Review: Sophie’s World, A Novel by Jostein Gaarder

Recently, I have been so interested on philosophy. But when I accidently saw and read this gorgeous novel, I became crazy of it. This is honestly a mix between a novel and a theory book on philosophy. That’s  perhaps one of strategic way the author did to deliver the history of philosophy without bringing the readers onto the state of boredom. Story starts when a teenager named Sophie Admundsen found a letter in her letterbox. It said ‘Who are you?’ and other silly questions, but philosophical ones.

The letter was actually sent by a philosopher nearby, and Sophie kept on getting the new ones. Each letter explained the history of the earliest philosophers. Like I do, Sophie became so excited on philosophy.

The story went on, and in the middle part of the novel. You will get such a shock, cause you will also find that the whole earlier part of the story was only ‘fiction of fiction’. You will come to a conclusion that like Sophie, you are now also experiencing the philosophy. In the worst case, you can even wonder if you life and world were only fiction. You live as a fictional character in God’s novel.

That was probably the best part of it all.

Here, though you may be boring in reading the beginning, or the philosophically historical part of the novel, I should make you be sure that YOU MUST READ THE SECOND HALF OF THIS NOVEL! This probably will change your perception of life. It might be so frightening if you jump to a wrong and negative conclusion. But, in the least, YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

These are some quotations and values taken from Sophie’s World.

-          “The only thing we require to be good philosophers is the faculty of wonder”

-          That many people are so caught in everyday’s routines. They crawl deep into the rabbit’s fur, become so comfortable with it, and finally stay there all their lifetime. They don’t want to wonder and ask the essence of life, or ‘looking directly to the Magician’s eyes’.

-          Nothing can come from nothing

-          Socrates didn’t do lecturing, but discussing. He helped people ‘gave birth’, just like a midwife.

-          Socrates: “No one could possibly be happy if they acted against their better judgment. And he who knows how to achieve happiness will do so. Therefore, he who knows what is right, will do right. Because why would anybody choose to be unhappy?”

-          “What do you think, Sophie? Can you live a happy life if you actually do things you know deep down are wrong? There are lots of people who lie and cheat and speak ill of others. Are they aware that these things are not right- or fair, if you prefer? Do you think these people are happy? Socrates didn’t.

-          The difference between a teacher and philosopher: a teacher thinks that he knows many things, but a philosopher, together with his pupils, tries to find the truth.

-          Plato: There’s a reality behind the material world: the world of ideas

-          Plato believed similarly that all natural phenomena are mainly shadows of the eternal forms or ideas

-          Aristotle was the first man to state that everything in this world is divided into categories

-          Plato had a contrast opinion with Aristotle. Plato said that the reality is the world in our thinking and reason, while Aristotle mentioned that the real world is that which people can perceive with senses.

-          “I think, therefore I am“(thinking being). - Descartes

-          Descartes doubted everything and that was the only thing he was certain of.

-          Spinoza: God didn’t create the world so He can be in the outside of it. He is the World. Sometimes, the world is in Him.

-          Aristotle: MAN CAN ONLY ACXHIEVE HAPPINESS BY USING ALL HIS ABILITIES AND CAPABILITTIES

-          Aristotle mentioned 3 forms of happiness: 1. Life of pleasure and enjoyment. 2. Life as a free and responsible citizen. 3. Life as thinker and philosopher

-          Ethics of both Plato and Aristotle contain echoes of Greek Medicine: only by exercising balance and temperance will I achieve a happy or ‘harmonious’ life.

-          This life and universe is like a big rabbit pulled from a top hat. The philosophers went up to the highest fur of the rabbit and looked straight at the Magician’s (God’s) eyes.

-          Tower of Babel

-          Cynics: True happiness lies in not being dependent on such random and fleeting things. (wealth, health, etc). And because happiness doesn’t consist in benefits of this kind, it’s within everyone’s reach. Moreover, having once being attained, it can never be lost.

-          Plotinus:  Darkness doesn’t have existence. It’s merely an absence of light.

-          Christian Mystic Angelus Silesius: “Everydrop becomes the sea when it flows oceanward, just as at last the soul ascends and thus becomes the Lord.”

-          The more you want to forget something, the more you remember it.

-          The philosopher said,  “Nobody asked you to like it. But philosophy is not a harmless party game. It’s about who we are and where we come from. Do you think we learn enough about that on school?”

“We don’t even learn to ASK them!” Sophie replied.

-          Life consists of a long chain of coincidences

-          God is God if every land was waste, God is God if every man were dead.

