Sophie's World (Dunia Sophie) by Jostein Gaarder | Book Review

Sophie's World is one of those books that’s hard to explain but weirdly unforgettable. It’s part novel, part philosophy class, and somehow manages to blend both without totally losing you (well, sometimes). Imagine you're 14, coming home from another boring day of school, and then your mailbox hits you with two mind-blowing questions: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" No emoji, no context, just pure existential crisis in envelope form. That’s how Sophie’s World grabs you, like a TikTok rabbit hole but with ancient philosophers instead of dance trends. What follows is a wild ride where Sophie’s mysterious mentor, Alberto Knox, slides into her DMs (literally, via letters, a dog, and even a VHS tape of Plato chilling at the Acropolis). It’s 100% a vibe for anyone who’s ever wondered, "Wait, but what’s the point of all this?"

(Sophie's World adalah salah satu buku yang susah dijelaskan tapi somehow nempel di kepala. Gabungan antara novel sama kelas filsafat, dan anehnya nyambung (well, kadang). Bayangin kamu umur 14, pulang dari sekolah yang bosenin, terus di kotak surat kamu isinya dua pertanyaan gak santai: "Kamu siapa?" sama "Dunia ini asalnya dari mana?". Gak ada emoji, gak ada konteks, pure existential crisis dalam amplop. Nah, begitulah cara buku ini menjerat kita, kayak masuk rabbit hole TikTok, tapi isinya filsuf-filsuf jadul, bukannya dance trend. Selanjutnya, kita bakal dibawa masuk ke petualangan gila dimana mentor misterius Sophie, Alberto Knox, slide into her DMs (beneran, lewat surat, anjing, bahkan kaset VHS berisi Plato lagi nongkrong di Acropolis). Vibes-nya 100% cocok buat yang pernah mikir, "Wait, sebentar, ini semua buat apa sih?")

BOOK INFORMATION

Title                       : Sophie's World - Dunia Sophie

Original title          : Sofies verden

Author                   : Jostein Gaarder

Narrator                 : Anes Wibowo, Dian Sastrowardoyo

Translator             : Rahmani Astuti

Language             : Indonesian

Publisher             : Mizan Pustaka

Length                 : 800 pages / 24 H 18 M

Released              : September 1, 2010

Read                    : May 8 - 19, 2022

GR Rating            : 3.96

My rating             : 3.00

TL;DR: A mind-bending mashup of philosophy textbook and coming-of-age story that'll either make you question reality or your life choices. Think The Matrix meets your college syllabus, with mixed results.

⚠️ WARNING

🔺May cause sudden existential crises

🔺Philosophy segments can induce napping

🔺90% chance you'll annoy friends with "But what IS reality?" texts

🔺Proceed with curiosity and coffee 

📚 PERFECT FOR

🔺 Philosophy newbies who want CliffsNotes with plot

🔺 Overthinkers who enjoy 3AM "what if we're all NPCs?" spirals

🔺 Teachers looking to trick students into learning

BOOK REVIEW

Sophie Amundsen is just your average teenage girl, until one day, she gets home from school and finds two random, kinda spooky questions in her mailbox: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" That’s how her weird and wild ride into the world of philosophy kicks off. Out of nowhere, she starts getting lessons from a mystery sender. First it’s letters, then a dog delivers stuff (yes, a literal dog), and eventually, she gets a VHS tape where a guy named Alberto Knox shows up as her new philosophy teacher. In one super trippy moment, she’s watching the Acropolis on TV and it suddenly turns into ancient Athens with Plato himself casually popping up to talk to her. 

Gaarder deserves props for making 2,000+ years of philosophy actually digestible. He's like that one teacher who explains quantum physics using memes. Sure, comparing Plato's Forms to cookie molds is kinda sus, but at least you get the gist. This book speedruns through Western thought so fast it's basically the TikTok alternative of Philosophy 101. While philosophy nerds might side-eye some oversimplifications, Still, it works. You get the sense that philosophy isn’t about old men arguing, it can be kinda exciting.

Just when you're getting comfy with all these deep thoughts, Sophie and Alberto start realizing they might [spoiler]. Cue existential panic as they have to figure out if they're real or [spoiler]. It's like that moment in The Matrix when Neo takes the red pill, but with more 90s nostalgia and no Keanu Reeves. The truth is the author is writing all this for [spoiler]. Meta doesn't even begin to cover it.

