# The Elegance of the Hedgehog



## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

So I just started reading this book a few days ago. I read on the train to work which is 1 hour & 20 minutes each way.

For the first couple of days, I actually struggled a little bit with this book. I came to the conclusion that it might be too intellectual for me! LOL 

I joked with the ladies at work & said that it had lots of words that were more than 2 syllables & thats why I was struggling with it! LOL One morning, as soon as I got to my desk, I had to go to dictionary.com to look up the word 'phenomenology' because it felt like it had been used about 20 times in one chapter!! LOL

Well, yesterday I turned a corner, I am almost half way through the book, and all of a sudden, I am _really_ enjoying it!

Did anyone else find the first half of this book a little hard going?


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Based on the title of your thread, Jac, I was expecting pictures of a hedgehog, lol! I haven't read it yet, but based on your review I just might! And don't sell yourself short - you're a very bright woman!!


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

Bonnie's Mommie said:


> Based on the title of your thread, Jac, I was expecting pictures of a hedgehog, lol! I haven't read it yet, but based on your review I just might! And don't sell yourself short - you're a very bright woman!!


Shucks! :blush: Thanks Linda! xxx

I think that I first heard about the book from Mary in the 'Summer Reads' thread ... or something? :blink:

Smoochies to the darling Bonnie Marie! :wub:


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## Harley & Dakotas Mum (Jun 11, 2005)

For Linda


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

I loved it Jacqui! My one consistent comment was that this book really challenged my vocabulary ... and I had to go to the dictionary to look up 'phenomenology' too! I recommended the book to a few friends who I thought might like it, they all kept coming back saying it was slow going and I kept telling them to hang in there because it will all pull together. I loved Renee from the outset. Paloma drove me crazy early on with her whiny ways and her own snobbery but she grew on me. Great book that I actually might make time to read again.


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## Bonnie's Mommie (Mar 2, 2006)

Harley & Dakotas Mum said:


> For Linda


Thanks, Jac! They're cute, but I wouldn't call them elegant :HistericalSmiley:.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Jacqui - I had the same reaction you did. I went with Mary's recommendation because I really think she and I like a lot of the same books and as you said, you hit a point and it suddenly engages you so much more. I ended up really liking it.
I've had that with a few books lately...like the Stieg Larsson trio. First book I was ready to crawl up the walls the reading was so plodding and then EXACTLY halfway thru the book, boom it really kicked in.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

Harley & Dakotas Mum said:


> For Linda


 
OMG, they are adorable. Reminds me of little Maltese puppies ... gotta really look closely to figure out which one is the boy and which one is the girl. :blink:


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## Peace23 (Nov 5, 2010)

I completely agree, but I loved the challenge. I used the dictionary application on my phone quite often while reading the book. After reading it the first time I really liked it, after reading it the second time, I loved it and my own copy is littered with comments. I would say hang in there. I often read during my commute on the subway and it can be especially difficult to get into a book in that setting.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

After taking the summer off, our local B&N book club met Monday night. This month's book selection is _The Elegance of the Hedgehog_. I've already read it and happily passed it on but got home, started thinking about how much I liked it and went ahead and bought the eBook. I'm loving it all over again ... and the best part of it this time around is that my Nook has a built in dictionary!


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## Maglily (Feb 3, 2009)

I was expecting a hedgehog too, something like the Busy Town books. LOL. Now I have to look up "phenomenlogy".


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## vjw (Dec 20, 2006)

I just finished this book and thought it was great. I had to go online to read a little about the book to figure out what was going on at the beginning. I didn't know the author was switching characters.


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