A review by neelyreads
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I must admit, it was not easy to finish. Muriel Barbery takes a philosophical approach to life, love, and death and it takes time to really indulge her words and let their meanings sink in. The characterization of the two focal characters are wonderful, particularly Renée Michel, whom allows the reader to read her between the lines and discover what a remarkable person she truly is. Paloma Josse, the young suicidal 12 year old, is portrayed as highly intelligent, even prodigal, but she attempts to distant herself so far away from her family and social environment, it often comes across as ungrateful and even selfish. However, both characters undergo a tremendous arch worthy of acknowledgment; the characters presented in the beginning of the book are far less sensitive, timid and naive by the end.
Renée and Paloma are simply fascinating characters; the idea that someone would purposefully conceal qualities of themselves is somewhat absurd, however the book rewards its audience with its reasonings near its end. The book never searches for pity or a kind sympathy, instead it gives us permission to hear and see and hear everything without the blink of an eye; we are the first witnesses to these splendid characters and it is a very interesting journey to read who will have the next privilege to uncover the truth. The other characters in the book are often forgettable, but serve a purpose of a juxtaposition between themselves together with our two narratives. In fact, most of the residents are one-dimension and depicted as high society snobs, but despite this lack of characterization, it works well for the novel which would otherwise get lost in its many various minor individuals.
The writing is very often heavy, it touches on major themes such as life and death (dying is like fireworks suddenly burning out in the sky and everything going black ), but also dwells on the mundane, the everyday interactions between different social hierarchies, the movements of the world, the company of domestic animals and the fulfilling leisure of conversations over a shared pot of tea. What truly strikes a cord with the reader is the idea that people from different social statuses do not mix; Renée is fixated on the idea and cannot comprehend her misjudgment until a friendly yet wealthy Japanese man, Kakuro Ozu, can personally show her otherwise. Other significant theories thought by Renée, such as those over true friendship, beauty and even death, have to be experienced thoroughly before she can trust them. One of the final scenes of Renée and Kakuro enjoying expensive sushi in a replica Ridly Scott styled restaurant is the pivotal point in Renée's life; Kakuro says "We can be anything we want to be" and only then once all these new theories are truly believed, Renée is finally capable of blooming into the camellia that she is.
Here is one of my many favourite passages as a suitable ending:
How I miss you, already....This morning I understand what it means to die:when we disappear, it is the others who die for us, for here I am lying on the cold pavement and it is not the dying I care about; it has no more meaning this morning than it did yesterday. But never again will I see those I love, and if that is what dying is about, then it really is the tragedy they say it is.
Beautiful.
Renée and Paloma are simply fascinating characters; the idea that someone would purposefully conceal qualities of themselves is somewhat absurd, however the book rewards its audience with its reasonings near its end. The book never searches for pity or a kind sympathy, instead it gives us permission to hear and see and hear everything without the blink of an eye; we are the first witnesses to these splendid characters and it is a very interesting journey to read who will have the next privilege to uncover the truth. The other characters in the book are often forgettable, but serve a purpose of a juxtaposition between themselves together with our two narratives. In fact, most of the residents are one-dimension and depicted as high society snobs, but despite this lack of characterization, it works well for the novel which would otherwise get lost in its many various minor individuals.
The writing is very often heavy, it touches on major themes such as life and death (dying is like fireworks suddenly burning out in the sky and everything going black ), but also dwells on the mundane, the everyday interactions between different social hierarchies, the movements of the world, the company of domestic animals and the fulfilling leisure of conversations over a shared pot of tea. What truly strikes a cord with the reader is the idea that people from different social statuses do not mix; Renée is fixated on the idea and cannot comprehend her misjudgment until a friendly yet wealthy Japanese man, Kakuro Ozu, can personally show her otherwise. Other significant theories thought by Renée, such as those over true friendship, beauty and even death, have to be experienced thoroughly before she can trust them. One of the final scenes of Renée and Kakuro enjoying expensive sushi in a replica Ridly Scott styled restaurant is the pivotal point in Renée's life; Kakuro says "We can be anything we want to be" and only then once all these new theories are truly believed, Renée is finally capable of blooming into the camellia that she is.
Here is one of my many favourite passages as a suitable ending:
How I miss you, already....This morning I understand what it means to die:when we disappear, it is the others who die for us, for here I am lying on the cold pavement and it is not the dying I care about; it has no more meaning this morning than it did yesterday. But never again will I see those I love, and if that is what dying is about, then it really is the tragedy they say it is.
Beautiful.