And Paulo is not a family member nor a friend but he is someone who is dear to me. And no, I don't mean my pet dog. Paulo is for a man I greatly idolize. Paulo is for the man who never fail to awe me with his work and wisdom. Paulo is for the master storyteller and my favorite author. Paulo is for my hero, Paulo Coelho.
But this is not a sentimental blog but it is a celebration of the works of Paulo Coelho, which I have been reading for four years now. And currently, I do own ten of his works, although I've read eleven already (I do not own a copy of his so-called greatest work, The Alchemist), and each of his works is a compelling tale of life, spirituality, and magic.
What made me an avid Coeho reader is that his stories touch on human nature and spirituality. His books talk about different aspects of being a person such as following your dreams, love, and even the very nature of a person --- whether we are essentially good or naturally evil. The wisdom Coelho pins in his every story is coupled with his giftedness in crafting stories so riveting, heartwarming, and thought-provoking.
What makes him my hero? Let's cite the obvious first: he could write an awesome story about life. It is something that I would really want to do --- to write an astonishing story about life, especially one which deals with dreams, soul-searching, conquering fears, and the conflicts of the human soul. But aside from the writing prowess that this author extraordinaire possess, he is an inspiration for me, as an aspiring novelist who wishes to make it big someday. Although his parents pushed him away from his dreams, he was still able to pursue writing. He never let life's setbacks stop him from spreading his wings and achieving his dreams. That is the very spirit that drives me to look up to him.
Now let's talk about his books.
As I've said, I've read eleven of his works, ten of which I do own. I'm only four books away in completing my collection of Coelho masterpieces, that number includes his forthcoming book, Manuscripts found in Accra which will be out in the Philippines by 2013.
All of his books do make sense. I love all of Paulo's works. However, there are some books that did stood out for me. So here are the top five books etched in my memory as Paulo's stellar work.
4th runner-up: Eleven Minutes
I had a hard time deciding which book will be on the 4th runner-up and 3rd runner-up place. And in the end, Brida lost over Eleven Minutes in making into this list. Both are great books though.
Eleven Minutes is all about a Brazilian woman named Maria. Her early experiences of love left her brokenhearted. Because of this, she thinks that she will no longer experience what true love is all about. It was during this time, in her adolescence, when she began to explore the world of sex --- first with masturbation.
Maria dreams to leave the Brazilian town where she lives and make it big somewhere. A chance meeting with a foreigner in the beaches of Rio de Janiero takes her to Geneva, Switzerland for a promise of becoming a star dancer. But instead of becoming a dancer, she became a prostitute. It is through this that she developed fascination towards sex, albeit not reaching orgasm.
As the story progresses, Maria meets Ralf, a young painter who sees her inner light. She falls for him. Through him, she discovers sacred sex --- sex that is done in the context of love through giving up one's soul for the person.
Eleven Minutes gave me an insight on the historical aspect of sex, like the discovery of the G-spot., as well as the sacred nature of sex. But more than sex, Eleven Minutes is all about a woman's story of finding true love by letting her destiny leading her to find it. It depicts how one girl surrendered everything to life and to the Virgin Mary, allowing them to take control of her life, leading her to where she ought to be.
Quotable quote: “When I had nothing to lose, I had everything. When I stopped being who I am, I found myself.”
What to await: That very romantic ending and yes, the Filipina prostitute.
3rd runner-up: The Alchemist
I was not really sure about this choice. After all, I was not really enthralled with the story. But to be Paulo Coelho's most well-loved work, there must be a reason why. Good thing I reflected on it.
The Alchemist talks about following your dreams and fulfilling them. It also is about perseverance, faith, and destiny. The book also introduces us to a new word --- Personal Legend. It is something you have always wanted to accomplish in life. "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it," the book points out.
The book follows the journey of a Spanish boy named Santiago who left the wealth of his family to become a shepherd. He wanted to travel the world --- that was his personal legend. And as a shepherd, he believes that he could set foot to many places. Since he left his home to somewhat fulfill his dreams, he lives inside an old ruined church and sleeps at the church's baptistery.
Santiago had recurring dreams about treasures in the pyramids of Egypt and after consulting a gypsy about it, he decides to travel to Egypt and claim the treasure. He crosses the border between Andalusia, Spain and Egypt and throughout his journey, he meets people who would help him in the journey --- a store owner who gave him a temporary job before he could finally set off, an Arabian woman to whom he falls in love with, and the alchemist who teaches him about personal legends.
