Student Question
In what year does The Elegance of the Hedgehog take place?
Quick answer:
The novel does not explicitly state the year in which the story takes place. However, it is implied to be set in present-day Paris, despite the old-world charm suggested by the setting of an apartment building with a concierge. The timeless nature of the themes, such as human connection and the appreciation of philosophy and literature, transcends specific historical periods.
I don't believe that the book explicitly states a year that the story takes place. In reading it, there was a feeling of a previous time period, but I think that was just because of the Old World type setting in the apartment building. As a modern American, living in a building with a Concierge probably feels old-fashioned.
But, in spite of that, I believe that it is meant to be present-day Paris. That is what lends it its charm - that these modern people still keep alive the older philosophies and literature. Human connection is universal and not really rooted in any particular time.
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