L'Élégance du hérisson

In an upper-class apartment building on the rue de Grenelle in Paris, the concierge Renée Michel lives in a cramped loge and acts the part of a coarse, uneducated woman. In fact she reads Tolstoy, loves Dutch painting and has a quiet passion for beauty. Upstairs lives Paloma, an exceptional twelve-year-old who plans to end her life on her thirteenth birthday and writes down her thoughts on society and her family. The arrival of Kakuro Ozu, a refined Japanese resident, changes the balance. Muriel Barbery's novel takes aim at social class and shows two lonely people finding a way to be seen.

It suits readers who like short chapters, philosophical musings and an elegantly sad story. It is good for anyone who has hidden their abilities, and its humor keeps it light.

Deep, inward-looking, contemplative and thought-provoking; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Mindful Reader. Which reader are you?