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Summary: A comparison of life & a deck of cards.
Review: Not till I read this book, a deck of cards to me was simply a deck of cards --- something to play with either alone or with friends. After having read this book, I now hold a very much different opinion.The world, & life in general, are like the entire deck of cards. It is full of different people, belonging in different families. Year in & year out, these people dwell with their own lives. Nothing concerns them more than their immediate environment. Like the dwarves in the magical island, we tend to run from the truth. Yes, we search...but if we feel we will not like the truth we are unearthing, then we avoid finding it out entirely. Like these suits, we humans, are oblivious & indifferent to the wonders that surround us. Like the Ace of Hearts, we are in constant search of something that we do not know of, & more often than not, we tend to lose ourselves. Like the Kings, we judge the Joker negatively, not only for how he looks, but for what he sees & says are very much different from our own views. Needless to say, it is this odd man who is the wisest of us all. He, being an outsider, gets to observe properly & sees the mire we are all in. In general, this book is a very interesting & unique piece. It is a far cry from the usual commercial books we often see around. I highly recommend this book to every avid reader, despite the main character (Hans) being a child. The topics being discussed through the pages are interesting to note & very much worthy of our thoughts. It is something to read & ponder on. & oh yes, before I forget...nothing is permanent in this world. Only change & time.
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Summary: brilliantly written!
Review: Jostein Gaarder crystalizes elementary philosophical ideas into this beautifully written novel. In this story we journey with Hans, the main character, into another story a world of talking playing cards, magic fizzy drinks, and sticky buns; the novel drizzles with sparkling imagery and plenty of creativity. I am amazed by Gaarder's ability to capture such thought-provoking philosophical ideas with beauty and simplicity. Every time I finished a chapter I could not help but sigh in contentment!
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Summary: One of my favorites
Review: This book is one of my favorites. It keeps in line with Gaarder's expressed curiosity, his ability to question universal ideas. The book contains a story within a story, but is never confusing or boring. Although the inner story is something we would typically find unbelievable, Gaarder does a good job of linking it to our own existence.
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Summary: The Solitaire Mystery
Review: This is a terrific book for readers of all ages. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. J. Gaarder is truly a gifted writer and story teller and every child should have the opportunity to read his books. What a find!
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Summary: It's readable but...
Review: The Solitaire Mystery is a good book to read with a dark side to it and little to none philosophy in it. It tells two stories one of a Norwegian boy goin on a trip with his father to find his mother who left them and went to Greece and another story which the little boy reads from a tiny book. The heart of the story is Hans Thomas , his thoughts and views on the world, his missing his mother. The story with in the story was another story! It was boring to read though the writer made honest attempts to tranfer you in another magical world ,if the Magical Mystery Tour didn't take you away then you'll survive this too!!! Also the book I bought claims that a third story is told as well,that of a conceivable trip to the world of philosophy.It is possible that I wasn't paying much attention but most likely I was and I'm disappointed to think that there hasn't been a decent philosopher since those Ancient Greeks. Philosophy is the love for wisdom and with out love there is no wisdom, rather the shadow of it...I'd say read it but beware of Jokers baring gifts!
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Summary: You Just Have To Read This Book!
Review: To all the lovers of Sophie's World, His Dark Materials, and the Harry Potter books: This is the right book for you! If you've read Sophie's World, you get the history of philosophy, and then, when you read The Solitaire Mystery, you see the philosophy applied! Also, you'll never look at a pack of cards the same again! This book was in the adult section at my library, but I personally think it's for everyone. The main characters are Hans Thomas and his father, who are on a quest to find Hans' Mommy. Along the way, Hans gets a sticky bun, a book, and a magnifying glass, and that's where everything becomes very interesting. This book is a must-read for everyone, especially those who feel like jokers in a huge pack of cards!
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Summary: An Enchanting Mystery
Review: On the very first page, the bright young philosopher Hans Thomas explains: "I would really like to think about something else. But I know I have to write everything down while there is still something of a child in me." And by the very last page, you will suddenly realize that Hans Thomas the philosopher has actually preserved the "child" in YOU! Well, with a little help from The Joker! (A personal confession. I finished reading this lovely tale this evening which happens to be April Fool's Day, no less, and before I turned the last page I had an odd feeling that maybe... just maybe... something magical was about to happen and the book in my hands just might go POOF! and end up as tiny as the sticky-bun book in the story! Well, stranger things have happened, you know....) This book would make a perfect gift for just about anyone, especially for someone who likes to THINK. Do your friend a favor though, and pull a Joker out of a deck of cards and place it in the book as a bookmark. This is a wonderful story, very nicely written -- all 52 chapters! It has a nice printing touch with card symbols on every page. It is one of the most delightful books I've read since Harry Potter.
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Summary: excellent - a must for everybody!
Review: this is, by far, my favorite jostein gaarder's book! it is extremely creative, very well written, and one you can reread again & again & again. i prefer this book rather than "sophie...", because i think the philosophy was woven almost seamlessly into the story, whilst i feel that in "sophie's world", although it is also a creative book, the philosophy was just pasted into the story. the card calendar system was truly original! i literally could not put this book down, i didn't even notice the phone ringing off the hook when reading this!
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Summary: Good book !
Review: this is a masterpiece cleverly woven by Mr Jostein Gaarder . He explores the questions of life and philosophy by intricately binding it to the characters in the story . One of his many good books . A really interesting read . A must read !!!
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Summary: A mixed opinion...
Review: I read this book after reading Sophie's World. I don't have any conscious memory of specific expectations when I began reading this book, but the unintentional comparison was there. Sophie's World was thought-provoking, a work of genius. The Solitaire Mystery is worth reading, there's no doubt of that. The complicated and interwoven plots were quite interesting to untangle. However, the story just didn't draw me in the way Sophie's World did. It was just a story.
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