Product Description

A box of Ltin manuscripts comes to light in an Argentine flea market. An apocyphral invention by some 17th or 18th century scolar, or a transcrpit of what it appears to be - a hitherto unheard of letter to St Augustine to a woman he renounced for chastity? VITA BREVIS is both an entrancing human document and a fascinating insight into the life and philosophy of St.Augustine. Gaarder'sinterpretation of Floria's letter is as playful, inventive and questioning as Sophie's World.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #145337 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06-22
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: Norwegian
• Binding: Paperback
• 164 pages

About the Author
Jostein Gaarder is the author of SOPHIE'S WORLD, a huge bestseller in over 40 countries. He was born in Oslo in 1952 and lives there now with his wife and two sons.

Customer Reviews

Life is short - so don't miss out on this one!
I have never read a book by Jostein Gaarder before, although am well aware of "Sophie's World" and the "Christmas Mystery", the stories of which never really made me want to read his books. So it doesn't surprise that I came across "Vita Brevis" by complete accident. I started reading the epilogue and was hooked immediately and did not put the book down before I finished reading it. Anybody with an interest in ancient culture and history, Latin or Greek languages or even Christian religion, should read this book as it really brings alive the history of ancient Rome and Catharge. But the story of Floria and Augustine works on a very human level, too. The book is in effect a letter, composed by Floria, to her former partner who left her to save his own soul. He is now known as Saint Augustine. Floria composed her letter after reading Augustine's "Confessions" and by reminding him of their life together she grants us, the people of today, an insight into life ~1500 years ago. This alone makes the book worth reading. But what is even more surprising is how little human interactions and emotions have changed since then and how applicable to modern life the things are Floria speaks about in her letter. Floria, without a doubt, was a very well educated and intelligent woman but her foresight in respect to the treatment of women by the Catholic Church is quite simply extraordinary.
All in all, a very tragic story that will give you goosebumps that will touch you on a very personal level and that will give you heaps to think about.

Beautiful
I read this whole book in one night when I was stranded in Zurich airport and it just touched me in a way no other book by this author has before. This book will really set you thinking - I just can't say anymore about it - just read it for yourself...

enchanting
I was a little cautious at first as it didn't seem to be like other Jostein Gaarder novels that I have read. However it is a thouroughly captivating and extremely interesting book that is well worth reading whether you beieve the tale to be true or not!