-          Spinoza: Man can strive for freedom in order to live without outer constraint but he will never achieve ‘free will’.

-          Justice only exists between equals. 

Review: The White Tiger, A Novel by Aravind Adiga

Saya pertama kali melihat cover novel ini dari sebuah baliho besar di atas sebuah toko buku di kota. Ada sebuah komentar pendek yang menyatakan betapa bagusnya novel tersebut. Itu terjadi hampir setengah tahun yang lalu, dan baru beberapa minggu lalu saya melihatnya langsung di salah satu rak buku perpustakaan kampus.

Kalau bisa saya katakan,  novel ini bercerita tentang perjuangan seseorang yang kebanyakan dituturkan dengan gaya humoris. Penulis sangat blak-blakan dan tahu persis apa yang ia tulis. Dengan gaya cerita dan bahasa yang ringan, pembaca tetap mampu mengikuti alur pembicaraannya, meski kadang ia memakai idiom atau kata yang pragmatis. Sayang di beberapa bagian, terjemahan Indonesianya kurang mengena. Maklum saja, yang menerjemahkan nampaknya orang luar yang bias bahasa Indo, bukan sebaliknya.

Novel ini bercerita tentang seorang pemuda bernama Balram Halwai, atau Muna, yang berasal dari daerah ‘kegelapan’, atau daerah kumuh dan memprihatinkan di India. Diceritakan bahwa ia berjuang menjadi pria sejati, sebagaimana yang diinginkan ayahnya yang telah meninggal. Setelah bekerja di beberapa tempat, ia pun berhasil menjadi seorang sopir orang kaya, atau tuan tanah. Sang tuan tanah sangatlah baik kepada dirinya. Begitu pula Balram sebaliknya. Namun dalam hatinya, ia berikrar untuk keluar dari ‘kandang ayam’.

‘Kandang ayam’ menurutnya adalah keadaan di mana orang tak dapat berkembang, tak dapat menjadi sukses, sebagaimana banyak orang India lainnya, terutama kastanya, tak dapat capai. Mereka dari tahun ke tahun hanya bekerja di tempat yang sama, tanpa mampu untuk beranjak. Dan ia tak mau itu. Karena itulah, meskipun merasa berat hati, dan cemas, ia pada akhirnya membunuh sang majikan dan membawa lari banyak uang sang majikan. Ia pun berhasil lari dan tak dikenali oleh polisi, karena ia mengganti namanya. Sejak saat itulah, ia menjadi seorang entrepreneur tersukses di Bungalore, India.

Novel ini selain ceritanya, juga mengungkapkan banyak hal tentang sisi buruk India, yang tampak begitu natural dalam penyampaiannya. Korupsi, dan kesenjangan social menjadi focus utama yang dibeberkan sang penulis tanpa ampun. Bentuk kerjasama illegal antara kaum pebisnis dan politisi pun dengan jelas diceritakan, seakan hal itu telah biasa. Akan tetapi, pembelajaran juga didapatkan dari novel ini, yaitu terkait dengan budaya India yang sangat religious dan beragam, yang kadang diwakili dengan karakter-karakter dan peristiwa yang unik. Terakhir, yaitu tentang entrepreneur. Di bagian akhir, penulis dengan cukup baik menyelipkan pesan tentang kewirausahaan dan kepemimpinan dalam menanggulangi masalah usaha.

Sebenarnya, novel ini kurang sesuai ekspektasi saya, ketika melihat baliho yang saya kemukakan tadi. Novel ini cocok dibaca untuk waktu yang senggang, dan tidak terlalu berbobot. Akan tetapi, pembaca bias dijamin tertarik untuk terus membacanya, karena dibawakan dengan ringan dan cerdas. Satu hal yang saya tidak mengerti adalah alasan mengapa sang penulis menceritakannya dalam bentuk surat kepada Perdana Menteri Cina?

Resensi: Novel ‘Hafalan Shalat Delisa’

Saya diberitahu oleh teman saya beberapa bulan lalu tentang novel ini. Dan baru minggu lalu saya menemukannya di rak perpustakaan fakultas saya. Dan saya pun tertarik untuk membacanya.

Secara keseluruhan, menurut saya novel ini kurang ‘kuat’ bila dibandingkan dengan novel lain seperti Laskar Pelangi, atau Negeri 5 Menara. Tapi di bagian tengah novel ini saya merasakan getaran besarm atas pengalaman Delisa dan keunikan karakternya dalam menghadapi musibah. 

