Book Review: Ishmael: An Adventure Of Mind And Spirit (Daniel Quinn)
As far as novels goes, it would be easy to dismiss this book. It is virtually plot free, lacks character development of any note, and verges on tedious repetition in many areas. To treat it as a novel, however, would be an error. Ishmael is designed as a Socratic dialogue and as such is never intended to convey much of a story or present particularly robust characters. Rather, Quinn's clear objective is to use the tale's two speakers (Socratic dialogues are generally limited to two speakers who converse in a question-and-answer format) to convey a philosophical idea, and given the nature of this particular idea, it would be difficult for Quinn to have chosen a better vehicle. This idea that Quinn seeks to impart is a difficult one to summarize but it is suffice to say that he challenges the nature and origins of human civilization, beginning with the human discovery and adoption of agriculture. Quinn ultimately uses his "teacher" character to condemn the practi...