The Orange Girl – Jostein Gaarder
Translated from the Norwegian Appelsinpiken by James Anderson
Phoenix, Orion Publishing, 2005
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“My father died eleven years ago. I was only four then. I never thought I’d hear from him again, but now we’re writing a book together.”
One day, Georg’s grandparents find a letter written by their long dead son, Jan Olav, in the family home. The letter is addressed to Jan Olav’s son Georg. When Georg reads this letter written for him during the last months of his father’s life, he decides to record his reactions while reading it, resulting in the book we as readers read. The Orange Girl is the cooperative result of Jan Olav’s letter recounting the story of his meeting and relationship with “the orange girl”, a girl of whom the reader and Georg only discover the identity halfway through the book, and Georg’s response to that letter.
In true Jostein Gaarder fashion, the story tackles meta questions in the middle of this micro-history about the relationship of Jan Olav and the orange girl: both Georg and his father are interested in the Hubble Telescope and the magnitude of the universe. Moreover, Jan Olav’s purpose in writing the letter is not just to tell his son a story about a girl he once met, but also to ask him a question about life, a question he has been pondering now that he is on the brink of death:
Imagine that you were on the threshold of this fairytale, sometime billions of years ago when everything was created. And you were able to choose whether you wanted to be born to a life on this planet at some point. You wouldn’t know when you were going to be born, nor how long you’d live for, but at any event it wouldn’t be more than a few years. All you’d know was that, if you chose to come into the world at some point, you’d also have to leave it again one day and go away from everything. What would you have chosen if you’d had the chance? Would you have elected to live a short span on earth only to be wrenched away from it all, never ever to return? Or would you have said no, thank you?
Rather like my experience with Through a Glass, Darkly I felt that my teenage self would have loved The Orange Girl more than I did as an adult. As a teen, I loved books that tackled big questions with lots of references to philosophy and physics. I feel I should note that The Orange Girl is definitely the weakest of the books I have read by Gaarder (the others being Sophie’s World and Through a Glass, Darkly). Some of the elements and themes of the stories felt disconnected, like the Hubble Telescope and the “grand question” at the end of the book in relation to the story of the orange girl, which made them lean towards the pretentious instead of the thoughtful. I missed a little of the interconnectedness between story and philosophical reflection that Gaarder usually does so well.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy The Orange Girl, perhaps more so for its micro history of Jan Olav’s relationship with “the orange girl” than for the themes reflected on. As JoV mentions in her review of the book, the story is a little sappy at times, but it evokes a wonderful sense of place and setting. Plus, the orange girl herself is just cute, and quirky, and independent enough to make me like her a lot.
Other Opinions: Melody’s Reading Corner, JoV’s Book Pyramid.
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I have heard form several people that I really need to read Sophie’s world, which is a book that I have had on my shelves for ages, but just haven’t made time for. Despite the fact that you had some issues with it, it sounds like this book did have some profound moments, which is something that not every book can accomplish. Fantastic review today, Iris. I loved reading your thoughts, even if I am not really planning on reading the book!
I read Sohpie’s world as a 13 year old I think, just around the time when I felt philosophy was the most interesting thing on earth (I was a little weird as a child
). I often wonder how it will hold up on a reread. I remember that back then I enjoyed the first part of the book the most. I guess I’ll have to reread it some day though it’s hard to make time as it’s a long book.
I like Gaared but agree with you the older I ve got when reading him the less I get excited by the questions he always raises in his books ,all the best stu
I wonder if it is that the questions he poses are often a little same-y? I don’t know. I just can’t read his books without thinking how much more I would have liked them as a child.
I read Sophie’s World in 1997 and I love it and I wonder if I would feel the same again about the book. Still philosophy is intriguing but I think his other books are great for lighter reading. Hope you tried The Castle in Pyrenees one day. Quite weird but still ask the big questions.
I always wonder if Sohpie’s World will hold up on a reread. I may have to try one day, but it’s long and I’m not sure when I’ll make time for it (or if I want to thinking of all the other unread books I have!). I haven’t read Castle in the Pyrenees, but I recently picked it up along with one other of his books at a book sale. I’ll make sure to read that one next!
I had what feels, in retrospect, the great good fortune to have read Through a Glass, Darkly in my fourteenth or fifteenth year. I continue to think that that hyper-idealistic time in my life was the best time to have been introduced to Gaarder’s work. I’m delighted with the way you’ve described his writing as tackling meta-questions in the midst of micro-history; I think that describes (what I’ve seen of) his work pitch-perfectly!
I confess I’ve been trying to read Sophie’s World for around two years now, with little success. I find the narrative difficult to enthuse over, especially when it launches into philosophical history, but I hope I’m able to complete it one day. I will gladly give this Gaarder offering a try, as well as The Castle in the Pyrenees, which I see JoV recommended a comment above.
Thank you for this lovely, insightful review, Iris!
I know exactly what you mean. When I was 14 I was this hyper idealistic (and perhaps a little pretentiously caught up in love for philosophy) person, and Gaarder works really well around that age. I guess that’s why I keep thinking that his books would have been even more appealing had I read them back then.
I do want to reread Sophie’s World one day, as I loved it when I was younger (more so the first half than the second though). I am not sure if I’d enjoy it as much now that I’m older and have said goodbye to some of that former self. Hmm..
I’ve never read Gardner but I’m really interested to try something of his.
I am not sure if this is the best introduction. Then again I’m not sure what would be. Sophie’s World is definitely his best known work but also a really long book, which makes it less ideal as an introduction, perhaps? I am curious how you’d feel about his books.
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