Review
From the book jacket: From the author of
The Sixteen Pleasures
comes an unforgettable novel about a man's search for meaning, in the tradition
of Louis Begley's
About Schmidt and Evan Connell's
Mr. Bridge.
Rudy Harrington has spent half his life in a rambling Chicago house, raising
three daughters with his independent-minded wife. But his wife has died, his
daughters have moved away, and Rudy is restless. In what he interprets as a
moment of transcendent vision, he puts the family home up for sale and buys an
avocado grove in Texas. While adapting to his new vocation, new home, and new
friends, Rudy takes up a book--
Philosophy Made Simple--and begins to struggle
with Plato and Aristotle, Hume and Schopenhauer. His newly acquired wisdom is
put to the test when he enlists the neighborhood elephant to preside over his...
Beyond the Book
This is Hellenga's fourth novel following
The Sixteen Pleasures (1994),
The Fall of a Sparrow (1998), and
Blues Lessons (2002). Set
in the late 1960s,
Philosophy Made Simple shares many of the same
characters as
The Sixteen Pleasures, but it is certainly not necessary to
have read the earlier book to enjoy the latter. Having said that, if you're interested to know what came before, below is a brief summary of
The Sixteen Pleasures.
About The Sixteen Pleasures
Margot (one of Rudy's daughters) gave up her place at Harvard to care for
her ailing mother. Now, at 29, this librarian and book conservator answers
the call for volunteers to help Florence save its art treasures from the rapidly
flooding...
