Nobody ever imagined that his tender, funny book with a philosophical vein would have enjoyed such incredible success. For some, it is part Sophie`s World by Jostein Gaarder, part Monsieur Malaussene by Daniel Pennac. While for others it resembles a written version of the film Amélie. Either way, readers are responding in vast numbers. -- Le Monde The reader will be amused, surprised and moved by this philosophical tale: a user`s guide to life which is a delight on every level. -- Elle Enthusiastically recommended for anyone who loves books that grow quietly and then blossom suddenly. --Marie Claire Clever, informative and moving.....this is an admirable novel which deserves as wide a readership here as it had in France. --The Observer The novel wins over its fans with a life-affirming message, a generous portion of heart and Barbery`s frequently wicked sense of humour. --Time Magazine Renée is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building on the Left Bank. To the residents she is honest, reliable and uncultivated an ideal concierge. But Renée has a secret. Beneath this conventional façade she is passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives. Down in her lodge, Renée is resigned to living a lie, with only visits from her one friend Manuela to break the monotony. Meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the predictably bourgeois future laid out for her, and plans to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday. But before this happens, the death of one of their privileged neighbours will bring dramatic change to number 7, Rue de Grenelle, altering the course of both their lives forever. With sales of over a million copies in French, this funny, moving and wise novel is now an international publishing sensation.

A szerzőről:
Muriel Barbery teaches philosophy. L`Elegance du herisson is her second novel, which has been highly acclaimed in the press and was awarded the Prix du Rotary international 2007 Her first book, Une gourmandise (Gallimard, 2000) has been translated into twelve languages.