Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy

Written by Jostein Gaarder

Narrated by Simon Vance

A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print.

One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Translator: Paulette Møller
• Release date: Mar 20, 2007
• ISBN: 9781427200860

Jostein Gaarder

Jostein Gaarder (Oslo, 1952) fue profesor de Filosofía y de Historia de las Ideas en un instituto de Bergen durante diez años. En 1986 empezó a publicar libros, y en 1990 recibió el Premio de la Crítica y el Premio literario del Ministerio de Cultura noruegos por su novela El misterio del solitario (Siruela, 1995). Pero fue El mundo de Sofía (Siruela, 1994) la obra que se convirtió en un auténtico best-seller mundial e hizo de su autor una celebridad internacional. Gaarder creó la Fundación Sofía, cuyo premio anual dotó económicamente a la mejor labor innovadora a favor del medioambiente y el desarrollo.

Reviews for Sophie's World

[Hugo ramoos · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's a book that definitely changed my perspective on life, I highly recommend it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Julianbruno · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a very nice book, perfect for starting to learn about philosophy and personal reasoning, it is not difficult to digest, and the story is purely beautiful and entertaining, I definitely recommend it. (Translated from Spanish)

[Ailed Rguez · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a new genre for me, and I won't deny that I had my doubts at the beginning; however, I ended up enjoying it, especially the first half. I already had some understanding of the subject from my philosophy classes in high school, but it was good to recap. Here we see how Sofia starts receiving letters that take her through the history of philosophy and how her own world and self-concept change the more she learns. In this case, the phrase "Every mind is its own world" applies quite well, and I think it's a good starting point for delving into philosophy. (Translated from Spanish)

[ValverdeEmiliano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Pay attention here…
Why do you introduce literature to a young person with trendy novels? It's good to read, and anyone would say: what's important is that they have started reading, yes, of course, it's good, of course, the important thing is to begin, but why not start well?
If you have children or simply want to bring reading to someone younger, don't let them read trash exploited by consumer capitalism…
Sophie's World is a good example of how to take the first steps in the art of literature…
Remember that the ending depends on the beginning; if you start poorly, how do you think you will end up? ? (Translated from Spanish)

[Tavo1991 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun and quick read. Although it is presented as an introduction to the world of philosophy, I believe any type of reader can enjoy it. The author's philosophical orientation is well defined, but it makes for a varied collection that captures the main ideas of great philosophical thinkers. It leaves a smooth learning experience and a desire to delve deeper into this fabulous world. The ending is a bit abrupt for my taste, but it is an interesting and recommendable literary work. (Translated from Spanish)

[mmvv · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

At 13, I accidentally came across this work, and I adored it at a young age. Many, many years later (early 2020, at the age of 36), I read it again. I admit that it didn’t spark the same love for this story as it did in my preadolescence, but I read it with affection for that curious young girl I once was... and obviously, still am. (Translated from Spanish)

[alex1968 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's an excellent book for better understanding philosophy from its beginnings, covering the most important philosophers. The author provides us with a summary of the essentials of thought and the different eras of human history, a book that should not be missing from your library. (Translated from Spanish)

[Mauro · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First of all, this is a text for the popularization of philosophy, and it is important to be clear about this. The plot of the novel is slow and leaves much to be desired, although the ending is somewhat forced, it does have a certain influence of absurdist theater, especially in Sofia's birthday party. Without a doubt, this book is a good way to approach philosophy and serves as a brief means to study or seek out some concept. (Translated from Spanish)

[Maago · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book to get introduced to philosophy. It helps understand a significant portion of the exposition of various major thinkers in history. It explains the historical evolution of thought in Europe (understanding events as consequences of prominent thoughts from respective historical periods) and features an entertaining storyline with some unexpected twists. (Translated from Spanish)

[Elyholaa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A marvel, one of the first thick books I managed to finish, I have never really been into reading until a few years ago. As a curious child, I was very interested in philosophy, I watched videos and listened to podcasts. When I wanted to develop reading habits, I started with Nietzsche (a grave error). I read some of his books, but the ideas barely entered my head. If you want to start in philosophy and also want to start reading, this book is perfect for you.

This book, which I consider my favorite so far, would get 5 stars, only that at times during the reading, since it was one of the first books I read, some conversations between Roberto and Sofía confused me, and I couldn’t figure out who was who. But I attribute that problem to myself, since, as I said, I was new to reading. (Translated from Spanish)

[diegogt0 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a book this Norwegian writer made, a tremendous project it must have been to compile the entire history of philosophy into a book, and to do so, he creates the character of Sofia, who begins to receive letters with transcendental questions from a philosopher teacher. From here begins the adventure in that Norwegian town, where one witnesses in the third person all the great thinkers of history parade by, a great and extensive book from which one emerges only with a smile and wisdom inherited through the ages. (Translated from Spanish)

[JudySalazar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is definitely a book that changes you; it is about philosophy. It teaches you the story of Sofia in both senses, Sofia and Philosophy (Sophia). It turns out that this Sofia is a 15-year-old girl, as I remember, and there is also Hilde, another girl from another world who was born on the same day and is the same age as Sofia, or I don't know how it was, it's been a long time since I read it.

