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lrmsreads 's review for:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
by Muriel Barbery
I found the characters of Madame Michele (Renee) and Paloma instantly delightful, but at times the philosophical analysis of life tended to bog it down for me, which may be why others criticize the characters for being too pretentious. But, as the friendship triangle between Madame Michele, Kakuro Ozu and Paloma began to really develop, I really fell in love with this book. I had a moment when I was reading when Paloma's obessesion with beauty suddenly reminded me very much of the movie, American Beauty, which really moved me in high school. My favorite moment that I can share without spoiling anything was when Kakuro was inviting Renee to dinner for his birthday in front of Paloma. Renee thinks, "Is it just my impression or is Paloma experimenting with apnea?" I loved that description of waiting with bated breath. And when Renee quotes Eminem lyrics and admits to listening to him on occassion...awesome! And finally, ***spoiler alert*** this book had the most beautiful death I think I have ever read...hence the tears. Here's to the idea of 'an always within a never' with a book that tells the sweetest, most ephemeral love story I've ever read!