Summary
Middle-aged Rene works as a concierge in a wealthy apartment building in Paris. Rene is from a poor family, but she is self-educated; she loves literature and philosophy, hiding her passion from the residents. Meanwhile, 12-year-old resident Paloma, sick of life's absurdities, is planning suicide when she turns 13. The arrival of a new tenant brings them together and allows them to share their true selves.
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Critique
In alternating chapters, Rene and Paloma share their sometimes funny, often heartbreaking stories and discourse on topics ranging from politics to Kant to Anna Karenina. Slow moving but intriguing, their friendship at the end brings the novel to a moving conclusion.
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