30 Books Before I'm 30: Sophie's World

Sophie's World 

by Jostein Gaarder

"Dear Hilde, If the human brain was simple enough for us to understand, we would still be so stupid that we couldn't understand it. Love, Dad."

I put this book on my list because it seemed like everyone from my IHS program in high school had read it but me, and even at nearly 30 years old I still felt left out. Sophie's World is essentially non-fiction encased in fiction; the meat of the story is an intro to philosophy from the Greeks to the Absurdists and the fluff of the story is about a girl named Sophie who gets tutored about philosophy by an initially-unknown weirdo/philosopher named Alberto Knox. The rest of this review contains spoilers, so if you're planning to read this book then discontinue reading this post.

Okay? Here's what happens: the philosopher sends Sophie anonymous notes, brought by his dog Hermes, until the dog leads her to the philosopher's creepy cabin in the woods. There was also a whole subplot where Sophie kept finding postcards for some chick name Hilde from Hilde's father. Then Alberto kept talking about Hilde's dad as the creator of the world and Hermes the dog started talking like a person. We finally discover that Sophie and Alberto are actually characters in a book written for Hilde by her father, who is in Lebanon with the UN during Hilde's 15th birthday. Hilarity ensues.

Honestly, I only read this book right now because I can't read my kindle in the tub. This was really important.

What I Liked: I really think I would have liked this book more if I had read it in high school. It's an interesting way to introduce philosophy at a basic level. It made me nostalgic for high school when my brain had just developed the capacity for complex abstract thought and my friends and I would get together and excitedly discuss philosophy as though we had invented it. These conversations usually occurred late at night, sometimes took place at Dairy Queen or backstage during whatever play we were all in at the time, and were completely drug-free and hilarious (but you had to have been there).

Also, the initial mystery of who the philosopher could be kind of sucked me in at the beginning. 

What I Didn't Like: I took Intro to Philosophy my freshman year of college, and during the course of my 10 years of college (yes, with this term it's official), I have learned about everything in this book already. (That doesn't mean that I actually know anything, it just means that the philosophical concepts in this novel are very basic). I admit I skipped the section on Freud. I just couldn't do it again.

This Book Would be Best if Read: In the bathtub, obviously.

I Would Recommend This Book to: A high schooler interested in philosophy or someone who has never had a philosophy class who might like to learn.

If You Liked This Book, You Might Also Like: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

This Book Wins my Award for: Most use of my new least favorite word "bagatelle." Yuck.
P.S. For some reason I misplaced this book more often than any of the other 30 Books Before I'm 30. I think it took me so long to read it because half the time I couldn't even find it! It would have won my award for "Most Misplaced Book," except that the word "bagatelle" grated so much on my nerves.

In my Professional Psychological Opinion: (Note: This section is a joke and I would never officially diagnose a person, real or imagined, without an appropriate clinical interview.) I would diagnose Sophie and Alberto Knox with Shared Psychotic Disorder (or folie a deux) for believing that they are characters in a book who then break free and wander the earth as spirits.

Up Next: Wuthering Heights-- I'm already a quarter finished because I've been going to the gym more often and my kindle fits perfectly on both the elliptical machine and the treadmill.