I truly enjoyed this book to a great extent.

Having studied basic philosophy in college, I quickly realized that many philosophers were omitted and entire eras were merely brushed over in this work.

However, that's perfectly fine. Firstly, it's not a textbook, and secondly, it's definitely not a textbook!

The stories are presented separately and eventually converge in a rather foreseeable manner. It does have a somewhat didactic tone.

But envision yourself as a very intelligent, inquisitive, thoughtful, and sensitive 14, 15, or 16-year-old, grappling with the typical thoughts and emotions of angst, hormones, and loneliness.

And then you happen upon this book, identify with the character (or at least like her), and suddenly you realize you're not the only one having these thoughts or dreaming these ideas.

These concepts aren't being imposed on you by a teacher but are shared through the medium of a book.

You're not alone; there are entire schools of thought dedicated to these very thoughts and feelings.

This book is written for that child, so he or she can then explore what they discover within its pages and see where it leads them.

It's not a textbook; it's more like Alice's potion or Neo's pill.

To me, that makes it worthy of 5+ stars any day of the week.

It took me two months to finish this 500-page book. I can come up with reasons like this:

— I was occupied with other things.

— I took my time to soak in the content of the book. Instead of racing through it, I let each chapter settle in before proceeding.

But that's just rationalizing. Here's the real deal: It's not that great. Well, hold on, that's not entirely fair. Let me rephrase.

Sophie's World is, as its full title indicates, a "Novel about the history of philosophy." The concept is to present that history as a narrative, starring a 14-year-old girl named Sophie and her philosophy teacher, Alberto Knox. There are two main premises for the existence of this book:

1. "He who cannot draw on 3,000 years is living hand-to-mouth." This Goethe quote shows that to understand one's world, one must understand its history. You could also say "He who does not understand the past is doomed to repeat it." As you'll see.

2. There isn't a worthy introductory Philosophy text for young readers. Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy might be a bit too much for some. Although the "for young people" part is stated in the text, it's clear that anyone, regardless of age, needs an accessible overview of the history of philosophy to understand their world.

So along comes Sophie's World. It's written in a very light, young-adult style with short sentences and simple language. That's fine if that's what you're looking for. This aspect bothered me at first, until I realized it's designed for ease of use, so to speak.

This book has two aspects, since it bills itself as a double-header: it's both a novel and a history. It's fiction and non-fiction. It's entertainment and education. Combining these things is tough. It's like writing (and reading) two books at once. So, in a way, I need to review it twice. At the same time.

Sophie's World: The Novel

Remember when I said "It's not very good?" I was referring to the novel/fiction/entertainment half of the book. Here's the plot in a nutshell: Sophie starts getting letters from a stranger. These letters form the text of a correspondence course in philosophy. Sophie learns, grows, and begins to think about her world differently.

Great, right? The problem is that a story needs conflict. This is basic story-writing. At first, you're intrigued because it's a little strange and creepy that Sophie should suddenly start receiving a philosophy course from a complete stranger. But absurdly, she just goes with the flow and accepts it as it is.

For the first 250 pages or so, nothing happens in terms of the story. Sophie gets a new letter. She reads it. She meets the weirdo, they talk. The entire "plot" thread is just a means to get from one philosophy lesson to the next, and you find yourself skipping the "story" parts and jumping right into the "philosophy" bits.

It's only after the halfway point that a real literary conflict emerges and this book starts to hold its own as a novel. Here's the evidence: it took me 8 weeks to read the book, but 7 of those weeks were spent getting through the first half. I breezed through the second half because things were actually happening.

Sophie's World: The History

As a history, the book does much better. As an introduction to philosophy, or even a refresher survey, it's excellent. Gaarder, through the character of Alberto Knox, is a great teacher.

The history covers all the important points of philosophy, starting with the Greeks and moving forward all the way to 20th-century existentialism, ending with a brief introduction to the universe (Big Bang, etc.).

Obviously, you can't expect in-depth coverage of any particular subject or philosopher, but there's enough information presented at each stage that a reader can identify which specific aspects they might want to explore further through other means.

The history mainly focuses on western philosophy. While it sometimes touches on eastern knowledge, it's only to illustrate specific cases where an eastern thought directly influenced a western idea.

Conclusion

Read Sophie's World, even if you think you already know what you need to know about the world we live in. And especially if you don't.

Just be aware: approach this book as a light-hearted textbook, not as an information-packed novel. Even without the frills of Sophie's story, the history of philosophy is a fascinating subject, because it's the history of us.

One of the most influential books I have read was that it had a point that initially captured your view and was attractive to you. After a while, another philosopher would come and refute that theory and present a new belief.

