The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery

This is an interesting book to review. It was not a page turner, which I was glad for because I had my own writing and other projects to do, but it did keep my interest. While I could identify with the main characters' love of art and learning, they had cocooned themselves in their minds and their own self-importance (in a backwards way, they thought everyone else was more condescending). I kept wanting to shake them and say, "You are missing the point of life, the beauty is in the connections with other people, as feeble as we all may be." But it was a relief to read the ending; tragic as it was, they got it.

So if you want a slower paced book, give this one a chance.