Which makes this book basically the life advice your dad tried to give you, but instead of awkward car talks, he wrote you a long novel that low-key blows your mind. Gaarder takes that old-school "how to be a proper young lady" energy and makes it less "how to behave" and more "how to question the world." Sophie and Hilde are here for thinking for themselves which makes it kinda ironic that Sophie literally [spoiler] as she gets smarter. This book leaves us hanging, will Hilde actually use these philosophy cheat codes in real life, or is this just some dad's pretentious birthday gift collecting dust on a shelf?

These two girls are spiritual twins separated by [spoiler]. Both are that kid in class who won't shut up with the "but WHY?" questions, and they're both pissed at how philosophy bros through history ignored women. But Sophie's out here fighting for her literal existence while Hilde's just vibing, mildly annoyed at her dad's mind games. Sophie's got that "I woke up and chose violence" energy (but like, intellectually), while Hilde's more "lol dad's being cringe again." Still, you gotta respect their shared dedication to skipping boring life stuff to ponder the universe, big "I'm not lazy, I'm just philosophically opposed to this" energy.

Now let's talk about the ultimate brain-melter in this book: free will. Sophie's whole world gets rocked when she realizes she might [spoiler] (relatable, tbh). Like, if everything about her is [spoiler], is she even real? Can she do anything on her own? But she and Alberto start glitching the system anyway, trying to escape their fate, rewrite their ending, and make some noise. This book doesn't give easy answers though, it leaves you wondering if WE'RE really making choices, or just thinking we are. Heavy stuff for something that started with a girl checking her mail, right? 

The final act goes full send, mashing up philosophy lectures with a race against time as Sophie's reality starts glitching. Imagine a TED Talk colliding with a season finale cliffhanger, one minute you're getting Kierkegaard's hot takes on individualism, the next you're at the most unhinged garden party ever where philosophers debate while the world literally falls apart around them. It's chaotic, it's messy, and it somehow makes Hegel seem cool? By the end, you'll be questioning everything, your existence, your free will, and whether you might be fictional character and whether you might meet your favorite fictional green flag boys. And honestly, isn’t that the most philosophical ending ever?

At the end of the day, this book makes philosophy feel less like a boring required class and more like that late-night dorm convo where someone asks "but are we REALLY real?" and suddenly it's 4am. Gaarder's basically saying: the meaning of life isn't some final answer, it's the asking itself. Sophie and Alberto’s journey proves that staying curious, even when things get weird or confusing, is the ultimate power move. This book's secret sauce? It takes these heavy concepts and makes them feel as natural as questioning why your ex still watches your Instagram stories.

(Sophie Amundsen cuma remaja biasa, sampai suatu hari dia pulang sekolah dan menemukan dua pertanyaan random agak horror di kotak suratnya: "Kamu siapa?" dan "Dunia ini asalnya dari mana?". Nah, di situ mulailah petualangan gilanya masuk ke dunia filsafat. Tiba-tiba aja dia dapat pelajaran dari pengirim misterius, mulai dari surat, terus dikirim pakai anjing (serius, anjing beneran!), sampai akhirnya dapat kaset VHS dimana seorang Alberto Knox muncul jadi guru filsafat barunya. Puncaknya pas Sophie nonton Acropolis di TV, eh tiba-tiba berubah jadi Athena jaman dulu dan Plato sendiri nongol ngajak ngobrol.

Salut buat Gaarder yang berhasil jelasin 2.000+ tahun filsafat jadi gampang dicerna. Gaya ngajarnya kayak guru yang jelasin fisika kuantum pakai meme. Iya, analogi "Ide Plato itu kayak cetakan kue" emang agak sus, tapi yang penting dapat gambarannya lah. Buku ini ngebut banget jelasin pemikiran Barat, kayak speedrun Filsafat 101 versi TikTok. Emang ada yang oversimplified, tapi kamu jadi tahu filsafat bukan tentang old men arguing, karena it can be kinda exciting.

