Book Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Well folks, I hate to disagree with the prevailing opinion. But I did not like this book. I did however enjoy the tragic ending. The tragic ending was the only part I enjoyed, because it felt like the only real part of the book. The rest of the book felt pretensions, stilted, and a struggle (not just to get through as a reader, but a struggle to understand the characters via the form of narrative the book uses).


The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a book about a frumpy french concierge trying to hide her intellect and her true self, and a young girl in her building who is smart as a whip and looks down on everyone around her. The format of the book is these two women's diaries, in which they contemplate life, literature, science, philosophy, etc. This book receives rave reviews, and I wanted to read it because everyone loves it and they're making it into a movie. What you usually hear is that the book is great but people don't like the ending. I felt the exact opposite.

Because I didn't like the book I'm not going to recommend you read it, despite the fact that many of you probably already have, or will want to before you see the movie. But I assume you don't have as much free time as I do and I think there are MUCH better books for you to read (please see almost everything else I've read this month). I will probably watch the movie, I wonder if I'll like it.