Gaarder, Jostein

Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy

Average customer rating:

overrated, mediocre fiction, but nice to philosophy
I felt the need to say this, so that others may be informed
Philosophy for the uninitiated
A history of philosophy that is almost ruined by its story
Philosophy...Through The Eyes of a Child

Sophie's World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425152251

Amazon.com

Wanting to understand the most fundamental questions of the universe isn't the province of ivory-tower intellectuals alone, as this book's enormous popularity has demonstrated. A young girl, Sophie, becomes embroiled in a discussion of philosophy with a faceless correspondent. At the same time, she must unravel a mystery involving another young girl, Hilde, by using everything she's learning. The truth is far more complicated than she could ever have imagined.

Book Description

This elegant CD-ROM will take you on an interactive journey through the history of Western philosophy, from its beginnings in ancient astronomy and myth up to twentieth-century existentialism. The philosophical adventure is built around a series of exchanges between a naturally curious young girl and her anonymous teacher, in which the user must participate. The pedagogical value of this interaction is complimented by the CD-ROM's Reference Band, a philosophical map providing eight film summaries of particular historical epochs and 28 text summaries of the work of major philosophers. The CD-ROM is available on its own, or can be combined with the #1 international bestselling novel, Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder--an excellent and affordable combination for introductory classes.

Customer Reviews:

overrated, mediocre fiction, but nice to philosophy.......2007-06-25

no one should mistake this for masterful fiction. it is not. rather gaarder's story is a nice delivery vehicle for a basic and interesting introduction to philosophy.
so if you are looking for great literature, look elsewhere. if you are looking for an easy to read and relatively entertaining [though lengthy] introduction to western philosophy, pick this up.

I felt the need to say this, so that others may be informed.......2007-05-30

I've never written a review on Amazon before, even though I love Amazon, it's great, and have been using it for years. However. I honestly felt the need to post this, after I saw the rating this book has been given.

This book is terrible.

On the back of this book, if memory serves me right, some critic called it a tour de force. That is completely, inexcusably wrong. It is not a tour de force. It's a tour de vomit, i.e., if you took a tour of the history of vomit, sludged through it, then you would have also experienced this book. It is just terrible. The "plot" with "Sophie" that runs through the entirety of this book made me physically cringe. I felt embarrassed for both myself and the author. I hid the cover so that no one could see what I was reading. I only finished it because I am a diligent student who finishes what he starts. Like Jumanji. I had to do it. I almost wanted to see just how godawful this book could get.

When I finished it I felt like I had just slept with my mother.

If you want to learn about different philosophers' philosophies, then go to a library or use wikipedia. Wanting to know about the history of philosophy is a noble endeavor, wanting to read this book is not. Sophie's World reads like it was written by something the cat dragged in. Something a very boring, uncreative, and morbidly obese cat dragged in. Jostein Gaarder must have some sort of brain-wasting disease. If that is true, then I feel bad for him and I'm sorry for being so harsh. If it is not true then he should be deeply ashamed of himself. And he should issue a public apology for writing this... thing.

I'm certain the SW fans are going to tag this review as unhelpful, and that's their thing, but to YOU, the potential reader of this book, I beg you, do more research, don't read this book! If there are any spelling errors in this review it is only because I read Sophie's World and became stupider because of it.

Philosophy for the uninitiated.......2007-05-28

This is a book to teach young adults about philosophy and ideas that have influenced the world. 15 year old Sophie starts to receive messages that ask her to think about who she is and where the world comes from. Then Alberto Knox sends her lessons about philosophers' attempts to ask and answer philosophical questions. The lessons cover highlights of 2000 years of philosophical thought. She also begins to receive some postcards from a UN observer in Lebanon. The philosophy lessons are made interesting by the story of Sophie trying to figure out why she is receiving the lessons and the postcards. This book is not only a great introduction to philosophy for young adults but would be a fascinating read for everyone who heard about different philosophers' ideas throughout their lives but never really got around to reading about philosophy.

