The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Reading the international bestseller by Muriel Barbery was like eating my first French pastry. The pain au raisin was new to my tongue. It was like a simple greeting from a stranger. The taste changed from novelty to delight as the two of us got more acquainted. When it was gone, I wondered how I ever lacked appreciation for what I had held in my hands.

I read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" at first in pursuit of the novelty it brought to my reading list. The majority of the book is focused on the silent intelligence of the two main characters. Although there are pages of interactions with other characters, I never felt like I met another character. I was constantly locked in the corner of Paloma or Renee's mind. It was almost as if I were in a dark room peeking through the cracks to get a glimpse of the world outside, able to hear but unable to see. I am sure this was the intent of the author because, as confining as it was, it felt like the right place to be. I was meant to trust every perception of these two women, even when they seemed unjust and merciless.

What is most intriguing to me about this book is the seemingly vast lack of plot. There were moments when I thought, "Will anything ever happen in this book?" I am not the type to put down a book once I have started and I didn't really consider it as an option with this book. But, there was a split-second that I was jealous that others had that ability. It was the next second, however, that made me pity those others. Like the pastry, I began to wonder why I didn't appreciate all along the gap between novelty and delight.

You know that moment in a book where you read a line and you think, "That is why this person became an author." There are things people want to say. They don't even have to be profound. In fact, it might be very ordinary. It might be something they have learned while fighting for closure on any given event. It might be an lesson learned about a household chore. I think that author's risk years of education, drafts, rewrites, the full spectrum of emotion, the callouses of editing, and their entire life to create the conditions necessary to say even one thing that they truly believe in. Those moments are invaluable. I felt that Muriel Barbery was able to say it in this book. I don't know which line or profound thought was the pearl of her collection. As the reader I chose the one that meant the most to me.

If you want to heal
Heal others
And smile or weep
At this happy reversal of fate

For the millions of insights that this brings to me I thank Ms. Barbery. I thank her for centering her life to make the conditions right to share four little lines that will enhance mine. This is why I read.