Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy (FSG Classics) |  | Author: Jostein Gaarder
Creator: Paulette Moller
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
List Price: $12.00
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Rating:  595 reviews
Sales Rank: 5752
Media: Paperback
Pages: 544
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.4 x 1
ISBN: 0374530718
Dewey Decimal Number: 839.82374
EAN: 9780374530716
ASIN: 0374530718
Publication Date: March 20, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com Review
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.
Product Description
A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Sophie’s World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print.
One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: “Who are you?” and “Where does the world come from?” From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 595
 Sophies World September 24, 2009
Matthew D. Carlson
I bought this book for a philosophy class I am taking. The book was a very good intro to philosophy and gives the ideas in creative ways. While it was good at giving the history and evoking thought I felt the story was a little lame and probably wouldn't read it for just the fun of it.
Great book if you want to know about philosophy mediocre book if you just want to read a good story.
 A Must Read On Beginning Philosophy September 14, 2009
A. S. Green
This book became an instant favorite. It rests somewhere in between a novel with introspective ideas and an introductory level textbook on philosophy. The novel aspects paint beautifully the world of Sophie, whatever that is exactly. Rarely am I so captivated; every moment I wonder what little trick the author will perform next. The more textbook side is a must read for anyone interested in philosophy. It gives a run through of philosophy from Socrates to present day. Even if you know a bit about philosophy, Sophie's World makes for an entertaining read. This book is my go-to gift for graduations and birthdays, in hopes that it will help those coming of age learn to think critically.
Not impressed at all, September 8, 2009
Raul Saavedra (Caracas, Venezuela)
Not impressed at all. As a brief introduction to philosophy it's ok I guess. But the instructional goal was intertwined with a story that, in my humble opinion, is rather shallow and lame. Moreover, that "literary" part of the book involves some uncalled for mystic metafiction that in my opinion was rather poorly realized. I jotted down numerous :rolleyes: notes all over the book. Wouldn't recommend it. I'd rather recommend "Antimanual de Filosofia / Antimanual Philosophy: Lecciones Socraticas y Alternativas / Socratic and Alternative Lessons (Ensayo) (Spanish Edition)" by Michel Onfray, even though I have only browsed it superficially, but seems to be a much more promising book for introducing philosophy to a similar audience, without extraneous literary attempts.
For all ages September 4, 2009
Mindy Lubin (NJ looking at Manhattan)
Sophie's World is a revelation about Nordic and Scandinavian cultures,at least to this unworldly reader, but also a wonderful introduction to Philosophy for intelligent young people and all thinking adults. Well written, exciting and thought-provoking, I sent copies to my 13-yr. old granddaughter, Lianna, as well as to my 17-yr. old granddaughter, Megan. Treat yourself and read this wonderful book! Mindy Lubin
 Gaarder gives it "the old college try" August 2, 2009
Roy E. Perry (Nolensville, Tennessee)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
"Sophie's World" is, as the author states, a novel that presents "a wide bird's-eye view of the history of philosophy." Its fantasy plot takes us into a "reality" (which turns out to be an illusion), where "all that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream" (Edgar Allan Poe) and "We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life, is rounded with a sleep" (William Shakespeare). Indeed, according to the Big Bang Theory, we are all star dust. "Sophie's World" is a journey, so to speak, "down the rabbit hole" into an Alice-in-Wonderland, Through-the-Looking-Glass existence, in which fictional characters assume the appearance of "reality." The novel is simply an excuse for the author to present a summary of the history of philosophical ideas. At the risk of sounding like a parrot and saying, "Me, too!" I agree with the reviewer (see "A Doughnut!", January 13, 1999) who says, "The author is not expected to deal with every philosopher. However, to omit Schopenhauer altogether and reduce the great Nietzsche to one sentence tears the heart out of the book." Although their philosophies are quite different, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche are my two favorite philosophers, and making such a short shrift of them is disappointing. The writer of "A Doughnut!", however, is incorrect at one point: the author gives Nietzsche more than one sentence; he gives Nietzsche a whole paragraph. The danger of this book is that beginning philosophy students, although they may receive some profit from reading "Sophie's World", will assume that they now know everything about the subject and pursue it no further. If Mr. Gaarder's novel encourages readers to investigate philosophy more seriously, he will have made a positive contribution; if, however, readers are turned off by reading this work, the effect would be deplorable. "Sophie's World" would serve as a passable companion to a course in Philosophy 101, but would be of less help in Philosophy 102, 103, and beyond. If you must read it, bear in mind that there are better treatments of philosophy and philosophers "out there" (in what we assume, correctly or incorrectly) to be the actual world.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 595
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