27 pages • 54 minutes read
Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran
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Book Brief
Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran
Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2001110
Novella • Fiction
Paris, France • 1960s
2001
Adult
14-18 years
Super Short Summary
Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt follows Moses, a young Jewish boy in Paris, who befriends Monsieur Ibrahim, a Muslim grocer. The grocer imparts wisdom and teaches Moses about happiness and Sufism. Moses transforms as he deals with a neglectful father and abandonment. Monsieur Ibrahim ultimately adopts him, and Moses inherits the store, adopts the name Mohammed, and grows into adulthood enriched by the grocer's lessons. Themes include sex work, suicide, and neglect.
Heartwarming
Bittersweet
Contemplative
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt is widely praised for its poignant narrative and deep character development. The story's exploration of friendship and spirituality resonates, though some find it overly sentimental. Overall, the novella is celebrated for its humanistic themes and touching portrayal of cross-cultural relationships.
Who Should Read Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran?
Readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven tales with profound emotional and philosophical depth, akin to Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist or Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, will find Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt's Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran compelling and enriching.
Monsieur Ibrahim
Monsieur Ibrahim
A Muslim grocer characterized by his wisdom and benevolence, who befriends Moses and imparts life lessons, becoming a pivotal figure in Moses's life.
Moses’s Father
Moses’s Father
A depressed, middle-aged lawyer who is emotionally disconnected from his son and struggles with his past, impacting his relationship with Moses.
Moses’s Mother
Moses’s Mother
Absent for much of Moses's early life, she reunites with him following his father's death and has a complex relationship with Moses under his chosen name.
Monsieur Abdullah
Monsieur Abdullah
Monsieur Ibrahim’s lifelong best friend, who shares mystical practices with Moses in Ibrahim’s homeland and influences his journey of self-discovery.
110
Novella • Fiction
Paris, France • 1960s
2001
Adult
14-18 years
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