Philosophy Made Simple by Robert Hellenga

Philosophy Made Simple

Robert Hellenga

This is a delightful book. I so enjoyed the beautiful way the words just wind around the story. As Rudy struggles to understand the concepts of philosophy, they are played out in the day to day events of his slightly chaotic life. Artistic elephants and Hindu weddings, avocado groves and philosophers – Texas will never seem the same again.

Extract
They drank some Polstar vodka which the Russian bought by the case in Reynosa, and told stories. The Russian told Norma Jean stories that Rudy’d heard before, but never tired of hearing. Siva told Oaxaca stories: he’d climbed the pyramid at Mont Alban, and he’d met a woman in a little 'posada' in a canyon right on the beach at Puerto Angel who was going to join him in Paris at the end of September. Rudy told about seeing the river for the first time and about mistaking the mysterious lights on the river for the 'Ding an sich', but he kept his own counsel about the life force and the will to power.
Parallels
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M Pirsig
  • Ursula Under by Ingrid Hill
  • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

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