While in a café, sixteen-year-old Nate comes across a man who engages him in an intellectual conversation. Fascinated by the discussion, Nate befriends the man along with his other companions of philosophers in order to better understand his purpose and direction in life.
Every encounter with the philosophers explores a different topic that shapes the stepping stones of Nate's journey. This journey toward the beauty of speech, logic, and wisdom is told in the Socratic dialogue fashion through Nate's perspective.
Rather than adhering to traditional story structures with peaks, twists, and suspense, Alsadah's thoughtfully compelling narrative follows Nate's apprenticeship in philosophical thought and living, revealing the young man’s growth through discourse with Plato and his cohort. This philosophical and conversational approach persuades readers through examinations of justice, equality, morality, perfection, love, and many others. "I see the mind as the most valuable thing a human has," Plato declares, “and only through speech, along with writing, is it ever translated and known.” That captures the essence of both his character and the story itself.
The dialogues are similar to each other, with formulaic structures and a lack of distinction among characters. But they serve as the driving force that Alsadah uses to explore compelling arguments, hypothetical scenarios, and intriguing conclusions that illuminate the significance of self-awareness, the diverse spectrum of human perceptions, and the challenges inherent in upholding one's ethical compass amidst the complexities of humanity. Through the lenses of knowledge, reason, and logic, readers are compelled to form their own hypotheses and conclusions, thereby actively participating in the intellectual and thought-provoking journey.
Takeaway: Richly philosophical dialogues in an exquisite Parisian cafe.
Comparable Titles: Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World, Muriel Barbery's The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-
With far too much literary fiction seeming to come from the recycling bin these days, Café de Sophia is cut from new cloth and wholly original with an enticingly absorbing narrative.
It’s a novel that rightly deserves your full attention with Alsadah achieving pitch-perfect balance between narrative and style. A read that is refreshingly devoid of archetypical characters whilst creating intricate shifts in perspective which are sure to engender much consideration.
One of the criticisms often levelled at philosophical reads is that it’s hard to lose oneself in the complexity of such works, but Alsadah turns brevity to his advantage and the satisfaction of his readers.
Delivering sharp, intelligent and above all intriguing philosophical musings, Café de Sophia is one of those rare gems of literary fiction that will linger in your memory for days and weeks to come. With taut prose and an eclectic imagination, he’s mastered the art of expanding upon a given moment, holding his characters and events up to scrutiny and then moving on.
Unfettered by genre conventions, Alsadah interweaves philosophical meditations on knowledge, justice and equality, perfection, love and logic in a way that is both cutting and clever. There’s no wanton wittering, each chapter punching above its word count and eminently readable. Encroaching on headspace and beggaring reflection whilst being a testament to the passion with which Alsadah writes.
Alsadah’s characters are well-developed and cleverly nuanced and yet it’s their essence rather than presence that draws us to them. Despite the deliberately veiled direction of Alsadah’s narrative, this creates a sense of mystery and a powerful emotional centre as Nate finds himself deeply drawn into the heart of fundamental questions about how we perceive the world about us, the nature of knowledge and what it means to know truly know ourselves.
An extraordinary addition to the genre and a powerful introduction to the mind of M.A. Alsadah, Café de Sophia is recommended without reservation.