Pas kita mulai nyaman, Sophie dan Alberto sadar mereka mungkin [spoiler]. Langsung panik eksistensial, apa mereka beneran ada atau cuma [spoiler]? Vibesnya kayak adegan Neo minum pil merah di The Matrix, cuma lebih 90-an dan tanpa Keanu Reeves. Plot twistnya? Semua ini ternyata novel yang [spoiler]. Mindblown level 100.

Intinya buku ini kayak nasihat panjang bapak-bapak, tapi dibungkus jadi novel mind-blowing. Gaarder mengambil vibe "ini lho cara jadi perempuan baik-baik" ala jaman dulu, terus diubah jadi "ini lho cara mempertanyakan dunia". Lucunya, pas Sophie semakin pintar, dia malah [spoiler]. Endingnya bikin penasaran: apa Hilde beneran bakal pakai cheat code filsafat ini di kehidupannya, atau cuma jadi hadiah ulang tahun pretentious yang berdebu di rak buku?

Dua remaja perempuan (Sophie dan Hilde) ini kayak kembaran yang kebetulan terpisah oleh [spoiler]. Mereka tipe orang yang selalu nanya "tapi KENAPA sih?" di kelas, dan sama-sama kesel lihat filsuf-filsuf sepanjang sejarah yang mengabaikan perempuan. Bedanya, Sophie sibuk berjuang buat eksistensinya sendiri, sementara Hilde cuma santai sambil sebel dikit sama mind game bapaknya. Sophie tuh kayak "bangun tidur langsung mode rebel" (tapi versi intelektual), Hilde lebih "wkwk bapak lagi cringe nih". Tapi kita gotta respect dedikasi mereka buat skip hal-hal membosankan demi mikirin alam semesta, big "aku bukan males, aku cuma secara filosofis nolak ini" energy.

Nah sekarang kita bahas mindfuck terbesar di buku ini: soal free will / kehendak bebas. Sophie langsung kena existential damage pas sadar bahwa dirinya mungkin cuma [spoiler] (relate banget sih). Kalau semua tentang dia [spoiler], apa dia beneran nyata? Bisa ngapa-ngapain sendiri nggak? Tapi Sophie dan Alberto tetep pencet tombol glitch the system, mencoba kabur dari takdir, menulis ending sendiri, dan make some noise. Buku ini nggak kasih jawaban gampang sih, tapi bikin kita mikir: jangan-jangan kita juga cuma berpikir punya free will? Heavy banget buat cerita yang awalnya cuma soal anak perempuan yang buka kotak suratnya.

Akhir ceritanya tuh full chaos mode, campur aduk antara kuliah filsafat sama race against time pas dunia Sophie mulai kacau. Bayangin TED Talk tabrakan sama ending series favorit, satu menit kita denger Kierkegaard ngomongin individualism, semenit kemudian kita udah di garden party paling gila dimana filsuf-filsuf berdebat sementara dunia sekitar mereka literally hancur. Chaotic, berantakan, tapi somehow bikin Hegel keliatan keren? Habis baca, kita bakal mulai mempertanyakan segala hal, eksistensi, free will, jangan-jangan kita juga cuma karakter fiksi dan apa kita bisa ketemu para cowok fiksi green flag kesayangan? Dan honestly, ini ending paling filosofis yang pernah ada, kan?

Pada akhirnya, buku ini bikin filsafat nggak kayak pelajaran sekolah yang membosankan, tapi lebih kayak obrolan jam 3 pagi di kosan pas seseorang nanya "tapi apa kita BENERAN nyata?" dan tau-tau udah subuh. Gaarder intinya bilang: arti hidup itu bukan jawaban final, tapi proses bertanya-nya sendiri. Perjalanan Sophie dan Alberto membuktikan bahwa tetap penasaran bahkan ketika keadaan jadi aneh atau membingungkan, itu adalah kekuatan terbesar. Keistimewaan buku ini? Mengambil konsep-konsep berat terus dibikin senatural mungkin kayak ngomong "lah mantan gue kok masih stalk IG gue sih?".)

THINGS I LOVE

■ The ultimate gateway to philosophy. Gaarder takes these MASSIVE ideas from Socrates to Sartre and somehow makes them feel way less intimidating. If you’ve ever wanted to dip your toes into philosophy without getting overwhelmed, this is a pretty good start. 

