Writing for a Reason

Well, wonders never cease. Got hired by Examiner.com to do book reviews and local commentary articles. Hope to work in some young people's writing in the future and suggestions for all age groups for books. May do, for example, one on elementary school age great books, followed by middleschool recommendations and then hs. May suggest books for boys, girls and both. I know some great adolescent lit and since it's back to school time thought it might draw good attention.

They will set up a website for my reviews and articles. I am paid according to number of views or hits. Not much but it gives me a reason to write every day, having a deadline of 3 article submissions per week. They take time and thought, of course. It's a new writing genre for me, so please feel free to be honest and critique. I want them to be engaging, not trite, and encourage people to read or not read the books I review. My other article commentaries I hope will be funny or informative or both..and of interest to a wide audience.

Here's a stab at my first book review..please tell me your thoughts as you please. Thanks much. And prepare to be Mr. and Mrs. Clicks a LOT so I can make a bit of dosh for all this work, which I enjoy but hey, spare change is nice too. More importantly the writing practice is good.

Ok, I'll be quiet now and let you read.



The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery, is the buzz of literary blogs and online social networks, for good reason.

Set in Paris, the novel addresses timeless philosophical themes surrounding how we know what we know, or phenomenology and the meaning of life. At the center of the conflict is the question: “What matters most?” and the author crafts a satisfying denouement. A good storyteller would be high on the list of this reviewer. The novel is poignantly written, funny and complex. It's also a page turner, albeit at a reflective pace. It evokes thought long after the last page is read and the book quietly closed.

54 year old narrator Renee Michel is a Parisian concierge for a posh apartment complex. Renee is quintessential in her role as a doting, obedient servant while hiding a deeply literate, intellectual mind. Paloma is the12 year old daughter of wealthy and busy parents, typically filled with teen angst and mind dissatisfied. Life is pointless, she broods. She vows to find just one valid reason demonstrating life holds real purpose, or to commit suicide on her 13th birthday. Subsequently out of boredom, Paloma finds an unlikely friend in Michel. They share introspective natures, lives of voluntary solitude and isolation, a love of books and a disdain for the lack of authenticity in the outside world. The self described “old, ugly woman” and the adolescent girl begin communing over afternoon tea at Michel's kitchen table.

The juxtaposition of the disparate class and age related points of view weave a riveting and unusual story. Each character's daily experiences cleverly intertwine and display the universal nature of the "human condition." When Ozu, a prominent Japanese filmmaker and a favorite of Paloma's, moves into the building, the story's plot and themes become even more culturally diverse and intriguing.

The writing is exceptional though requires attentive reading and a fairly elevated working vocabulary. Barbery artfully intersperses references to classic film, music and philosophers including Husserl, Marx, Mozart, Kant and Slingblade. Through these references and enriched by the variation in life experiences and worldviews, the characters explore the meaning of life, or lack thereof. As different as the characters appear, (facade being a keyword) they nonetheless “connect” in significant ways.

This book often made me laugh out loud and cry quietly. Any novel that can evoke that intensity of emotion deserves high accolades. It is dark, poignant, humorous, clever, thought provoking and entertaining. Barbery's fans eagerly await the release of her second novel on August 25th. The Elegance of the Hedgehog belongs on the top of your current "must reads" and may be the literary jewel of this decade, seriously.