Szandra Borsai Borsai itibaren Ashnaha, Uttar Pradesh 226203, Hindistan itibaren Ashnaha, Uttar Pradesh 226203, Hindistan

In “Lost in the Forest”, Miller explores a family in transition. Eva and her three children, Emily, Daisy and Theo are shocked by the sudden death of Eva’s husband, John. Eva’s first husband, Mark, the father of the two girls, steps in to help as the family tries to cope with their loss. As one would expect each family member deals with their grief in a unique way. Eva, initially paralyzed with emotional pain, slowly learns to return to normalcy. Emily, takes control and tries to guide her family through this loss, but fairly quickly returns to normal high school life. Little Theo is too young to understand death and that John is really gone. Mark, who is still in love with Eva and who was genuinely fond of John, struggles to be an integral part of the family without overstepping his bounds. It is Daisy, shy and awkward Daisy, trapped somewhere between childhood and adulthood, who struggles the most with her loss. John and Daisy had a close relationship. He understood her, he treated her like an adult, he listened to her; and she feels that with his death she has lost the most. Unable to express her feelings, Daisy lashes out with anger and resentment. She becomes rebellious and confrontational, and when Duncan, a friend of the family, shows interest in her, it is not surprising that she enters into a dangerous and disturbing affair. Miller is brutally honest with her writing. The scenes of seduction are graphically written and are appropriately shocking. While the reader is appalled and disgusted by the activities described, the writing is uncomfortably titillating. Miller’s writing wonderful; her attention to detail is brilliant. I was, however, disappointed with her ending. I think that the final pages of the book destroy some of the nuance. Many of the metaphors and references throughout the novel are explained and, for me, this detracted from the novels strengths. Daisy’s adult discussions with her therapist, interspersed throughout the novel and addressed at its end, seem almost a safety net for Miller. I got the impression that they were included to hammer home all that was wrong with the relationship between Daisy and Duncan, and to show the reader that Daisy has grown up and dealt with the emotional scars of John’s loss and Duncan’s betrayal. All in all, this was another wonderful book by Miller. If her ending is a bit “safe”, her writing throughout the body of the novel is compelling.

After reading this, I was torn between two distinct impressions. I either loved it, or I hated it. So, I did what I try never to do. I went and read some other people's reviews. I discovered The Elegance of the Hedgehog is one of those polarizing books. Those who hate it do so with a fierceness and those who love it, with a sigh. After reading both types of reviews, I came to the conclusion that I lean more toward the "love it" opinion. Those who hate it have valid arguments. The inner dialogue of these characters is extremely unrealistic. Their tendency to make every conversation a (sometimes inspiring, sometimes insipid) philosophical one is irksome. Who could bear to partake in such conversations ALL THE TIME? The characters, who were supposed to be sympathetic, were elitist snobs, despite their youth, occupation, etc. The ending was contrived. The philosophy, unremarkable. So why the four stars? All of the above. Unrealistic and contrived, but having merit all the same. The point of this book was to explore the possibility that people are not what they seem. It didn't promise we'd like them, it just promised we'd be surprised. Are the readers supposed to sympathize? Of course. And I did, despite the fact that intellectual elitism is as bad as the financial variety. Everyone feels superior about something, whether we admit it or not. The something is what's surprising here. There were several people (usually philosophy graduates) attacking the philosophy, calling it "dime-store." Maybe it was. Who cares? It's far more interesting to see people review a book about elitism with elitist attitudes, proving Barbery's point better than she did. It's much easier to remain silent and anonymous than to tell the world what you think, opening yourself up to criticism, pain, and rejection. I'm no philosophy major. I found some of Barbery's observations beautiful and inspiring, putting into words thoughts I had myself. Other times, I thought she was an idiot. The good outweighed the bad by a long shot. So, I guess that makes me one of the uneducated masses, who swallows and lauds dime-store philosophy simply because it's peppered with names like Sartre, Kant, and the like. I'm okay with that. The Elegance of the Hedgehog gets a solid four stars from me.

awsome