The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery
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Book Reviews of The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Book Review: drunk on the language
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this after a friend insisted I should. At first, I had to push myself through it. The pacing was slow, and for the first seventy or so pages, I didn't care much for the two main characters. I *wanted* to care for them, but the story didn't pull me in and let me do it. It's not a quick mainstream fiction read, and best for those times where you can curl up with a warm beverage and spend quiet time thinking about philosophy. What kept me reading at all (besides the sense of duty toward my friend) was Barbery's use of language. The best word to come to mind is "sublime". There were a great many moments where I admit I may have lost some of the nuances of idea and concept upon the first reading, simply because of the beauty of the language.
The styles of the two protagonists (fifty-four year old Renee and twelve year old Paloma) are different enough, yet each plays with words and phrases in a way that tells you that the characters themselves are in tune with language and put a great deal of stock in the beauty of words (this is constant throughout, but especially in the section entitled "On Grammar"). It took more effort to become comfortable with Renee's sections, and some of the passages seemed to preach a bit too much, but by the end, the book had won a place as one of my favorite pieces of literature.
I gave this book four stars as a compromise. I'd have given it five stars for the language alone--it really is beautiful. But the slow start dissuaded me from a giving a higher rating. I found that somewhere around page ninety, I did care for the characters after all, and I cannot really find a particular moment that switched on the feelings. The story came alive far too close to the end. If it had showed some of that same spark earlier on, I might have given this five stars. But the end was touching and well-done. There were moments of humor interspersed with all the philosophy, and I could have done with a bit more of that, but I'd still recommend this for those I know who enjoy more than the easily-digestible bits of mainstream "airport" fiction (not that there's anything wrong with some of those tales), and especially for those who enjoy language and words.
Book Review: I loved this book!
Summary: 4 Stars
I found The Elegance of the Hedgehog charming and enjoyable. From the little treaures, such as the decriptions on the fun-loving, impish nature of dogs to the "intermittently decorative" nature of cats. Yes, there is extensive discourse on philopsohpy and critiques of the building's residents, but there is also an homage to Michael Connoly (author of the Harry Bosch detective novels), Sean Connery and the Hunt for Red October and arpper Eminem. The point of the novel, it seems, is finding such beauty among the mundane and elegance in the elite and elitist alike.
Many reviewers are upset that the two narrators seem judgmental. I agree: they are judgmental. But I think that is the point. What I will deem as the 'intentional hypocrisy' is shown when Palome takes her older sister to task for wanting to burn down the house, when this same intent is stated by the narrator on page 2. The narrators' judgments of others are judgments of themselves as well. The air of superiority is also protection against letting the world in. Each seeminngly pretentious critique is the refult of the characters' insecurties; insecurities about their physical appearance (Renee) or insecurities about the limitations of the utility of their own intellect (Palome). Who needs to tell an audiance that she is the most intelligent person in the world if not for deep seeded insecurity?
The sections on art and philosphy are lenghty (here, the novel is like a liberal's answer to Ayn Rand's conservative writings), and can be overwhelming. But, like Ayn Rand's works, this not not an action novel or one driven by a fast-paced plot as much as it is a character study, and at that -- for showing two imperfect carriers with all their gifts and gaps, the work excels.
The message, I think, is that the world is not as mean (in both senses of the word) that the narrators proclaim it to be. Palome realizes this only through the heartreak of loss. If you can accept the critiques of the rich, aloof residents for what they are, and see through to the kernels of beauty each narrator includes within their respective essays, I think you will find delight here.
Book Review: A book you are right to love and right to hate
Summary: 4 Stars
I had great fun reading the comments on this book, because I agree with everything that is said: the good and the bad. Depending on how you look at it, it is worth one or five stars.
WARNING: There is no action, it is full of philosophy, there are no heroes: there is nobody you will really like in the book. So people who stopped there are right: if it is not for you, forget it.
THE CULTURAL GAP: in American novels, the art is to make you get involved and participate. It is not true for a large part of modern French writers: you are supposed to sit back and look at it from a distance.You are not supposed to like the snobbish concierge, what a relief, you are supposed to be amused.
