so I can highlight it on a second reading.

Read more at goodreads.com - many varied opinions on this book 

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I’ll do several posts on quotes from the book. Here are some about animals as well as thoughts that reminded me of Mom and Dad.

First for the animal quotes

“Elegance of the Hedgehog” is a unique title. Here’s the reference to it. 12 year old Paloma is thinking about the concierge – “Madame Michel [Renee] has the elegance of the hedgehog: on the outside, she’s covered in quills, a real fortress, but my gut feeling is that on the inside, she has the same simple refinement as the hedgehog: a deceptively indolent little creature, fiercely solitary – and terribly elegant.” (143)

 “The only purpose of cats is that they constitute mobile decorative objects,…” – Paloma’s comment about her family’s two cats

Renee observes that the dogs in the building have their masters on leashes.

“At the door stands a courier, chewing on what must be a piece of gum for elephants, given the vigor and range of mandibular activity to which he is compelled.” I can just hear Dad saying this. He and Mom were big on gentle, unobtrusive gum chewing – if you had to chew gum at all.

A remote control for the television – “secular rosary”. That one tickled me.

Renee, the concierge, has very strong opinions about grammar and language. Reminds me of Mom and Dad and their expectations for language and proper grammar. After a rich person who “should have known better” makes a mistake with language, Renee says, “Language is a bountiful gift and its usage, an elaboration of community and society, is a sacred work.” Renee doesn’t always take herself seriously. A few paragraphs after this comment about language she says “At this critical moment in my indignant ruminations someone rings at my loge.”