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Cover of The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel BarberyThe Elegance of the Hedgehog
Modern · Fiction, Classics, Young Adult

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery
2008 · 325 pages · Fiction
63.8Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 8 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Muriel Barbery's novel explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building, and the hidden inner lives of the people who live and work there.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 126 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a philosophical, gently funny and moving novel.

You'll love it if you liked

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Good to know

It's translated from French and full of philosophical musings.

By the numbers

63.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers25 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
126 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2008

Reads as

Thought-provoking

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Young adult booksTop 25 · 219 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Elegance of the Hedgehog worth reading?

Yes. It spent 126 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #2,010 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 63.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Elegance of the Hedgehog about?

Muriel Barbery's novel explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building, and the hidden inner lives of the people who live and work there.

How long does it take to read The Elegance of the Hedgehog?

About 8 hours (325 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Elegance of the Hedgehog?

If you liked it, try The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder or Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor.