The phenomenal New York Times bestseller that “explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building” (Publishers Weekly).In an elegant hôtel particulier in Paris, Renée, the concierge, is all but invisible—short, plump, middle-aged, with bunions on her feet and an addiction to television soaps. Her only genuine attachment is to her cat, Leo. In short, she’s everything … her cat, Leo. In short, she’s everything society expects from a concierge at a bourgeois building in an upscale neighborhood. But Renée has a secret: She furtively, ferociously devours art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With biting humor, she scrutinizes the lives of the tenants—her inferiors in every way except that of material wealth.
Paloma is a twelve-year-old who lives on the fifth floor. Talented and precocious, she’s come to terms with life’s seeming futility and decided to end her own on her thirteenth birthday. Until then, she will continue hiding her extraordinary intelligence behind a mask of mediocrity, acting the part of an average pre-teen high on pop culture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter.
Paloma and Renée hide their true talents and finest qualities from a world they believe cannot or will not appreciate them. But after a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building, they will begin to recognize each other as kindred souls, in a novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us, and “teaches philosophical lessons by shrewdly exposing rich secret lives hidden beneath conventional exteriors” (Kirkus Reviews).
“The narrators’ kinetic minds and engaging voices (in Alison Anderson’s fluent translation) propel us ahead.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Barbery’s sly wit . . . bestows lightness on the most ponderous cogitations.” —The New Yorker
more
I’m not sure where to give credit to this wonderful book – the writing or the translation. Highly recommend it for the plot, well-developed characters and the setting.
Naturalism explained.
Great book that is inventive and unusual!
I am still reading this! It has been a slow push for me but wonder if it will get better.
Not much!
Beautifully written. Resonated well with my own experience and that of other women who have had to hide their intelligence in order to avoid persecution.
Strange, but intriguing book. It compelled me to write a note to a friend who would also enjoy it. I almost gave up on it once, but continued on….and glad I did. Gave it five stars. Obviously written by a thinker! And keep your dictionary close at hand!
One of my all time favorites. Starting slowly,it developed into a beautiful story of the relationships among different generations with brilliance.
This is a story that is tragic and funny. Unforgettable characters and a simple story line that somehow unwinds predictably and surprising. Profoundly whimsical and very touching,
This book gives me all the feels! Beautiful, poignant phrases that stick with me. I never re-read books but I am re-reading this one!
a critical view of social class differences and misconceptions. Isight into a young adolescent from a well to do family and that of the porter in a high middle class section of France.
I loved it, from beginning to end. Beautifly written. Funny and yet sad.
An enchanting book full of wisdom and complex characters. I could not put it down. I lived in one of the buildings on the same street where this book is set and I appreciated the author’s detailed descriptions which were so real even if they seemed farfetched. Believe me: these characters really exist. I loved this book so much!
Since Thursday the last days were hard for me, mentally speaking. The story began when a writer approached and asked me to read a book she wrote, and that so moved me that I agreed. But during the reading of the book, I got stuck. So I asked her questions by e-mail, and she answered me and was so kind and friendly that I melted away from feeling pity for her book. Now how can I tell her that I do not connect to her book? That the story is lovely, that the writing is fantastic but, it is not my reading style?
In the end, I decided to share it with her and tell her that I can’t continue reading right now. The writer smiled at me (well, I do not know if she laughed because it was by email, but that was how I felt). She calmed me down and said that she understands, that not everyone connects to every book and that it was enough to know that I loved the story and the writing style, Yet I felt a moral obligation and published a review accordingly. Not something final but a partial impression of where I came to read. “That’s not the full score she was supposed to get,” I muttered, looking at the second book I was holding in my hand – The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
Yes, I suppose this literary gift had a significant effect on my impatience to read another book, and I fell straight into that trap. It was only on Wednesday, a week ago, that I bought this book and I waited to read it. All weekend it stood there on the shelf, while I read another book and occasionally looked at him. “You evil hedgehog,” I whispered again to the cover of the book and immediately returned reading that other book and guilt feelings continue to peck at me until now.
And if so far was my introduction, then now the review itself of the book, because it is a rare pearl of literature, not less and perhaps more. This is a book filled with beauty. It also has sophistication and worship for everything that is beautiful, purified, pure. It is impossible not to like the two women described in it. They are intriguing, fascinating, and not dull for a moment — an in-depth book, smart and moving. Together it organizes a crash course in philosophy and a platonic love story. At the same time, I must warn that the book is not suitable for lovers to read the flow without pausing and clarify meanings of sentences.
The book tells of a concierge building in Paris behind her poor appearance hiding civilized and educated woman. This is a message that repeats itself countless times in the book – ‘Do not look at the jar but what is inside it.’ The text means that all the rich with the impressive appearance and the cultural mannerisms are ultimately ignorant and miserable, while the concierge looks a straight woman outwardly but inside her is a woman Especially smart and rich cultural world.
Is often described in the Book of Absurd, in that those rich fools are superior to the poor sages.
Sometimes in the book also describes the thoughts (or in the language of the book ‘Intensive Thoughts’) of a rich and brilliant girl of her age who doesn’t find herself in this world.
The book often mentions contempt for Western culture in general and French in particular, in contrast to the great Japanese culture. Reading on the back of the book says that the writer studied in France and now live in Japan, and this is probably the explanation for all the respect written in the book for Japanese culture. Interestingly, another writer could only write about this betrayal, another story.
In any case, I give this book five stars and a warning – do not read the book if philosophy does you bad.
Book started out slowly, but once the characters started to develop, I could not put it down. Read it in 2 days…
I want to recommend it to my book club so we can discuss the interaction of the characters, and the development of the story. Many life lessons.
Absolutely fantastic!
This book is difficult to review. The first of of the book was slow for me and hard to get into. The characters kind of grew on me as I went but they were not very exciting – I guess that was the point though. However, by the last quarter of the book I was into it and glad that I finished it. My 4 stars are mostly based on the last part of the book (first part ranged between 2-3 stars).
This 2007 French bestseller delights from the first page. Yes, it’s ponderous and introspective in its philosophical meanderings, but the characterisation and distinguishing nature of the storytellers cannot fail to charm.
Set in a well-to-do Parisian apartment building on the Left Bank, our first narrator is Reneé; the deceptively clichéd middle-aged concierge, who listens to Mahler, reads philosophy and hides any inkling of intellectual curiosity behind her pinny and misshaped slippers.
A second occupant of No. 7 rue de Grenelle is Paloma, twelve years old and determined to get no older. She intends to die by her own hand when she reaches the age of thirteen, because what it the point of life?
Their alternating thoughts on the French class system, snobbery, ascription of value, sense of self and relative complacency in their own intelligence are thrown into disarray on the arrival of Mr Ozu. When this cultured Japanese man moves into the building, their distanced disguises proved not to be as convincing as they thought.
This is a pensive, mannered and well-constructed novel which weaves a gossamer web around the reader, involving you in concepts and characters you couldn’t leave if you wanted to.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. Just wonderful.
Excellent!