■ What I didn’t expect was how this book lives the philosophy it talks about. Sophie’s whole "wait, am I even real?" arc hits different when you’re doomscrolling through AI and metaverse hype. This book forces you to sit with questions like: Do we have free will? Is anything truly real? And honestly? Zero answers, just vibes. But in a good way! It’s like that friend who ruins your night by asking, "But what IS time?" and suddenly you’re both crying into your Indomie.

■ Curiosity is the real MVP. In a world where we’re spoon-fed trends and TikTok hot takes, this book is out here reminding us that the magic is never in the answers, because it's in never stopping the "why?" train. I stan how this book makes philosophy is about wondering, doubting, thinking (not the sounding smart or memorizing names one). And honestly, it's a mindset we could all use more of, especially now. 

■ Shoutout to Gaarder for making a ‘90s book feel fresher than most Netflix originals. The whole "are we living in a simulation?" angle? Chef’s kiss. It’s wild how a story about a teenager getting philosophy lessons from a random guy can predict our collective existential dread about AI, VR, and whether any of us are truly "offline" anymore. Definitely not your average coming-of-age story.

(■ Pintu masuk terbaik ke dunia filsafat. Gaarder berhasil menjelaskan pemikiran berat dari Sokrates sampai Sartre jadi lebih digestible. Buat kamu yang pengen nyoba belajar filsafat tapi takut overwhelmed, ini starting point yang asik banget.

■ Gak nyangka buku ini beneran practice what it preaches. Arc-nya Sophie "wait, aku ini beneran ada nggak sih?" terasa relate banget di jaman AI dan metaverse kayak sekarang. Kita bakal dipaksa mikirin: Kita punya free will nggak? Apa realitas itu beneran nyata? Dan jawabannya? Nggak ada! Cuma vibes aja, tapi dalam arti yang bikin kita mikir, bukan bikin stress. Kayak temen kamu yang nanya "Sebenernya waktu itu apa sih?" pas kamu lagi chill, eh tau-taunya kalian berdua kena existential crisis sambil makan Indomie.

■ Curiosity is the MVP. Di dunia yang penuh dengan trending topic dan hot takes TikTok, buku ini ngingetin kita bahwa yang bikin hidup kita menarik itu bukan jawabannya, tapi pertanyaannya. Aku suka banget cara buku ini nunjukin bahwa filsafat itu tentang wondering, doubting, thinking, bukan sekadar hafal nama filsuf atau sok pinter. Mindset kayak gini penting banget, apalagi di jaman sekarang.

■ Salut buat Gaarder yang bikin buku tahun '90-an ini feels lebih fresh daripada kebanyakan Netflix original. Angle "jangan-jangan kita hidup di simulasi?"-nya? Chef's kiss. Gila sih, cerita tentang remaja dikasih private lesson filsafat sama orang random bisa predict existential dread kita soal AI, VR, dan apakah kita beneran "offline" atau nggak. Definitely bukan coming-of-age story biasa!)

THINGS I DON'T LIKE

■This book sometimes feels like it's having an identity crisis. One minute you're following this mysterious storyline, the next you're deep in a philosophy lecture that reads like a Wikipedia. The "plot twist" about them being [spoiler]? Cool concept, but it takes way too long to get there. The first half basically feels like Philosophy 101 disguised as a novel, and I'm not sure if I signed up for that.

■ Can we talk about how Sophie and Alberto are like mouthpieces for ideas than actual characters? Like, Sophie's whole personality is "asks questions," and when she discovers she might [spoiler] (which should be a massive emotional moment), her reaction is kinda flat. And Hilde? Girl's literally just a plot device with daddy issues. For a book that's supposed to be empowering young women, these characters don't exactly scream "strong female leads."

■ Some of the philosophy sections are cool, especially the early ones, but others like medieval theology or Kant’s theories, feel forever for me. It honestly felt like reading a textbook in the middle of a complicated existential drama. These sections hit like when your professor goes on a tangent, you start mentally checking out and scrolling through memes instead.

■ And don't get me started on the feminism fails. For a book that's supposed to be a gift for a daughter, it's kinda sus that the female lead has zero real agency (Sophie literally [spoiler], not the girlboss ending I hoped for). The philosophy lineup is basically the Dead White Guys™ starter pack. The "empowerment" mostly consists of pointing out that sexism exists? But then kind of does the same thing? Groundbreaking.