A history of philosophy that is almost ruined by its story.......2007-04-22

There are two ways that you can view Sophie's World. You can see it as a novel that teaches you about the history of philosophy, or you can see it as a book about the history of philosophy with a story attached. I prefer to think of it as the latter, because about halfway through the book, the story gets very, very, silly, very, very fast. This story starts off as a mystery involving a philosophy course that came out of nowhere, strange postcards, and a god like being only known as The Major. But around the halfway point of the story, the narrative loses all reason, and becomes absurd. Dogs start talking, mirrors start winking, and characters from fairy tales randomly show up. Even through this, the philosophy sections of the book stay strong. These sections start off with the early Greek philosophers, then advances on to more recent philosophers, like Freud and Marx. These sections are mainly shown as dialogs between the two main characters, and do a great job of teaching about philosophy. These sections are the highlights of the book. It's like taking a class on philosophy in book form. So if you can get through the annoying story, and appreciate the philosophy, you should like this book.

Philosophy...Through The Eyes of a Child.......2006-12-10

Sophie's World is a book about the history of philosophy. It is through the eyes of a fourteen year old girl named Sophie Amundsen, who is the main character of the book. She has had a perfectly normal life until one day she gets a mysterious letter from a complete stranger. He becomes Sophie's philosophy teacher. His name is Alberto Knox. Throughout the book, Alberto writes letters to Sophie. Each day, Sophie has her philosophy course through the letters that he writes to her. Sophie sometimes dozes off into her own world where she only thinks about philosophy and where the world came from. Sophie's deep interest in philosophy and history makes her friendship with her friend, Joanna, fall apart, and also make her mom think that she is on drugs. In my opinion, Sophie is a wonderful, bright girl who has a brilliant mind and a logical way of thinking.
Part of this book is about the science of philosophy, and another part is the history of philosophy. While I read the science part of the book, it was a review for me, because I had already learned the material in biology. When I read the history of philosophy, it got me really interested. I especially liked when Alberto was talking about the myths that people believed in long ago. There was a myth that I really enjoyed reading. It was about a god named Thor and his hammer. Thor was a god of fertility, and he controlled the weather with his hammer. For instance, if he was swinging his hammer, that meant he was bringing rain on earth. It was interesting to see how people long ago believed how the world worked around them.
I didn't like how the book had big amounts of science information at once, because those parts were not so interesting to me. It felt like I was reading a science textbook instead of a novel. Other than that, the book is very interesting and exciting. If you don't know anything about philosophy, and you want to learn it in an enjoyable and exciting way, this is the book for you.

Average customer rating:

A most painfully beautiful book
A good philosophy book...
Misleading
Buy it!
Another side of Augustine ...

Vita Brevis : A Letter to St Augustine
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

'Years have passed and much has changed since we two had our arms around each other. Thus what I write will perhaps be equally a letter to the whole Christian church, for today you are a man of great influence.'

In a second-hand bookshop in Buenos Aires, Jostein Gaarder makes an exciting find: a transcript of a letter to St Augustine, author of the famous Confessions, from Floria Aemilia, the woman he renounced for chastity.

Vita Brevis is both a classic love story, beautifully told, and a fascinating insight into St Augustine's life and that of his discarded concubine. It is up to the reader to determine its authenticity...

Customer Reviews:

A most painfully beautiful book.......2006-03-17

It really doesn't matter whether the letters that Gaarder claimed to find were authentic. There is so much grace in the prose and this "love" story is the most poignant I have ever read. The philosophy reaches deep inside my heart. As the Confessions can tell, "love" (no matter what this word means in our contemporary lexicon) stands in the constant struggle between losing and regaining yourself. "Life is so short we do not have time to pronounce any damning judgment on love. We must first live, Aurel, then we can philosophize" (131). This sentence symbolizes the conflict between the Greek and Christian world views. It is Floria's answer, with stunning lucidity and sanity.

A good philosophy book..........2005-07-16

First of all, as another user has said, this book was written by Gaarder, not by Floria. At the beginning, Gaarder says that he found an old document from the XVI century in a bookstore in Argentina. He bought the document because he thought it was a letter written by Floria, a woman who was St. Augustine's lover when they were both young. Just ignore what Gaarder says about how he found the document, because that's something he made up from his mind.

Now onto the book. Gaarder uses Floria to refute a lot of Augustine's ideas about virtue, sins, chastity, celibate and the relationship between God and men. Gaarder's philosophy is the opposite of Augustine's: Whenever Augustine says to ignore the beauty of the world because it may lead you to sin, Gaarder will tell you to enjoy it because it's God's creation.

The purpose of Gaarder is to show us the true nature of Augustine's ideas, more close to those of the asceticism than to Christianity (he is even ashamed for enjoying food, for Christ sake!). To deny the human nature is to deny the works of God, it was never His purpose to build a beautiful world just to demand us to ignore it.

