As part of my resolution to do a lot more reading this summer, I’ve decide to briefly document my progress as I make my way through my reading list. (Note: things have gotten tough now that the World Cup has begun…)

From the novel’s Amazon’s page: “Renee is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building, home to members of the great and the good. Over the years she has maintained her carefully constructed persona as someone reliable but totally uncultivated, in keeping, she feels, with society’s expectations of what a concierge should be. But beneath this facade lies the real Renee: passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives. Down in her lodge, apart from weekly visits by her one friend Manuela, Renee lives resigned to her lonely lot with only her cat for company. Meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her, and decides to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever.”

I found The Elegance of the Hedgehog to be a charming novel. It’s not a a nail-biter that you’ll want to finish in one sitting, but rather a deliberate collection of thoughts from two very interesting characters that will keep you thinking long after you’ve put the book down. Through a healthy dose of satire, Muriel Barbery touches on a variety of themes ranging from philosophy, class divisions, and art. More than that, the novel serves as a reminder of the adage to never judge a book by its cover (perhaps both literally and figuratively), and what it means to find love and beauty in this world.

A good read, and recommended for anyone looking to dive into something a little different this summer.