Book v. Movie: The Elegance of the Hedgehog

~Post by Geni

I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for books about lonely people. After all, these are often the stories that give the most profound insights into the human condition and force the reader to reevaluate her understanding of people and how they fit together. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a perfect example of this. But wait! Far from being a dark, soul-tearing slog through the slough of despondency, this novel is constructed with an air of humor that embraces the essential absurdity of life, buoying the weighty subject matter and enlivening the novel. Not only does the infusion of humor make the novel easier to read, it makes it more realistic, for what better antidote to loneliness than laughter?

The novel juxtaposes tragedy and absurdity so dexterously that, rather than being alarmed at the girl’s intent to commit suicide, I found myself empathizing with her worldview, and laughing at her incisive commentary. Similarly, I expected the hermitic life of the concierge to evoke sympathy, but instead, I fell so deeply into her labyrinthine musings on Marx, Tolstoy and society, there was no place for pity. You can’t help but enjoy these characters, in spite and because of their oddness. Hedgehog is a beautiful novel: rich in character and philosophy, yet light enough to digest sans outside explanations.

The novel is, in structure, a conflated diary of two characters: a young girl who determines to kill herself on her thirteenth birthday rather than lose her soul to adulthood, and an “autodidact” concierge who publicly performs illiteracy but privately enjoys Tolstoy and the simple yet profound aesthetic of Japanese film. These two are keen observers of humanity, yet they abstract themselves from society, unwilling to play the part seemingly assigned to them.

A movie based on the book was recently released with the title, “The Hedgehog,” and I was lucky enough to catch it at the Violet Crown. The film was faithful to the book and did a beautiful job of adapting the cognitive novel into a visual medium. The story was brought to life with lovely music, superb acting, and whimsical cinematography. While it lacked the depth of character and philosophy of the novel, “The Hedgehog” is a polished gem of a film, and is a treat for anyone who enjoys thought-provoking stories.

The Violet Crown was the ideal place to view “The Hedgehog”, with its intimate theaters, respectful patrons, and plushy seats; this cinema created a movie-going experience that allowed me to fully sink into the world of the film. While the ticket prices are slightly higher than one might be used to, you aren’t likely to find a purer experience of a movie anywhere in Austin. Unfortunately, you can’t see this particular film there anymore, but rather than discouraging you, the fact of its elusiveness should only fuel your desire to find “The Hedgehog” when it comes out on DVD so you, too, can experience this beautiful, humanizing film!