You may be in disagreement with Gaarder's ideas, but at the end this is a great book and the best of it is that you will be anxious to know more about St. Augustine's life and works. I recommend you to look forward for The Confessions of St. Augustine, so you can have the whole picture and learn about a man that shaped modern morality like few people have been able to do. You won't regret it.

Misleading.......2004-09-17

This book wants to be an answer to Augustin's famous "Confession". This book is fiction and it is strange that some reviewers think the letters to be real.

Gaarder lets the woman, with whom Augustin lived together for a long time, speak in letters answering to the Confessions of Augustin. The problem is that Gaarder's view of this woman is a woman of the 20th century, a woman who has no understanding for Augustin's religious belief or sexual morals. It seems Gaarder read this book, quickly judged it after the standards of our time and left it with that. Would he for a moment consider if there may be some true meaning in such a classic as the confessions of Augustin, a book, which has been a classic for more than 1500 years?

He even misrepresents cleary what Augustin said. Augustin syas how even in children you can observe envy. That you can see a baby who screams angrily at another baby, just because that other baby gets fed. Even though there clearly is enough for both. That's what Augustin wrote. Gaarder accuses him of saying that a baby is sinful just because it wants to be fed in the first place, and that is clearly not what Augustin said, as anyone can read in Augustin's confessions.

Buy it!.......2003-11-15

Unlike some of the other reviewers, it seemed clear to me that the "introduction," "postscript" and footnotes that others assumed where "true" are part of the text and are also fiction. Gaarder did not find these letters; his story of finding them is part of the story (here he is honoring Jorge Luis Borges). It is a short, but deeply intriguing story. The book does raise serious concerns about elements of Augustine's theology (especially the doctrine of creation; is creation good?). At the same time, it tells a painfully truthful story of lost love.

Another side of Augustine ..........2002-08-03

This is a compilation of letters from Floria Aemilia to Augustine, and it reveals quite another side of him. Anyone who has read his Confessiones cannot help but think what a boring life he lead .. however, after having read these letters, you realize that that was just one side of his life. These letters are moving and very interesting. True love letters from another time - yet they feel timeless. Surely such a love story could have taken place today, although the obstacles would have been different.

The foreward about how these letters came into Jostein Gaarder's possession is also very interesting - a dream for booklovers coming true!

The Solitaire Mystery: a novel about family and destiny
Average customer rating:

A Modern Fairy Tale

The Sticky Bun Mystery

A beautiful, heartwarming story of redemption through the ages

BUT HOW?

I had so much fun reading this!

The Solitaire Mystery: a novel about family and destiny
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Amazon.com

Jostein Gaarder had an unlikely international success with Sophie's World, a novelized exploration of western philosophy through the eyes of a young girl. This is an earlier work, translated from the Norwegian by Sarah Jane Hails. This fable-like story dabbles in philosophy too, though more lightly. It tells of a Norwegian boy traveling across Europe with his calm and reflective father in search of his long lost mother. The boy finds a tiny manuscript that reveals the secret of a magic deck of cards that can tell the future.

Customer Reviews:

A Modern Fairy Tale.......2007-01-13

A cross of Alice In Wonderland and ancient fairytales, I found this book hard to put down after turning page after page. It ranks up there with the others - The Little Prince, The Alchemist...

The Sticky Bun Mystery.......2007-01-03

Full of descriptive visuals, engaging concepts, soda and sticky buns, 'The Solitaire Mystery' is a page turner!
As the title indicates, the fifty-two card deck (including one Joker, of course!) is the vehicle for this story.
I found all Hans Thomas (the main character), his father, his fashion model mother, and all of the other characters easy to relate to, and any loose ends of the intricate plot are tied up neatly by the end of the book.

A beautiful, heartwarming story of redemption through the ages.......2006-05-11

A wonderful story to read aloud, as well.

BUT HOW?.......2006-05-09

The story is wonderful and keeps the reader wonder to the last page of the story.
Even at the very end there is a small complex that rise, eventually everything get solved but with open questions.

For myself, the only question left to answer is, How come that Thomas' grandfather knows that Thomas is his grandson at the same time the grandson realises that?
I mean the grandfather was the one who wrote the story and he added the last bit after forgetting German, but he still knew about his grandson from Joker's note before Thomas got to read it!

