Thread read to discuss August's book.

has nobody read this then?

I started it but gave up after a bit, found the construct a bit tedious, I remember reading it when it came out and enjoyed it then, but this time round just didn't grab me.

 Oh Man!!!  Is this the only bit of discussion??!!!!  I plodded and ploughed through this book with the intention of discussing it here tonight!!!! I know that there are a few more of us who have read it, I was chatting to ibbetson1 briefly about it the other night, so hopefully, she (he?) will be along soon!!!

I found it very hard work, it felt like reading a textbook and the story was the bit that keep me plodding on, just when I thought that I might give up on it, the story picked up a bit and kept me going. I found the conclusion to the book, the fact that they are an authors creation, odd, to say the least, I was quite disappointed by that aspect actually.

I found the history of the philosophers interesting and the questions posed interesting, but I found Sophie irritating in that she had all the answers and could remember little things about different philophers which I had long forgotten.  It felt like reading lecture notes at some points,

I suppose, all in all, I'm glad I read it, and I'm glad to be done with it!

Well I didn't join in the discussion but all I can say is I tried really hard to read this book and gave up after about 100 pages as I was bored to death. I wanted to go on but couldn't!!!

  oh dear! Doesn't seem to have been a popular choice.  Sorry I wasn't able to come on last night, was quite unwell.

I first read this when I was about 17 and loved this - perhaps it appeals more to people when they read it younger since it is aimed at them?

I loved the fact it opened up my mind to new ideas and I loved all of the Sophie parts as well, to me it read like a fairy tale and didn't mind the twist at the end - I didn't see it coming and thought it was quite clever.

Anyway sorry to all those that found it tedious - hopefully there are a few of us that enjoyed reading it. 

Not to worry Sarah, I had tried to read it and given up well before it was selected as book of the month!!

 I'm glad I read it, it had been on my shelf for a while, and I thought about keeping it for my daughter, but she's only 6 at the mo!!!!  It definitley gives you food for thought!

I suppose, because we 'know' Sophie from the begining I hoped that Hilde would be the one that wasn't real!!!

Oh, so there is a twist in the book, is there? Well, too bad, I will never know

I was going to give up on the book but have picked it up again to try and finish it.

I am struggling and I do find that it is like reading a textbook so I am just reading a little chunk at a time and interspersing it with some lighter fiction!

I am not keen on the character of Sophie - I compared her to myself at 14 and I would rather have been hanging out with my mates than reading up on philosophy!

I am finding it quite interesting so will let you know whether I manage to get to the end or not!!!

Julia

 hello!  Do try to plod on, it feels like you should earn a medal for getting through it, I was wanting to tell perfect strangers that I'd finished it!!!!  I made myself not pick anything else up while I was reading it though, as I knew I'd give up on it if I did!

Sarita, yes, there is a twist, but it's not exactly at the end, it leads you into it for quite a while!  

I do agree, that it seems to be aimed at a younger audience.

Very nearly started reading this a couple of years ago when I was in secondary school. Sounds like a good concept.

My philosophy teacher suggested this book to our class a couple of years ago. I didn't finish it. I literally rather read the Philosophy textbooks.

I much prefered Richard Dawkins The God Delusion instead.

I finished reading this a few months ago, took me a long time to read it, but as others said I'm glad I did. I am very interested in philosophy though and did it as an A Level (not very well, I might add) I found the story good in some parts, but dropped abit in the middle, again I was disapointed with the ending, but had read it somewhere in a review, so that may be why, I was constantly looking for signs of it throughout the book.

I found the really long philosophy sections hard to take in, but enjoyed the shorter ones. I will have to re-read this book to get the full affect of it I think.

 Wow, sorry I am so late, but have onlyjust finished!!

I really had to force myself to keep going on this, and glad I did cos I feel like it's an achievment to have finally finished it after a couple of false starts and it languishing on my TBR for years!  

I can't say I particularly enjoyed it though!  I found the philosophy chunks interesting, but really hard to follow, and the story irritated me, especially the twist where Sophie and Alberto were in the book!  I found all the odd random characters appearing got right on my nerves too!!  And I hated the ending where they 'escaped'!  

AND the thing that occured to me at the end, was the bit in Sophie's dream!  Surely if that was in the book, then The Major knew they were going to 'escape' so they didn't really?!  So does that mean that it's all a part of a bigger story again, and so on!!  And I am so confused!!

It's taken me three weeks to read too, which has annoyed me in itself!!

Nat

I found myself nodding along with all your comments there, Natsplat!  But ESPECIALLY the bit about being annoyed by it taking three weeks to get through it!!!

Medal awarded!