The international publishing sensation, with sales of over 10 million copies worldwide
Rene is the concierge of a grand Parisian apartment building. She maintains a carefully constructed persona as someone uncultivated but reliable, in keeping with what she feels a concierge should be. But beneath this facade lies the real Rene: passionate about culture and the arts, and more knowledgeable in many ways than her employers with their outwardly successful but emotionally void lives.
Down in her lodge, apart from weekly visits by her one friend Manuela, Rene lives with only her cat for company. Meanwhile, several floors up, twelve-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her, and decides to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever.
Reviews
‘Resistance is futile ... you might as well buy it before someone recommends it for your book group. Its charm will make you say yes’ The Guardian
‘Clever, informative and moving ... this is an admirable novel which deserves as wide a readership here as it had in France.’ The Observer
‘The novel wins over its fans with a life-affirming message, a generous portion of heart and Barbery’s frequently wicked sense of humor’ Time Magazine
‘A book of great charm and grace.’ The Metro
‘The book’s attractive, Amélie-esque Parisian setting and cast of eccentrics will appeal to many’ Sunday Telegraph
‘This breathtakingly singular novel ... is totally French yet completely universal’ Good Housekeeping
‘Reveals itself as a version of the Cinderella fairytale’ Financial Times
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Book Description Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 6082562-n
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. The enthralling international bestseller. We are in the center of Paris, in an elegant apartment building inhabited by bourgeois families. RenA(c)e, the concierge, is witness to the lavish but vacuous lives of her numerous employers. Outwardly she conforms to every stereotype of the concierge: fat, cantankerous, addicted to television. Yet, unbeknownst to her employers, RenA(c)e is a cultured autodidact who adores art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With humor and intelligence she scrutinizes the lives of the buildingas tenants, who for their part are barely aware of her existence. Then thereas Paloma, a twelve-year-old genius. She is the daughter of a tedious parliamentarian, a talented and startlingly lucid child who has decided to end her life on the sixteenth of June, her thirteenth birthday. Until then she will continue behaving as everyone expects her to behave: a mediocre pre-teen high on adolescent subculture, a good but not an outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. Paloma and RenA(c)e hide both their true talents and their finest qualities from a world they suspect cannot or will not appreciate them. They discover their kindred souls when a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building. Only he is able to gain Palomaas trust and to see through RenA(c)eas timeworn disguise to the secret that haunts her. This is a moving, funny, triumphant novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us. Rene is the concierge of a Parisian apartment building. She is passionate about culture and the arts. Several floors up, 12-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781906040185
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9781906040185
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Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 320 pages. 7.75x5.00x1.00 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __1906040184
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Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. Rene is the concierge of a Parisian apartment building. She is passionate about culture and the arts. Several floors up, 12-year-old Paloma Josse is determined to avoid the pampered and vacuous future laid out for her. But unknown to them both, the sudden death of one of their privileged neighbours will dramatically alter their lives forever. Seller Inventory # B9781906040185
Book Description Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9781906040185_new