Review: The Elegence of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery

Highly popular in Europe, The Elegence of the Hedgehog is yet another book told from two points of view (this is popular lately, it seems), that of Paloma, suicidal 12yo daughter of ultra-rich parents, and Renee, the concierge of the condo building Paloma lives in. Both are ultra-intelligent and, for their own reasons, are determined to hide this intelligence, and indeed their entire selves, from everyone around them.

For anyone who has read Sophie's World, this novel is in somewhat the same vein, in that it relies heavily on philosophical ideology for content. Both main characters are highly introspective, and interested in the reasoning of the world around them.

After I got past the initial chapters, and my mind adapted to the style, which is unmintakeably French, I started to become interested in the characters. Underneath Renee's determination to appear as the world expects her to be, and Paloma's preteen self-righteous angst, were complex and very human intellectuals that I found to be increasingly absorbing. The dry humor created by the snooty assumptions of the people around them as well as their own internal monologues was rich, and I appreciated reading material that was obviously written for its own worth rather than to make money for the author.

Until I reached the end.

The last two chapters left me feeling as I have after a French meal - nauseus from the heavy sauce and like I would feel better if I could purge it.

In a purely literary sense, the tragic event that takes place is understandable, if shocking, but was also entirely unnecessary. Things could easily have gone another way. I don't feel that deep has to necessarily equal tragic. In addition, the final chapter, which describes the aftermath, felt stale and removed after becoming so intensely personal.

I literally threw the book on the table when I finished. Those, my friends, are precious hours that I will not get back. While I do not read to be made happy, I do not like it when a book throws a huge curveball at the end and then stops, as it were, dead.

Because I can't stand not to tell you, I will give this SPOILER ALERT -

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After going through the whole novel, and having Renee and Paloma find each other, and Renee meet new male tenant in the building who not only is her exact intellectual companion but who is also obviously falling in love with her, Renee goes out to run an errand and is hit and killed by a laundry truck. There are reasons why the truck is significant, but still, BOOM, she dies. Then there's one more chapter, and the whole thing is over. ARGH!!!
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Rating: four out of five stars: just because I'm pissed doesn't mean it's not a worthy read. However, this is not a beach book - it's a little heavy and demands concentration, making it sort of an undertaking. The tale itself is good, and the characters interesting.