I had so much fun reading this!.......2005-09-23

Another fantastic book from Jostein Gaarder. It has some profound ideas disguised as light reading. I really identified with characters in both stories -- the island reminded me of the people I have to deal with on a daily basis! It certainly prompts you to examine the choices you make, and those of the people around you. Life can be more than just going through the actions to achieve some end. Also, it's not a terrible thing to question what's going on around you, though it may be frustrating. That's what I like about Jostein Gaarder's novels: they present some extremely thought-provoking questions in an extremely imaginative and entertaining way. I've recommended this book to many people, and they all loved it!

(buffysummers@excite.com)

Average customer rating:

Preparing to leave
Lovely
Awesome!
Wondering at Wondering/gnirednoW ta gnirednoW
Two sides of the mirror

Through a Glass, Darkly
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Phoenix House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0753806738

Book Description

As Cecilia lies ill in bed and her family prepare for Christmas, knowing she will not recover, an angel steps through her window. But Ariel is no ordinary angel - at least, he does not conform to conventional ideas of what an angel looks like and says. He likes nothing better than to sit around and chat about life, death and the universe. Through a Glass, Darkly is a springboard for a spirited and thoroughly engaging series of conversations between Cecilia and her angel.

As the weeks pass and winter turns to spring, subtle changes take place in the relationship between Cecilia and her family, as she swings from feelings of anger and denial, hope and despair, to a calm acceptance of her lot. She is preparing to leave...

Customer Reviews:

Preparing to leave.......2005-02-12

This book is usually being considered a children's book. However, having taken care of a parent who died, I recommend this book to everyone who is going through the same thing - either preparing to leave, or guiding and assisting someone who is dying. This book is deeply touching, true, and above all comforting. No matter what age.

Lovely.......2004-09-03

The only reason I did not give 5 stars is that this book was so short. I actually made myself stop reading the first night I got it because I did not want it to end so fast.

I think that the author could have written much more with the plot... a girl talking to an angel about heaven, an angel asking a girl about life on earth...there is a lot of room for discussion. The ending was very abrupt. Even so, Mr. Gaarder shares some lovely ideas through the words of Cecilia (the main character). This book had a few moments that reminded me of Sophie's World, something totally bizarre that made me literally stop, and think. I love Mr. Gaarder's style, it is almost magical.

My only regret is that I read this book in just 2 nights, but I am certain I will read it again. I highly recommend it!!

Awesome!.......2003-04-05

I loved this book! Jostein Gaarder's books are all very good, at least the one's I have read, and I am looking for more to read. In Through a Glass, Darkly Jostein Gaarder shows the readers insightful philosophies to life.
This book is about a girl who is dying of cancer. Her guardian angel is taking care of her, keeping her company, and asking her insightful questions that lead to her own philosophising. It was really a very good book, I couldn't put it down!

Wondering at Wondering/gnirednoW ta gnirednoW.......2002-04-26

Reading "Through a Glass, Darkly" is like having a conversation with one's image in the mirror and learning that a whole other world exists on the other side of the glass. It's enough to make anyone's mind a little turvy-topsy, if you take my meaning.

Here is an example of what to expect: At the beginning of the novel, Cecilia draws an angel on her windowpane with one of her tears--a tear angel. It makes her wonder if tear angels are the same as angel tears. Like I said, everything is turned downsideup . . . but it all still manages to make sense.

The two main characters are a human girl named Cecilia and an angel from Heaven named Ariel. Cecilia is so ill that she cannot leave her bed, so Ariel comes to visit her on an angel watch. As he tells her things about Heaven, she tells him things about Earth; so this is really a conversation between an aspect of Heaven and an aspect of Earth. It so happens, Ariel tells Cecilia, that only angels and humans are able to wonder at themselves--to wonder at being able to wonder.

The conflict in this story comes more from their dialogue than from the plot. If you like philosophy, then you'll love the way they toss ideas back and forth like a game of pong-ping. "Through a Glass, Darkly" is more mystical than "Sophie's World", however, and more poetic. In "Sophie's World" Jostein Gaarder toyed with everyone's world of knowledge, asking us how we can be sure we know what we think we know. In this novelette, he plays with the heady concept that we are all eyes of God, scattered throughout Creation: the mirrors the Creator uses to see Himself and all His works. A philosopher/astrologer named Alan Watts described this same concept as "God, playing hide-and-seek with Himself." (Or isn't it seek-and-hide?)

