'More interested in questions'

 “I wrote Sophie's World in three months, but I was only writing and sleeping. I work for 14 hours a day when I'm working on a book.” –  Jostein Gaarder

Born in Norway on this date in 1952, Gaarder is noted for writing from a child’s perspective and using a technique called metafiction or writing stories within stories.  His biggest success is Sophie’s World: A Novel about the History of Philosophy, which has been translated into 60 languages and sold over 40 million copies.

 

The son of two educators and the second generation of children’s book authors (his mother also had several children’s books published), he said he developed a deep-rooted interest in reading, writing and teaching at an early age.

 

His first big success was The Solitaire Mystery, winner of the Norwegian Literary Critics’ Award and the Ministry of Cultural and Scientific Affairs Literary Prize.  He followed that with Sophie’s World, gaining worldwide acclaim.                                 

 

As a writer Gaarder said he seeks answers and doesn’t provide them.  “I am really more interested in questions than in giving answers.”