The elegance of the hedgehog.

It's been ages since I've picked up such a good book which makes me laugh & cry and that's what Muriel Barbery's novel does. Despite plenty of rather lofty & pretentious discussion and analysis over art, literature & philosophy (e.g. what makes a table a table, how humans are nothing more than primates, the awareness of time due to the falling of a rose petal etc.) and the exaggerated praise for Japanese culture, which is typical of the French & most of which I don't get anyways, the style of writing is a delightful mixture of lucidity, wit, humour, sarcasm, intelligence, subtlety and poignancy. The ending was so beautifully expressed that I actually teared and I hardly ever cry when reading novels. And I really really love Paloma & her perspectives and the way she grows and matures as a person; she's really one of my all-time favourite characters from a novel!

Now it's time to watch the film adaptation and see how it compares to the book. Next up on my list: Hector and the search for happiness. And I really hope that I'll be able to get my hands on The particular sadness of lemon cake soon!