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A review by steffers7
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
3.0
Hmmm... My feelings on this book are varied. The prose and ideas woven into the story were excellent. So on a literary level I would give it top marks. The points she makes were well thought out - - ideas such as feeling trapped in your place in life and whether or not you can escape your fate. The book was still accessible though - - I didn't find it a difficult read and never struggled to pick it up.
***BIG Spoiler ahead - do not read if you don't want it spoiled***
However, I did NOT like the way it ended. The book reminded me of something from the movie Stranger than Fiction. In the movie, a well-respected writer is writing a story, and in order for the book to be truly excellent literature, according to the experts, the main character (Harold) has to die. I hated that idea, and rooted for Harold to live. Well, apparently this author thought the same thing. Yep, here's that spoiler - the main character dies at the end. I'm sure there is some deep, profound, wonderful truth that only resonates because she dies. Well, blah blah blah. I hate that ending, it only served to the book's detriment for me. It made it depressing and hopeless. Sure, she said some inspiring stuff. But for me, the ending sucked and ruined the book. So maybe that makes me someone who can't appreciate good literature. Or maybe it was a sucky way to end a book. Probably, though, that is purely a subjective thing. But you know where I stand.
***BIG Spoiler ahead - do not read if you don't want it spoiled***
However, I did NOT like the way it ended. The book reminded me of something from the movie Stranger than Fiction. In the movie, a well-respected writer is writing a story, and in order for the book to be truly excellent literature, according to the experts, the main character (Harold) has to die. I hated that idea, and rooted for Harold to live. Well, apparently this author thought the same thing. Yep, here's that spoiler - the main character dies at the end. I'm sure there is some deep, profound, wonderful truth that only resonates because she dies. Well, blah blah blah. I hate that ending, it only served to the book's detriment for me. It made it depressing and hopeless. Sure, she said some inspiring stuff. But for me, the ending sucked and ruined the book. So maybe that makes me someone who can't appreciate good literature. Or maybe it was a sucky way to end a book. Probably, though, that is purely a subjective thing. But you know where I stand.