pufford's review against another edition
3.0
It was probably inevitable that I wouldn’t get along with this book. As an idea, it is brilliant, but I wish that I had read it at 15, along with the key protagonists. There are some excellent games afoot, the framing narrative is - at least initially- engaging. But its descent into the absurd irritated me, as much as I understood the clever trick it was trying to play.
Equally brilliant and frustrating was the history of philosophy at the core. The early sections are excellent, and- for this British reader, whose schooling was woefully thin on philosophy and lacked any clear chronology- were a good primer for later, more familiar ideas. But the oversimplification began to jar once I was on more familiar ground. Like I say, for a teenage reader, this would have been perfect.
Equally brilliant and frustrating was the history of philosophy at the core. The early sections are excellent, and- for this British reader, whose schooling was woefully thin on philosophy and lacked any clear chronology- were a good primer for later, more familiar ideas. But the oversimplification began to jar once I was on more familiar ground. Like I say, for a teenage reader, this would have been perfect.
gelidusgaudium840's review against another edition
5.0
I read this books when I was 14 years old and it was the one which introduced me to Philosophy, which love I cherished my whole teenage years.
ivana34's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
baisol's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
If you have an overview of a basic philosophy time line this book can get slow because the first 300 pages it’s mostly that with motifs sprinkled here and there I would say that the last 100 pages do make it worth it because it’s a really interesting twist and a nice way to wrap the plot up
prateekkohli's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kristinasshelves's review against another edition
5.0
Sophie, a 14 year old girl, returns home one afternoon to find a letter from a mysterious teacher. We quickly learn the teacher's identity to be Alberto Knox, who sends Sophie on a journey through the history of philosophy. We follow her as she learns about Plato Plato, Socrates and Aristotle; Zeno/Stoicism; to Middle Ages & Medieval; Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Marxism, Darwinism, Freud, and many more influential thinkers. Sophie learns more about logic, and begins to think in a new way as she is encouraged to be critical about her world and question things that are happening.
Sophie also finds herself receiving correspondence from a girl named Hilda, whose life has many similarities to Sophie. While the answers to this mystery plot became incredibly obvious as the book progressed, I still found it to be a fun addition to add levity to what could have easily been a very dense book.
I've always enjoyed philosophy, to the point that I almost included it as a second major in college. I adored how this book broke down each era of thought in an approachable way, yet still conveyed the major themes of each school of thought. I especially enjoyed how this story broke the fourth wall and the "twist" at the end, although again very obvious as I was reading.
Sophie also finds herself receiving correspondence from a girl named Hilda, whose life has many similarities to Sophie. While the answers to this mystery plot became incredibly obvious as the book progressed, I still found it to be a fun addition to add levity to what could have easily been a very dense book.
I've always enjoyed philosophy, to the point that I almost included it as a second major in college. I adored how this book broke down each era of thought in an approachable way, yet still conveyed the major themes of each school of thought. I especially enjoyed how this story broke the fourth wall and the "twist" at the end, although again very obvious as I was reading.
toomanydresses's review
challenging
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
jiwonlee's review against another edition
2.0
at first i thought how the 'lessons on philosophy' were written so that it was part of a story would make absorbing facts easier, but as it went on, it seemed to be increasingly more focused on delivering the facts, and the bits with Sophie saying "and?" "so?" "and what about..?" got really annoying
i liked how philosophy was simplified so it was easier to understand, but i think just touching on the surface on so many different philosophers made me really confused and forget about all of them in a matter of hours
i liked how philosophy was simplified so it was easier to understand, but i think just touching on the surface on so many different philosophers made me really confused and forget about all of them in a matter of hours
magicsheep's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
cocoanatomical's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0