The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Elegance of the Hedgehog. "My name is Renée, I am fifty-four years old and I am the concierge of 7 rue de Grenelle, a bourgeois building. I am a widow, small, ugly, a bit胖, I have bunions, and, to believe some self-incriminating mornings, mammoth breath. But above all, I conform so well to the image people have of concierges that it would never occur to anyone that I am more literate than all these self-important rich people. My name is Paloma, I am twelve years old, I live at 7 rue de Grenelle in a rich apartment. But for a very long time, I have known that the final destination is the fishbowl, the emptiness and ineptitude of adult existence. How do I know this? It turns out I am very intelligent. Exceptionally intelligent, even. That's why I have made my decision: at the end of this school year, on my thirteenth birthday, I will commit suicide."