Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog, in spite of its whimsical title, is not an easy read. It took me slightly longer than the average duration it usually takes me to finish a novel. But after reading it, I’d like to believe the story’s philosophy is not just crafted to entertain the reader, but also to educate, to humour, to open the possibility of empathy, and ultimately, to comfort. Also, Eminem is in this book — sort of.