Customer Reviews

Lost and Philosophy: The Island Has Its Reasons (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you've ever suspected that LOST had something to do w/ philosophy but never knew quite how to put it into words, this book is for you. This book has different essays on many of the various themes of the TV show: good vs. evil; fate vs. free will; faith vs. reason; etc. It takes the viewer all the way through Season 3, so if you haven't seen the whole season's worth of episodes, prepare yourself for some spoilers. But, if you're looking for a discussion on Locke's and Jack's differing approaches to how they deal w/ their fathers (just one example of an essay), check out this book.

I'm currently using some of the articles in here in a philosophy class and using select episodes to illustrate the Big Questions that we're all trying to answer.

This is a good read.

The book is a collection of twenty-one essays. Some of them are very good, some of them are good. But all of them are challenging and exciting. I have my personal favorites: "Should We Condemn Michael for Saving Walt?", "The Island as a Test of Free-Will", "Lost's State of Nature", "Lost Theories and Coincidence"... But I suppose every Lost viewer will find several papers to like in this collection.

You do not need an academic training of any sort to enjoy this reading. But it true that if you enjoy reading argumentative texts, this habit will come handy and will be rewarded.

If you're a Lost fan, this book will give you a good excuse to watch again some old episodes (while you're awaiting the new season...) and the topics discussed here will enhance this viewing.

If you're more of a philosophical mind, you will find very good ways to expose, in very clear terms, basic philosophical questions.

It is one of the best books in the series "Philosophy and Popculture".

I couldn't help but want to respond to all the low-rated side reviews I saw for this book with titles such as "Not for the average LOST fan" or "For Philosophy Majors only." Yes it IS for the average LOST fan, and NO it ISN'T for philosophy majors only. One guy said even the most fervent LOST fan wouldn't be able to follow the ideas of this book. All I have to say is YOU CAN DO it!

It DOES take some thought and it isn't something I would hand to my elementary school children, but are you smarter than a fifth grader?

Have you HONESTLY been watching LOST since season one and NOT thought about the themes of the show after you've turned off the TV? Have you honestly not pondered what you would do if you were Michael? Have you honestly not noticed how sometimes Locke seems to be the castaway's tribal medicine man, as much as he talks about destiny and what is SUPPOSED to happen (and then that smokehouse episode where he lost his voice and rescued Eko from the polar bear) and then followed that thought with "Jack is a doctor, the real medicine man. Hmmmm - no wonder they don't really get along." REALLY?

Well, if you have, and you like to read, then I really think you would like this book. Chances are pretty good that all the essays are something you've thought about after watching the show anyway.

But if you are still unsure, go to EW.com, Entertainment Weekly's web site, and go to their LOST page. Click "Doc Jensen's Analysis" tab and read (or search for) Season Three's "I'm Going to Hell for this" column and if that was too much for you to comprehend (or interest you), then this book is NOT for you, and that is a shame because this book could really enhance the show's viewing for its "fervent" fans. Fervent fans being those who have seen every episode. And really, are there any who haven't?

The structure of many of the essays in this book are such that they talk about philosophy and use LOST as examples or instances of the ideas. Think about this book as an introduction to philosophy by way of LOST. Its actually really cool.

I'm a philosophy student, so many of the themes were familiar to me. I can't really say how one with no prior exposure to philosophy might fare, but my gut tells me that if you have the mental capacity to follow LOST, you'll be able to sift through this book. For those with experience in philosophy, the readings are actually pretty light and summarize/apply classic thinkers to scenarios rather than advancing any new arguments.

Also, I should say that the book stops at Season Three. Anything after "Through The Looking Glass" isn't covered.

This book was given to me as a gift and although I have never watched one episode of 'Lost', I loved this book! Each of the 22 essays revealed questions and concerns that people face everyday. Even though the book does focus on the television show and its characters, it is also relevant to you, the reader. I found this book to be not only full of deep and interesting questions, but also fun and easy to understand. I would definately recommend this book to any 'Lost' fans out there as well as to anyone who has ever felt a little lost themselves.

