Muriel Barbery's Books

Gourmet Rhapsody

By: Muriel Barbery

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A French food critic faces his mortality in an “entertaining [and] witty” novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Newsday). In the heart of Paris, in the same posh building made famous in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Pierre Arthens, the greatest food critic in the world, is dying. Revered by some and reviled by many, Monsieur Arthens has been lording it over the world’s most esteemed chefs for years, passing judgment on their creations, deciding their fates with a stroke of his pen, destroying and building reputations on a whim. But now, during his final hours, his mind has turned to simpler things. He is desperately searching for that singular flavor, that sublime something once sampled, never forgotten, the flavor par excellence. Indeed, this flamboyant and self-absorbed man desires only one thing before he dies: one last taste. Thus begins a charming voyage that traces the career of Monsieur Arthens from childhood to maturity across a celebration of all manner of culinary delights. Alternating with the voice of the supercilious Arthens is a chorus belonging to his acquaintances and familiars—relatives, lovers, a would-be protégé, even a cat. Each will have his or her say about M. Arthens, a man who has inspired only extreme emotions in people. Here, as in The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Muriel Barbery’s story celebrates life’s simple pleasures and sublime moments while condemning the arrogance and vulgarity of power. “Lush and satisfying prose.” —Publishers Weekly

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Page Count

100

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Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

1609452216

ISBN 13

9781609452216

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By: Muriel Barbery

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By: Muriel Barbery

The phenomenal New York Times bestseller that “explores the upstairs-downstairs goings-on of a posh Parisian apartment building” (Publishers Weekly). In an elegant hôtel particulier in Paris, Renée, the concierge, is all but invisible—short, plump, middle-aged, with bunions on her feet and an addiction to television soaps. Her only genuine attachment is to her cat, Leo. In short, she’s everything society expects from a concierge at a bourgeois building in an upscale neighborhood. But Renée has a secret: She furtively, ferociously devours art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With biting humor, she scrutinizes the lives of the tenants—her inferiors in every way except that of material wealth. Paloma is a twelve-year-old who lives on the fifth floor. Talented and precocious, she’s come to terms with life’s seeming futility and decided to end her own on her thirteenth birthday. Until then, she will continue hiding her extraordinary intelligence behind a mask of mediocrity, acting the part of an average pre-teen high on pop culture, a good but not outstanding student, an obedient if obstinate daughter. Paloma and Renée hide their true talents and finest qualities from a world they believe cannot or will not appreciate them. But after a wealthy Japanese man named Ozu arrives in the building, they will begin to recognize each other as kindred souls, in a novel that exalts the quiet victories of the inconspicuous among us, and “teaches philosophical lessons by shrewdly exposing rich secret lives hidden beneath conventional exteriors” (Kirkus Reviews). “The narrators’ kinetic minds and engaging voices (in Alison Anderson’s fluent translation) propel us ahead.” —The New York Times Book Review “Barbery’s sly wit . . . bestows lightness on the most ponderous cogitations.” —The New Yorker

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282

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Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

1609450132

ISBN 13

9781609450137

A Strange Country

By: Muriel Barbery

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A Strange Country

By: Muriel Barbery

From the author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog, which spent 54 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, this literary fantasy is for fans of Atwood, Ishiguro and David Mitchell.

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331

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Text Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1925923436

ISBN 13

9781925923438

A Single Rose

By: Muriel Barbery

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A Single Rose

By: Muriel Barbery

“A magnificent romance redolent of ancient wisdom and rich with melancholy, loss, and love” from the bestselling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Le Monde). Rose has just turned forty when she gets a call from a lawyer asking her to come to Kyoto for the reading of her estranged father’s will. And so for the first time in her life she finds herself in Japan, where Paul, her father’s assistant, is waiting to greet her. As Paul guides Rose along a mysterious itinerary designed by her deceased father, her bitterness and anger are soothed by the stones and the trees in the Zen gardens they move through. During their walks, Rose encounters acquaintances of her father—including a potter and poet, an old lady friend, his housekeeper and chauffeur—whose interactions help her to slowly begin to accept a part of herself that she has never before acknowledged. As the reading of the will gets closer, Rose’s father finally, posthumously, opens his heart to his daughter, offering her a poignant understanding of his love and a way to accept all she has lost. “Interspersed with aphoristic Japanese tales from various periods, as melancholy is gradually transmuted into joy.” —The New Yorker “[A] luminous meditation on grief.” —Booklist “With elegant and careful prose, [Barbery] offers descriptions of Kyoto and Japanese culture that transcend the genre of a travelogue. This novel will appeal to readers who long for happy endings and escape.” —Library Journal “The novel balances lush, cultivated gardens and weighted symbolism with mischievous foxes, matcha, sliced eel, and sushi, all forming ‘one happy chaos’ and a fascinating maze of emotional release.” —Foreword Reviews

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Page Count

121

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Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

