A Teacher Named Jostein Gaarder

IF all teachers in the world were like Jostein Gaarder, schoolchildren would look at learning as if they were reading a fairy tale. If teachers of history, science, theology and philosophy only knew how to present complex and seemingly boring lessons in such an infinitely readable book, education, for all intents and purposes, would not be a problem. Through his novel Sophies World, millions of copies of which have been published, and translated into 42 languages, Gaarder introduces readers to the history of philosophy from the beginning to the 20th century, in simple and captivating language. As in his other novels, The Solitaire Mystery, The Christmas Mystery, Through a Glass, Darkly and The Ringmasters Daughter, Gaarder uses the element of suspense to keep the reader enthralled to the very last page. Vita Brevis and Maya, however, are two novels that are not intended for young readers. Interviewed by TEMPOs Bambang Harymurti in Oslo, Norway, Gaarder a schoolteacher-turned-novelist, talked of a life dedicated to writing and becoming a teacher to pupils the world over.