Purchased cheap from a library book sale.

From Amazon.com:
This long, dense novel, a bestseller in the author's native Norway, offers a summary history of philosophy embedded in a philosophical mystery disguised as a children's book -- but only sophisticated young adults would be remotely interested. Sophie Amundsen is about to turn 15 when she receives a letter from one Alberto Knox, a philosopher who undertakes to educate her in his craft. Sections in which we read the text of Knox's lessons to Sophie about the pre-Socratics, Plato and St. Augustine alternate with those in which we find out about Sophie's life with her well-meaning mother. Soon, though, Sophie begins receiving other, stranger missives addressed to one Hilde Moller Knag from her absent father, Albert. As Alberto Knox's lessons approach this century, he and Sophie come to suspect that they are merely characters in a novel written by Albert for his daughter. Teacher and pupil hatch a plot to understand and possibly escape from their situation; and from there, matters get only weirder. Norwegian philosophy professor Gaarder's notion of making a history of philosophy accessible is a good one. Unfortunately, it's occasionally undermined by the dry language he uses to describe the works of various thinkers and by an idiosyncratic bias that gives one paragraph to Nietzsche but dozens to Sartre, breezing right by Wittgenstein and the most influential philosophy of this century, logical positivism. Many readers, regardless of their age, may be tempted to skip over the lessons, which aren't well integrated with the more interesting and unusual metafictional story line.

Okay, so I'm gonna cheat a little and include this one to accompany Duma Key, a bookring-plus. I may not have personally rated it but my husband had read and FINISHED it a while ago, which is bloody impressive for him because he doesn't read (flipping through magazines doesn't count!). This is the copy he read and I have another on my shelf waiting for me to give this book another go. He had rated this 7.5 so it qualifies!

This book is accompanying Duma Key (a Bookring PLUS!). If you would like to keep this book, please replace it with a book you personally rate 7/10 or higher when you send Duma Key to the next reader. Please include these instructions in a journal entry for each accompanying book. Thanks!

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing off to fairy-whispers to accompany a bookring-plus book. This has been posted in a prepaid Express Post satchel, tracking #: SV0253552.

G'day,

Just checking in to let you know I am safe and sound. I am having a nice visit with fairy-whispers before continuing on my travels. I hope you’re having as much fun as I am!

With Great Affection,

Your Book :-)

This book was very heavy to read, but it is worth plowing through. I found this to be an enjoyable way to learn about the history of philosophy and the various ways of looking at this world of ours. I recommend reading this a piece at a time so as to take time to ponder what you are reading.

Selected from the OzVBB.

Received today - thanks seldombites!

Book sale donation