Muriel Barbery writes French literary fiction about class, art, philosophy and the hidden inner lives of people who appear ordinary to those around them. The Elegance of the Hedgehog alternates between Renée Michel, a Paris concierge who conceals her intellectual life, and Paloma Josse, a highly intelligent girl living in the same wealthy apartment building. Their separate observations gradually converge through a new resident. Gourmet Rhapsody centres on a dying food critic searching his memory for one perfect flavour, while later novels move into more philosophical or fantastical territory. Barbery's prose is reflective, literary and idea-led, fitting French contemporary fiction, philosophical novels and character studies concerned with social perception. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is the central entry point, combining class observation, philosophy and hidden intellectual lives inside one Paris apartment building. Read more Less
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