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The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery


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It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts.

 

 

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

In a bourgeois apartment building in Paris, we encounter Renée, an intelligent, philosophical, and cultured concierge who masks herself as the stereotypical uneducated “super” to avoid suspicion from the building’s pretentious inhabitants. Also living in the building is Paloma, the adolescent daughter of a parliamentarian Although they are passing strangers, it is through Renée’s observations and Paloma’s journal entries that The Elegance of the Hedgehog reveals the absurd lives of the wealthy. That is until a Japanese businessman moves into the building and brings the two characters together.

 

 

Some basic questions to discuss, courtesy of BCF:

1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

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Well, I haven't yet finished the book, but I'll kick things off by answering question 5 Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

Yes! I really didn't understand why the Renee was so concerned to hide her intellectual life from the rest of the building. Did I maybe miss something at the beginning of the story? Is it explained there? Why would she care what other people think of her? And even if she cares a bit, why is a SUCH a big deal. She acts as though she is an undercover agent in fear of her identity being exposed. (There! First gripe aired :P)

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:D Haa! Well it was explained a bit. When her sister left to lead a more of a normal life elsewhere, being ambitious, she ended up jilted and pregnant, and then lost the baby and died. Renée felt that if she would strive after recognition etc., something awful might happen to her, too.

 

I'm sure someone else would explain it better, I've just come home from work and I have to leave for the train in an hour.

 

I'm also sorry but I don't have time to discuss the book with you guys until Monday :( I'm attending a friend's wedding tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday and I'll be knackered by then!

 

don't let my absence hinder you, discuss away :smile2:

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1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

I think my favourite character was Monsieur Ozu .. he seemed to be the character, for me, that lit the book up and made things interesting or his appearance anyway caused a shift in the story which improved it. I did like Paloma and Reneé too .. but only in doses. I didn't feel I knew any of them that well tbh.

 

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

Strangely, considering as Reneé's narration often left my head in a whirl, I liked it whenever Manuela came to visit her and I also quite enjoyed being in on Reneé's great deception .. so in other words all the comedic parts.

 

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

I quite like a split narrative. It's interesting especially when the narratives are connected slightly and you can view each person from the other's perspective. Mainly I found Paloma's narrative easiest but Reneé's was the more entertaining.

 

4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

I'm not sure .. I'd probably say no. She bamboozled me too much, the book didn't flow for me and I felt incredibly dense because I couldn't fully get to grips with what I know is a popular story.

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

Yes, most of it :D Whenever Reneé .. or Paloma for that matter .. started philosophising or getting too meditative I was lost literally and read pieces over and over. It became slow then and I felt I was trudging through it .. then suddenly there would be daylight and I'd race on for a bit until I was up to my knee's in mud again.

 

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

No .. but it was an interesting one. I did think it improved the more it went along but it lapsed back a few times leaving me just as lost as ever. I had to know the ending though and was quite touched by it actually. Possibly I should have listened to it being read .. that would probably have unlocked it more for me. I was incapable of relaying the words to my brain in an intelligible manner.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I haven't yet finished the book, but I'll kick things off by answering question 5 Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

Yes! I really didn't understand why the Renee was so concerned to hide her intellectual life from the rest of the building. Did I maybe miss something at the beginning of the story? Is it explained there? Why would she care what other people think of her? And even if she cares a bit, why is a SUCH a big deal. She acts as though she is an undercover agent in fear of her identity being exposed. (There! First gripe aired :P)

 

I re-read this post of yours and I'm sorry, now that I've read my notes I believe that the part of the book that I told you about comes later on in the novel and I quite possibly spoiled it for you! :blush:

 

I think I do understand her reasoning behind it all to some extent, but just like you, I cannot really understand why Renée went to such lengths to hide her intelligence. Even if she felt like striving after a better life and a partner that would be her intellectual/emotional match, she could've at least not pretend to be denser than she was. Maybe she felt that if she let everyone show how capable she was, they would encourage her to really fullfill all her potential and she wanted to avoid that. Maybe she didn't want anyone wondering why she didn't take any risks and why she sort of 'settled' with the life she had.