All of the 200-plus pages of the book is filled with sweet insights and meaningful learnings. Once you close the book, it will revitalize you to follow your heart's desire and take the path that leads you to where your dreams are.
Quotable quote: “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
What to await: When the Alchemist transformed into the wind, that was amazing. And the ending that will either piss you or enliven you.
2nd runner-up: By The River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept
Quotable quote: “Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering.”
What to await: Pilar's decision and the Exercise of The Other.
1st runner-up: The Devil and Miss Prym
Quotable quote: “People want to change everything and, at the same time, want it all to remain the same.”
What to await: If Viscos will break a commandment, what that commandment will be, and how will the story end.
My Top Choice: Veronika Decides to Die
And we are down to my ultimate favorite Paulo Coelho book. This was not even a hard choice for me.
Veronika Decides to Die is part of the On The Seventh Day trilogy and is the second installment of the book (the first by the way, is By The River Piedra). It focuses on how the central character, Veronika, was changed in seven days confronted by death.
Veronika is a beautiful young woman from Ljubljana, Slovenia. She has everything almost every girl would ever wish for. However, she decides to curtail her life by means of sleeping pills overdose. While awaiting for her death, she decides to read a magazine where she finds an article which asks "Where is Slovenia?". To justify her suicide, she decides to write a suicide note where she says that she is ending her life basically because only a few people know where Slovenia is.
Unfortunately, Veronika's plan fails and she wakes up in Vilette, a mental asylum in Slovenia. If you think waking up in a mental hospital is worse than your failed suicide, Veronika even had it more of a so-called misfortune as she was told that she has only seven days left to live.
She encounters many other patients within Vilette, some of them truthfully ill while others are only there for freedom. She will be friends with Zedka, a woman with clinical depression, who tells Veronika her escapades in the astral world during her insulin-induced coma treatments. She also gets into arguments with Mari, a woman who suffers panic attacks. And lastly, we have Eduard, a handsome wealthy young man who has schizophrenia. Veronika falls in love with him.
V, as I fondly call the book, is a novel that has moved me to the core. It talks not just about life and death, about religion (through the Sufi tradition), but also about the norms society has established. It somehow influenced me to challenge society's persisting norms. "Collective madness is called sanity" --- no matter how absurd one thing is, if it is viewed as normal, then it is normal.
V taught me to value life, to embrace and appreciate every second of it, and to always seize the day. We never know when our heartbeats would stop so we should make the most out of everything we got.
Everyone should read Veronika Decides to Die.
Quotable quote: "Be crazy! But learn how to be crazy without being the center of attention. Be brave enough to live different.”
What to await: The masturbation scene was epic! Imagination Veronika masturbated six times, non-stop, in front of Eduard. That was really epic! And the ending! Urghh!
o0o
So those are my top five favorite Coelho masterpieces. But again, his every work of art is a masterpiece so better start reading his books.
You might never know, you'll be the next one to be inspired and transformed that you'll scream "Oh Paulo!"
But this is not a sentimental blog but it is a celebration of the works of Paulo Coelho, which I have been reading for four years now. And currently, I do own ten of his works, although I've read eleven already (I do not own a copy of his so-called greatest work, The Alchemist), and each of his works is a compelling tale of life, spirituality, and magic.
 |
| Paulo Coelho. Photo taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk |
What made me an avid Coeho reader is that his stories touch on human nature and spirituality. His books talk about different aspects of being a person such as following your dreams, love, and even the very nature of a person --- whether we are essentially good or naturally evil. The wisdom Coelho pins in his every story is coupled with his giftedness in crafting stories so riveting, heartwarming, and thought-provoking.
What makes him my hero? Let's cite the obvious first: he could write an awesome story about life. It is something that I would really want to do --- to write an astonishing story about life, especially one which deals with dreams, soul-searching, conquering fears, and the conflicts of the human soul. But aside from the writing prowess that this author extraordinaire possess, he is an inspiration for me, as an aspiring novelist who wishes to make it big someday. Although his parents pushed him away from his dreams, he was still able to pursue writing. He never let life's setbacks stop him from spreading his wings and achieving his dreams. That is the very spirit that drives me to look up to him.
