Sophies World (Paperback)

In "Sophie's World" you will find an interesting novel, intertwined almost seamlessly with the History of Philosohy. Is that possible?. For Jostein Gaarder, yes. This former philosophy teacher, born in 1952 in Oslo (Norway), reached success with this book, which has managed to attract even those not commonly interested in Philosophy and also, somehow, to become part of the bibliography of many undergraduate philosophy courses.

The plot of the book is rather simple. It centers on Sophie Amundsen, a fourteen year old girl approaching her fifteen birthday, who one day begins to receive letters from someone she doesn't know. In those letters, her unknown correspondent begins to tell her about the History of Philosophy, the subject he studies. Sophie's goes on receiving those letters throughout the novel, and they become an essential part of the plot, which is a mystery with unexpected turnarounds.

I would like to point out that I noticed a change in Sophie's attitude towards the world and what was happening around her, as the novel is nearer to its end. After learning in those letters about the History of Philosophy (that could also be called the History of Thought), she starts to think in a different, more analytical way. In my opinion, the reader suffers the same process that changes Sophie, and that is not a bad thing at all.

It is important to remark upon the fact that the letters that Sophie's correspondent sends her are written in a clear way, so that she (a teenager) would be able to understand them. Due to the fact that in those letters the main theme is Philosophy, the reader can not only enjoy a good novel but also have access to graspable explanations regarding the ideas of some philosophers, so far unknown or incomprehensible to him.

I recommend this book to anybody curious enough to want to read it. It doesn't require too much effort: you will learn without being aware of doing so. Concerning the age of the reader, I think that "Sophie's World" can be read easily by teenagers, but will also be appealing to adults who enjoy a good book.

On the whole, I believe this book is worth buying, reading and keeping. It is not perfect, though, because I think that the plot of the novel could have been better. However, there aren't too many perfect things in this world, and unfortunately that includes books. So my advice is: read it !!!. You are highly likely to enjoy doing that, and you will appreciate the change of perspective that "Sophie's World" will bring to you.

Belen Alcat