The elegance of the hedgehog book club notes

Bookclubinabox is a unique guide to current fic tion and classic literature intended for book club discussions, edu cational study. Renee is the concierge of a grand parisian apartment building, home to. The novels two narrators alternate chapters, but the book is. In this novel, renee michel is a concierge who believes that every concierge is perceived as unintelligent by those for whom they work. L elegance du herisson the elegance of the hedgehog, muriel barbery the elegance of the hedgehog french. The novel changes point of view between the two characters as it tells the story. The elegance of the hedgehog unlikable protagonists. The elegance of the hedgehog questions and answers. The elegance of the hedgehog is, by the end, quite. A summary of the characters in the elegance of the hedgehog. Pdf the elegance of the hedgehog book by muriel barbery. The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery librarything. The elegance of the hedgehog a strange title indeed, but what a gem of a book.

The novel changes point of view between the two characters as it tells the story of their unlikely friendship. In the heart of paris, in the posh building made famous in the elegance of the hedgehog, pierre athens, the greatest food critic in the world, is dying. The elegance of the hedgehog paperback 14 may 2009. One recurrent theme in the book is a love of tolstoy, especially by renee. She demonstrates an exceptional aptitude for writing, and matthias, for a time, indulges her with reed pens, papyri, and other 16 c. The book topped the french bestseller lists for 30 consecutive weeks and was reprinted 50 times. The phenomenal new york times bestseller that explores the upstairsdownstairs goingson of a posh parisian apartment building publishers weekly. A lot of cultural references are made in this book to art, tolstoy, sciif and to japanese films which some readers may or may not get. For me, it was a good excuse to tell myself i was going home to read when really i was going home to hold this book while i took a nap. The elegance of the hedgehog literary elements gradesaver. Published in france in 2006, muriel barberys second novel has been a huge hit. The novel is primarily a character study of concierge renee michel and one of the young tenants, paloma josse. The elegance of the hedgehog questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on.

We had a large group to discuss the elegance of the hedgehog and a fantastic summer feast to share. Paloma is the daughter of an upperclass family living in the. The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery books on. In both books i learned things in fields not particularly close to me. Revered by some and reviled by many, monsieur arthens has been lording it over the world. The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery, paperback. A great food critic who can make or destroy the reputation of a chef with a stroke of his pen, pierre arthens faces his imminent death by trying to recall the one perfect flavor he sampled in his youth, a flavor that he believes forms the ultimate truth of his life. In many other countries, while it may not have made the bestseller lists, it nonetheless has enjoyed considerable success. Renee is the concierge of a grand parisian apartment building, home to members of the great and the good. Unlock the more straightforward side of the elegance of the hedgehog with this concise and insightful summary and analysis. One minor point, my niece just turned and is so happy that now finally she belongs to the magical club of teenagers.

The the elegance of the hedgehog community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and. Over the years she has maintained her carefully constructed persona as someone reliable but totally uncultivated, in keeping, she feels, with. The elegance of the hedgehog is a novel by writer muriel barbery. The elegance of the hedgehog, a best seller in france and several other countries, belongs to a distinct subgenre. The elegance of the hedgehog muriel barbery bookclubinabox. The elegance of the hedgehog is a meaningoflife book, but instead of focussing on the child who fears becoming part of the odious adult world it centres on the old woman whom life has largely passed by.

Renee, the buildings concierge, is short, ugly, and plump. Review of the elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery. Both have incredibly welldrawn, quirky characters that are lovable in their unique humaness. I picked it up and started reading and was instantly hooked. The elegance of the hedgehog is a novel i would probably never have considered reading had it not been selected as part of a bookclub recommendation.

Praise for the elegance of the hedgehog gently satirical, exceptionally winning and inevitably bitersweet. Paloma acts the part of a typical preteen high on pop culture, good but not great at school, obedient but obstinate at. We are in the center of paris, in an elegant apartment building inhabited by bourgeois families. Renee is everything society expects from a concierge short, ugly, plump, and cantankerous, with bunions on her feet and an addiction to soap operas. Bookclubinabox presents the discussion companion for. We read the elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery as part of my book club. Discussion questions, the elegance of the hedgehog by. Inspired by the beloved new york times bestseller, the elegance of the hedgehog, by muriel barbery, the hedgehog is the timely story of paloma garance le guillermic a.

