We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
(OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, OverDrive Listen)

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(2)
4 star
 
(3)
3 star
 
(1)
2 star
 
(0)
1 star
 
(0)
Published:
HighBridge 2009
Accelerated Reader:
IL: UG - BL: 8.1 - AR Pts: 15
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description
An enchanting New York Times and international bestseller and award-winner about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.Renee Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior ("short, ugly, and plump") and demeanor ("poor, discreet, and insignificant") belie her keen, questing mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday.Both Renee and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them, until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that haunts Renee, winning Paloma's trust, and helping the two discover their kindred souls. Moving, funny, tender, and triumphant, Barbery's novel exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.
Also in This Series
Formats
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
Works on MP3 Players, PCs, and Macs. Some mobile devices may require an application to be installed.
OverDrive Listen
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook, OverDrive Listen
Edition:
Unabridged
Street Date:
06/17/2009
Language:
English
ISBN:
9781598879261
Accelerated Reader:
UG
Level 8.1, 15 Points
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Muriel Barbery. (2009). The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Unabridged HighBridge.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Muriel Barbery. 2009. The Elegance of the Hedgehog. HighBridge.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog. HighBridge, 2009.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Muriel Barbery. The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Unabridged HighBridge, 2009.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection21

There is 1 hold on this title.

Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
2632887e-cc80-081b-f36b-c18c9d4aa8d6
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Sep 06, 2018 17:22:30
Date Updated:
Sep 06, 2018 17:22:30
Last Metadata Check:
Mar 24, 2024 21:25:36
Last Metadata Change:
Jun 17, 2023 12:16:16
Last Availability Check:
Mar 24, 2024 21:25:38
Last Availability Change:
Mar 24, 2024 21:25:38
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Mar 28, 2024 02:11:39

OverDrive Product Record

sortTitle
Elegance of the Hedgehog
crossRefId
4209725
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/1294-1/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/1294-1/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/1294-1/D2D/F84/9A/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/1294-1/D2D/F84/9A/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781598879261
      • name: OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
      • id: audiobook-mp3
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781598879261
      • name: OverDrive Listen
      • id: audiobook-overdrive
mediaType
Audiobook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: Muriel Barbery
id
d2df849a-87ae-4f83-9b78-d0f34aaa2a3d
title
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
starRating
3
dateAdded
2018-09-06T18:58:00-04:00
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=4209725
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • duration: 09:38:23
      • fileName: TheEleganceoftheHedg_9781598879261_4209725
      • partCount: 8
      • fileSize: 275733068
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781598879261
            • type: 8
            • value: highbridge_audio#9781598879261
      • rights:
            • type: PlayOnPC
            • value: 1
            • type: PlayOnPCCount
            • value: -1
            • type: BurnToCD
            • value: 1
            • type: BurnToCDCount
            • value: -1
            • type: PlayOnPM
            • value: 1
            • type: TransferToSDMI
            • value: 1
            • type: TransferToNonSDMI
            • value: 1
            • type: TransferCount
            • value: -1
            • type: CollaborativePlay
            • value: 0
            • type: PublicPerformance
            • value: 0
            • type: TranscodeToAAC
            • value: 1
      • name: OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: audiobook-mp3
      • onSaleDate: 6/17/2009
      • samples:
            • source: Part 1
            • formatType: audiobook-mp3
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/1294-1/4209725-TheEleganceOfTheHedgehog.mp3
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: audiobook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=d2df849a-87ae-4f83-9b78-d0f34aaa2a3d&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • duration: 09:34:24
      • fileName: multipart.odm
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 275713459
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9781598879261
            • type: 8
            • value: highbridge_audio#9781598879261
      • name: OverDrive Listen
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: audiobook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 6/17/2009
      • samples:
            • source: Part 1
            • formatType: audiobook-mp3
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/1294-1/4209725-TheEleganceOfTheHedgehog.mp3
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: audiobook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=d2df849a-87ae-4f83-9b78-d0f34aaa2a3d&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Barbery, Muriel
      • name: Muriel Barbery
      • role: Narrator
      • fileAs: Morris, Cassandra
      • name: Cassandra Morris
      • role: Narrator
      • fileAs: Rosenblat, Barbara
      • name: Barbara Rosenblat
imprint
HighBridge Audio
publishDate
2009-06-17T00:00:00-04:00
edition
Unabridged
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
fullDescription
An enchanting New York Times and international bestseller and award-winner about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.Renee Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior ("short, ugly, and plump") and demeanor ("poor, discreet, and insignificant") belie her keen, questing mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday.Both Renee and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them, until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that haunts Renee, winning Paloma's trust, and helping the two discover their kindred souls. Moving, funny, tender, and triumphant, Barbery's novel exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us.
reviews
      • premium: True
      • source: AudioFile Magazine
      • content: Barbara Rosenblat is the perfect choice to portray this novel's principal character, Renee, the concierge of a Paris apartment building who looks down her nose at the elites she must kowtow to while surreptitiously studying art, philosophy, and music. Avoiding any tone of pretentiousness, Rosenblat breathes a sense of vulnerability and empathy into this character, which comes through vividly with her impeccable timing. Paloma is a 12-year-old living on the fifth floor who is also appalled by what she sees around her and decides to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday. Cassandra Morris so deftly captures this character that you never for a moment doubt that she really is 12. Further, her light touch keeps Paloma's world-weariness from becoming maudlin. D.G. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from August 31, 2009
        This audio version of the surprise French bestseller hits the mark as both performance and story. The leisurely pace of the novel, which explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building, lends itself well to audio, and those who might have been tempted to skip through the novel's more laborious philosophical passages (the author is a professor of philosophy) will savor these ruminations when read aloud. Tony Award–winning actress Barbara Rosenblat positively embodies the concierge, Renée Michel, who deliberately hides her radiant intelligence from the upper-crust residents of 7 rue de Grenelle, and the performance of Cassandra Morris as the precocious girl who recognizes Renée as a kindred spirit is nothing short of a revelation. Morris's voice, inflection and timbre all conspire to make the performance entirely believable. A Europa paperback.