Saya tidak mengira sebelumnya bahwa novel ini akan terkait dengan tragedi Aceh 2004. Hal ini dikarenakan pada bagian awal, ceritanya sangatlah sederhana. Bagitu pula pada bagian akhir, yang bahkan cenderung bisa ditebak. Pada novel ini penulis seringkali menggunakan deskripsi peristiwa daripada mengajak pembaca berpikir, yang justru ia sampaikan melalui footnote (yang menurut saya juga terlalu emosional dan terkesan mempersalahkan Tuhan atas peristiwa hidup Delisa di novel itu). Dalam buku cetakan pertama itu pula, penulis masih sering melakukan kesalahan tata bahasa, yang pada akhirnya dapat membuat pembaca bingung tentang sudut pandang penulis dan dialog karakter.

Saya pun mengetahui bahwa novel ini akan segera difilmkan. Saya hanya berharap sang sutradara dapat menghidupkan karakter-karakter lain yang lebih unik, dan juga memberikan perbedaan alur, terutama di bagian akhir cerita, karena pada novelnya, cerita berakhir kurang elegan dan agak dibuat-buat, sebagai hasil sebab-akibat dari pernyataan di awal novel.

Saya tidak tahu apakah novel ini berasal dari sebuah kisah nyata, namun saya masih bersyukur ada penulis yang mengisahkannya, suatu peristiwa yang takkan bangsa ini lupakan. Secara keseluruhan, penulis telah berhasil memberikan sudut pandang warga Aceh sebelum, ketika, dan setelah malapetaka itu terjadi.

With much love and happyness,

May, 8th, 2011

Resensi: Novel ‘Sang Pelopor’ oleh Alang-Alang Timur

Novel motivasi pertama dari trilogy Madrasah Kampung Sawah ini bercerita dalam tema besar pendidikan dan persahabatan. Cerita dimulai ketika empat orang sahabat yang pada akhirnya memutuskan untuk pindah sekolah, karena salah satu dari mereka dikeluarkan dari sekolah negeri yang lama. Keempatnya pindah ke sebuah sekolah yang sangat sederhana dan jauh dari rumah mereka. Akan tetapi, justru di sekolah itulah mereka menemukan arti pendidikan. Jika sekolah mereka yang dahulu penuh dengan formalitas yang membosankan dan aturan ketat, di madrasah itu mereka menemui banyak hal menarik. Selain para pendidik yang luar biasa dan menginspirasi, metode pengajarannya pun sangat berbeda, menyenangkan, dan berfokus pada praktek di alam. Yang cukup menjadi perhatian di sekolah ini adalah bahwa untuk lulus, siswa diharuskan berkarya. Banyak konflik pun muncul dari hal ini.

Secara keseluruhan, novel ini cukup memiliki pesan. Hanya saja, bagi saya yang telah membaca novel Laskar Pelangi, novel Sang Pelopor ini terkesan monoton, karena juga terinspirasi oleh novel Andrea Hirata itu. Bahkan ada bagian dan karakter yang sangat identik dengan karakter novel-novel Andrea. Selain itu, novel inipun kekurangan konflik. Jadi, banyak kisah yang lurus-lurus saja, bahkan cenderung melebih-lebihkan pengajaran di madrasah itu. Cara penyampaian penulis yang banyak mengangkat masalah sains pun cukup mirip dengan Andrea. Juga dalam hal ini, terkesan bahwa penjelasan sains dan budaya-budaya tradisional di novel ini hanya menjadi sarana untuk mempertebal buku, karena kurang begitu menyatu dalam cerita, walau niat penulis pasti baik untuk menambahkannya. Akhir cerita pun menurut saya kurang mengena, dikarenakan kurangnya konflik tadi. Jadi, sepintas, novel ini seperti sebuah deskripsi peristiwa saja, walau ada bagian brilian yang mengungkap pentingnya arti kegiatan menulis.

Dari novel ini, kita dapat belajar sedikit mengenai sebuah profesi bernama pendidik, bukan guru, yang (sekali lagi) dengan benar menginterpretasi pendidikan sebagai sebuah lading pengabdian yang bersumber dari hati, bukan aturan-aturan kaku, dan hal lainnya.

With much love and happYness,

July 23^rd, 2011, 8.46 p.m.

