Considered by many the unsung good books by Coelho in the list of books like The Fifth Mountain and Manual of the Warrior of Light, this book couldn’t get a lot of attention because of Coelho’s greatest masterpiece called The Alchemist.
The story revolves around a girl who meets her old friend after 11 years, only to find out that he now is a seminarian and travels around the globe teaching people about spirituality, and with that starts her journey of self-discovery, happiness, and emotion called love that she thought she wouldn’t have the luxury to feel again.
What I liked about the book:
Just like any Paulo Coelho book, this one has all the magical moments. The beautiful landscape, amazing imagination, subtle dialogues, and a pinch of spirituality that even an atheist can eat up.
The protagonist is very relatable, and understandably so, she is a young college-goer. The male protagonist is slightly on the too-much side, but his own confusion within the book is understandable to us as a reader.
The entire book is finished through a journey that starts off from a small town, through the mountains of Spain and other European countries.
The most unique thing about this book is that despite being claimed a ‘Romance novel’ the entire first half doesn’t really show a lot of romance in it.
Instead, we get a subtly hint at the two characters' emotions with a very early bombshell of exposition. And I personally love it.
I understand that it might be a little hard to digest for some readers, but if you love magical moments in romantic novels, then this one is for you.
But the most beautiful part of the book is the prologue. The essay given by Paulo Coelho on love in the preface will seal the deal for any romance-hungry reader.
What I didn’t like about the book:
Needless to say, this book is not like The Alchemist. It lacks the tone, beauty, and essence of what made Alchemist, ‘The Alchemist’. If you’re looking for another book like it, then you’re going to be disappointed.
Some scenes in the book would be considered weird by today’s standards, and the pages are full to the brim with its religious tone. If you don’t have an appetite for religious sermons in books, I am afraid you should pass this one.
The male protagonist is shown as a very nice and likeable guy with emotions for the female lead. Still, throughout the book, all I think is that he is a confused person, marred by his religious duty as a spiritual leader and his love for the girl. And that can put off some readers in today's generation full of pop culture erotica.
In some simple words, this book brings us back to classical romance, where everything is beautiful, and love between the two souls is very pure. Some will love it, some will puke, but I genuinely liked this book.
One of my all time favorite books!
ReplyDeleteThis book can be read by all ages.
It’s lessons are appreciated.