EVERYBODY IN THE BOOK IS A FOLK SYMBOL Parisians do not have the mythical old, ugly bitter concierge since the 1970s. At that time, condo owners discovered that they could make money by selling the old low-ceiling semi-basement to somebody and hire a crew to clean the stairs. The image of the concierge is that of novels of Maigret. The young girl who wants to die is typical too: we have some in America, because it is hard to make the transition from fairy tales to reality. The old Japanese guy is inspired from the 60s and the belief that all wisdom came from Asia (there were hundreds of movies on that theme.) The conscience of class is very French:they had 30% communists after WWII for decades. It is also true that the French should be somewhat class conscious: it is much more difficult to "have a chance" in France than the US.
IT IS FUNNY: what is funny is that all everyday situations are explained in the complex terms of philosophy by people who are class conscious. Of course if you have the training, you will find it slightly funny. If you are not familiar with philosophy, do not worry about it: the book is far from hilarious.
I gave it four stars, because it is smart and witty and original, and a little bit better than average. Did I like it? Well I have been reminded of the many reasons why I prefer America. But I think it should be mandatory read for philosophy or theology students.
Book Review: Acting phony is bad...right?
Summary: 4 Stars
By now you'll have heard that this book revolves around a woman and a girl who both feel/are put upon by society, and therefore guard their genius and insight from view, sharing those only with you, the reader.
Tricking people into believing you're someone you're not is a bad habit. The pretentious heights of phoniness in which the narrators indulge do challenge the reader because most of us aren't brave enough to show our true face to all the world, either. Seeing laid bare the sneering criticisms and judgments these two level at the world from behind their masks makes them easy, easy targets for disgust. If you feel knee-jerk dislike for them, it might be because of their incredibly pretentious language and unchecked self-indulgence. It may also be because you recognize something of yourself (or maybe that was just me?).
I wish the story hadn't been told in first-person. First-person naturally isolates the narrator, and in a story where the narrators isolate themselves so aggressively, there was little room to offer meaning to other characters, including the incomparable Mr. Ozu, with his power to recognize the natural aristocracy despite their bland language/bad haircuts. In third person, it might have been easier for us to savor Renee's and Paloma's secret wish to be discovered for who they are.
I think a lot of us would like to be lifted up out of our drab lives and recognized as special by someone we admire. However, for such a thing to actually happen in a story tends to cheapen the existential challenge of establishing identity. Is there a lesson to this book? I always thought that being true to yourself meant having the bravery to face the judgment of the world. The message I got from this book is that, for a certain few, the self is so precious that you should save it only for those who are special enough to deserve it. I totally disagree, but I'm willing to admit that Barbery presented the idea in such a way that I was willing to think about it for several hours. Also, I can admit it's possible I don't fully understand the book, since it's French.
Book Review: Precociously off-putting
Summary: 1 Stars
This book has made me question my toleration of hyper-intelligent narrators--especially children--in literature. First, this phenomenon, rather like amnesia, occurs much more frequently in fiction than in real life. I suppose this is so the author can use an "adult" voice to examine a child's world; this can be done well, if the child's underlying naivete offsets the intellect and big words (The Last Samurai). It is not done well here. I draw the line at a twelve year old girl waxing poetic on war and military service which she experienced, I can only guess, within the pages of War & Peace. For example: "Don't we deal with life the way we do our military service? Doing what we can, while we wait either to be demobbed or do battle?" (86). I found this world-weary voice off-putting, coming from a child's mouth. Just where does the "prodigy" voice end and the author's own self-absorbed elucidations on life begin? There is no child in this voice at all. It is not a good thing when the voices of our two narrators, a 54 year old "autodidact" concierge and the aforementioned nauseatingly precocious child, are so similar their POV must be indicated by different fonts.
A good story and well-drawn characters a reader cares about can still save a story; sadly, neither appeared in this book. The narrators are hypocritical, hateful people. They complain that the well-off people around them are stupid and unappreciative. I especially loved how the concierge Renee dismantles the argument of a philosophy student's thesis which she reads secretly, and attacks the study of theoretical concepts that do nothing to make society better. Meanwhile, she hides her own intellectual prowess for astoundingly stupid and outdated reasons, which are supposed to create the only "tension" and plot semblance of this novel. When a Japanese sensei-guru-stereotype character with no discernible flaws arrives on the scene, he does his best to draw out our two precocious intellects. By the time the narrators acknowledge that they still have the capacity to learn something new, I had stopped caring.