“Few authors make such a radical change from character-driven, subtle realism to full-blown fantasy; even fewer can execute that change successfully. Unbelievably, however, Muriel Barbery has transitioned from sketching the intimate story of a concierge and a young girl to crafting a magical tale without losing any of her talent for character creation or command of language” and “In ‘The Life of Elves’ and ‘The Elegance of the Hedgehog,’ Barbery has shown herself to be one of the greatest writers of children since C. S. Lewis.”
Read the full, favorable review in The Harvard Crimson.