1609456785

ISBN 13

9781609456788

The Life of Elves

By: Muriel Barbery

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The Life of Elves

By: Muriel Barbery

A “beguiling fairy tale” by the bestselling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog (The New York Times). The villagers had never seen anything like it: dense white curtains of snow that instantly transformed the landscape. Not in autumn, not here in Burgundy. And on the same night a baby was discovered, dark-eyed little Maria, who would transform all their lives. Hundreds of miles away in the mountains of Abruzzo, another foundling, Clara, astonishes everyone with her extraordinary talent for piano playing. But her gifts go far beyond simple musicianship. As a time of great danger looms, though the girls know nothing of each other, it is the bond that unites them and others like them which will ultimately offer the only chance for good to prevail in the world. “Vivid imagery and a thread of mystery draw readers into the timeless and ethereal world of these young girls with a destiny to fulfill.” —Booklist “The novel is essentially a parable about the power both of art, which abolishes the ‘border between earth and mind,’ and of women.” —The New Yorker “Fans of both Barbery and fantasy from writers like Alice Hoffman and Sarah Addison Allen will be enchanted.” —Library Journal

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Page Count

209

Publisher

Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

1609453204

ISBN 13

9781609453206

The Gourmet

By: Muriel Barbery

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The Gourmet

By: Muriel Barbery

The Gourmet is Muriel Barbery's first novel. Translated by Alison Anderson. France's greatest food critic is dying, after a lifetime in single-minded pursuit of sensual delights. But as Pierre Arthens lies on his death bed, he is tormented by an inability to recall the most delicious food ever to pass his lips, which he ate long before becoming a critic. Desperate to taste it one more time, he looks back over the years to see if he can pin down the elusive dish. Revealing far more than his love of great food, the narration by this larger-than-life individual alternates with the voices of those closest to him and their own experiences of the man. AUTHOR: Muriel Barbery teaches philosophy. and lives in Japan with her husband. Her second novel, The Elegance of the Hedgehog is a best seller in Europe and Australia.

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Page Count

144

Published Date

ISBN 10

1906040311

ISBN 13

9781906040314

One Hour of Fervour

By: Muriel Barbery

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One Hour of Fervour

By: Muriel Barbery

LONGLISTED FOR THE PRIX GONCOURT 2022 From the bestselling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes the story of one man’s promise to keep a secret that may hold him from the greatest joy possible. Haru, a successful Japanese art dealer, appreciates beauty, harmony, balance, and good sake. A few months after an affair with Maud, a mysterious Frenchwoman, he learns that she is pregnant with his child. But she issues him a heartbreaking warning: if he ever tries to see her or the child, she will kill herself. Quietly devastated, Haru respects Maud's wishes. And Rose grows up on the other side of the world, without ever knowing her father. Is it too late to change things? From international bestseller Muriel Barbery comes a stunning tale of friendship, family secrets, and the enduring love of a father forced to live in the shadows.

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Page Count

226

Publisher

Gallic Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

1913547817

ISBN 13

9781913547813

The Writer's Cats

By: Muriel Barbery,Maria Guitart

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The Writer's Cats

By: Muriel Barbery,Maria Guitart

From the bestselling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes this delightful tale that pays tribute to Japanese philosophy and our feline friends. What a mysterious, confounding thing is a writer! Yet, spend a little time with the writer’s cats and one might just understand her better. Muriel Barbery, via her cats and co-conspirators, takes readers into her atelier, offering them a behind-the-scenes peek into her process and problems, joys and disappointments. The tale is told from the perspective of one of the writer’s four cats, Kirin, who, together with her cohort, may or may not be a reliable narrator. There’s Ocha, the leader of the gang, a tough guy with a soft heart; the bandy-legged and affectionate Mizu, Ocha’s sister; the phlegmatic and refined Petrus, lover of flowers; and finally, pretty Kirin, narrator of this bewitching story. A superb, funny, and touching text for writers, readers, fans of Muriel Barbery’s bestselling novels, and cat lovers. “Barbery’s poetic prose and Maria Guitart’s enchanting illustrations are an irresistible combination that readers will love to cozy up to and lose themselves in for a moment.” —Booklist “Creative types of all stripes—especially cat lovers—will be enchanted by Barbery’s fun and delightfully philosophical storytelling.” —Shelf Awareness “A book of few words delightfully illustrated by Maria Guitart . . . readers will be entranced by the detailed portrayal of Barbery’s ménage, her domestic habits and customs, her obsession with order, her writing routine, and so much more.” —La Stampa (Italy)

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Page Count

118

Publisher

Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

160945717X

ISBN 13

9781609457174

The Life of Elves

By: Muriel Barbery

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The Life of Elves

By: Muriel Barbery

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Page Count

209

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Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

1609453204

ISBN 13

9781609453206

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By: Muriel Barbery

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The Elegance of the Hedgehog

By: Muriel Barbery

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282

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Europa Editions

Published Date

ISBN 10

1609450132

ISBN 13

9781609450137

The Writer's Cats

By: Muriel Barbery,Maria Guitart

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The Writer's Cats

By: Muriel Barbery,Maria Guitart

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ISBN 10

160945717X

ISBN 13

9781609457174

Book's by Muriel Barbery

Gourmet Rhapsody

Gourmet Rhapsody

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

A Strange Country

A Strange Country

A Single Rose

A Single Rose

The Life of Elves

The Life of Elves

The Gourmet

The Gourmet

One Hour of Fervour

One Hour of Fervour

The Writer's Cats

The Writer's Cats

The Life of Elves

The Life of Elves

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Writer's Cats

The Writer's Cats

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