Book Details Author: Jostein Gaarder
Ages: Adult
Rating: 9/10
Number of Pages: 427
Plot: When 14 year old Sophie starts to receive random letters and questions in the post, the mystery of life and ancient philosophy begins to take over her everyday life. Things get even stranger when she begins to get postcards addressed to another girl - who is this girl, and does she have something to do with Sophie's own existence? As her philosophy mentor teaches her the mysteries that have plagued the world for centuries, Sophie's own existence is brought into question. A blend of philosophy, mystery and fantasy this 20-year-old novel continues to attract readers on a global scale. With an unusual structure and interesting narrative voice Sophie's World is able to claim a wide readership over its lifetime and will no doubt continue to be a modern classic.
Review: I have always been interested in philosophy and it is this reason that I was probably drawn to this book in the first place. Having never heard of the author or the book itself until I picked this up at a bookshop, I was able to delve into this book without any critics' opinions or reviews looming over my head. All I knew about the book before reading was what I had read on the blurb and the short introduction by the author at the beginning of my edition. I don't know whether it was because of this or the unusual narrative structure, that I actually thoroughly enjoyed the book from cover to cover. So much so, that once starting the book I found it impossible to put down and, as a result, read it within in a matter of days.
The most unique quality that this book possesses is probably its unusual take on a narrative. Embedded within the third person narrative is what can only be described as textbook-style extracts that detail a range of ancient myths, fables and philosophers. As well as this, the chapters are centred around the individual lessons the philosopher gives to Sophie - adding to the unusual structure. To some this unique take on a narrative may sound a little daunting, but, for me, this educational tone truly added to the mystery and bizarre twists that this book takes towards the middle and end. It is extremely unusual to find a book that is able to educate in such a way that is also entertaining and intriguing.
"It's not a silly question if you can't answer it."
Along with the narrative structure, the book also has some great characters that just add to the overall mystery and intrigue surrounding the overall plot. I have found that in modern literature it is quite hard to find a book that doesn't have an insufferable main character. However, I think as a result of this books unusual structuring the main character is also trying to figure out a mystery much like the reader. For me, this made Sophie feel even more realistic and relatable to the reader as she too is experiencing the same confusion and intrigue at most point of the text much like how, I'm guessing, most people feel when reading this particular book. Gaarder has been able to connect with the reader by creating a character that is arguably a projection of the reader's confusion and intrigue. What I will say about this book though is that you really do have to concentrate. This isn't one of those books that you can race through, mainly because of the structure of the book and its tendency to quickly change from the story to the philosophical lessons. Even though I loved this aspect of the book, and to me this is what made it so great, I can also see why some might find it quite difficult to read. If you do read this I would say that you have to be willing to concentrate and get a little confused because it is a real triumph when you finish the book and the mystery is resolved.
Have you read Sophie's World? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!
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