The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (Book Analysis) E-Book

Bright Summaries

• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 18

Beschreibung

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a witty and satirical reflection on culture and appearances. Throughout the friendship between a gifted 12-year old and a concierge who is more than what she lets on, Muriel Barbery denounces the pretentions of the French bourgeoisie and their tendency to rely only on appearances.

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This practical and insightful book includes:
   • A complete plot summary
   • Character studies
   • Key themes and symbols
   • Questions for further reflection

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Leseprobe

Muriel Barbery

French writer

Born in Casablanca in 1969Notable works:Gourmet Rhapsody (2000), novelThe Elegance of the Hedgehog (2006), novel

Born in 1969, Muriel Barbery is a French author. She obtained her diploma at the École Normale Supérieure de Fontenay-Saint-Cloud and an aggrégation in philosophy. She began teaching in a lycée in Caen, then at the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres of Saint-Lô.

In 2000, she wrote her first novel, Gourmet Rhapsody, which became a literary success of that year and has been translated into twelve languages. In 2006, The Elegance of the Hedgehog followed, which became a real bestseller. Wishing to remain in the shadows, and fascinated by Japan, Muriel Barbery stays away from media pressure and has lived in Kyoto with her husband since 2008.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

A true bestseller

Genre: novelReference edition: Barbery, M. (2006) L’Élégance du hérisson. Paris : Gallimard.1First edition: 2006Themes: bourgeoisie, appearances, friendship, death, life, literature, art, philosophy

The Elegance of the Hedgehog is the second novel by Muriel Barbery, and was published in 2006. It tells of the lives of Renée Michel and Paloma Josse, and how their paths cross. Renée is the concierge of a luxury apartment building in Paris. She is 54 years old, extremely educated and very intelligent, which the rich bourgeois of the building are far from guessing. Paloma Josse, a gifted 12-year old, is the daughter of the inhabitants of the building’s fifth floor. Rejecting the world in which the adults live, which she judges to be full of deceiving appearances and false pretenses, she has decided to commit suicide on the day of her 13th birthday, and to set her parents’ apartment on fire on that day. When Kakuro Ozu moves in on the fourth floor, great changes happen.

The novel has been translated into more than thirty languages, has won several awards and was a best-seller for months after its publication.

1 Quotes taken from the reference edition have been translated by BrightSummaries.com.