 

~

 

1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

I guess Monsieur Ozu is a rather obvious choice. There was nothing about him that I disliked. He was such a tolerant, good-hearted person who didn't care about social conventions and who was ready and willing to look deeper into the minds of people. I liked how he called Renée out and said that she is not her sister. He pushed her but to the point where it was excruciating for Renée.

 

I also really liked Renée. I was expecting to like Paloma and to relate to her more than Renée, but that didn't happen for me. I guess I could relate to Renée's underachieving, secluded way of life, and how she finally let her guard down and let somebody get close to her, and how she started to really enjoy other people's company.

 

I don't have a least favorite character, but I disliked Paloma's mother, who seemed to have the theory right but couldn't put it to good use. (or then I have her background all wrong. Might be possible).

 

 

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

I loved reading about the interaction and conversations between Kakuro Ozu, Paloma and Renée. One of my favorite things in life is when people 'get real' and disregard all social conventions. They were genuinely interested in life and all its art forms and they could see true beauty in them.

 

I also found a lot of interesting ideas in the novel and eventhough I didn't write down any direct quotes, I wrote down a lot of stuff that I want to remember in the future. A few examples (keep in mind that my copy was a Finnish translation):

 

Manuela: Politics is rich children's toy that they are not willing to borrow to anyone else.

 

Renée: For the person who has no appetite, the first bite of the hunger is pure suffering as well as an eye opener.

 

Paloma: Teenagers think they'll turn into adults when they copy the behaviour of adults who've remained as kids and who are escaping the real life.

 

Manuela (?): A hat is the symbol of emotional inflexibility/intolerance.

 

 

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

I enjoyed it. When I started reading the book I thought that it would be easier to get into the novel and to get acquainted with the characters, and I believe that's exactly what happened. Although I have to say that I sometimes struggled with Paloma's notes. I guess it always rubs me the wrong way when a person announces that s/he is extremely intelligent and certainly more intelligent than other people, and when Paloma made that claim I was rolling my eyes. However, I soon learnt that she did seem pretty smart and she was very vocal and thought about things for herself and wasn't going to be led by other people's thoughts or point-of-views.

 

 

4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

I read Gourmet Rhapsody by Barbery last year but for me it was quite a forgettable novel and eventhough I rated it pretty high (3/5), I can't say I remember anything about it. I also think that eventhough I enjoyed this novel, it might be just a one-off and that this might be Barbery's best so far and in the future as well and that I probably won't miss anything if I don't read any of her other novels.

 

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

I struggled with the concept of the class system. I am definitely no expert on the French culture, but I never thought they had any kind of class system, not now or in the past?

 

 

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

Yes it was. It started off rather slow and I would've enjoyed reading more about the interaction between Kakuro Ozu and the other characters, it was all left a bit late, but I enjoyed the novel nevertheless. The more I think about the novel, the more I like it.

 

 

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

Strangely, considering as Reneé's narration often left my head in a whirl, I liked it whenever Manuela came to visit her and I also quite enjoyed being in on Reneé's great deception .. so in other words all the comedic parts.

 

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

I quite like a split narrative. It's interesting especially when the narratives are connected slightly and you can view each person from the other's perspective. Mainly I found Paloma's narrative easiest but Reneé's was the more entertaining.

 

I remember you saying something along those lines before I'd even started reading the book myself and I was expecting to struggle with Renée but it was Paloma I was actually struggling with! She seemed like a 'nice enough' person but she didn't grow on me and I guess I was left a bit cold with her. For example, she said her friend Marguerita was a rational person and she herself was more of a romantic, but I couldn't sense that 'superiority of feelings' with her.

 

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

No .. but it was an interesting one. I did think it improved the more it went along but it lapsed back a few times leaving me just as lost as ever. I had to know the ending though and was quite touched by it actually. Possibly I should have listened to it being read .. that would probably have unlocked it more for me. I was incapable of relaying the words to my brain in an intelligible manner.

