Jostein Gaarder

A chance meeting on the Fijian island of Taveuni is the trigger for a fascinating and mysterious novel that intertwines the stories of John Spooke, an English author who is grieving for his dead wife; Frank Andersen, a Norwegian evolutionary biologist estranged from his wife Vera; and an enigmatic Spanish couple, Ana and Jose, who are absorbed in their love for each other. Why does Ana bear such a close resemblance to the model for Goya's famous Maja paintings? What is the significance of the Joker as he steps out of his pack of cards? As the action moves from Fiji to Spain, from the present to the past, unfolding further stories within the stories, the novel reveals an astonishing richness and complexity. As bold and imaginative in its sweep as Sophie's World, it shows again that Jostein Gaarder's unique and special gift is to make us wonder at the awe-inspiring mystery of the universe.

Maya

Mary Rose Luksha

This is the second Gaarder book I have read, the first being Sophie's World. Other reviews mentioned reading the Solitaire Man was helpful to them, and I wish that I had read it because it would have given the story more meaning. 

I enjoy philosophy books, and I loved Sophie's World. I found the evolution speeches by the main character, Frank, very interesting. That's the kind of thing I couldn't read in a textbook, but putting it in a story makes much more sense to me. That being said, there is a large portion of the book where Frank is talking to a gecko who he imagines talks back to him. As a device to write more scientific information it is very creative, but as a plot point I thought it was used too much. I think some of those conversations could have been cut down. 

I was also confused about one of the major plot points. It seems there is a mystery, and that was the best part of the book. But the final part of the book is a post script written by a character, John who is a novelist, and the post script ruined the mystery for me and seemed like an easy way out for Gaarder. (That's all I can say without spoilers).

So, I rated this book 3 stars. It doesn't get stars for the storyline, the beginning was slow and the big mystery seemed ruined for me at the end, but it does get stars for Gaarder's articulate descriptions of philosophical biology and the scientific existentialism I think we've all felt at one point or another when we look up at the stars and realize how far away they are and how old they are, and how ephemeral we are in comparison.

Dinda

Salah satu novel Jostein Gaarder yang bikin aku mikir keras, ya ini terberat kedua setelah Dunia Sophie. Sekarang siapa aja yang nanya aku buku filsafat buat pemula, aku pasti sarankan buku ini.

Maya

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