BOOK REPORT OF 'BUFFALO VALLEY' BY DEBBIE MACOMBER

TITLE : BUFFALO VALLEY
AUTHOR : DEBBY MACOMBER
PUBLISHER : MIRA BOOKS, 2001
NUMBER OF PAGE : 251
SETTING : NORTH DAKOTA, USA
GENRE : DRAMA

CHARACTERS:
1. Vaughn Kyle:
Just out of the army, worked for Value-X
2. Carrie Hendrickson:
Worked at Knight’s Pharmacy as trainee pharmacist, beautiful
3. Hassie Knight:
Owner of Knight’s Pharmacy, old, unofficial town confidante and adviser, kind.
4. Barbara:
Mother of Vaugh Kyle
5. Rick:
Father of Vaughn Kyle
6. Natalie:
Vaughn’s close friend, temperamental
7. Carrie’s brothers (Chuck and Ken):
Unmarried, still worked on their father’s hardwar store, lived at home
8. Ambrose Kohn:
Property owner planning to sell land to Value-X Corporation




SUMMARY

Vaughn Kyle was an ex-Airborne Ranger who worked for Value-X. He had a mutual friend called Natalie Nichols. In this case, Value-X was going to buy a property in Buffalo Valley. Then, Natalie asked him to visit the town to to some investigation about the society. Two weeks before the christmas, he went there. He did it delightedly because he also wanted to meet an old woman named Hassie Knight. Hassie was actually the mother of his sake name. When he was a kid, Hassie used to send him birthday card every year. She also frequently sent him letters and news through it. However, he never met her for the first time. That is why he wanted to go to Knight’s Pharmacy, which is to meet the dear old woman. Unfortunately, Hassie was out for the day. Vaughn met a woman named Carrie there. She was the trainee pharmacist who worked at Knight’s Pharmacy. Carrie surprisingly knew the story of Vaughn. After that, they talked for a while. Some other women later joined them. To wait for Hassie, they walked around the town.
(carrie hal 21)
While walking, they chatted and met some people. Then, they had lunch at Buffalo Bob. Carrie here told him about the town. When Hassie came, she was surprised and happy. However, Vaughn had to go home at the time. Hassie just let him go, cause he would come back later.
Hassie hal 38
Carrie smiled and felt something warm after the visit of Vaughn. Her family knew it from her attitude, especially her brothers. On the other hand,Vaughn’s parents were also curious about it after Vaughn went home. However, they were doubtful to talk about Hassie’s son, Vaughn Knight.
Vaughn came back to Buffalo Valley at Sunday. He directly met Hassie there in the pharmacy. He was attracted by Carrie. Then, he and Hassie went to her home. There she made him a tea and they looked for an old album and photos. Hassie also showed him letters that Vaughn sent to her for years proviously. Hassie knew that Vaughn had a feeling to Carrie. She then invited Vaughn to see the lightening of Chrismas tree. After that , they went there and met many people. Vaughn met Carrie again and talked to each other.
He went home and told his parents about the visit. His parents told him about their story with Hassie and Vaughn Knight. Years ago, Vaughn Knight was going to marry Barbara, Vaughn Kyle’s mother. However, he had to go to war, and later he died there. After the death of Vaughn Knight, Barbara fell in love with Rick, which was the best friend of Vaughn Knight. They were married. But they thought that they hurted Hassie’s feeling. That was why they never met each other thereafter.
His mother then said that Natalie phoned him. Vaughn did not want to talk with her at that time. He only thought of Carrie and the moment together. He also thought about her protective brothers.
Meanwhile, his parents wanted to meet Natalie. it is becaues they knew that Vaughn had been so close with her. On contrary, Vaughn honestly felt cloe\se with the town (Buffalo Valley) and the people, especially Carrie and Hassie. However, he did not tell anyone about his real purpose in going t Buffalo Valley. He even did not tell his parents that he went there because of his work in Value-X. He just wanted to know Carrie better and also the town.
Another day, Carrie was in front of Heath Quantrill, the president of Buffalo Valley Bank. They talked about the way to stop Value-X from moving into the town. She firstly heard the problem at that time. She knew that Hassie had kept the news from her. Actually, the news had spead in the town. A man named Ambrose Kohn wanted to sell his property to Value-X. They tried to avoid it.
Then she went to the mall in Grand Forks to meet Vaughn. He wanted her to accompany him to give an idea and buy presents for he mother. They later took a lunch. Vaughn knew something wrong in Carrie. Carrie told him about the Value-X. In this moment, Vaughn felt guilty cause he had to keep his real identity as Value-X employee. Carrie was a little angry about the news. Vaugn tried to cinvince her that Value-X can give positive effect to the town’s development. They became closer to each other.
News of Value-X was talked all over the town. Hassie talked with some old women about it. They thought for a soultion. Hassie gave up cause she had been old. They also talked about Vaughn and Carrie.
