27 pages • 54 minutes read
110
Novella • Fiction
Paris, France • 1960s
2001
Adult
14-18 years
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
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.
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.
110
Novella • Fiction
Paris, France • 1960s
2001
Adult
14-18 years
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