This book is a lot like "Mr. God, This Is Anna" by Fynn. Part irreverent theology, part reverent heresy, "Through a Glass, Darkly" is so far-out that it speaks directly to what is close-in. Read it with an open mind and a young heart.

Two sides of the mirror.......2002-03-06

...This book is less than 200 pages long, but in it packs life's greatest revelations.

Cecelia, the book's central character, had been so sick in bed until she met an angel, Ariel. Ariel is a some kind of a missionary from Heaven. He's not fleash and blood like humans are and doesn't feel anything. He appears in front of Cecelia sometimes and when he does, you'll learn that there's a lot more than life (and death). From Ariel, anything can be so good that it hurts and anything so bad can actually be good. Ariel reminds Cecelia that human beings can only see one side of the mirror, and hence only read/see/feel/think one-sidely.

Book Description

At fifteen, Georg comes upon a letter written to him by his dying father, to be read when he is old enough. Their two voices make a fascinating dialogue as Georg gets to know the father he can barely remember and is challenged by him to answer some profound questions. The central mystery of the book is the story of the Orange Girl, the elusive young woman for whom Georg's father searches in Orso and Seville, and who Georg finally realises is his mother. THE ORANGE GIRL is short and simply constructed, but it takes on some big questions about the meaning of life and the universe. It is imbued with the sense of awe and wonder that is Jostein Gaarder's hallmark. Although it is intended for teenagers, it is written in the unmistakable Gaarder way that reaches readers of every generation.

Customer Reviews:

Nice, short love story.......2007-05-09

This is a nice, short love story filled with an interesting little mystery and some deep sorrow. Though I feel this book is good for everyone, I think it is still somewhat of a 'chick book' and probably more movingly visceral for people with children. The question the book poses is good, but I think the answer is somewhat obvious.

Report: THE ORANGE GIRL.......2006-12-14

I'd like to present the book "The Orange Girl" to you. It is playing in Norway and is about the luck to live.
The story is told by a boy and his father. The father died when the son was four years old and after eleven years there appears a letter from the father to his son, which he has written before his death when he already knew that he has to die because of a hard disease.
In the letter the dad sais good-bye to his son Georg and tells him about the search of the Orange Girl. It is the story of a big love. The Orange Girl is Georg's mother.
For Georg this is a perfect journey through the past.
The book is written by Jostein Gaarder. He has written some other books like e.g. Maya, The Christmas Mistery or Sophie's World.
And he got several awards for his books.
In my opinion this is a great book and after reading it you just feel good.
Gaarder shows in his book "The Orange Girl" that every live is like a fairytale.

An enthralling story about love, life, and the universe.......2006-12-14

Jostein Gaarder is a masterful storyteller. One of his trademarks is telling a story within a story, and doing so in a winding, and enthralling way. This book is no exception. My attentionw as caught from page one, and I finished reading the book within three days (a rare feat amidts final papers and exams). It's a short and wonderful read. Of course like Gaarders other books its also very thought provoking. Pick it up!

Powerful: Sad and Lovely.......2006-11-04

The Orange Girl is the first book I read by Gaarder and I was wonderfully surprised. This book reads like one that was co-written by a father and his young teenage son, so the language varies depending on whose words you are reading. The backround story is of the meeting of a young man and woman, and their love for one another. It is also the story of the death of the man when his son was four years old, and his need to write him a letter to be read later in life. Gaarder's book is rather like a "dialogue" between father and son, through the words in the letter and their impact of his teenage son about ten years later. Wow -it is powerful book!

This book is special. I would also like to recommend it to those who have lost a loved one and still need to grieve. The Orange Girl will help you grieve.

great book.......2006-08-21

An elegantly crafted, yet easy to read story about the love of a man for a woman but more importantly a father for his son.

Average customer rating:

The Ringmaster's Daughter
Definitely worth reading
Dark and Beautiful!!

Ringmasters Daughter
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Orion Publishing Group, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Panina Manina, a trapeze artist, falls and breaks her neck. As the ringmaster bends over her, he notices an amulet of amber around her neck, the same trinket he had given his own lost child, who was swept away in a torrent some sixteen years earlier. This tale is narrated by Petter, a precocious child and fantasist, and perhaps Jostein Gaarder's most intriguing character since Sophie. As an adult, Petter makes his living selling stories and ideas to professionals suffering from writer's block. But as Petter sits spinning his tales, he finds himself in a trap of his own making.