Carrie was in her house, talking with her mother about her time wiht Vaughn. She did not want to fail twice like what she had done in the past, related to her relationship with a man. Then suddenly Vaughn came to her home. She introduced him to her family. Vaughn thanked Carrie about the present and the information. Carrie said that Value-X usually destroyed jobs than creating them.
As they approached Buffalo Valley Quilting Company, they noticed his mother, Barbara.Barbara accompanied Vaughn to meet Hassie. Carrie kept the store for Hassie.
When they arrived at Hassie’s house, they were welcomed very well. Although there was a guilt in Barbara’s mind, she was happy to be able to meet Hassie. Hassie then invited her to join her Christmas.
Carrie was at the pharmacy. She thanked Leta for filling in for her. Vaughn entered the store. Leta let them go. They had some pizza before her brothers saw them. They were really protective of her. Then then made a joke by having a snowball war. Vaughn and Carrie ranaway. When they hid somewhere, they kissed. Later on, they got back to Hassie’s house. Vaughn and Barbara went home. Carrie relieved that Hassie would not be alone in the christmas day.
In th e party, people talked about value-x. Hassie told them to enjoy christmas day until the new year. She was tired. Carrie then took her home. On the street, Chuck said that Vaughn phoned her. Hassie told Carrie that he was a fine man.
Meanwhile, Vaughn phoned Natalie from home. No one knew that he was a Value-X employee in Buffalo Valley, except her. Natalie was quite angry at the moment. It is because he did not reply her call. From Natalie, he knew that Value-X had almost succeeded in buying the property. Natalie would visit the town after the christmas. She also said that Ambrose Kohn was quite hard to deal with. Natalie then talked with his mom.
Vaughn called Carrie who had been from the cookie exchange. She said that Hassie was doubtful in confronting the Value-X. On the other hand, Carrie was so curious about it. She then invited Vaughn to the high school play.
At the play, there were so many people. Vaughn and Carrie talked about the play. It is about the farmer history in the past. After the play, Vaughn tried to reveal his identity. But they just kissed. When finally Vaughn said it, that he worked for Value-X, Carrie was angry. She did not know what to say. Vaughn went home in guilt.
On another place, women of the town had a meeting to confront Value-X. Meanwhile, the men had to take care their children. Then the men also went to the soda fountain to talk it. Vaughn called Natalie to tell her that he resigned from Value-X. Natalie was surprised. Natalie knew that Vaughn loved a woman in Buffalo Valley. Vaughn said sorry but Natalie would not give up. He told her that he would settle there. Natalie thought it was ridiculous. She would go to the office to make sure the resignation letter from Vaughn would not be read by anyone.
On Sunday, Vaughn went to Buffalo Valley. He met Chuck and Ken. They said to him that he must not hurt her sister’s feeling. They looked at an empty land. Chuck said that the town needed a feed store. He wanted to make it but they were so busy. Surprisingly, Vaughn wanted to help them. He later was going to meet Carrie, but she was out.
In the christmas day, Barbara was with Hassie. Vaughn told Hassie that he worked for Value-X. He previously had told it to his parents. He also told her that he had resigned and planned to build a feed store and settle there. Hassie was happy of it.
On another place, Carrie was doubtful to join them. Then Vaughn came. She felt hurted but she still loved him. He then met her family. Chuck and Ken was outside with a sleigh. They all came to it. Inside the sleigh, Carrie forgave him after Vaugh told his settlement. They were in the park to have some fun.
Vaughn once met Quatrill, but he only left a message that the property had been sold. He came to the pharmacy to tell the news. There he found Carrie knowing that Natalie was his fiancee. It was too late for Vaughn to explain it to her. Carrie was broken.
When he came home, Natalie was in his house. Natalie tried to rebuild their relationship. But he rejected it. Natalie came out in anger, meeting Carrie’s brothers. She said ‘I was his fiancee’ and went away.
Carrie’s brothers needed an explanation on it. Vaughn’s mother helped him. When he tried to meet Hassie, she looked so sad. Honestly, she was so happy with tears. She explained that Value-X was lost. The women went to the Abrose Kohn’s before he signed the agreement. They bought the land. She also said that the land would be used to build a feed store.
Right after that, Vaughn searched for Carrie. Hassie said that he was in the town park. There he met her. Firstly, she did not want to believe him. But later, she forgave him for the second time. They kissed there and fell to the ground.

Later on, they were married.


COMMENT:
This story is quite easy to understood because it is about the life of a society. The language used is also simple However, the story is relatively boring because it is dominated with the topic of relationship or love. There is less surprise in the story of Buffalo Valley.