the elegance of the hedgehog

...is a novel about a woman who at first glance is quite ordinary - so ordinary most people would look right through her. but renee michel, the conceierge of an upscale apartment building in paris, has a secret that only the most perceptive sense. intelligent, witty and compassionate, renee is so much more than she appears to be, and the juxtaposition between who we really are, who people think we are, and who we pretend to be forms the nexis of this most moving story.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (europa, 2008) is an extrordinary novel about ordinary people who are extraordinary in unexpected ways. i laughed out loud - so loudly, in fact, i was glad i was alone while i was reading - and then wept buckets at the end. i enjoyed it so much, i devoured it in a day. however, i know its one of those increasingly rare books that i will reread again and again.

and furthermore, the war will end. blessed be.