 

Yes, the ending came out of nowhere. It was really sad! But there was a sense of victory in it; Paloma knew she had to carry out her plans for a new life for her own sake as well as Renée's. If you know what I mean.

 

 

 

Good lord I wanted to slap Paloma's mother when she was at first shocked that a friend of Ozu's had died, and then how she sighed from relief when she heard it was 'only' Renée.

 

:banghead:

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I re-read this post of yours and I'm sorry, now that I've read my notes I believe that the part of the book that I told you about comes later on in the novel and I quite possibly spoiled it for you! :blush:

Ah no worries. I wasn't worried about spoilers as I know the reading circle threads are an 'enter at your own risk' affair. I've just read the bit you're talking about and it does make her actions a bit more understandable. I should finish the book soon. I'lll add more comments when I'm done.

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I remember you saying something along those lines before I'd even started reading the book myself and I was expecting to struggle with Renée but it was Paloma I was actually struggling with! She seemed like a 'nice enough' person but she didn't grow on me and I guess I was left a bit cold with her. For example, she said her friend Marguerita was a rational person and she herself was more of a romantic, but I couldn't sense that 'superiority of feelings' with her.

I found Paloma's narration easier but preferred the character of Renée ... when I understood her. I couldn't quite place Paloma. I felt as if I should care more about her, given the situation, but I didn't. All along I thought she would open up more but I never felt she did and I never could quite understand why she felt the way she did .. though her family were hideous and she was super intelligent. But then near the end I got more of a handle on her. Also she was 12 .. I guess that's a time when a lot of people start to really question existence etc.

Yes, the ending came out of nowhere. It was really sad! But there was a sense of victory in it; Paloma knew she had to carry out her plans for a new life for her own sake as well as Renée's. If you know what I mean.

Yes and I thought something like that would occur .. well I was pretty sure that Paloma would eventually find reasons enough to live .. especially after Monsieur Ozu's introduction into the story (and her love and respect for all things Japanese etc) but I didn't for a moment guess the ending. I did like the way those last scenes were written. Especially putting in the cocker spaniel as a sort of next to last image .. I found that quite comforting .. I don't know why.

 

 

Good lord I wanted to slap Paloma's mother when she was at first shocked that a friend of Ozu's had died, and then how she sighed from relief when she heard it was 'only' Renée.

 

 

Me too, but again it was clever writing because it highlighted Paloma and Kakuro's pain and illustrated how far Paloma's mother was from understanding her.

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1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

 

I have two favourite characters - Monsieur Ozu and also Manuela. Mr Ozu is an obvious choice - I doubt if the book mentions a single flaw of his - he is an easy person to like. Manuela was such a great friend, the salt of the earth, and although uneducated, so wise in certain things.

 

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

 

Not really no. The first bit was not particularly enjoyable, until I got used to two people narrating, and obviously I liked the bits when Manuela came to visit - I really think she generated interest in the story.

 

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

 

At first I was not really fond of this style - I thought it was rather unsettling, but then I got used to it, and started to appreciate reading two different points of view.

 

4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

 

Yes it is my first, but cannot say it has encouraged me to read more of her books.

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

Yes, as Andrea said before me, I could not understand why Renee had to go to all that trouble to hide her alter ego. (even when I read about her sister) It seems a bit too much - she even went to the extremes of buying different kinds of food for herself.

 

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

I would not describe it as enjoyable. Interesting and different, certainly, but not enjoyable.

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Ah no worries. I wasn't worried about spoilers as I know the reading circle threads are an 'enter at your own risk' affair. I've just read the bit you're talking about and it does make her actions a bit more understandable. I should finish the book soon. I'lll add more comments when I'm done.