Customer Reviews:

The Ringmaster's Daughter.......2007-05-07

This is a well written, interesting novel revolving around Gaarder's most intriguing narrator. I enjoyed the vignettes throughout the book as well as the link to the greater story, but I felt as if I was watching a train wreck toward the end. I wonder why such an intelligent narrator was unable to deduce the obvious, which was, really, my only frustration with this novel. I did appreciate the novel's ancient Greek tragic turn, as Gaarder's other novels deal with saddness and loss as well, but not as darkly as this one. I truly felt angst as a reader, and thus, even if I didn't LIKE the outcome, I could certainly appreciate it in the contex of the story.

Definitely worth reading.......2006-05-29

This is my favorite book by Jostein Gaarder. I think what has made it a better story than others lies in its intensity: love, pain, treason, mystery are interwoven very tightly. Gaarder has succeeded in creating a very intellectual, yet eccentric narrator with depth. Among other things, the book discusses the core of creativity and the role of the creator. Frankly, I do not know what to make of the ending. Much like Gaarder's other works, the book is laden with beautiful moments and ingenious ideas.

Dark and Beautiful!!.......2005-08-20

The Ringmaster's Daughter is told from the perspective of a young boy, Petter. Petter's overactive imagination is amazing, but sometimes gets him in trouble too. Petter is able to weave these fantastic stories, that are beautiful and sad. But he's a little crazy, too. He sees a little man that's not really there. This little man is always bossing him around. Petter can't distinguish between dreams and memories.

I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. I thought it was really unique that we got to read the stories that Petter came up with. Sometimes Petter tells stories in a way that reveals something about him or something important that he can't say flat out. Every story that Petter tells is amazing and tragic and ends with a twist, kinda like this book. Gaarder uses his "story within a story" method yet again and it works.

This is by far the best book I've read in a long time.

Average customer rating:

UN excelente Libro
De principio a fin...
Un hermoso cuento.....
Entretenido
Interesantisimo

El Mundo de Sofia
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Siruela
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

UN excelente Libro.......2006-07-24

Este es por lejos una de los mejores libros que he leido. El autor encontro una manera muy agradable de contar una historia de la que la mayoria de la gente no quiere saber, concuerdo con otros comentarios, este no es un libro de texto, sin embargo como historia aporta mas que muchos libros de texto (al menos a nosotros los no filosofos de profesion) y de una manera muy interesante. Este es un gran libro que le deja como herencia al lector el reto de ejercitar la imaginacion y recuperar su capacidad de asombrarse con las cosas mas cotidianas.

De principio a fin..........2003-02-04

Me han regalado el libro por mi 15°cumpleaños. Realmente es interesante ver como se desarrolla la trama de tal manera que los personajes principales van evolucionando. Por una parte Sofía la niña que corría el riesgo de convertirse lo que se llamaría un "apatico humano" logro superarlo mediante las enseñanzas de un completo extraño. No es un libro sobre las opiniones del autor acerca de preguntas filosóficas. Al contrario si eres el tipo de persona que te agrada pensar en ellas este libro te ayudará desde el princio al final a razonarlas un poco más por tu propia cuenta y saber opiniones de antiguos filosofos que tal vez coinciden con las tuyas.

Un hermoso cuento............2002-08-15

Este libro llego a mis manos por casualidad en la biblioteca de Nueva Acropolis. Concuerdo con uno de las opiniones vertidas en esta página: No es un libro de introducción a la filosofía, si estás buscando filosofía no compres este libro. Este libro es un cuento en el que el autor va dejando a medida que se desarrollan los mágicos acontecimientos de manera inteligente una breve reseña de las corrientes filosóficas, sus representantes y sus ideas. Mi formación en este campo era NULA (ese curso no lo lleve en el colegio)...después de leer este libro, me intereso la filosofía y pude comprender de que se trata. Si te gustan los cuentos ágiles, la lectura amena, quizas un poquito de suspenso, debes adquirir este libro. Disfrutarás de su lectura y adicionalmente cuando termines de leerlo, sabrás un poquito desde Socrates hasta Popper, pasando por Nietsche, Lock, Santo Tomas de Aquino, Espinoza...Me despido de Uds. me voy a leerlo de nuevo.

