The Orange Girl [Paperback]

Jostein Gaarder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2005

At fifteen, Georg comes upon a letter written to him by his dying father, to be read when he comes of age. Their two voices make a fascinating dialogue as Georg comes to know the father he can barely remember, then is challenged by him to answer some profound questions. The central mystery of The Orange Girl is the story of an elusive young woman for whom Georg’s father searches in Oslo and Seville—and whom Georg finally realizes is his mother. This is a thought-provoking fairy-tale romance imbued with a sense of awe and wonder. Jostein Gaarder is the author of Sophie's World, a huge bestseller in over 40 countries.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9 - The Norwegian author of Sophie's World (Penguin, 1996) and other chewy tales pops a Big Question here, but the leisurely way he prepares readers for it may lose most of them. Fifteen-year-old Georg is stunned to receive a long-hidden letter from his father, who died of cancer 11 years previously. It's a loving, romantic missive to the future, in which his dad not only describes how he met and fell utterly in love with Georg's mother, but also lyrically expresses an intense appreciation for the universe's wonders: common oranges, distant stars, the "great fairytale" in which he feels himself to be living,and, most especially, little Georg. Already knowing that he's about to die, at last he asks whether it would have been better to have spared himself the pain of losing it all so soon by never having lived - a question he invites his son (and readers) to consider, too. As he reads, Georg intersperses reactions and remarks about his own life, deliberately creating a collaborative story that draws together previously unsuspected connections with his barely remembered parent. He closes with his Answer; readers who get that far will be left to mull over their own. - John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

'it should be read by all.' VOGUE --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Phoenix (July 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753819929
• ISBN-13: 978-0753819920
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jostein Gaarder is the author of SOPHIE'S WORLD, a huge bestseller in over 40 countries. He was born in Oslo in 1952 and lives there now with his wife and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Because no two oranges are alike, July 8, 2005

By 

Nabila Afifi (Cairo - Egypt) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Orange Girl (Hardcover)

I bought this book less than 4 days ago, and I have already finished reading it. The first 60 or 70 pages, you just cant put the book down, the author is building to the climax of the story, about to reveal what it is all about (I wont go into details, I hate spoiling the book for future readers).. once you get to page 90, that is when everything falls into place...

This is a touching story, with lots of meaning, it talks about life, about choices, and about death. The way the book ends could not have been better, honestly I spent the enrite day with a smile on my face because of that ending. I will share it with you, but once you read the book, it will make much more sense.

"life is like a huge lottery in which only the winning tickets are visible. You who are reading this book are one of those winning tickets. Lucky you!"

This is a must read, so enjoy.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, February 25, 2005

By 

A. Gottlieb (Cheshire CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Orange Girl (Hardcover)

I was sad to come to the end of Sophie's World nine years ago. The same can be said for The Orange Girl. I became so engrossed in Gaardner's writing, that I lost all track of time. What a wonderful feeling. He gets it....he gets life and that is a truly marvelous thing to read.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling fairy tale, September 26, 2005

By 

Silvana Savini (Zürich, Switzerland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Orange Girl (Hardcover)

A smooth and short fairy tale with a twinge of thrill that becomes engaging both for teens as for adults. It is an entertaining and easy to read story with its undelaying big questions about the meaning of life and the universe. A positive thinking tale, of those that leave a thoughtful smile on ones mouth when turning the last page.