 

Okay, happy it makes more sense now that you're past that bit :)

 

I found Paloma's narration easier but preferred the character of Renée ... when I understood her. I couldn't quite place Paloma. I felt as if I should care more about her, given the situation, but I didn't. All along I thought she would open up more but I never felt she did and I never could quite understand why she felt the way she did .. though her family were hideous and she was super intelligent. But then near the end I got more of a handle on her. Also she was 12 .. I guess that's a time when a lot of people start to really question existence etc.

 

I know what you mean, I also felt like this is a character I should like more, and I should sympathize with her because of her family, but I never really warmed up to her character. I didn't dislike her, but I don't favour her either. I guess the novel only had room for one person opening up :D

 

Yes and I thought something like that would occur .. well I was pretty sure that Paloma would eventually find reasons enough to live .. especially after Monsieur Ozu's introduction into the story (and her love and respect for all things Japanese etc) but I didn't for a moment guess the ending. I did like the way those last scenes were written. Especially putting in the cocker spaniel as a sort of next to last image .. I found that quite comforting .. I don't know why.

 

I also thought that Paloma would never really go with her plan in the end. If she had, I would've thought the novel failed. As surprising as the ending was, I agree, it was beautifully crafted. in the face of death, Renée didn't dwell on the negative, but the things that had been good in her life. I loved how she 'paid respects' to each of her friends before she passed. It was a tragic death, but I find comfort in her remembering Paloma's thoughts: it doesn't matter how one dies, but what one was doing while dying.

 

Me too, but again it was clever writing because it highlighted Paloma and Kakuro's pain and illustrated how far Paloma's mother was from understanding her.

 

Well said! I don't think I would've realised how clever it was if you hadn't said it. I only saw red :D But then again, a book's usually well written if the characters make one feel things like that. (Unless it's MB)

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1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

 

I have two favourite characters - Monsieur Ozu and also Manuela. Mr Ozu is an obvious choice - I doubt if the book mentions a single flaw of his - he is an easy person to like. Manuela was such a great friend, the salt of the earth, and although uneducated, so wise in certain things.

 

I like it that other people have picked up on Manuela's personality and wisdom. To me she was a rather minor character and most of the time I don't remember she was in the novel at all, which I take full responsibility for myself, because I'm sure the author put enough 'meat' on her bones to make her a distinctive character; otherwise people wouldn't notice her. Also, when I start to really think about her, I do remember some situations where she definitely had some sort of input to the story. She got the dress for Renée for the date, did she not?

 

I think if I were to read the novel again, I'd have more time to come to grips with her because I know the main characters rather well already.

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

Yes, as Andrea said before me, I could not understand why Renee had to go to all that trouble to hide her alter ego. (even when I read about her sister) It seems a bit too much - she even went to the extremes of buying different kinds of food for herself.

 

Good point. She also had the secret room in the back for herself, where she could listen to 'educated' music etc, and could not be heard by the residents. I wonder if she was bitter about her sister's death and the 'evil of the educated and the upper class' to the point that she wanted nothing to do with them, and instead of growing out of it, she consciously or unconsciouly avoided them and masked her true self so she could be totally secluded, at which point she would never have to get in contact with another person and perhaps learn that she's been wrong, and that there were nice, generous, authentic people out there and that she would have to let her guard down. That's a scary thought for a person who's lived on her own for years on end.

 

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

 

I would not describe it as enjoyable. Interesting and different, certainly, but not enjoyable.

 

I find that not many of the people reading this on here are enjoying it that much... I'm sorry to hear that but the cliche proves right yet again: to each their own.

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. She got the dress for Renée for the date, did she not?

Yes she did...and she was the one to urge Renee to have dinner with M Uzo...and to do her hair :)

 

 

I find that not many of the people reading this on here are enjoying it that much... I'm sorry to hear that but the cliche proves right yet again: to each their own.

I'm glad I read it though...it's a different style of book.

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Yes she did...and she was the one to urge Renee to have dinner with M Uzo...and to do her hair :)

 

Ah yes, she did :) What a great friend to have!

 

I'm glad I read it though...it's a different style of book.