      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        May 19, 2008
        This dark but redemptive novel, an international bestseller, marks the debut in English of Normandy philosophy professor Barbery. Renée Michel, 54 and widowed, is the stolid concierge in an elegant Paris hôtel particulier
        . Though “short, ugly, and plump,” Renée has, as she says, “always been poor,” but she has a secret: she's a ferocious autodidact who's better versed in literature and the arts than any of the building's snobby residents. Meanwhile, “supersmart” 12-year-old Paloma Josse, who switches off narration with Renée, lives in the building with her wealthy, liberal family. Having grasped life's futility early on, Paloma plans to commit suicide on her 13th birthday. The arrival of a new tenant, Kakuro Ozu, who befriends both the young pessimist and the concierge alike, sets up their possible transformations. By turns very funny (particularly in Paloma's sections) and heartbreaking, Barbery never allows either of her dour narrators to get too cerebral or too sentimental. Her simple plot and sudden denouement add up to a great deal more than the sum of their parts.

popularity
1652
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/d2df849a-87ae-4f83-9b78-d0f34aaa2a3d/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
d2df849a-87ae-4f83-9b78-d0f34aaa2a3d
starRating
3.3
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/1294-1/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/1294-1/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/1294-1/D2D/F84/9A/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/1294-1/D2D/F84/9A/{D2DF849A-87AE-4F83-9B78-D0F34AAA2A3D}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Fiction
      • value: Literature
publishDateText
06/17/2009
mediaType
Audiobook
shortDescription
An enchanting New York Times and international bestseller and award-winner about life, art, literature, philosophy, culture, class, privilege, and power, seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.Renee Michel is the 54-year-old concierge of a luxury Paris apartment building. Her exterior ("short, ugly, and plump") and demeanor ("poor, discreet, and insignificant") belie her keen, questing mind and profound erudition. Paloma Josse is a 12-year-old genius who behaves as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. She plans to kill herself on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday.Both Renee and Paloma hide their true talents and finest qualities from the bourgeois families around them, until a wealthy Japanese gentleman named Ozu moves into building. Only he sees through them, perceiving the secret that...
sortTitle
Elegance of the Hedgehog
crossRefId
4209725
publisher
HighBridge
bisacCodes
      • code: FIC019000
      • description: Fiction / Literary