Now let's talk about his books.
As I've said, I've read eleven of his works, ten of which I do own. I'm only four books away in completing my collection of Coelho masterpieces, that number includes his forthcoming book, Manuscripts found in Accra which will be out in the Philippines by 2013.
All of his books do make sense. I love all of Paulo's works. However, there are some books that did stood out for me. So here are the top five books etched in my memory as Paulo's stellar work.
4th runner-up: Eleven Minutes
 |
| Book cover. Photo from http://surbhireads.blogspot.com |
Eleven Minutes is all about a Brazilian woman named Maria. Her early experiences of love left her brokenhearted. Because of this, she thinks that she will no longer experience what true love is all about. It was during this time, in her adolescence, when she began to explore the world of sex --- first with masturbation.
Maria dreams to leave the Brazilian town where she lives and make it big somewhere. A chance meeting with a foreigner in the beaches of Rio de Janiero takes her to Geneva, Switzerland for a promise of becoming a star dancer. But instead of becoming a dancer, she became a prostitute. It is through this that she developed fascination towards sex, albeit not reaching orgasm.
As the story progresses, Maria meets Ralf, a young painter who sees her inner light. She falls for him. Through him, she discovers sacred sex --- sex that is done in the context of love through giving up one's soul for the person.
Eleven Minutes gave me an insight on the historical aspect of sex, like the discovery of the G-spot., as well as the sacred nature of sex. But more than sex, Eleven Minutes is all about a woman's story of finding true love by letting her destiny leading her to find it. It depicts how one girl surrendered everything to life and to the Virgin Mary, allowing them to take control of her life, leading her to where she ought to be.
Quotable quote: “When I had nothing to lose, I had everything. When I stopped being who I am, I found myself.”
What to await: That very romantic ending and yes, the Filipina prostitute.
3rd runner-up: The Alchemist
 |
| Book cover. Photo from http://kirstyne.wordpress.com |
The Alchemist talks about following your dreams and fulfilling them. It also is about perseverance, faith, and destiny. The book also introduces us to a new word --- Personal Legend. It is something you have always wanted to accomplish in life. "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it," the book points out.
The book follows the journey of a Spanish boy named Santiago who left the wealth of his family to become a shepherd. He wanted to travel the world --- that was his personal legend. And as a shepherd, he believes that he could set foot to many places. Since he left his home to somewhat fulfill his dreams, he lives inside an old ruined church and sleeps at the church's baptistery.
Santiago had recurring dreams about treasures in the pyramids of Egypt and after consulting a gypsy about it, he decides to travel to Egypt and claim the treasure. He crosses the border between Andalusia, Spain and Egypt and throughout his journey, he meets people who would help him in the journey --- a store owner who gave him a temporary job before he could finally set off, an Arabian woman to whom he falls in love with, and the alchemist who teaches him about personal legends.
All of the 200-plus pages of the book is filled with sweet insights and meaningful learnings. Once you close the book, it will revitalize you to follow your heart's desire and take the path that leads you to where your dreams are.
Quotable quote: “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
What to await: When the Alchemist transformed into the wind, that was amazing. And the ending that will either piss you or enliven you.
2nd runner-up: By The River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept
 |
| Book cover. Photo from http://thebookstheygaveme.tumblr.com |
Before I made this blog, I already know my top three favorite Coelho books but to actually chose as to which is second and which is third is very difficult. But then, a thorough mental deliberation made me arrive at placing By the River Piedra (pardon me for not completing the full title) on 2nd runner-up position.
Having read this book twice or thrice, I have somehow memorized every detail of the story told by Pilar at the banks of River Piedra.
Pilar is a woman from a small town called Soria but is studying in Zaragosa. Days before the feast of the Immaculate Concepcion, she receives a letter from her childhood sweetheart whom she has not seen for years. The two meet in Madrid where the childhood sweetheart is conducting a talk. This is where Pilar finds out that her old flame has become a seminarian and a leader of a religious movement that believes in the feminine face of God.
In seven days, the two journey from Madrid to the Pyrenees on the border of France and Spain. And as the days go by, Pilar's love for her childhood friend rekindles. Whoever, together with the intensity of her love is discovering more of the person.
As the book talks about how Pilar is transformed in seven days confronted by love, the central character should decide as to whether she would fight for her love...even if she is fighting against God.