 

I'm happy to hear that :)

 

I think quite a few of us were going to read the book, I wonder if there are any others who have finished the novel by now? I'll come up with more questions later on this week when I have more time on my hands.

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1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

Hmm - I struggled to warm to any of the characters. I didn't 'get' Renee at all for the first part of the book but I did grow to like her more as the book went on and I guess she ended up as my favourite character. I probably liked other, easier to understand characters like M. Ozu and Manuela more but because they were so minor I didn't really get to know them that well. I wasn't very keen on Paloma and found it hard to sympathise with her through the whole book. I didn't find her particularly convincing.

 

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

I enjoyed the relationship between Ozu and Renee and felt the book really picked up once this had begun.

 

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

It was OK. It was nice to switch viewpoints so you didn't get too bored of one character's internalising, which I found a bit irritating. :P

 

4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

Yes it was the first. Not really. But never say never.

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

As I said before I really wasn't convinced by Renee's refusal to reveal her intellectualism. I understood it more after the reveal but it was really off-putting in the early part of the novel.

Another thing I found totally unconvincing was Paloma's supposed opinions on love. She was talking like someone far wiser than her years (and yes I know she was supposed to be intelligent beyond her years) but they way she spoke was of someone who had more life experience than a 12 year old could have. I think the writer made a mistake there.

 

6- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

Yes and No. I didn't like it at all to begin with. I found Renee difficult to understand and had no time for her pouring out her opinions. I like a book with a story and I felt the first part of this book didn't have one but was more an excuse for philosophising. I really couldn't bear listening to the characters going on and on and spouting there opinions. Occasionally though, someone would say something that was interesting, occasionally beautiful, so it was a mix. When Ozu turns up and a bit of a story gets going, the book became much more readable and I did start to enjoy it then. I also quite enjoyed the ending, even if it was a bit of a surprise.

Edited by ~Andrea~
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  • 2 weeks later...

1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

Hmm - I struggled to warm to any of the characters. I didn't 'get' Renee at all for the first part of the book but I did grow to like her more as the book went on and I guess she ended up as my favourite character. I probably liked other, easier to understand characters like M. Ozu and Manuela more but because they were so minor I didn't really get to know them that well. I wasn't very keen on Paloma and found it hard to sympathise with her through the whole book. I didn't find her particularly convincing.

 

I agree with you on your thoughts on Paloma. Eventhough we got to read her thoughts first hand, she felt kind of distant. I couldn't really get a feel of her and she didn't feel like a very warm person.

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

As I said before I really wasn't convinced by Renee's refusal to reveal her intellectualism. I understood it more after the reveal but it was really off-putting in the early part of the novel.

 

This is something all of us have agreed on, more or less. I wonder if, for example, the people reviewing the book on amazon have felt the same way.

 

Another thing I found totally unconvincing was Paloma's supposed opinions on love. She was talking like someone far wiser than her years (and yes I know she was supposed to be intelligent beyond her years) but they way she spoke was of someone who had more life experience than a 12 year old could have. I think the writer made a mistake there.

 

I agree. As I've said, she's talked about love as something that needs to be felt in the heart, not in the brain (as opposed to what her friend thinks). However, she's very much an intellectual and doesn't vocalize her feelings nearly as often as her opinions and thoughts. The more I think about it, the more I feel she was only quoting someone whose books/music/movies she admired. A kind of a naive idealistic notion of what love ought to be, put together from bits and pieces expressed by her idols. Although there wasn't any evidence of that, but that's how I've come to feel about it.

 

Yes and No. I didn't like it at all to begin with. I found Renee difficult to understand and had no time for her pouring out her opinions. I like a book with a story and I felt the first part of this book didn't have one but was more an excuse for philosophising. I really couldn't bear listening to the characters going on and on and spouting there opinions. Occasionally though, someone would say something that was interesting, occasionally beautiful, so it was a mix. When Ozu turns up and a bit of a story gets going, the book became much more readable and I did start to enjoy it then. I also quite enjoyed the ending, even if it was a bit of a surprise.

