A review by emilyinherhead
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

dark funny hopeful reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This story is told from two alternating viewpoints: that of a young French girl in a fancy Parisian apartment building, and that of the building’s 54-year-old concierge, who is a secretly intelligent and cultured widow. It took me a while to warm up to these two and to the elevated language in which they both narrate. But once I was on the book’s wavelength, I enjoyed it. At one point the concierge, Madame Michel, goes on a two-page rant about a single misused comma in a note she receives from a resident in the building, and I have to say—I am very here for this sort of extreme pettiness. 

The overarching story is a bittersweet one. I won’t spoil any major plot points, but I will say the multi-generational friendship is lovely, as is the later-in-life romance, and the discovery of new hope and joy in daily existence.
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