By the River Piedra is not your typical type of love story as it does not only centers on the feeling of being in love but also on the transformation that love could give to someone. When Pilar decides, you could see her maturity and it is evident that she is no longer the same person we've known at the beginning of this poignant tale. The book also tackles on Catholicism, especially on the matter of the feminine face of God.
Filled with dramatic lines, this book is a sure great read.
What to await: Pilar's decision and the Exercise of The Other.
1st runner-up: The Devil and Miss Prym
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| Book cover. Photo from http://www.bookrack.in |
How can somebody's life be transformed within seven days confronted by power? This is what our first runner-up is trying to show all throughout this novel.
The third and final installment of On The Seventh Day trilogy, The Devil and Miss Prym explores the true nature of human beings --- whether we are essentially good or naturally evil.
The story begins with Old Berta, the oldest inhabitant of the remote fictional town of Viscos, seeing the arrival of the devil in the person of a stranger, something which her deceased husband constantly tells her.
The stranger decides to stay for a week in Viscos. One day, the stranger goes into the forest to bury eleven gold bars. After doing so, he meets Chantal Prym, a beautiful and young barmaid, and the youngest resident of Viscos, outside the forest. In order to fulfill his plans in Viscos, the stranger goes back inside, now together with Chantal, whose original plan was to meet a foreigner who could bring her out of her hometown, and shows her the gold bars. The stranger told Chantal that the ten gold bars will be buried somewhere again while the eleventh bar will stay where it is. The stranger told Chantal that Viscos will have the gold if one of them violates one of the Ten Commandments.
The incident made Chantal Prym an accomplice to the stranger's sinister plan of proving whether human beings are naturally good or evil. The choice Chantal will make will determine the her future, as well as Viscos' future.
The story brought chills actually. The interactions between the stranger and Chantal is something to look forward to. It is almost always tension-filled. And the main theme of exploring human nature is definitely astonishing.
What to await: If Viscos will break a commandment, what that commandment will be, and how will the story end.
My Top Choice: Veronika Decides to Die
 |
| Book cover. Photo from http://dailycontributor.com/ |
Veronika Decides to Die is part of the On The Seventh Day trilogy and is the second installment of the book (the first by the way, is By The River Piedra). It focuses on how the central character, Veronika, was changed in seven days confronted by death.
Veronika is a beautiful young woman from Ljubljana, Slovenia. She has everything almost every girl would ever wish for. However, she decides to curtail her life by means of sleeping pills overdose. While awaiting for her death, she decides to read a magazine where she finds an article which asks "Where is Slovenia?". To justify her suicide, she decides to write a suicide note where she says that she is ending her life basically because only a few people know where Slovenia is.
Unfortunately, Veronika's plan fails and she wakes up in Vilette, a mental asylum in Slovenia. If you think waking up in a mental hospital is worse than your failed suicide, Veronika even had it more of a so-called misfortune as she was told that she has only seven days left to live.
She encounters many other patients within Vilette, some of them truthfully ill while others are only there for freedom. She will be friends with Zedka, a woman with clinical depression, who tells Veronika her escapades in the astral world during her insulin-induced coma treatments. She also gets into arguments with Mari, a woman who suffers panic attacks. And lastly, we have Eduard, a handsome wealthy young man who has schizophrenia. Veronika falls in love with him.
V, as I fondly call the book, is a novel that has moved me to the core. It talks not just about life and death, about religion (through the Sufi tradition), but also about the norms society has established. It somehow influenced me to challenge society's persisting norms. "Collective madness is called sanity" --- no matter how absurd one thing is, if it is viewed as normal, then it is normal.
V taught me to value life, to embrace and appreciate every second of it, and to always seize the day. We never know when our heartbeats would stop so we should make the most out of everything we got.
Everyone should read Veronika Decides to Die.
Quotable quote: "Be crazy! But learn how to be crazy without being the center of attention. Be brave enough to live different.”
What to await: The masturbation scene was epic! Imagination Veronika masturbated six times, non-stop, in front of Eduard. That was really epic! And the ending! Urghh!
o0o
So those are my top five favorite Coelho masterpieces. But again, his every work of art is a masterpiece so better start reading his books.
You might never know, you'll be the next one to be inspired and transformed that you'll scream "Oh Paulo!"
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