Ishmael & My Ishmael
I’ve just finished reading My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. This is Quinn’s second book involving Ishmael, a highly intelligent and philosophical gorilla who has telepathic abilities. I know that sounds completely ridiculous, but you’ll have to trust me that it makes perfect sense after reading the second book.
The first book, Ishmael, introduces the reader to both Ishmael and his first pupil, Alan. Intrigued by a small ad in the local paper Alan goes to an office where Ishmael lives. Over a number of days, Ishmael helps Alan understand how things have come to be the way they are and what this means for mankind.
The way Quinn explains his ideas is truly amazing to me. Everything is written clear enough so that anyone could understand the concepts, but at the same time it is done in such a way that you feel like you are slowly figuring out the concepts on your own. On a number of occasions I can remember thinking that I wish school was taught in this fashion. I especially enjoyed Ishmael’s explanations of biblical stories like Adam & Eve and the story of Abel and Cain. After reading them you feel that the explanation is so obvious you can’t believe you didn’t think of it yourself.
Reading Ishmael is truly an eye-opening experience. I really can not recommend this book enough, as I’m sure some of you know already.
My Ishmael follows the same structure as Ishmael, but this time Ishmael’s pupil is a twelve year old girl named Julie. Through philosophical discussions Julie learns Ishmael’s version of economics and evolution. The ending of the book explains much of what happened in the first book, as the two stories take place during the same time period.
Although Julie’s character can be a little annoying at times, Quinn does a decent job of making her sound her age. My Ishmael is suppose to be written by her in the years following her meeting with Ishmael; similarly, Ishmael is suppose to be written by Alan after his sessions took place.
I enjoyed the second book, but not as much as the first. I think a part of this was the simple fact that it just didn’t feel as mind-blowing the second time around. The concepts explained were different from the first book, but the basic foundation and process were no longer novel. Some of Julie’s dialogue felt a little contrived, but in the end I was reading both books to understand their philosophies; so this didn’t bother me that much.
What I really liked about the second book was its explanation of what occurred during the first one. It is a bit like a behind-the-scenes look at what was really going on. It also helped me understand why Quinn chose to use a gorilla to explain his ideas instead of another person, or anything else for that matter. This isn’t explained in the book directly, but if you read between the lines it makes a lot of sense.
Both books are about 250-300 pages; so neither are a very large commitment. If you are looking for a unique and interesting book I would definitely pick up Ishmael. Check out My Ishmael if you liked the first one and are dying for more like I was.
My next book will be another one by Quinn called The Story of B. I’m hoping it’s as influential as the Ishmael books.