 

Yes, not that much really happened in the novel for the first half. It seemed like once the storyline really got going, it was finished before one realised it.

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Oh, I love this book! It's so very lovely and full of beautiful ideas and thoughts and ... the way of writing, the language, is simply amazing!

I'm not surprised to see quite a few saying they didn't enjoy the book but are glad they've read it, 'because it's not an easy book to get into and everytime I read it I find something new from it. And everytime it makes me think. Which is a definitely a must when it comes to books with me.

 

Funny enough, though, I think M. Ozu was the least intersting of them all. He was just so... polished. Too good, too perfect. Nothing to really get a hold of there. Of course, it's been a while again since I read the book last, so I may be overlooking some aspect of his character. But that's the image that first comes to mind about him.

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I agree. As I've said, she's talked about love as something that needs to be felt in the heart, not in the brain (as opposed to what her friend thinks). However, she's very much an intellectual and doesn't vocalize her feelings nearly as often as her opinions and thoughts. The more I think about it, the more I feel she was only quoting someone whose books/music/movies she admired. A kind of a naive idealistic notion of what love ought to be, put together from bits and pieces expressed by her idols. Although there wasn't any evidence of that, but that's how I've come to feel about it.

Yes that makes sense. I think if I met someone in real life that age who said those things then I would come to that conclusion about them.

 

Funny enough, though, I think M. Ozu was the least intersting of them all. He was just so... polished. Too good, too perfect. Nothing to really get a hold of there. Of course, it's been a while again since I read the book last, so I may be overlooking some aspect of his character. But that's the image that first comes to mind about him.

That's true now you say it. I think even though I didn't always like Renee, she was my favourite because she was interesting and complex and seemed to have more depth than someone like Ozu. I think for a character to be really interesting then they can't be too perfect or nice.

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That's true now you say it. I think even though I didn't always like Renee, she was my favourite because she was interesting and complex and seemed to have more depth than someone like Ozu. I think for a character to be really interesting then they can't be too perfect or nice.

 

A friend of mine had a theory back in university: good girls are boring. They never say anything interesting, they never do anything worth talking about, and they're just not entertaining to be around. While that was a bit of an... well, mean thing to say, and some alcohol definitely went into that comment (and an evening in a rather boring company of some goodie-good-girls) she did have an element of truth in that. It's kind of like when Tolstoy wrote that happy families are all happy in the same way, but miserable families are miserable in their own individual ways. So much more interesting! Similarily "flawed" characters are more intersting, more ... individual, you know? The flaws and oddities are what makes us us!

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  • 2 weeks later...

1- Who was your favourite character? Were there any characters whom you disliked?

 

I think that my favourite character in the book was Paloma. She's both intelligent, but doesn't feel the need to brag about it. Like some of the other commentors have said, I also found Renee difficult to warm to at the beginning of the story. It seemed rather odd that she was making so much effort to make people believe that she was insignificant or unintelligent, however as the story progresses, there is an explanation for that.

 

2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest?

 

I think that the second half of the book, when Paloma and Kakuro come into Renee's life was the most enjoyable part of the story.I also really enjoyed Paloma's Profound Thoughts.

 

3- What did you think of the way the book was written (part Renée's, part Paloma's observations)?

 

I liked how the book is divided between Paloma and Renee because as a reader, it was interesting to read how these two people were so alike in thought and yet, they were continually crossing each other's paths. I liked the anticipation of if or when they would finally meet.

 

4- Was this the first book you've read by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

 

Yes it was the first book I have read by Muriel Barbery and I think that I would read more of her books in the future. I think that her style of writing is beautiful and at the same time, different. She conveys the world of her characters in a quirky, way.

 

5- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

 

I did struggle with Renee's determination to hide her intellect from the world at the beginning and, although some of it was fascinating, I did struggle with some of the ideas that mostly Renee was presenting about philosophy. However, I did enjoy being challenged by this, because this book made me think.

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