Philosophy Made Simple: A Novel (Hardcover)

by Robert Hellenga (Author) "Rudy took up philosophy late in life..." (more)
Key Phrases: upper grove, lower grove, lateral canal, Father Russell, Narmada Jai, Lord Ganesh (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Riffing off his charming 1994 debut, The Sixteen Pleasures, Hellenga shifts perspective from father to daughter, detailing the former's postmarital adventures as he plans the latter's wedding. It's been seven years since the death of Rudy Harrington's beloved wife, Helen; his three daughters have flown the coop; and the time is ripe to sell his Chicago home of 30 years and buy an avocado grove in Texas. He's also been reading the college-level text Philosophy Made Simple by Siva Singh, his daughter Molly's fiancé's uncle, sparking a previously latent interest in life's big questions. Rudy attempts, at 60, to adjust to single life while singlehandedly planning an Indian wedding for Molly to Singh's nephew, TJ. His grove manager, Medardo, takes him on weekend trips to a Mexican gentleman's club; there, he meets Maria, an employee with a penchant for weakhearted middle-aged men. A denizen of a nearby trailer park is Norma Jean, a lovable elephant with a tremendous talent for painting. When Molly, TJ, Siva and Nandini (Siva's sister and TJ's mother) arrive, Nandini is as taken with Norma Jean, whose owner is suddenly MIA, as is Rudy. More twinkly humor, mild insight, clean prose and gentle homilies follow in this thinker's light gem. (Mar. 8)
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From Bookmarks Magazine
Quieter than The Sixteen Pleasures, Philosophy Made Simple is almost—but not quite—as fine a novel. Although it touches on relationships between parents and children, farming, friendship, and life events, the overarching theme speaks to how philosophical beliefs play out in daily life. Hellenga juxtaposes the history of philosophy, from Plato to Kant, with Rudy's search for meaning. This approach, given the seriocomic tone of the novel, seemed artificial to a few critics, smart to some, and oversimplified to others. Despite this divide and a few awkward subplots, Philosophy Made Simple—a poignant fable, really—will charm readers.<BR>Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1ST edition (March 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316058262
• ISBN-13: 978-0316058261
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #476,847 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book for those that ponder unanswerable questions, March 13, 2006

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Marcelline Burns for Reader Views (3/06)


I approach a review of this novel with misgivings, fearing that my words are inadequate to communicate its merits. It is a gem to be savored in the reading and in the re-reading. Unlike many books that come my way, it will have a permanent place among other treasures.

The author takes us into the life and the heart and the soul of Rudy. This main character is not a hero of the kind that populates many novels. He is an ordinary, flawed man, a widower, father of three less-than-perfect daughters, a man pondering philosophical writings as he tries to find meaning and direction in a life emptied of reasons for living. We follow him from his longtime home to an avocado ranch in Texas. We share his humorous misadventures, recognize his loneliness, and reflect on his profound musings that are deceptive in their simple language.

Norma Jean, an elephant who paints, enters his life and our hearts. Nandina, a gracious and wise lady, gently loves Norma Jean and Rudy. When Norma Jean and Nandina depart, each in their own way, Rudy is able to finds clarity in his memories of Helen, the wife he loved and lost to Bruni... and loved still.

Dr. Hellenga's writing buoys his story telling. No sentence jars the senses. Never does one have to re-read to understand. Words meld into images and sounds and scents, and reading is pure pleasure.

The reader who seeks thrills and suspense and breathless sex is advised to pass on this book. The reader who ponders unanswerable questions, who understands loving an imperfect child and accepting a faithless lover ... the reader who wonders why we persevere ... the reader who thoughtfully lives an ordinary day ... `you' will read and smile and weep and be grateful for all it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philosophy and the post-midlife crisis, April 4, 2006

By	Susan J. Erickson (Bellingham, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Rudy Harrington's offbeat approach to his post-midlife crisis makes for an engaging read. Rudy's wife has been dead for seven years, his three daughters are grown and he has worked for thirty-some years as a wholesale produce manager in Chicago. On a whim he buys an avocado grove in Texas, never mind that he knows zip about raising avocados, and sets about creating a new life guided by a slender book one of his daughters gives him called Philosophy Made Simple. Along the way, Rudy meets some surprising people, acquires an elephant named Norma Jean with a penchant for painting and hosts his daughter's Hindu wedding. I just wish I'd been invited to the ceremony.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very fun little book, June 14, 2006

By	Mostly Whiskey (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews

Philosophy Made Simple is a nice little read, very pleasant and a little poignant. The plot if amply described in other reviews, so I'll add just a few quick non-plot thoughts about this book.

First, it is very pleasant. No points are belabored, the prose is clean, simple and straightforward. As Mark Twain said about his own works (perhaps not accurately!) this book has not a single word more than it needs. It is refreshing to read a book that strives to communicate a weighty philosophical point of view that is so unassuming.

As to the philosophical point... I almost wish that the book gave me a little more help along the way. I felt that each chapter tried to make a philosophical point by demonstrating it in the story rather than beating you over the head with it, which I appreciated, but I frequently finished a chapter feeling like whatever it was I was supposed to come away with... I had missed.

Until the end. At the end, all of a sudden, kind of out of the blue, the philosophy is laid out in all its naked glory. The revelation is made and all the strands come together. It is an interesting philosophy, and the road to it is very pleasant to stroll along. I would have liked a few more signposts along the way!

But none of this is to complain. I liked the book a lot and while I wouldn't say it leads to major revelation it was fun to read, exceedingly pleasant, and in the end provided a point of view that I happen to embrace very much - which was nice!