(■ Buku ini kayak punya multiple personality disorder. Satu menit kita asik ikutin alur cerita misterius, eh tau-tiba kita dikasih kuliah filsafat yang rasanya kayak baca Wikipedia. Plot twist tentang mereka ternyata [spoiler]? Konsepnya keren sih, tapi lama banget buat sampai ke situ. Separuh buku pertama tuh rasanya kayak kuliah Filsafat Dasar yang disamarkan jadi novel. Aku sih nggak ngincer ini pas mutusin baca bukunya.

■ Karakter-karakter datar kayak bot. Sophie tuh personalitasnya cuma "nanya terus", pas dia nemu fakta bahwa [spoiler] (yang seharusnya jadi momen emosional banget), reaksinya biasa aja. Terus Hilde? Cewek ini cuma jadi alat buat jalanin cerita dan punya daddy issues. Untuk buku yang katanya mau empower perempuan, karakternya nggak nunjukin "strong female lead" sama sekali.

■ Beberapa bagian filsafatnya bikin ngantuk. Yang awal-awal sih masih asik, tapi pas sampai ke teologi abad pertengahan atau teori Kant? Waduh, rasanya kayak lagi baca buku pelajaran nyelip di tengah-tengah drama eksistensial. Efeknya kayak dosen pemrograman mulai ngelantur bahas kisah masa kecilnya di jaman penjajahan Jepang, bikin kita malah buka meme di HP.

■ Feminism? Where? Untuk buku yang katanya hadiah buat anak perempuan, kok rasanya agak sus ya. Tokoh utamanya nggak punya agency (Sophie malah [spoiler], bukan ending girlboss yang aku harapkan). Daftar filsufnya isinya cuma Dead White Guys™. "Pemberdayaan" perempuannya cuma sebatas "oh iya seksisme itu ada lho" Terus? Nggak ada perkembangan. Groundbreaking banget.)

CONCLUSION

Let’s keep it real, Sophie’s World isn’t perfect. Some parts drag like a 3-hour lecture, and the characters can feel flatter than a Stanley cup meme. But it makes philosophy fun. It’s that rare book that turns "What is reality?" into a plot twist you’d binge-watch on Netflix. Yeah, Gaarder oversimplifies some ideas, but he also hands you the ultimate life hack: Question everything. Spoiler: Asking questions isn’t just for old philosophers in dusty books. It’s something we all do, and probably should do more often. Because at the end of the day, wondering "Who am I?" is kind of the most human thing ever. Whether you’re here for the meta-story or just want to flex with Kant at parties, this book leaves you with one banger of a takeaway: Life’s biggest mysteries don’t need answers, because they just need you to stay curious. Now go text your group chat, "So, like, is our dream to be anime character only a dream or our current reality?" and watch the chaos unfold.

(Jujur aja, Sophie's World nggak sempurna. Ada bagian yang bosenin kayak pelajaran sepanjang 3 jam, karakternya kadang datar kayak meme tumbler. TAPI buku ini bikin filsafat jadi seru. Siapa sangka pertanyaan "Apa itu realitas?" bisa jadi plot twist yang bikin kita binge-watch kayak series Netflix. Iya, Gaarder kadang oversimplify beberapa konsep, tapi dia ngasih life hack paling keren: Pertanyakan semuanya. Spoiler: Bertanya itu bukan cuma buat filsuf-filsuf tua di buku berdebu. Itu sesuatu yang kita semua lakuin, dan mungkin harus lebih sering. Karena pada akhirnya, mikirin "Aku ini siapa sih?" itu hal yang paling manusiawi banget. Entah kamu baca karena meta-storynya, atau sekadar biar bisa pamer "Aku paham Kant, lho!" di tongkrongan, pesan utama buku ini tetep keren: Misteri terbesar hidup nggak butuh jawaban pasti, yang penting kita tetap penasaran. Sekarang coba chat grup WA kalian, "Jadi cita-cita kita buat jadi karakter anime cuma mimpi aja atau emang kenyataan?" dan liat aja kekacauannya. Chaos guaranteed.)