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27 pages 54 minutes read

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2001

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Book Brief

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Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt

Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran

Fiction | Novella | Adult | Published in 2001
Book Details
Pages

110

Format

Novella • Fiction

Setting

Paris, France • 1960s

Publication Year

2001

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

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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

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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 this

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.

Character List

Moses ("Momo")

A thoughtful and lonely Jewish adolescent living in 1960s Paris, who seeks companionship and forms a meaningful friendship with Monsieur Ibrahim, a neighborhood grocer.

A Muslim grocer characterized by his wisdom and benevolence, who befriends Moses and imparts life lessons, becoming a pivotal figure in Moses's life.

A depressed, middle-aged lawyer who is emotionally disconnected from his son and struggles with his past, impacting his relationship with Moses.

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 Ibrahim’s lifelong best friend, who shares mystical practices with Moses in Ibrahim’s homeland and influences his journey of self-discovery.

Book Details
Pages

110

Format

Novella • Fiction

Setting

Paris, France • 1960s

Publication Year

2001

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

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