This is a really interesting work, with some unexpected twists. It’s simultaneously a story and a series of lessons in philosophy. I don’t want to spoil what makes it novel, so I can’t delve too deeply into its details.

I will say, despite what the cover claims, it’s a good book about the history of Western philosophy. I think maybe Buddha got a token mention at one point. Other eastern philosophers like Confucius or Laozi don’t even get that much. Neither do you find much from Russians like Fyodor Dostoevsky or Leo Tolstoy.

Also, it never really gets into the later existentialist philosophers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Friedrich Neitzshe. I don’t particularly care for Nietzsche, but it’s not like he didn’t have a few useful things to say.

But that’s enough about what’s not included. What we do have is the school of classical philosophy of Greece. From there we progress through some of the theology of the Abrahamic world. We go from the spread of Christianity to Europe, and examine interpretations from various theologians. We even dip a bit into political philosophies and psychology before it’s done with.

Now, how does a story give us instruction in philosophy? The story follows a young Norwegian girl named Sofie, who finds herself receiving mysterious letters from a man who wants to teach her about philosophy. He keeps sending her packets forming the lessons of his course. At the same time, Sophie is trying to figure out why she keeps seeing references to some unknown girl named Hilde.

I did very much like some of the points about having a philosophical outlook on life. An image it paints is like being aboard an impossibly gigantic rabbit. The philosophical spirit has us out on the ends of the furs looking out in wonder at what lies beyond. As we age and come to care less, we tend to turn away from the great unknown and instead seek the safer comforts down in the deeper fur. I find the analogy quite nice.

I feel like, if I went any further with this, I’d end up spoiling some of the book’s charm. So, I’ll end this by recommending it for anyone with even a passing curiosity about philosophy. But I will say this much. The bit later on with the little girl selling matches? That was hilarious.