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aubers's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of this book was really hard for me to get through. The two main characters are a little whiny and irritating until they meet the new Japanese neighbor. Once that happens, the book really picks up. If you can make it through to there, the rest is worth it.
judy_kr's review against another edition
4.0
It took a while to get into this book, but after Mr. Kakura Ozu moved into the building, I was hooked. (Perhaps it helped that I'd recently read Anna Karenina!) I haven't cried at the ending of a book in a long time.
angelface777's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a masterpiece. The language, the sarcasm, the cynicism... It was fantastic.
This book was recommended to me by a stranger at a secondhand book sale that was raising money for Planned Parenthood. I was casually browsing, and she pulled it off the shelf and said that this book was worth it. That sale was several years ago at this point (my TBR pile would be taller than I am if I stacked them), but I had a hankering to read it, and seriously I have no regrets.
This book follows two characters (A 12 year old girl, Paloma, and a 54 year old concierge, Renée) in almost a journal like style. The two of them are beyond brilliant, but hide to avoid the judgemental and hypocritical eyes of those around them.
The story isn't really about the comings and goings of a high class apartment complex in Paris, it's really about the beauty of life, and art existing all around you if you learn to take the calm and beautiful moments for what they are.
Also I sobbed the entire last 2 chapters.
The language is definitely advanced (there were a good amount of words I had to learn, my new favorite being 'autodidact'), but I HIGHLY recommend this book.
It's beautiful.
This book was recommended to me by a stranger at a secondhand book sale that was raising money for Planned Parenthood. I was casually browsing, and she pulled it off the shelf and said that this book was worth it. That sale was several years ago at this point (my TBR pile would be taller than I am if I stacked them), but I had a hankering to read it, and seriously I have no regrets.
This book follows two characters (A 12 year old girl, Paloma, and a 54 year old concierge, Renée) in almost a journal like style. The two of them are beyond brilliant, but hide to avoid the judgemental and hypocritical eyes of those around them.
The story isn't really about the comings and goings of a high class apartment complex in Paris, it's really about the beauty of life, and art existing all around you if you learn to take the calm and beautiful moments for what they are.
Also I sobbed the entire last 2 chapters.
The language is definitely advanced (there were a good amount of words I had to learn, my new favorite being 'autodidact'), but I HIGHLY recommend this book.
It's beautiful.
ndnnlly's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
mairivoice's review against another edition
4.0
What a lovely well written book. the language and the thoughtfulness beautiful. The author takes us to the essence and simplicity of who we are and the importance of simple beauty and connectedness. She does this with humour and warmth
arealcarter's review against another edition
3.0
This book was less of a story and more of a vessel for philosophy. That said, in certain parts it was well written and funny. Overall, not something I'd ever read again. It was boring. The excessive use of large words came off as pretentious.
laura_de_leon's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book very odd to listen to. I mostly mean that in a good way, although there are times that I wasn't sure.
The first half of the book kept rambling off on tangents, usually (but not always) interesting ones. I drifted along, bemused, as Renée pontificated on philosophy or stories about people she knew; or as 12 year old Paloma talked about how pointless her life was. I admit, I let it flow by at times, listening but not always absorbing what was said.
In the second part of the book, the story came together. Parts that I let slip by me became relevant. I got to know the characters much better, and finally connected with them.
The characters, particularly the main characters of Renée and Paloma are the heart of this book. Although they both interest me, I didn't like either of them as much as I expected to, or as I think I should. Both were very smart female characters, which is often enough to make me bond with them. In both cases, I was too far into the book before I really understood why they needed to hide their intelligence from everyone around them.
I also continue to think on Ozu and Manuela, two key secondary characters. I wish both had been fleshed out more. Ozu never felt like more than a plot device to me, although a very pleasant one. Manuela was a foil for Renée. Yet, I still perked up whenever they entered.
This was a very intricate book, not in its plot, but in the characters and in the telling. There were many small pieces that interlocked in unexpected ways.
I'd really like to reread this book. I suspect on rereading, I would love it, rather than simply liking it a lot like I do now.
