Maya

I didn't dislike the book, it was a very intricate story and beautifully descriptive but I found the timeline in the story difficult to follow and a bit far fetched . Out of the other Gaarder books I have read I enjoyed it the least but still found it entertaining

I recently encountered Jostein Gaarder books for the first time and was instantly enchanted. Maya has only increased my respect for the author. Not only is he Philosopher in this volumn, but he is Naturalist and, as always, the superb story teller. I love how he tied in this book with his excellent Solitaire Mystery. This is as good as any book to get acquainted with this phenomenal author.

Great story..couldn’t put it down

Inspiring, intelligent, original.

Great Experience!

One of the most underrated books on earth and on my absolute top of favorite books ever. I love gaarder and this is his master piece.

There are few books that leave me puzzled but also thorouhgly satisfied, this is one of them. Gaarder is a masterful author, quickly becomign one of my favorites as I read more of his work. Like several of his other works, this story takes place on several levels and among the fiction he also weaves in a good layer of fact, throwing in some historical facts, but in this case focusing on some evolutionary theory. Like other Gaarder works as well, as soon as you feel that you've gotten the book figured out, it takes a sharp turn and goes down an entirely new path. It was so startling, that I had to flip back and skim through most of the book to make sure I hadn't missed anything that big. However, I hadn't. This is truly a satisfying read, and one that I'll definitely be going back to.

Maybe it's because I actually *am* a biologist and a conservationist, but I am also fond of literature and I found this book long-winded, repetitive, unevenly paced, and terribly contrived. The ending is a big letdown, and ultimately very unsatisfactory. I like my loose ends to be left for the reader to chew over, whereas Gaarder pretty much ties up all the answers to complex questions too neatly in a big sickly-saccharine package. The story-within-a-story frame was completely unnecessary and ultimately took away from the faux mystique so painstakingly (and painfully, for this reader) set up for the first two-thirds of the novel. The whole story could have been told in half the space, and there are too many pat revelations and simplistic solutions. The final paragraph is utterly bizarre and out of joint with the rest of the book. I should have stopped reading right at the beginning, when I realized I don't at all share the narrator's debilitating fear of death. It's an old theme, and one that is not very well covered by this book. The vague attempt at a theory of alternate realities and time travel was mildly gripping, but even that was discarded in the end. I wish I'd read this faster, or not at all.

Absolutely unreadable tosh. After the second conversation with a lizard I actually lost the will to live. Life’s too short... don’t waste any of it picking up this book.

Not one one the best of Jostein Gaarders books, hard to get into and difficult to follow the thread of thought. Some good ideas but not the best read I have to say.

I choose a five because it fulfills my expectations of a good read . . . an affecting, imaginative story, sympathetic characters, uplifting rather than negative overall, and plenty of interesting, well-researched and serious thought.

It's a amazing💕😍 book