Jostein Gaarder

Letto più e più volte, è a mio parere il capolavoro di Gaarder, pieno di sensibilità e di partecipazione, e di segreta, teologica rabbia nei confronti di una chiesa che dai tempi di Agostino è convinta che le donne siano solo un impiccio sulla strada della salvezza degli uomini, al punto di far dire alla sua Floria Emilia "Non credo in un dio che, per salvare l'anima di un uomo, costringe una donna a sprecare la propria vita"

"Where does the world come from?," the interrogative narrator of this thoughtful Norwegian picture-book asks, going on to pose a long string of similar questions about the nature of the world and universe, our role in it as human beings, and our relationship to those around us, and to those no longer with us. The nature of time, the possible existence of angels and/or ghosts, the question of what the world will look like in the distant future, these are all among the 'questions show more asked.'

Originally published in Norway as Det spørs, this thoughtful little book comes from the pen of Josten Gaarder, author of the acclaimed philosophical novel, Sophie's World. Like that earlier work for older readers, in Questions Asked Gaardner is interested in the big issues, and his young narrator raises many questions that philosophers have struggled with for millennia. The accompanying artwork by Turkish-Norwegian illustrator Akin Düzakin is absolutely beautiful, expanding the textual narrative (which is, after all, simply a set of questions) into a real story, as it quickly becomes evident that the young narrator is struggling with some sort of loss. The artwork hints, through its depictions of the boy's memories of playing with a companion (most likely, a twin brother), and then his solitary journey with a box of treasured mementos, a journey in which he is followed by some sort of spirit, that the narrator is being prompted to ask these questions by the death of someone very close to him. That added level of meaning gives the book extra poignancy. Recommended to anyone looking for children's books to start a philosophical and/or theological conversation with young people, or for picture-books that address (albeit indirectly) death and loss. show less

Like other Jostein Gaarder books, this one is heavy on philosophy. However, the story is so compelling that you don't even realize that questions of after-life, what-ifs, terminal diseases and moving on after grief are fully addressed.

Georg is fully likable, and a very fleshed-out teenager. His family is supportive and nurturing, while giving him the space he needs to read this letter 11 years after it was written. What follows is a thoughtful, emotional and ultimately tragic story that show more buds with new life at the end.

Recommended. show less

I don’t know how I had never heard about this quite amazing book; there are 30 million copies in print in many languages according to the reader’s guide. It is a novel but also a history of philosophy from the earliest Greeks up to the 20th century existentialists. Sophie, a young girl on the eve of her 15th birthday, receives an invitation from a mysterious older teacher – Alberto Knox -- to study philosophy with him. First receiving written manuscripts from him she eventually meets show more him and they have sessions covering all the strands of philosophical thought over millennia. While their meetings are certainly unusual everything seems just peculiar until really odd things begin to happen. A video of modern day Athens transforms to a scene as the city appeared during the time of Socrates. Alberto’s dog speaks to Sophie; there’s a message inside a banana peel. In these messages and in other ways, there are repeated references to another girl her age who shares the same birthday that suggests they are soon to become friends, but “Hilde” lives two hundred miles away. There are frequent post cards containing birthday greetings for Hilde postmarked with the current date, but sent from Lebanon by a Norwegian major serving with UN peacekeepers. Things that can only be “unreal” start to happen to Sophie -- finding a cross belonging to Hilde who she’s never met, seeing mythological creatures and fairy tale characters and many more surreal occurrences.
The perspective shifts to Hilde and it’s suddenly clear that Sophie and Alberto are fictional creations of Hilde’s father, Major Albert Knag. The major has written this story for Hilde as a birthday present and to introduce her to serious philosophy. (It’s revealed late in the story that Hilde had been dabbling with “New Age” pop nonsense that had upset her father.) Alberto contends that he and Sophie are being controlled by the major and he doesn’t like this. He devises a plan to escape from his creator. He succeeds and they do make their “escape”. Is this really Albert’s plan? Not entirely since all authors ultimately lose control over their creations in that what they have created becomes independent of them and timeless, Alberto and Sophie will exist apart from Albert and forever.
The book is worthwhile as a clear and concise overview of the philosophical thinkers of the ages, but it is also an intriguing and fascinating story full of mystery, fantasy and suspense. show less