The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Published in 2006, L'Élégance du Hérisson —The Elegance of the Hedgehog- is a novel by the French author, Muriel Barbery. It is a book acclaimed by critics and the general public. Likewise, the title has received more than 30 editions, exceeded one million copies sold and successfully adapted to the big screen (Le herisson.

It contains a deep story, very thoughtful and quite common in the digitized world of the XNUMXst century. While superficiality is the most palpable theme in the plot, Barbery reflected a host of messages in his narration. Which invite the reader to pay attention to the small details of life, those that make each day valuable.

About the author, Muriel Barbery

Muriel Barbery was born on May 28, 1969, in Casablanca, Morocco. He began his career at the University of Burgundy, where he taught Philosophy classes; later he worked in Saint-Lò. His first book was released during the year 2000, A delicacy (A treat), with which, it obtained a good reception among the readers and notable commercial issues (translated into twelve languages).

In 2006, Barbery was definitively consecrated with the publication of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, a work that shows the vast philosophical training. The diffusion of the novel reached such a level that it was 30 consecutive weeks in the first place of sales in France. His third novel appeared in 2015, The life of Elves (The life of the elves) and a continuation of the book has been announced, A strange country.

Argument from The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The novel has two female protagonists coming from different contexts, but united by a circumstance (feeling) in common: hopelessness. The first is Renée Michel, a bitter Parisian widow with an ordinary appearance and a (supposedly) indifferent attitude. However, deep down she is passionate about the arts, literature and philosophy, although she prefers to pretend to be "ordinary."

Renée works as a janitor in a condo. The wealthy family of the other main character, Paloma Josse, lives there. A 12-year-old preteen with a lively intellect, bored with her parents' routine and interested in writing about existential theories. In reality, the girl perceives herself as a strange soul, therefore, she decides to commit suicide on June 16, when she turns 13 years old.

Sensitivity and isolation

At the beginning of the story Renée and Paloma want, above all, to go unnoticed. On the one hand, the concierge fears that it will be discovered how much cultural knowledge she possesses, since (she believes) it would not correspond to a person in her position. On the other hand, the girl considers the values ​​and behavior of the people of the social class to which she belongs to be absurd.

Structure and summary of the work

The novel consists of 364 pages. The narrative thread is organized as a double diary of the protagonists. It has chapters interspersed with the texts of each one. In turn, the sections corresponding to Paloma are separated into two groups: deep reflections on spiritual concepts and observations on the splendor of physical reality.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog It is structured in four distinct parts, described below:

Marx preamble

It is the first part of the novel. At this stage the protagonists have no dealings with each other. Each one lives immersed in their own deliberations about the meaning of life and the philosophy they could apply to survive. As a way of claiming the superficiality of her environment (especially her father and sister), Paloma plans to set fire to her house (with no one inside) and commit suicide.

Both carry an empty and asocial daily life in their respective contexts, pretending to be apathetic with everything else while dealing with their particular discouragements. Without knowing it, they coincide in their sympathy for the culture of the Far East. Eventually, after the death of one of the tenants of the property, a character appears who will facilitate the rapprochement between Renée and Paloma.

Grammar

It is the second part of the book, when Renée and Paloma discover each other. The catalyst for friendship is Kakuro Ozu, a very wealthy and highly cultured Japanese man. His ideas seem interesting to Renée and Paloma, with whom he establishes a good friendship and shares his thoughts.

Due to the name of Renée's cat - Leon, in honor of Tolstoy - Ozu senses the erudite quality of the portress. At the same time, Paloma also has similar suspicions and shares them with the new tenant. Then —in the sequence that gives the book its title— Paloma compares Renée to a hedgehog. Because the thorny cover of the echinoderm hides a noble and elegant interior.

La cena

Mr. Kakuro convinces Renée to go to dinner at a luxurious restaurant, there he finishes confirming the widow's wonderful intellectual abilities. In the meantime, the friendship between Paloma and Renée grows stronger, favored by the girl's constant impulse to escape from her home and the complicity that arose between them.

Thus arises a solid friendship between the three characters, based on a constructive exchange of knowledge. Little by little the concierge and the girl are transforming their conception of life, learning to appreciate those little things that add flavor to every moment.

Summer rain

After a couple more dates, the concierge is captivated by the Japanese, who offers her his sincere friendship and offers himself for “whatever we want”. Therefore, Renée feels very lucky to have found someone so wonderful. The once grumpy employee now radiates joy.

The day after your last appointment, Renée comes to the aid of a homeless person (occasional visitor to the condo) that he was going to be run over. She manages to save him, but is run over and dies. Upon finding out, Paloma laments heartbrokenly and changes her suicidal intentions.

Paloma

The surprising tragedy makes Paloma reflect on the infallibility of death ... sooner or later it reaches everyone, whether they want to or not. Consequently, the girl understands the importance of enjoying her existence because nothing lasts forever. What is truly relevant is sharing and treasuring moments with loved ones.

Meta

Deep deliberations

The characters created by Muriel Barbery in The Elegance of the Hedgehog they tackle passionate philosophical conversations and adventures of all kinds. Topics such as aesthetics, creativity, art, balance and literature are detailed. Additionally, the comparisons between Western (full of contradictions) and Eastern (more harmonious) culture are particularly notable.

In addition, Barbery's work treats with contempt the frivolity and hypocrisy of today's societies. Together, they are feelings that usually produce psychosocial isolation and frustration in people who are very empathetic or sensitive to their environment. In any case, these superficialities lack weight in the face of the beauty of “chasing moments that die”.

Life deserves to be lived

That is Paloma's final reflection. Tragedy is a teacher to learn from. Despite all the painful experiences and pessimism, it is possible to overcome. A soul-corrosive routine can be traded for a blissful existence. It is enough to recognize the preciousness of the small pleasures of life contained in each moment.

No moment is inconsequential. As Renée puts it in the following segment:

"Perhaps the Japanese know that pleasure is only savored because it is known to be ephemeral and unique and, beyond that knowledge, they are capable of building their lives with it."