The Elegance of the Hedgehog
1 journaler for this copy...
Picked up from the Little Free Library on Maple St. in Arroyo Grande on December 12, 2015.
It has been several months since I read this and I no longer remember a lot of details, sad to say.
Renee is concierge of an elegant hotel in Paris. As concierges are expected to be, she is short, fat, not attractive, and people, as a rule, do not notice her. She enjoys her position, invisible, as she is able to live her own life without interference. And that life involves devouring books, art, philosophy, and even Japanese culture.
On the fifth floor lives Paloma, a 12-year-old determined to end her life on a specific day. She isn't depressed; she just sees the world rather clearly.
The stories of the two proceed side by side with no interaction between them until well into the book. When the two finally really find each other something interesting happens. You might worry, as I did, that this would be cute and heartwarming in a sappy way. It's enjoyable on a rather smarter level, yet still satisfying in the way we sometimes want our books to be.
Renee is concierge of an elegant hotel in Paris. As concierges are expected to be, she is short, fat, not attractive, and people, as a rule, do not notice her. She enjoys her position, invisible, as she is able to live her own life without interference. And that life involves devouring books, art, philosophy, and even Japanese culture.
On the fifth floor lives Paloma, a 12-year-old determined to end her life on a specific day. She isn't depressed; she just sees the world rather clearly.
The stories of the two proceed side by side with no interaction between them until well into the book. When the two finally really find each other something interesting happens. You might worry, as I did, that this would be cute and heartwarming in a sappy way. It's enjoyable on a rather smarter level, yet still satisfying in the way we sometimes want our books to be.
Sent to sister Mary in Palo Alto.