Entretenido.......2001-06-23

Este es un libro bastante entretenido sobre la Historia de la Filosof?a, pero no debes catalogar este libro como un texto in extenso del tema, porque lo mas seguro es que te vas a defraudar. Cierto que nos habla de las principales corrientes filosof?as, pero no debemos pretender que abarque todo el contenido de todas o de alguna de ellas, critica que imagino es con la que mas se se?ala este libro. Como una introducci?n a un curso de Historia de la Filosof?a no es mejor ni peor que los otros cursos de introducci?n, y como quiera que sea, pasa a contar exactamente la misma historia que los dem?s libros. ?qu? hace entonces que este libro sea para mi especial? Es la forma en que Gaarder lo hace: convierte la introducci?n a la historia de la filosof?a en una novela que llega a desbordar todos los limites de imaginaci?n entre un padre y su hija.

Si nunca te has interesado en la Filosof?a, te aseguro que este libro clavara esta palabra en tu mente. Esto, sobretodo, si eres de aquellos que temen los libros textuales y formuleros. Pero si has incursionado en alguna corriente filos?fica con alguna profundidad, no mires este libro deseando analizar lo que seguramente ya sabes de la corriente que deseas, porque es seguro que sabes mas que lo que aqu? se presenta. Pero, como quiera que sea, como sucede con cualquier libro, siempre tendr?s algo que aprender de el.

Interesantisimo.......2001-03-24

Como introduccion a la filosofia no hay mejor libro que este;con un argumento rico en datos historicos,narra la historia de una puber que va descubriendo con ayuda de su padre el sentido de su vida,mediante razonamientos filosoficos aplicados en una historia paralela en la que ella es la protagonista,ideal para quienes gustan de libros instrucctivos,faciles de leer y sobretodo con profundo mensaje.

Average customer rating:

Philosophy Novels Tend to be Good
Puzzled, but Thrilled
A depiction of life
Make this Your second Gaarder book
What a struggle

Maya
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Orion Publishing Group, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0753811464

Customer Reviews:

Philosophy Novels Tend to be Good.......2007-01-03

'Maya' by Jostein Gaarder was an excellent book. I believe it to be well written, and I enjoyed how it tied in the 'deck of cards' motif, which was of course reminiscent of the 'Solitaire Mystery', also by Gaarder.
As a philosophical novel, 'Maya' covered many bases that most philosophical/religious novels do not tend to think about. It nicely tied in evolutionary theory to various philosophical and religious viewpoints.
Despite my praise, I'd say that the average American most likely would not appreciate 'Maya'. But everyone should read it anyway.

Puzzled, but Thrilled.......2006-03-25

There are few books that leave me puzzled but also thorouhgly satisfied, this is one of them. Gaarder is a masterful author, quickly becomign one of my favorites as I read more of his work. Like several of his other works, this story takes place on several levels and among the fiction he also weaves in a good layer of fact, throwing in some historical facts, but in this case focusing on some evolutionary theory. Like other Gaarder works as well, as soon as you feel that you've gotten the book figured out, it takes a sharp turn and goes down an entirely new path. It was so startling, that I had to flip back and skim through most of the book to make sure I hadn't missed anything that big. However, I hadn't. This is truly a satisfying read, and one that I'll definitely be going back to.

A depiction of life .......2005-03-20

Most of us - as a thinking kind - wonder about life , its origin , its purposes , its perpetual enigmatic journey that flourish among humans and other species ...

we do have questions that tangle us , even haunts us when gazing through our timeline , here on earth ... is it all futile ? is it in vain ? or are we really part of a masterplan came out of a real twisted yet brilliant entity that gathered data and arranged it into our so-called common universe ..

Gaarder takes all of these puzzles - and i call them puzzles because i believe its something coherent this rise of thinking systems on our planet - and creates this drastic novel about life , destiny , deity , our great concerns ...

if you are not satisfied with the descartian definition of being , this book is for you ...

Make this Your second Gaarder book.......2005-03-15

This is what You get if You throw a mistery,a philosopy book,a natural sciences paper and the talking gecko of human condition in the same pot, and then cook it for a while.Excellent combination.However,I don't recommend it for a first timer Gaarder reader, the Joker idea first appears in"The Solitaire Mistery",which is an easier, more playful read,therefore You should start there,(and Sophie's world,if You want to know more about the history of western philosophy.)It's a non stop brain storming that'll require Your full attention and it is so worth it.

