That Same Flower: Floria Aemilia's Letter to Saint Augustine

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully and Romantically Written!
Review: As suggested from the introduction, the authencity of the story shall be judged by the readers. Despite the historical accuracy, the imagination of Jostein Gaarder from the viewpoint of Floria Aemilia, writing a letter judging the Saint who has given up his family, "sensual lust" and all human desires to achieve eternal life. From the word of St. Augustine, "Thus I soiled the deep springs of friendship with impure sensual lust, and dulled its clear radiance with a hellish allure." It is challenged by the content of the letter that, such philosophy is correct to be applied to true love. Despite the philosophical arguments of the book. It is solely a book of romantic writing about a couple who has cherished their time together romantically, such as the young Aurel smelling the scent of Floria's hair on the bridge of Arno. "Can you remembered how you stroked me all over and seemed to tighten every bud before it opened itself? How you enjoyed plucking me! How you nourished yourself on my juices! And then you went away and sold me for the sake of your soul's salvation. What infidelity, Aurel, what guilt! No, I don't believe in a God who demands human sacrifices. I don't believe in a God who lays waste a woman's life to save a man's soul." It undoubtedly conclude the wrong decision of St. Augustine's inclination to complete isolation to human life.

Rating:
Summary: An Admirable Attempt
Review: I am studying at Oxford this summer, and I could not resist picking up Jostein Gaarder's book, known as Vita Brevis here (and already in paperback). I am majoring in Religion and Philosophy, and Gaarder has become one of my all-time favorite writers. However, I was not totally convinced by the voice of Floria. The strength that must have carried her through her abandonment does not seem to shine as brightly as the tears that must have been running down her cheeks as "she" wrote the letter. From me, Gaarder's previous books earn higher praise. Yet I anxiously await Hello, is Anybody There? which I have already reserved at a local bookshop. I'm still a loyal fan, despite being slightly disappointed this time around.

Rating:
Summary: A Woman's Love and a Man's Hypocrisy
Review: I HIGHLY recommend you read St. Augustine's "Confessions" first BEFORE reading this book! I read the book once, then read Confessions out of curiosity, then came back and re-read this book and... WOW!! It really makes all the difference in the world! Single sentences speak volumes after you have read "Confessions", because there is a story behind everything Floria writes. In a single sentence she has you laughing at some irony involving St. Augustine, and just as quickly have you feeling great despair, disgust, or even frustration... and of course, love! Nothing is stronger than the love from a woman, but then, nothing is as cruel as what Augustine did to that love. After reading this book you will want to sit in a quite place and ponder...

Rating:
Summary: A Woman's Love and a Man's Hypocrisy
Review: I HIGHLY recommend you read St. Augustine's "Confessions" first BEFORE reading this book! I read the book once, then read Confessions out of curiosity, then came back and re-read this book and... WOW!! It really makes all the difference in the world! Single sentences speak volumes after you have read "Confessions", because there is a story behind everything Floria writes. In a single sentence she has you laughing at some irony involving St. Augustine, and just as quickly have you feeling great despair, disgust, or even frustration... and of course, love! Nothing is stronger than the love from a woman, but then, nothing is as cruel as what Augustine did to that love. After reading this book you will want to sit in a quite place and ponder...

Rating:
Summary: Great book, but unfortunately it's a fiction, or isn't it ?
Review: I'm suprised some seem to believe this was a genuine translation from Latin. The ploy of giving the odd excerpt of Latin in the footnotes to try and maintain this fiction is not particularly successful. The excerpts chosen are often very obvious in their translation and would require no comment in a genuine translation.

Rating:
Summary: Curiously interesting, though I'm not sure I believe it.
Review: It is a very interesting concept. The debates on Augustine are often remarkable. However, I don't know that I believe a woman of that time would be so brazen and bold and in comfortable expressing her sexual pleasure. Should it be true, however, it is incredible and what a find. If it isn't I would've much rather appreciated Gaardner being up front about it. His other works are some of my favorites. I'd hate to think he intentionally misled some faithful readers. It was curiously interesting and quite enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: "Vita Brevis" (meaning "Life is Short")
Review: That's how Jostein Gaarder titled the book, and I think it fits remarkably! It shows how we should sense our world and not just worry about the afterlife. A beautiful lovestory, and if it is true, an important historical found as well. And with the footnotes in the marrow, we get a much deeper insight to the letter than we would have with only the text.
I think it is genuine. Gaarder is not the kind of man to lie about this. With all his footnotes and even a referance to his Latin teacher at "Katta", I think he is telling the truth about how he found Codex Floriae.
Read this book! It is a beautiful lovestory, and a great introduction to the philosophical questions around St. Augustine.

Rating:
Summary: The Fruits and Beauty of Our Own Humanity
Review: This is, for sure, one of the most beautiful love stories of all times. Who could imagine a Saint such as Saint Augustine, a catholic Bishop from the IV Century, living a life full of memories of a beloved woman who had lived with him in sin for twelve years? A story of human feelings, of betrayal, faith and despair. A story of a woman that never accepted the lost of her lover and a man that never forgot her. The story of "That Same Flower : Floria Aemilia's Letter to Saint Augustine" is remarkable.