The consensus of Amazon customer reviews strikes me as quite accurate: a fine and thoughtful book for both fans and curious intelligent general readers. Twenty-one essays, generally a worthwhile experience, but there were some standouts...


Five chapters that the editors should be really proud of - great stuff:

The Island of Ethical Subjectivism: Not the Paradise of Lost, by George Wrisley

Meaning and Freedom on the Island, by Sander Lee

No Exit...from the Island: A Sartrean Analysis of Lost, by Sandra Bonetto

Lost's State of Nature, by Richard Davies

Lost and the Problem of Life after Birth, by Jeremy Barris


Five chapters that the editors might not be so proud of - questionable inclusions:

Should We Condemn Michael for Saving Walt? by Rebecca Vartabedian

Lost, The Third Policeman, and Guerilla Ontology, by Jessica Engelking

Lost in Codes: Interpretation and Deconstruction in Lost's Narrative, by Tom Grimwood

The Tao of John Locke, by Shai Biderman and William Devlin

Everything Happens for a Reason, by David Werther


The other 11 chapters are all solid and interesting, though somewhat lacking in the combination of analysis, insight, and sparkle of the recommended ones above. Cheers.

This series of pop culture and philosophy books has spanned many franchises now, and I own the ones on Star Wars, The Matrix (both books), and Final Fantasy, and have read parts of many others in the series. I'm a big Lost fan (at least I was until the final episode) and this book is not worth buying at all. While the book contains a lot of good philosophy, most articles simply uses Lost as a backdrop for presenting it instead of finding the good philosophy in the show and writing philosophical articles based on them. It's quite surprising too since Lost has so much philosophy embedded in the show's plot and even the characters. I was bored reading most articles in this book and regret buying it. Please check it out at your local bookstore first before blind buying it.

I love this show, its the best on TV. I've also found this book to be very good also. Now I'm going back and watching all the seasons over to find secrets and clues that I may have missed.

One of the things LOST introduced me to was the Twilight Zone which J.J. Abrams was inspired. Besides this book, I recommend one other also on Amazon.com. THE TWILIGHT ZONE: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic by Martin Grams. Together, both books open the skies for cult television.

Somehow, I became infected with the LOST meme. If you are a fan of the show, I am sure you understand what I mean. If you are not a fan of the show, I will warn you to stay away. It is a relentless contagion! This book has only made the condition worse.
What I enjoy about the book is that it highlights my favorite aspects of the show. One could certainly enjoy LOST at various levels. Some friends and family have infatuations with various characters. Sawyer apparently is the quintessential bad boy that good girls desire, while Libby seems to be the good girl that some of real life bad boys want to turn bad. At the same time, the plot lines are complex and most often unpredictable. Most importantly, in my opinion, the show is an enjoyable example of guerilla ontology. We are challenged to new concepts and ideas through cognitive dissonance. This book provides the fans that enjoy this aspect of the show with additional views and opinions to evaluate the philosophical propositions posed in the different story lines.
For those of you who have seen the other books on my reading list, you will note I have read similar books, for example: The Simpsons & Philosophy, Lord of The Rings & Philosophy. In comparison to these other books, this particular book is pretty good, not great just good. The Simpsons book was certainly funnier, but given the subject matter, one would expect as much. Just like the other books, it had some excellent chapters and some real clunkers. Perhaps this is the greatest criticism of all. With such rich soil, the harvest was not nearly as rich as it could have been.
Also, if you are a fan of the show (and I would not recommend this book to someone who is not) you will quickly note that the books is not current. It was published too soon, first going to press in 2008. There is so much that has happened since then. They do not deal with John Lock going... Well, I had better not share that. Neither do they deal with Jacob and... Maybe that is something I had better not discuss either. In any event, there is so much that has happened as well as about to happen that it might have been better to wait for the conclusion of the show.
Despite these shortcomings, if you are a fan of LOST I would recommend this book.

I'm well educated and have studied philosophy superficially, but this was over my head. This is not a book even an avid Lost fan would be drawn into. Great for a study of philosophy.