What a struggle.......2005-02-15

This book was recommended by our book group but in spite of my best intentions I think I'm going to do the unforgiveable and abandon it.
It's not as if the origins of life on earth don't interest me, I did my degree in Plannt Science.
BUT I have got as far as p130, a fair test I think, and I'm finding it pretentious and tedious. Who has 20 page conversations with a geko?? What is all this nonsense with elves and the joker?? Unfortunately I can't be bothered to find out.
In the words of a fellow book clubber who got to p50, "Life is too short".

Average customer rating:

The Christmas Mystery
Not For This Family
Not one of Gaarder's best works
Christmas Tradition
A charming book.

The Christmas Mystery
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: Farrar Straus & Giroux (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Ringmasters Daughter
The Solitaire Mystery: a novel about family and destiny
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Maya
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ASIN: 0374123292

Book Description

A boy called Joachim acquires a strange old Advent calender - and uncovers from it the story of a girl called Elisabet, who disappeared from her home fifty years earlier. Elisabet has been taken back through time and right across Europe to Palestine, to see the Holy Family in Bethlehem. Two thousand years of history flash by, and angels, shepherds and wise men join her on her joyful pilgrimage. It is Joachim who, through the Advent calendar, makes it possible for her to come home. THE CHRISTMAS MYSTERY transcends all barriers. It has already proved a great success with colour decorations for children, and as a paperback for adults. It has now been abridged for younger readers and freshly illustrated by a talented new young artist. The qualities of wonder and enquiry that readers loved in SOPHIE'S WORLD are as strong as ever in this beautiful and mysterious story which appeals to believers and non-believers alike.

Customer Reviews:

The Christmas Mystery.......2006-12-01

Our family started reading The Christmas Mystery about 5 years ago and it is now a very special Advent activity and a way to come together as a family in a busy season. While it is a bit confusing at first- the story moves backward through time and geography-it is so rich and has so many layers that it's absolutely worth reading. The first year we were just trying to grasp the rudiments of the story. Now each reading reveals new layers of meaning - nuances that I didn't get at first. I would recommend it for children 8 and older, so that it holds their interest.

Not For This Family.......2004-12-07

I knew it was bad when, upon reading this book aloud to my family one Christmas, I looked around to find every last one of them asleep -- and snoring! We'd tried valiantly to give this book a serious go, as it came to us warmly recommended with the instructions to read it aloud each night before Christmas. Not only could we not follow the story, certain elements were downright irritating (dialogue, names) and it presented a mish mash of complicated little plots while at the same time seeming to go nowhere. On about night 5 of this, that's when I found everyone asleep, from my grade school daughter all the way up to my husband. That was certainly the best thing about this book -- the funny memories it gave us from that night. But, alas, we had to abandon ship and read something else much more interesting, entertaining and Christmassy. Sorry!

Not one of Gaarder's best works.......2002-05-29

Jostein Gaarder ranks right up there on my list of favorite authors, but I did not feel that this was his best effort. It is very much in the same vein of "The Solitaire Mystery" (my all-time favorite book) and "Sophie's World" (the book that inspired me to get a philosophy minor in college), but covers the same principles talked about in "Solitaire Mystery". Read that one to get your socks blown off, read "The Christmas Mystery" around December to get in the spirit of the holidays!

Christmas Tradition.......2002-01-04

Every year, the 1st of December we find The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder in our box of Christmas books, and start to read the first chapter. The book has 24 chapters, so we keep on reading, one chapter every day, untill Christmas Eve. And when we read we follow the little girl Elisabet from Norway around 1940, down through Europe and down through history, untill she, in the last chapter meets Joseph, Maria and the little newborn king. At the same time we meet the boy Joakim who finds a very special advent calendar in an old bookshop, the advent calendar has doors to open, and inside the doors Joakim finds small sheets of paper telling the fantastic story about Elisabet and her travel.
Is the story just a fantasy story, or is Elisabet a real girl, doing a real travel?

The Christmas Story tells us about all this, and alot more. For our family it is a must every Christmas. Not all kids want to listen to it every year, but mother will keep on reading it as long as her eyes allows her :-)

Britt Arnhild Lindland

A charming book........2001-12-20

It was a rather charming and interesting book. Found it both unique and engrossing. However, not everything made sense first time.

Average customer rating:

Solitaire Mystery
Jostein Gaarder
Manufacturer: P H
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1897580096

Authors:

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