In general, some of the theories of modern philosophers have been refuted, and only in their own time were they new and innovative. Nowadays, a limited number of these theories and philosophies are accepted. With the emergence of Islamic philosophy, which in my opinion is one of the most ancient and purest philosophies, many of these ideas have been refuted. Of course, Islam also agrees with some of them. For example, Islam refutes Kant's moral theory. Kant believed in innate morality and did not consider every good deed to be moral. For example, from Kant's perspective, a mother breastfeeding her child has no value, but from the Islamic perspective, it has value. Or from Kant's perspective, if a person does something solely out of fear of hell or hope for heaven, it has no value, but from the Islamic perspective, this act also has reward and value. Or Aristotle's theory on morality, where Aristotle believed that a person reaches all perfections through self-knowledge, but Islam, in addition to self-knowledge, also considers knowledge of God necessary for attaining perfection and considers self-knowledge as a prelude to knowledge of God.

This book was my first acquaintance with philosophy and challenged me and was a beginning for other philosophical books.

I hope you read it and enjoy this beautiful book like I did.

The end.

Update: Recently, I read this tweet: "People who write the attached pronoun at the end of a word with a taa' marbuuTa have a special place in hell." I laughed at the absurdity and sharpness of the tweet. Sometimes, I find this kind of linguistic sharpness quite charming. And I thought about the ignorant person who might make this ugly confusion.

By chance, a few minutes later, I came across this old review, and I don't know why, but I discovered this terrible mistake here, and I realized that I was this evil ignorant person.

-_-

---

The old review from 2007 or 2006, I don't remember. All I remember now is that the attached pronoun has been corrected, and I came to my senses and got out of the curse of hell that one of the language enthusiasts wished for.

:p

---

In my opinion, what is most admirable is the story in which the information is presented. The story, precisely _in its simplicity_, is very deep, making the person immersed in thought and detached from what is around him for a period of time as he thinks... It approximates, to some extent, the state of worldly life. And perhaps if nothing had been written about the history of philosophy and he had been content with this story, it would have remained a wonderful and distinctive novel.

It made me think and laugh at the absurdity of the idea that a fictional character could escape without the knowledge of the author, and whether she has an independent existence from him at all... Isn't it he who allows her to escape from his world to... his world?

Reading the novel requires patience and concentration because it talks about philosophy, but it is actually enjoyable and beneficial for those who like philosophy.

As for the translation of this edition, it doesn't seem very advanced.

What went right in the beginning of Sophie's World? And what caused it to plunge so grievously, groan-inducingly wrong? As a colleague commented to me, it's not often that we make it all the way through books that turn us off so dramatically. True. However, it's also unusual that a book would seem at least moderately intriguing and appealing for 500 pages, then flop. Flop in my personal opinion, that is.

The good things about Sophie's World are numerous. There is an interesting frame story that evolves into an absorbing plot twist. It serves as a good refresher on basic philosophy, written by an experienced teacher of that subject. It's a rare piece of Norwegian fiction that has made it to the States in excellent translation. Additionally, it offers inquisitive and varied perspectives on religion that aren't likely to appear in literature here.

On the other hand, there are also some bad things (spoilers ahead). The meta-meta-fiction thing that happens after the characters realize they're fiction can be quite confusing. The teacher dressing up in costumes to represent time periods seems a bit gimmicky. Having so much of the text in essay/epistolary format doesn't mesh well with the rest of the story. The appearances of the Loch Ness Monster, Little Red Riding Hood, and so forth in otherwise realistic fiction can be jarring. And this is one of my pet peeves, but I really hate it when male authors try to write an emotional and sensory passage about having cramps. Guys, if you write a novel one day, just don't even attempt it.

That said, if you're into experimental lit and can tolerate the above-mentioned quirks, then go for it. What the heck? It might still offer some unique reading experiences despite its flaws.

I read this book for the second time and still loved it. The first time I read it, I was about 16 years old and fell in love with it. More than 13 years had passed since then because I was ill and didn't have the strength to read a new book. I thought I would read a book that I had loved before again. It was as sweet as before, but of course, it was good for that age of 15 or 16.

However, as I read it this time, I also noticed some new aspects and details that I might not have paid attention to when I was younger.

The story still had the same charm and ability to draw me in, but now I could understand some of the deeper themes and messages more clearly.

It was interesting to see how my perspective had changed over the years and how the book could still have an impact on me.

I'm glad I decided to read it again and would recommend it to others, especially those who are at a similar stage in life as I was when I first read it.

"Don't philosophize", "Stay away from philosophy", these are statements that reveal the extent of negativity that society may have towards philosophy, considering it as an elongation of what is concise and a complication of what is clear.

However, the truth is that philosophy is not a complication nor an indulgence. It is an invitation to engage in thinking about existence, whether in tragic human issues or in the dilemmas of daily life. I believe that each one of us humans needs a dose of philosophy that activates our glands of contemplation and expands our horizons.

I wrote this novel with the aim of presenting the history of philosophy in an interesting and simple way, in the form of lessons that a fourteen-year-old girl receives in spring from her mysterious teacher. It is never an easy task to adopt a novel in that way without the risk of publishing a cluttered school book or an academic volume that is hard to digest. Therefore, the author's skill is evident in injecting the novel with some mystery, with some excitement and play within the novel. I don't want to spoil any details, but a mid-novel surprise was like a thunderbolt that pushed the reader to set off in what remains after almost giving up on completing the journey.

