Already a tussle to know which one to choose - it was nearly Tutus Groan, but on the basis of staying cheerful on a desert island, I've gone for Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.
It's a mystery novel and a history of philosophy at the same time. As Sophie tries to unravel the mysteries of the plot, so she needs to understand the development of Western philosophy. So the book is really didactic, but given the subject, Gaarder does a good job of making it as pleasant as a story. The section on Jesus is a bit disappointing: even for a po-mo philosopher it doesn't credit Jesus with much influence, and he passes on quickly to more important things. But that aside, it's a painless way of learning the history of western thought.
1 comment:
Never read it but it sounds really interesting. A concept novel - bit like 1970s rock!
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