Elegance of the Hedgehog

hardcover, 320 pages

Published Jan. 1, 2011 by Gallic Books.

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5 stars (2 reviews)

EA novel by the French professor of philosophy Muriel Barbery. The book centers on a working-class concierge of an upscale apartment building in Paris, Renee Michel. She is an auto-didact of immense learning who deliberately conceals her intelligence. Her secret is discovered by a young resident of the building named Paloma. The novel is narrated alternately by each of these two characters.

First released in August 2006 by Gallimard, the novel became a bestseller of over a million copies.

6 editions