Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
My name is Lucy, I am in the ninth grade. I like to play hockey, ski, and rock climb.
Ishmael is an intriguing book about a gorilla and a man. It is set in the early 1990’s.The man sets out to find a teacher who can show him how to save the world. They find each other through an ad in the newspaper, and the gorilla becomes the man’s teacher. In the evenings the man arrives at Ishmael, the gorilla’s, apartment and he learns incredible ideas and truths about the philosophy of the world. Time and time again the man becomes aware of things that he had never thought of before. He learns from Ishmael about topics like cultural separation and ethical situations. You, as the reader, can learn along with the man. This book will open your eyes to things you may have never thought of before.
I really enjoyed this book but it is written for more mature audiences. I thought that at first the plot was a bit boring, but as the book progressed it became more entertaining. I learned so much while reading this book and I really came away from it with more consciousness of culture and different views on the world. I would find myself trying to guess the themes that Ishmael was hinting at before the man did. I will always remember reading this book, and it will be a turning point in my life forever. If you haven’t yet I would highly recommend giving this book a try. It is worth it.
