Polloplayer's Reviews > The Elegance of the Hedgehog

It began nicely enough as a novel but turns out that was just setting the stage for the author to show off her (not inconsiderable ) philosophical chops. I would have preferred it as simply a novel as I was unprepared for Husserl and William of Ockham. Think I may have caught a whiff of Proust along the way. I've seen the word "pretentious " used by other reviewers and must sadly agree. Maybe even "arrogant". The tedium of the life of a concierge too self -aware for her station in life is a haunting motif but sadly, the author's gift to the character of a wealthy knight in Japanese armor is improbable as is the instantaneous awareness of kindred spiritedness between she and Paloma. Unfortunately, the book depends desperately upon these two fairy-tale inventions to draw its conclusion that there is, indeed, meaning to life, so we are left bereft as both readers and human beings left to aimlessly wander the planet without purpose. Not a feel-good read.