The first half of the book kept rambling off on tangents, usually (but not always) interesting ones. I drifted along, bemused, as Renée pontificated on philosophy or stories about people she knew; or as 12 year old Paloma talked about how pointless her life was. I admit, I let it flow by at times, listening but not always absorbing what was said.
In the second part of the book, the story came together. Parts that I let slip by me became relevant. I got to know the characters much better, and finally connected with them.
The characters, particularly the main characters of Renée and Paloma are the heart of this book. Although they both interest me, I didn't like either of them as much as I expected to, or as I think I should. Both were very smart female characters, which is often enough to make me bond with them. In both cases, I was too far into the book before I really understood why they needed to hide their intelligence from everyone around them.
I also continue to think on Ozu and Manuela, two key secondary characters. I wish both had been fleshed out more. Ozu never felt like more than a plot device to me, although a very pleasant one. Manuela was a foil for Renée. Yet, I still perked up whenever they entered.
This was a very intricate book, not in its plot, but in the characters and in the telling. There were many small pieces that interlocked in unexpected ways.
I'd really like to reread this book. I suspect on rereading, I would love it, rather than simply liking it a lot like I do now.
beritt's review against another edition
2.0
I must say I am not a fan of this book. The reason I still gave it two stars (I would have given one and a half if I could) is that I really like the premise of the story. A wise-beyond-her-years twelve year-old with nihilistic tendencies decides to commit suice on her thirteenth birthday and writes in her diary during the months preceding that day. Meanwhile, the concierge to her building is much smarter than she seems, loves Dutch painting and cannot get enough of Anna Karenina. When a new tenant moves into their building, things start to shift.
It really is an original idea, and it's precisely the idea that kept me reading. I continued reading because I wanted to see if the premise would come to full bloom - but it wouldn't.
The first thing that disturbed me was the way in which the characters presented themselves. They literally introduced themselves "Hi I'm so-and-so and I look like this." For me, that's a total ways of the possibilities of literature, of painting a picture with very few words, and of gradually getting to know a character. Nonetheless, it was forgiveable. It was just a pity.
What REALLY bugged me was the incredible pretentiousness of the story. Giant portions of the book are dedicated to Rene's or Paloma's quasi-philosophical ruminations. Sentences like "With the exception of love, friendship and the beauty of Art, I don't see much else that can nurture human life. I'm still too young to claim to know much about love and friendship. But Art...if I had more time to live, Art would be my whole life" are sprinkled across every single page, which is made worse by Paloma's pointing out her own brilliance every other chapter, and by her calling her thoughts 'profound' by default.
Finally, some things seem completely random. Paloma's best friend Marguerite appears nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment invention- why include her at all? Similarly, Rene's explanation for being the way she is didn't inform the novel, it came completely out of the blue, which made it seem like an afterthought.
In short: this was not my kind of novel. The idea is great, but I don't like how it played out.
It really is an original idea, and it's precisely the idea that kept me reading. I continued reading because I wanted to see if the premise would come to full bloom - but it wouldn't.
The first thing that disturbed me was the way in which the characters presented themselves. They literally introduced themselves "Hi I'm so-and-so and I look like this." For me, that's a total ways of the possibilities of literature, of painting a picture with very few words, and of gradually getting to know a character. Nonetheless, it was forgiveable. It was just a pity.
What REALLY bugged me was the incredible pretentiousness of the story. Giant portions of the book are dedicated to Rene's or Paloma's quasi-philosophical ruminations. Sentences like "With the exception of love, friendship and the beauty of Art, I don't see much else that can nurture human life. I'm still too young to claim to know much about love and friendship. But Art...if I had more time to live, Art would be my whole life" are sprinkled across every single page, which is made worse by Paloma's pointing out her own brilliance every other chapter, and by her calling her thoughts 'profound' by default.
Finally, some things seem completely random. Paloma's best friend Marguerite appears nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment invention- why include her at all? Similarly, Rene's explanation for being the way she is didn't inform the novel, it came completely out of the blue, which made it seem like an afterthought.
In short: this was not my kind of novel. The idea is great, but I don't like how it played out.