Elegance of the Hedgehog Audiobook (Unabridged)

" An interesting, creative story that got better as it went along and had a moving ending. I liked Renee's character much better than Paloma's, although neither was terribly plausible. If I could, I would give this 3.5 stars. Good, not great. "

" If you can, read it in French. Poetic. "

" Originally written in french by Ms. Barbery, it's a book written following the lives of two very different people, a 50 somethng widow and a 12 year old girl. Elegant prose with a fascinating story. "

" It looked quite good when I started reading it, but soon I got bored and continued "because I had to"... "

" Love this! It will help you bone up on vocabulary and refresh your French, too. "

" Dv "

" I loved the beautiful elegance of this book. Its subtle theme of emotions underneath appearances reminds me of the Japanese author Ishiguro, who wrote Remains of the Day and an incredible tetralogy. "

" This book was beautiful and I loved the delicate blend of philosophy and admiration for literature. "

" French version was marvelous, and the English translation seems fine. A cute little beachside story. "

" OMG! simply ... perfect. yeah, I know it may be an exageration, but, it's simply so human and perfect... and so I litterally felt in love with this book "

" A lovely book, but unless you are in the mood for some philosophical musings on the meaning of life, don't bother. This is not a "beach read". "

" Overall I liked the book although somewhat tedious to get through. I downloaded Websters dictionary because of it! The 12yr old girl was quite hopeless but I did like the concierge Renee. Some passages were exquisitely written but most were intellectual and philosophical mumbo-jumbo. "

" In the end I really enjoyed it, to gain a firh star may mean a re-read "

" (Spoiler) Hated the end. I don't think it was necessary that Rene died, just make everyone sad and also, i tought the book was a bittersweet tasste of fantasy, it just take you back to reality in one freaking second and i totally hated that. "

" Predictable in lots of places, but a good read. "

" The first 200 pages are dense, but if you get to the end, it's worth it. "

" I enjoyed this book from the very beginning. The short chapters and the 2 different narrators kept my interest and I never found myself glossing over the details. "

" Oh, how I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, it ended up making me feel less smart than I may have given myself credit for. It was way too slow, and I kept waiting for something, anything, to happen. It just never did. "

" Rather boring and trite "

" Incredible book! An exquisite and intelligent author, Muriel Barbery manages to prove that there is always beauty and worth in life no matter your age or station. "

" Didn't care for the philosophizing, but I really got into the characters despite that. Some of the sentences were just too absurd, but the romance made me a little giddy, so it balanced out. "

" If you can get past the intellectual ramblings this is such a sweet story, and the movie based on this book, The Hedgehog, just as sweet. "

" Pretentious. Not believable. "

" What a charmingly quirky book. Thanks, Fern, for recommending it. FYI - the format, every chapter 2 - 3 pages, made this an excellent MUNI book. "

" thank you Muriel "

" I really loved this book and the characters in it. My favorite quote by the 12 year old neighbor is, "Maybe that's what being alive is all about: so we can track down those moments that are dying." "

" Granted, I've read it in French so I don't know what the translation's like, but I really enjoyed reading it, I thought it was cleverly written (then again, after a regular diet of pop novel...) "

" Have attempted reading this book 3 times. I just cannot engage with the writing style or the characters. Will put back on the shelf for another go next year. "

" I tried reading this book and had a hard time getting started. However, listening to the audio version has made it far more engaging as the readers bring the prose to life in a way that I was not able to on my own. Well worth a listen so far. "

" broke my heart, made me question my place in life, what more could you ask? "

" One of the most satisfying books I have read to date. Hugely atmospheric with plenty of thought provoking philosophy to challenge the mind. Beautifully written, with changes in pace throughout the book which encourage the reader to stop and reflect. "

" This book changed how I feel about literature. It is just so entirely perfectly written, and fluid and lovely in every way. I could not put it down. "

" An odd read. Even after you have finished it you are not sure how you feel about the book. "

" -unusual philosophical take on a character study. -teen angst and romance mingled with thought provoking question -a fable -"what is the meaning of life" in a nutshell -dual character -importance of ART "