The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The second book I read (completed 5/26) was The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. It was very well written (i'm embarassed to admit that I had to pick up the dictionary a few times while reading--something I have not had to do in years). This novel was about a concierge at a snooty apartment building in France and one of the residents, a hyper-intelligent 12-year-old girl. I love reading novels that are written partly in the point of view of children (eg. When Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos). I really enjoyed reading this book but I did not find the parts written from the point of view of the girl believable. It sounded to me like an adult detailing aspects of a child's day, or thoughts they might think a child would have but probably could not articulate. I know the point was that she was really smart, but being extremely intelligent and even very mature does not entirely transform a 12-year-old into a 60-year-old. Most of the book was from the point of view of the concierge. I found some of what the concierge had to say was a bit rambly but overall gave a wonderful depiction of the character. The first half of the book was a bit slow but it picked up considerably by the end. That being said, I was very disappointed by the ending. Still, this book made me think a lot about the mentality of the elite and what defines class and elegance. I'm glad that I read it and recommend it to anyone looking to broaden their vocabulary or think very deeply about social classes and philosophy.