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filippasundgren's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Väldigt lättläst och direkt på sak. Författaren tar ofta rollen som narrator och berättar exakt vad det är som läsaren ska tänka på, vilket inte passar mig särskilt bra. Annars en tydlig reflektion över människans dualitet och hur både ont och gott samexisterar i oss alla.
nikolas_fox's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jedore's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“If you want to control someone, all you have to do is to make them feel afraid.”
The Devil and Miss Prym is a short novel that explores the themes of good and evil, temptation, and human nature. Set in a small village, the story follows Miss Prym, a young woman who is confronted by a stranger who challenges the villagers to commit an act of evil within a week. As the deadline approaches, she grapples with her own morality and the choices of those around her, leading to a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of sin and redemption.
This one was a mixed bag for me. After being swept away by "The Alchemist," I was eager to explore more of Paulo Coelho’s work. However, after this third one, I am finding that his books don’t quite hit the mark for me unless I connect deeply with the message.
One of my main gripes with this one was the heavy Christian overtone. Clearly, I should have known this was going to be the case based on the title! As someone who isn't a Christian or even religious, I found the emphasis on temptation and sin from a Christian perspective pretty unrelatable. It felt like the fable was somewhat one-dimensional and didn't leave much room for other interpretations or perspectives.
Another stumbling block for me was the characters, which I found to be rather flat and hard to connect with. There wasn't much depth or complexity to them, so I never felt invested in any of them. Plus, by design, they weren’t very likable.
All this being said, I did appreciate how the story unfolded within the context of the small town setting. Each character seemed to have their designated role within the community, and the way their actions played out felt realistic given their backgrounds and relationships. It added a layer of authenticity to the story that I could appreciate, even if other aspects fell short for me.
chinygarz's review against another edition
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bsolarz's review against another edition
3.0
The book made an attempt at getting the reader to think about philosophical questions but at the heart of it, I felt that it rambled, had flaws in the villager's arguments and just overall tried too hard. The premise of the book was interesting though so I felt that is where my interest in finishing the book was held. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone, instead suggesting they read The Alchemist by the same author for a good philosophical book.
hazelleeeyyn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nlgeorge73's review against another edition
2.0
Quick read about the moral dilemma of choosing between Good and Evil. I am not sure I feel this book is really list-worthy of the 1001 Books, but I was rooting for Berta as the undervalued old woman with wisdom of a sage. Sure she used her dead husband as an adviser and was labeled a witch, but she made no apologies for the resolute way she led her life (if you skip the paranoia and jealousy about a dead woman).
biw's review against another edition
3.0
halfway through the book i realised it was a giant "trolley problem" novel and i HATE trolley problems
i consider them to be the most useless philosophical "questions" in the history of philosophy itself
that is why this book was JUST RIGHT for me, it talked about something i disagree with, this whole debate of good and evil, devil and god and how we are either good or bad or nothing in between or nothing more or less, but sitting and reading about all these different characetrs who are living the trolley problem not as a hypothetical question but as a reality
that made my brain turn, and i like when books make my brain turn, so it was a good read nevertheless
i consider them to be the most useless philosophical "questions" in the history of philosophy itself
that is why this book was JUST RIGHT for me, it talked about something i disagree with, this whole debate of good and evil, devil and god and how we are either good or bad or nothing in between or nothing more or less, but sitting and reading about all these different characetrs who are living the trolley problem not as a hypothetical question but as a reality
that made my brain turn, and i like when books make my brain turn, so it was a good read nevertheless