Stuff I've read

The last two books I've read have been French, and The Elegance of the Hedgehog makes number three.

It's tricky to know where to start with this read. It's a delicate yet weighty novel that discusses the cultural anomaly of a French concierge whose expertise stretches far beyond her job description. But it's more than that. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is both the story of Renee, the concierge trying to keep her true identity a secret from the families she serves and Paloma, the depressed genius of a 12-year-old who is debating whether or not life has meaning and subsequently planning her suicide.

The story is told from the perspectives of Renee and Paloma and lingers on small details of grammar, literature, and folly. We see the lives of the people at number 7, Rue de Grenelle change dramatically as unlikely paths cross and untold secrets are found.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog is profoundly moving, a story of humanity at its finest and the lengths to which we will go to keep things orderly. Simultaneously, it's a story that deals quite gently with the reality that in spite of our sincerest efforts, in spite of our greatest fears, life happens.

And now, because a synopsis that does this book justice is nearly impossible, some excerpts to whet your appetite.

"What is an aristocrat? A woman who is never sullied by vulgarity, although she may be surrounded by it."

"To stop destructuring yourself, you have to stop moving altogether. Either you move and you're no longer whole, or you're whole and you can't move."

"Personally I think that grammar is a way to attain beauty."

"And one thing is sure, no matter what: I won't get any better by punishing the people I can't heal."

 "Art is emotion without desire."