The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery nats. The elegance of the hedgehog has been described as a toolbox one can look into to resolve lifes problems, a lifetransforming read, and a lifeaffirming book. Michael dirda, the washington post the elegance of the hedgehog is about love. Ana is the daughter of matthias, head scribe to herod antipas, tetrarch of galilee. Muriel barbery is the author of the new york times bestseller, the elegance of the hedgehog europa, 2008, gourmet rhapsody europa, 2009, and the life of elves europa, 2016. Free download or read online the elegance of the hedgehog pdf epub book. The elegance of the hedgehog muriel barbery, 2007 penguin group usa 336 pp.

The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery book. The elegance of the hedgehog ebook written by muriel barbery. Light and airy, yet penetrating, with bits of soft brilliance on every page. The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery goodreads. The elegance of the hedgehog book club kit saint paul. The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery book club. Read the elegance of the hedgehog online by muriel barbery. The elegance of the hedgehog is different from any book i have ever read. Both have highly intelligent characters that are vulnerable because of their very gift.

The elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery book club forum. The elegance of the hedgehog muriel barbery europa editions. Paloma learns her lessons, of course, but the central figure is the concierge. Barbery attained fame with her second novel the elegance of the hedgehog. The elegance of the hedgehog book club kit arapahoe. The elegance of the hedgehog is an absolutely breathtaking book. The elegance of the hedgehog focuses on two supersmart, supersolitary female characters each of whom goes to great lengths to hide and protect her rich inner life from others and the unlikely friendship that grows up between them.

Gourmet rhapsody by muriel barbery reading guidebook club. Discussion of the elegance of the hedgehog books forum. By may 2008 it had sold more than a million copies and has been a bestseller in france, italy. Do you feel this is an accurate characterization of the novel. From the author of the new york times bestseller, the elegance of the hedgehog. Through the unlikely friendship between a suicidal 12yearold schoolgirl, an incredibly cultured 54yearold concierge. Reading guide for the elegance of the hedgehog by muriel. We are in an elegant hotel particulier in the center of paris. The elegance of the hedgehog has been published in 35 languages, in over 25 countries. Lelegance du herisson is a novel by the french novelist and. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 325 pages and is available in paperback format. The elegance of the hedgehog is a moving, funny, atmospheric novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us. Renees firstperson narration takes a surreal turn at the enddoes it work. Marilyn herbert is a teacher, librarian, speak er, and writer.

The first edition of the novel was published in august 2006, and was written by muriel barbery. This engaging summary presents an analysis of the elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery, a thoughtful, witty look at the absurdity of human life. Renee, the concierge, is witness to the lavish but vacuous lives of her numerous employers. Im sure my moms suburb book club friends would have loved it.

It has been a bestseller in france, spain, germany, italy, south korea, and america. She is cantankerous and addicted to television soaps. The international bestseller that has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Book club discussion questions on muriel barberys the elegance of the hedgehog discussion questions, the elegance of the hedgehog published on may 16, 2010. By may 2008 it had sold more than a million copies and has been a bestseller in france, italy, germany, spain, south korea, and many other countries. It is a profound but accessible book not quite proust, then, which elegantly treads the line between literary and commercial fiction. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Eoth is of a genre i would never read but it was a a book my partner was reading for her book club and it was lying on the bed one evening as i was preparing to read one of my endless detective thrillers.

My name is renee, and im the first protagonist of this book the hedgehog, as it were. The only benefit of the summary was that it helped to describe the families that lived in the building. She has lived in kyoto, amsterdam, and paris, and now lives in the french countryside. I reread this post of yours and im sorry, now that ive read my notes i believe that the part of the book that i told you about comes later on in the. A note about the ending, which i will state as spoilerfree as possible. The authors use of language to describe her characters and story was engaging. The housekeeper and the professor by yoko ogawa labfs39, chrisharpe labfs39. The elegance of the hedgehog is a french novel by muriel barbery. The elegance of the hedgehog paperback book discussion. The elegance of the hedgehog is a novel of personal identity that will inspire the reader to face life head on, rather than hiding behind masks that are designed to deceive not only the outside world, but ourselves as well.

While ms barberys background in philosophy comes through, the humor woven throughout balances things nicely and creates. The elegance of the hedgehog summary these notes were contributed by members of the gradesaver community. Read the elegance of the hedgehog by muriel barbery for free with a 30 day free trial. This discussion companion for the elegance of the hedgehog has been prepared and written by marilyn herbert, originator of bookclubinabox. The elegance of the hedgehog maxs pick september 2016 maxwell.