The Philosopher’s Apprentice by James K. Morrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 stars to James K. Morrow‘s The Philosopher’s Apprentice.
I found this book one afternoon while walking through a book store. It sounded like a good read so I added it to my new pile. It sat for a few weeks while I finished some others ahead of it, and then I dived in. It’s divided into 3 separate sections, and even I’ll admit there are a few disconnects in the writing style between the various sections, but compared to the amazing aspects of the story, it is very minor (at least to me!). I don’t think I’ve ever had a book that challenged me more than this one. It was phenomenal on so many levels. It helped me learn to think outside the box.
Skip forward about a year…
It’s my turn to choose a book for my Book Club. I choose this one as no one else had ever read it. I re-read it over a weekend with as little interruptions as possible. I found so many new layers that I double down on how phenomenal this book is.
Why?
A woman is cloning herself to find perfection. It’s the story inside all of us. It’s shocking and truthful and wicked and sentimental and scary and heartbreaking all the same. You are so trapped in what you think is acceptable and what you think is wrong that you can’t escape such a quandry in this book.
Why Not?
The later part of the book goes a bit off track and confuses easily — you have to focus and release all the questions that come to your mind until you get to the end. For me, it spoke volumes. For a few in the book club, they loved the first half and hated the last half. It’s all a matter of how you interpret what you hear — understand why someone would do something — and who you are rooting for.
Nevertheless, it’s one you should read – at least the first part of the book. Even if you give up midway, just the story in the first section is enough to mesmerize you, activate your innate reactions to the purpose of life and the need of a human connection, and send you questioning your own beliefs.
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