The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog is by Muriel Barbery. A translation of a best selling French novel. Renee is the concierge in a fancy Parisian apartment building. She is extremely well-read, intelligent, and cultured, a fact she goes to great lengths to conceal to conform to society's expectations of a concierge. Twelve-year-old Paloma also lives in the building. Paloma has decided to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday to escape the inane future she perceives to be unavoidable. When another tenant, a famous food critic, dies suddenly Renee and Paloma find a new friend who changes both their lives. While on the philosophical side, this novel is also in turns hilarious and poignant. An amusing, and sad, look at the lengths we go to to hide our real selves from others.

Ratings: Adult - 9 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - MP (mild profanity).