Sophie’s World: A Graphic Novel About the History of Philosophy Vol. II
Words by Vincent Zabus and Jostein Gaarder
Art by Nicoby
Paperback, 264 pp, $24.99
Vol. II: From Descartes to the Present Day
Sophie’s come a long way since the day she received that cryptic letter with its intriguing question: “Who are you?”. The mysterious correspondence sweeps our curious young heroine off on a tour of Western philosophy from its ancient foundations through the Renaissance. But it also prompts more personal reflection: What is my place in the world, my purpose in life? And just who is that girl, a stranger and yet so familiar, I glimpse in the mirror?
Sophie’s come a long way since the day she received that cryptic letter with its intriguing question: “Who are you?”. The mysterious correspondence sweeps our curious young heroine off on a tour of Western philosophy from its ancient foundations through the Renaissance. But it also prompts more personal reflection: What is my place in the world, my purpose in life? And just who is that girl, a stranger and yet so familiar, I glimpse in the mirror?
In this second volume, Sophie’s quest for answers will see her explore major schools of modern thought from Descartes and Locke to Freud and Marx. She and her quizzical philosophy teacher Alberto, now unmasked, struggles with the possibility that they are characters in a book. As ever, our intrepid heroine remains as forthright and open-hearted.
In this witty comics adaptation, ZABUS and NICOBY reinvent JOSTEIN GAARDER’s novel of ideas – a beloved bestseller that has already won the hearts of over 50 million readers around the world – to bring Sophie’s charming quest for meaning to a whole new medium and a new generation.
Vincent Zabus
Playwright and comics writer Vincent Zabus lives in Namur, Belgium. He became well-known penning children’s series for the long-running and beloved Spirou magazine. He went on to create the prizewinning tales Les Ombres and Incroyable!, which debuted as plays and then became graphic novels in collaboration with the artist Hippolyte. His adaptation of Sophie’s World combines his passions for storytelling and philosophy.
Nicoby
A product of the mid-1970s, artist Nicoby has published over 40 works in a variety of genres, styles and formats, ranging from memoir to humour to adventure to reportage to observations of social foibles, both in book form and in periodicals such as La Revue Dessinée and Spirou, to which he is a regular contributor. He lives in the Breton countryside near Rennes, far from car exhaust and electric scooters.
Jostein Gaarder
Jostein Gaarder was born in Oslo, Norway, in 1952. After teaching philosophy and the history of ideas in Bergen, he devoted himself to writing. His worldwide bestseller Sophie’s World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy was hailed as a masterpiece by critics and readers alike. He put a significant portion of his rights earnings towards establishing a foundation for sustainable environmental development.
Reviews
"Sophie’s World is exceptionally well presented. Explanations of complex theory are supplied in terms that a smart person in their early teens can understand, yet has value well beyond that audience, and the frequent use of slapstick humour and a perpetuated mystery ensure this is no dry experience... Anyone with any vague interest in philosophy is recommended Sophie’s World as a starting point."
— The Slings & Arrows
"Anyone who finds themselves asking the same questions about the meaning of life [...] will hopefully find Sophie’s World an information-packed, easy-to-read and humorous book that can help you to find the serenity to accept the things you can’t change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two."
— Morning Star