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Muriel Barbery Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Muriel Barbery
Photo: Hélie Gallimard

Muriel Barbery

How to pronounce Muriel Barbery: Muri-EL

Muriel Barbery Biography

Muriel Barbery's novels include the New York Times bestseller, The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Europa, 2008), and Gourmet Rhapsody (Europa, 2009). She is also the author of The Writer's Cats, illustrated by Maria Guitart, a short tale about esthetics, inspiration, the writing life, and cats. Barbery has lived in Kyōto, Amsterdam, and Paris, and now lives in the French countryside.



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Interview

Two interviews with Muriel Barbery about her second novel (but first to be published in the USA), The Elegance of the Hedgehog.

Before becoming a literary sensation in 2007, Barbery had published Une gourmandise (to be published in 2009 by Europa Editions), a novel that was awarded the Bacchus-Bsn Prize. But then “He” arrived in all his reserved and entertaining elegance, the Hedgehog. In other words, then came that jewel of a book that swept aside every other bestseller in France, reaching sales of over a million copies thanks to its readers' word-of-mouth publicity and its having been awarded an array of prizes. The author of this masterpiece, Muriel Barbery, is thirty-nine years old, currently resident in Japan.

What sensations does being the publishing sensation of the year provoke?

Surprise, incredulity and joy! When the book was first published in France, in September 2006, I thought that nobody would read it and I was readying myself for some other pursuit, in addition to teaching. The fact that the book corresponded to the tastes of readers, and that it has crossed the borders into other countries, surprises me. I still cannot completely explain to myself what happened. I am, also, incredibly happy about this unexpected fate. This success has allowed me to realize some of my dreams, to live in Japan and to ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Muriel Barbery at BookBrowse
One Hour of Fervor jacket The Life of Elves jacket Gourmet Rhapsody jacket The Elegance of the Hedgehog jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Muriel Barbery but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Niccolò Ammaniti

    Niccolò Ammaniti

    Niccolò Ammaniti was born in Rome in 1966. He is the author of three novels, as well as a collection of short stories. At thirty-four, he was the youngest ever winner of the prestigious Viareggio-Repaci prize for I'm Not... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Elegance of the Hedgehog

    Try:
    I'm Not Scared
    by Niccolò Ammaniti

  • Chloe Aridjis

    Chloe Aridjis

    Chloe Aridjis is a Mexican–American writer who was born in New York and grew up in the Netherlands and Mexico. After completing her Ph.D. at the University of Oxford in nineteenth–century French poetry and magic ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    The Elegance of the Hedgehog

    Try:
    Asunder
    by Chloe Aridjis

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