Sofia starts receiving letters from an anonymous sender, asking her "Who are you?" This leaves Sofia very intrigued because she had never asked herself that; she knew she was Sofia, but could that be the answer? The letters continue, and the person sending them asks her questions and gives explanations about who formulated them and the different answers given by the various philosophers in the world. He names them chronologically from Eden to the Big Bang theory, passing through Athens, Plato, Aristotle, Religion, Philosophy, and Science. It is a truly surprising book; the half-star it lacks is more due to me, as I couldn't fully understand it; my mind is limited and there is so much to process and comprehend; but also because of the ending; Sofia and the anonymous man are just characters in a book, a book that is Hilde's gift from her father. And that confusing chapter, I didn't understand what really happened.

The greatest virtue of this work is the very simple and entertaining way of telling something so complicated and, in a way, boring like philosophy. I thank my aunt for giving it to me. (Translated from Spanish)

[MaiaCham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book to introduce oneself to the world of philosophy! The narrative is very engaging and at the same time super comprehensive in terms of educational content. (Translated from Spanish)

[Sofijimenez21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.2⭐

I finally finished this great book, it is undoubtedly wonderful, the way you immerse yourself in a philosophy course in a simple and very understandable narrative, and how it also tells a story within this, I loved it very much. (Translated from Spanish)

[jacardenas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A good read. I think it fits what we all think about the book: a good introduction to philosophy for young readers. (Translated from Spanish)

[danieltacsa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is an interesting work for those who wish to delve into the wonderful world of philosophy, reviewing basic concepts, and from the halfway point of the book, it makes you see everything with new eyes due to the twist in the story. (Translated from Spanish)

[verobakaric · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An extreme synthesis of the historical line of the world of thinkers and philosophy. All this intertwined with the story of a young woman and fantastic twists. (Translated from Spanish)

[nielonetti · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Love Letters to the History of Philosophy (Translated from Spanish)

[Augusto1974 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found it a masterpiece. Not only for its content but also for its originality in a philosophy book. (Translated from Spanish)

[MaLuisaMarSer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In addition to being educational, it opens your eyes to a new reality full of life and reflection. (Translated from Spanish)

[mauro69781 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorites. A lovely entryway to philosophy. (Translated from Spanish)

[TheLittlePrince · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very gripping book with good handling of mystery and a story that flows constantly. (Translated from Spanish)

[Erica Soledad Sayal · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I apologize to most of the people who recommended the book to me with a lot of fervor and conviction, but... it was so tedious to finish it!
Not only does it have very vague concepts regarding the philosophical currents it touches upon, but I also believe it doesn’t capture the most important aspects of them all.
A book that interweaves with another, I acknowledge, is an original story—if you will—but nothing more.
I would only consider recommending it to teenagers or pre-teens. (Translated from Spanish)

[cjcarol · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is necessary to secure good paths. (Translated from Spanish)

[Herminio1942 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An interesting novel to delve into the history of Western philosophy. (Translated from Spanish)

[puntofinalpy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sofía Amundsen is about to turn 15 years old, and one day, upon returning from school, she receives an envelope in the mail... there's no turning back as her adventure begins! Alberto guides Sofía in this new world to discover, while together they find out that their world is far from what they believed. Jostein Gaarder created a simple, yet complete, guide on philosophy in a novel for teenagers (and not just them ?). It’s a novel that, despite the years, you will remember! Entertaining, intelligent, and challenging! However, it does require a lot of interest and concentration; there are 633 pages to read and re-read. In 1999, a movie adaptation was released under the same name (I still need to watch the movie... I didn’t know they made one). I was gifted the book when I turned 15, just like Hilde, and I read it in a few days. To this day, I remember the metaphor of the rabbit's skin. If you're looking to give a gift for a birthday, anniversary, or whatever... THIS IS the gift you were looking for! (Translated from Spanish)

[DaveGV · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A pleasant journey through the greatest minds of humanity. (Translated from Spanish)

[Marthink · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the very first moment, we couldn't stop thinking and discovering philosophical questions step by step. We became learners and responded to the questions posed to Sofia while learning about the foundations of philosophy. Later, as we approached the end, I remember it as a haze. I suppose it can always be reread. Highly recommended and leave it in the home library to return to it... (Translated from Spanish)

[MauroAndrs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is a very exciting book from start to finish. It will definitely give you a super boost to delve into philosophy in a very educational way; when I read it, it reminded me of the story of Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude because of how fantastic it tends to be. Good luck with the journey you will embark on when you start reading it ❤️ (Translated from Spanish)

[SofaP · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A book based on philosophy with super interesting content but at the same time, it makes for a very heavy read...

It has been a reading that was recommended to me, and I’m not sure if I would have read it on my own at any point in my existence.

Questions like many others that remain in the air and for which I don’t know the answer for certain. (Translated from Spanish)