A Sufi scholar invites you to think and move away from taking things for granted. Even if you disagree with 70% of what philosophers say, what they say remains open to observation and research. Listen to everyone and disagree with whom you wish, for how will you disagree with someone you haven't heard from? I don't agree with Darwin's theories, but I'm not pleased with those who tell you that all he said in his life is that "the origin of man is an ape" and that all of Freud's thought is the theory of sexual development. We must say that philosophy has founded many sciences and influenced them, such as astronomy, history, physics, and religion. Also, I always encourage literary works that borrow from other branches of knowledge to increase the reader's awareness and understanding.

The world of Sufism finally came to an end.

There were so many new, interesting, and thought-provoking things in this book that I think now people will be scratching their heads and thinking hard about it :)).

I believe that I read this book at the most appropriate time possible... not too early and not too late.

Of course, for starting philosophy, there is never a late time, but definitely, not every time is suitable for starting this topic.

This book questions your personality and beliefs and expertly analyzes your existential nature.

In the end, what you get may not be as pleasant as you think.

Philosophy is definitely a red line that must be approached with caution and with sufficient intellectual background.

Otherwise, it's better not to look forward to the not-so-attractive consequences.

Examples of books have been very enlightening, but I didn't like the Sufi children's story. Well, I know that this book was not written for my age, but still, in my old age, I found the opportunity to read it. The place of Eastern philosophy is empty. And as Hassan Khayyam, a gift to all the hearts of the world, an expression of respect to Plato, Spinoza, Kant, and Sartre. The harmony of philosophy with Ali made his pleasure not very intense.

However, upon further reflection, I realized that perhaps my initial dislike for the Sufi children's story was due to my own preconceived notions and expectations. Maybe I was looking for something more profound and complex, not realizing that sometimes the simplest stories can hold the deepest wisdom.

As for the mention of Eastern philosophy being empty, I now understand that this was a hasty generalization. Eastern philosophy has a rich and diverse history, with many great thinkers and ideas that have had a significant impact on the world.

In conclusion, while my initial reaction to the book was not positive, I have learned from this experience to approach new things with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

Here are some small points that might be useful for those who haven't read the book and intend to do so.

Firstly, in my opinion, you should have at least some interest in philosophy. If you have no interest but still want to read, you need to cultivate that interest within yourself.

Secondly, at least in the first round of reading the book, don't expect to understand 100% of the content. This book is a preliminary acquaintance and, as a friend said, an acquaintance with the terminology of philosophy.

Thirdly, for the sake of better acquaintance, sometimes for a philosopher who is unknown to you or with whom you have difficulties, you should do a small and careful search and a little study on the Internet.

Fourthly, you should read the book with patience. It's not a novel that you can finish quickly. Sometimes you need to go back and read it again. Sometimes you have to read a certain content two or three times.

Fifthly, if you find a friend who has read philosophy or a philosophy teacher, it is very useful for answering your questions (although unfortunately I didn't have one and I have some unanswered questions).

Sixthly, regarding the chapter on Darwin, if you haven't read biology and have difficulties, you should get in touch with friends who have read biology.

Seventhly, if you are used to taking notes, it's not bad to take notes. If you don't like highlighting, highlighting some of the content is good (of course, this is not mandatory).

And finally, I got a lot of pleasure from reading this book. I also hope you will have such pleasure.

It was just okay. However, I had been hoping for a truly beautiful and captivating tale that would break away from the typical textbook format of reading about philosophy. Sadly, that didn't occur. This book was merely a lesson presented in the form of letters and conversations. I found that the style didn't bring anything thrilling or engaging to the table. In fact, I'm supposing that might have been the very point.

I didn't despise it, but to be honest, I could have simply read my Philosophy of Religion AQA guide from college and probably gained a similar understanding. It didn't offer anything significantly different or unique that would have made it stand out.

Perhaps if the author had taken a more creative approach or added some real-life examples to make the concepts more relatable, it would have been a more enjoyable and fulfilling read. As it stands, it was a rather平淡的 experience.

The world of Sufism counts as my first experience of reading a philosophical book. I had been sitting in my library for several months before starting it, but finally, I got the courage to begin. Perhaps my hesitation stemmed from the feeling that philosophy was too heavy for me. However, contrary to my expectations, it was good, and most of it was due to the brilliant author, Jostein Gaarder. He has described the entire history of philosophy in such a subtle way through a hidden story of the life of Sophie and the events that came her way. Someone like me, who was afraid of the volume and subject of the book, was drawn in until the end and made to think about different beliefs and philosophies and enjoy them. Perhaps if I had started philosophy from any other book, I might not have liked it as much or might have been disappointed and then considered it a waste of time. But not only has my time not been wasted, but I have also learned things that I should have read in my youth. I wish I had become acquainted with this book earlier. After all, whenever we catch a fish...

It's truly amazing how this book has opened up a new world of thought and exploration for me. The way Gaarder weaves the story of Sophie with the teachings of philosophy makes it both engaging and accessible. I found myself constantly reflecting on the ideas presented and how they relate to my own life.