The narrators of this charming and thought-provoking book from French novelist and philosopher, Muriel Barbery are a precocious 13-year-old who has decided that her wealthy bourgeoise parents and elder sister are so stupid and existence so vain that she will have to kill herself (preferably painlessly), as you do when you are a precocious teen - but not before she has made a concerted effort to think some worthy thoughts, each one of which is encapusulated in a haiku, her favorite being

The fisherman's hut

Mixed with little shrimp

Some crickets!

Meanwhile, four floors down in the same upper-class Parisian apartment building, the concierge is living a secret intellectual life, hiding from the wealthy inhabitants she services her delight in fine literature, art and politics.  During the course of the novel, we get to learn about their respective takes on the other inhabitants of the apartment as well as on art, life and philosophy. And ultimately their everyday lives are touched by drama.  Paloma and Renee will draw you into their lives and their thoughts and you won't want to go home!