The Orange Girl
Jostein Gaarder (trans., James Anderson), 2004
Phoenix
160 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780753819920
Summary
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. A thought-provoking fairy-tale romance imbued with the sense of awe and wonder that is Jostein Gaarder’s hallmark.
Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder, whose novel Sophie’s World was a best-seller in 40 countries, is also the author of The Ringmaster’s Daughter, Maya, The Solitaire Mystery, and The Christmas Mystery. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—August 8, 1952
• Where—Oslo, Norway
• Education—University of Oslo
• Awards—(see below)
• Currently—lives in Oslo, Norway
Jostein Gaarder is a Norwegian intellectual and author of several novels, short stories and children's books. Gaarder often writes from the perspective of children, exploring their sense of wonder about the world. He often utilizes metafiction in his works and constructs stories within stories. His best known work is the novel Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy. It been translated into 60 languages; there are over 40 million copies in print.
Personal
Gaarder was born and raised in Oslo. His father was a school headmaster and his mother a teacher and author of children’s books. He attended Oslo Cathedral School and the University of Oslo, where he studied Scandinavian languages and theology. In 1974 he married Siri Dannevig, and the two moved to Bergen, Norway, where Gaarder taught high school prior to his writing career. The couple has two sons.
Environmental activism
Gaarder has been involved in the promotion of sustainable development for nearly two decades. He established the Sophie Prize in 1997, an international award bestowed on foundations and individuals concerned with the environment. Through the Sophie Prize, Gaarder contributed over $1.5 million to worthy environmental causes.
Controversy
Gaarder is active politically. The focus of his concern is the plight of Palestinian refugees, and he has vehemently criticized the Israeli occupation of Palestine. In August 2006, Gaarder wrote "God's Chosen People," an op-ed in response to that year's Israel-Lebanon conflict. Published in Aftenposten, Norway's largest daily newspaper, he argued in favor of "recognizing the State of Israel of 1948, but not the one of 1967." He referred to Judaism as "an archaic national and warlike religion," contrasting it with Christianity and its belief that the "Kingdom of God is compassion and forgiveness." After the article's publication, Gaarder was accused of anti-Semitism.
Awards
1990 - Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature (year's best children's literature).
1993 – Norwegian Booksellers' Prize for Through a Glass, Darkly.
1994 – Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Sophie's World.
1995 – Italy's Preancarella for Sophie's World.
1997 – Buxtehude Bull for Durch einen Spiegel for Through a Glass, Darkly.
2004 – Willy-Brandt Award in Oslo.
2005 – Commander, The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.
2005 – Honorary degree, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
(Author bio adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 12/15/2014.)
Book Reviews
Eleven years after his father's death, ... Georg begins to read [his father's] letter and is soon captivated by...a woman known as the Orange Girl.... [A] modern fairy tale. Gaarder takes the most ordinary happenings and writes about them in a magical way, creating a truly refreshing tale. (Ages 12 up.)
Children's Literature
[The author] pops a Big Question here, but the leisurely way he prepares readers for it may lose most of them.... 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. (Grades 6-9.) —John Peters, New York Public Library
Children's Library Journal
Threaded through the story of first love is information regarding the Hubble telescope and its "eye on the universe," which leads to a philosophical inquiry about human existence and the short amount of time humans have to spend on Earth. The novel is more about contemplating questions about life than answering them. (Ages 15 to 18.)
Kliatt
Discussion Questions
1. Why does it mean so much for the father who is dying to ask his son these questions, which he knows his son will not be able to think about until many years later? Do you think it is because he cares for the son, to make him think about the big questions in life, and maybe even to enrich his life / improve his quality of life?
2. Do you think it is a problem that Georg is not presented as a whole person? Only his family life is presented, with a few "side trips to school, his teacher, his piano lessons. It makes the book "narrow," in focus. In France, this is called "a theory novel"—a book that sets out to prove a theory, rather than present a whole picture. Do you think it is a limitation? Does it detract from the beauty of the book? Or the wisdom?
3. Working with students: Allow students to familiarize themselves with the following elements from the book: the Hubble telescope, the United Nations, falling in love, Oslo and Norway, the Frognerpark (contains the Vigeland sculpture park), writing a will, their recollections (if any) from when they were three years of age. Also introduce them to the Beethoven's Moonlight sonata.
4. Is the the white pigeon (dove?) which Jan Olav and Veronika see in Spain a premonition of his death? Does Jan himself think so?
5. How does the Hubble telescope function as a metaphor? Does it imply that readers can see everything? Or the narrator can see everything?
6. What would it would be like to get a personal letter from someone who died a long time ago? How do you think the father felt realizing he would not be with his son much longer?
- when did his dad write the letter, and why do you think he did so?
- Why do you think the letter was put in the old cart/pram
- why wasn't it given to Georg's mother so she could give it to him when he was old enough?
7. What do you think is happening between the orange girl and Georg's father?
- Is Georg’s father really that good at reading signs?
- Do you know what scurvy is?
- How many theories does Georg's father have about the orange girl’s use for the oranges? Which do you think is the most realistic? Do you have any theories?
8. Which feelings form the basis for the father’s description of the orange girl and the man in the Toyota?
9. Has this book expanded your knowledge about space?
10. What do these words by Piet Hein mean? “If you don’t live now, you will never live. What do you do?” An alternative translation would be: "Living is a thing you do now or never. Which do you?
11. Where do oranges originate? Do you know any typical "fairy tale rules"?
12. What does Georg's father mean when he talks about the people in the square are like living treasure chests of thoughts and memories. He also says that he himself is in the heart of his own life on earth, as are others. What does he mean?
13. What is the point of The Orange Girl? What is it trying to say? Recall Georg's father's question: has Georg given his answer by the end of the book?
(Questions developed by Linda Johnsen, a librarian in Norway, and sent to us by Conrad, a long-term LitLovers friend. Thanks to both Linda and Conrad.)