"The Elegance of the Hedgehog"

I initially resisted reading the bestselling French novel, "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," by Muriel Barbery (English version: Europa, 2008, paperback), not finding the description appealing. Then it was chosen for my reading group, so I plunged in. The first several chapters were, to be blunt, somewhat tedious. Big chunks of those chapters were treatises on philosophical topics...perhaps interesting in the abstract, but not what you expect to find in a novel. The early emphasis on the precocious, unhappy 12-year-old Paloma was also not appealing to me. But once the character of Renee, the concierge in her fifties, an autodidact who hid her extensive knowledge of literature, art, opera, and philosophy from almost everyone, was introduced, the story began to draw me in. Both Paloma and Renee were - like hedgehogs - prickly on the outside but vulnerable within. When a new tenant, the wealthy and courtly Mr. Ozu, entered the picture, and when the three main characters discovered each other and their common interests, the interplay of the characters was both touching and intriguing.

Throughout, the writing is intricate and often beautiful, even transcendent. There are entrancing passages about Japan, art, tea, language, grammar, social class, life, death, and much more. Here is a small excerpt from Renee's thoughts after Mr. Ozu has introduced her to a wider world: "A few bars of music..., a touch of perfection in the flow of human dealings -- I lean my head slowly to one side, reflect on the camellia on the moss of the temple, reflect on a cup of tea, while outside the wind is rustling the foliage, the forward rush of life is crystallized in a brilliant jewel of a moment that knows neither projects nor future, human destiny is rescued from the pale succession of days, glows with light at last and, surpassing time, warms my tranquil heart" (page 106).

I recommend this novel; don't get discouraged by the first few chapters, but persist, and I think you will be as captivated as I was.