The Solitaire Mystery facts for kids
First edition (Norwegian)
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| Author | Jostein Gaarder |
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| Original title | Kabalmysteriet |
| Country | Norway |
| Language | Norwegian |
| Genre | Fantasy, philosophical novel |
| Publisher | Aschehoug |
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Publication date
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1990 |
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Published in English
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1996 |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 351 |
| ISBN | 0-425-16047-5 |
| OCLC | 34333870 |
| LC Class | MLCM 96/06284 (P) |
The Solitaire Mystery (Norwegian: Kabalmysteriet) is a fantasy novel written in 1990 by Jostein Gaarder. He is a Norwegian author, famous for his book Sophie's World. This book is mostly for young people, but its ideas are interesting for everyone, no matter their age.
Just like Sophie's World, The Solitaire Mystery has many deep ideas. But unlike Sophie's World, it doesn't directly talk about famous thinkers or their theories. This means you might be thinking about big questions and ideas without even realizing you're exploring philosophy!
Contents
Story Overview
The book tells two stories that seem separate at first. But as you read, they slowly start to connect in a surprising way.
Hans-Thomas's Journey
One part of the story follows a 12-year-old boy named Hans-Thomas. He and his father are driving across Europe. Their goal is to find Hans-Thomas's mother, who left home a while ago.
During their trip, they stop at a gas station. A strange little man gives Hans-Thomas a magnifying glass. He mysteriously says, "You'll need it!" The man also convinces them to take a longer road through a small village called Dorf.
Later, Hans-Thomas and his father stop at a café in Dorf. Hans-Thomas walks around the village and buys a huge sticky bun from a kind baker. To his surprise, he finds a tiny book hidden inside the bun! The writing in the book is so small he can't read it with his eyes alone. Luckily, he has his new magnifying glass. He starts reading the tiny book, and the story then switches between Hans-Thomas's journey and the tale inside the sticky bun book.
The Sticky Bun Book's Story
The tiny book tells the story of an old baker. His grandfather once gave him a wonderful drink called Rainbow Fizz (or Rainbow Soda in the American version). This drink came from a special island. The grandfather had been shipwrecked there when he was young.
On this island lived an old sailor named Frode. There were also 53 other people who didn't have names. They called themselves by the numbers on playing cards. This included 52 regular cards plus a Joker. The Ace of Hearts was especially charming. Frode really liked her, even though she often "lost herself" and disappeared.
When Worlds Connect
As Hans-Thomas keeps reading, his own journey and the events in the sticky bun book begin to mix. It's a bit like magic!
The predictions made by the cards in the tiny book start to reveal details about Hans-Thomas's own search for his mother. He notices that his mother acts a lot like the Ace of Hearts. She also "loses herself" or disappears for long periods.
Also, throughout his trip, Hans-Thomas keeps seeing the same odd little bearded man. This is the man who gave him the helpful magnifying glass. But whenever Hans-Thomas tries to get closer to the man, he quickly runs away and vanishes. Hans-Thomas is very confused. He stopped for the cake by chance and picked that specific bun by chance. How could a tiny book from a random bun know things about his own life?
See also
In Spanish: El misterio del solitario para niños
