Sweet but thought-provoking little book. However, I don't think it's nearly as deep as it thinks it is, or at least, sets out to be. It's a quiet book, with few characters or plot action as it is mostly concerned with the philosophical and theological conversations taking place between Cecelia and Ariel. Ariel is an angel and Cecelia is an 11 year old girl who has terminal cancer. The problem for me is that Cecelia really doesn't sound like an 11 year old - more like an author trying to sound like an 11 year old. The age-old age problem! And so the book rings false in my ears.

Bacaan ringan menyambut awal tahun. Cukup menghibur melihat pertanyaan-pertanyaan yang dilontarkan Ariel pada Cecilia, begitu pun sebaliknya

I reread this as a sort of warm-up to embarking on Sophie's World, which I have meant to read for rather a lot of years! I first read this when I was about eight or nine and I remember the huge impact it had on me then.

It's a compact, dense little book - although it is aimed at younger readers, there's a lot contained within the pages. It tells the story of Cecilia (or Cecille, in some translations, I believe) who is terminally ill and visited by an angel, Ariel. Basically, they philosophise about the existence of God, what it means to be alive, what angels are, what feelings and sensations are, and what death means.

I have never read another novel like it. Cecilia's shifting moods seem so realistic to me - the refusal to accept that she is dying, anger and bitterness at the world and at God for making things fade and perish, for the imperfections that make up life, and misplaced faith that she will recover to play in that winter's snow.

Gaarder makes you think, but it is quite gentle, being a children's story. Anyone should read this; the religious aspects were fine with me (an atheist) and the experience of death is universal. I think it should be on the curriculum at schools!

Although ultimately a sad ending, the book is still a joy to read. You almost forget whilst reading it that Cecilia is going to die, almost start believing her that she will get out to use her new skis. But by the end, she is accepting and sees her own head on the pillow from outside, looking from the other side of Ariel's looking glass. She is ready to leave.

A strangely superficial story about some pretty big ideas. Possibly I liked this book more before, when I wasn't an atheist?

Oops, I accidentally read this in one sitting.

This was one of the first books I read as a kid/teenager that felt 'literary' or 'deep' and I absolutely loved it and re-read it multiple times at the time. Picking it up again now, I was surprised that it's far more explicitly religion/god centred than I remembered, although the angel visiting on Christmas Eve really should've been a clear sign now that I think about it.

Regarding the book itself, especially the first and final couple of chapters are heart wrenching and beautiful and it just does a lot with minimal words. I do think this was more important/interesting to me as a young teenager, but it was definitely worth a quick re-read!

buatku yang baru pertama baca karya Jostein Gaarder, ini sederhana tapi tetep filosofis sih.
ada beberapa percakapan antara Cecilia dan Ariel yang aku renungkan.
terjemahannya enak sih, tapi ada sedikitt yang miss

4,8/5

dialog tentang kehidupan antara anak sekarat dan malaikat.

I remember reading this in bed at night when I was thirteen, and disagreeing with this book a lot. It was entertaining though.