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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Coelho probably believes that every human being has a divine essence that's the same for everyone, because every single one of his POV characters has the same preachy voice explaining the same shitty philosophy in the same pompous manner.
In other words, the book is like a realistic landscape painted all in the same shade of red: red sky, red trees, red grass, red rivers, all the same red. Just as that is no longer a "landscape", but a red canvas, "The Witch of Portobello" does not have many narrators, but a single, omniscient, omni-annoying one.
The annoying narrator isn't there to tell a story, but to explain a philosophy which sounds like a random New Age theory generator. Bits and pieces don't fit together? No matter, they'll be put together anyhow! E.g., at one point, a guy explains that he's lost "the only woman he could ever love" and then in the very next paragraph he "remarried and loved again" (paraphrasing this part, I'm too lazy to check).
Moreover, Coelho's philosophy doesn't just fail to function, it's also actively harmful. His main character is told, "Teach what you don't know" - need I say more?
In his quest to turn his literary universe into a homogeneous mass of love-power ditzes, Coelho also disregards whatever bits of culture and history he dislikes, starting with instating a dictator's son in charge over the Romanian government (erm, wut?) and going so far as to describe gypsies as a brand of Mother Goddess-worshiping hippies. Don't get me wrong, I'm as racist as the next person, but I think it's kind of a given that gypsies are too realistic to believe in that sort of crap and too cunning to be overly impressed by naive belief.
All in all, I barely managed to finish this piece of preaching and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't a masochist. It's no good even for poking fun at.
In other words, the book is like a realistic landscape painted all in the same shade of red: red sky, red trees, red grass, red rivers, all the same red. Just as that is no longer a "landscape", but a red canvas, "The Witch of Portobello" does not have many narrators, but a single, omniscient, omni-annoying one.
The annoying narrator isn't there to tell a story, but to explain a philosophy which sounds like a random New Age theory generator. Bits and pieces don't fit together? No matter, they'll be put together anyhow! E.g., at one point, a guy explains that he's lost "the only woman he could ever love" and then in the very next paragraph he "remarried and loved again" (paraphrasing this part, I'm too lazy to check).
Moreover, Coelho's philosophy doesn't just fail to function, it's also actively harmful. His main character is told, "Teach what you don't know" - need I say more?
In his quest to turn his literary universe into a homogeneous mass of love-power ditzes, Coelho also disregards whatever bits of culture and history he dislikes, starting with instating a dictator's son in charge over the Romanian government (erm, wut?) and going so far as to describe gypsies as a brand of Mother Goddess-worshiping hippies. Don't get me wrong, I'm as racist as the next person, but I think it's kind of a given that gypsies are too realistic to believe in that sort of crap and too cunning to be overly impressed by naive belief.
All in all, I barely managed to finish this piece of preaching and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't a masochist. It's no good even for poking fun at.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed the book. I liked the style of writing and I liked the twist. Similar to The Alchemist depending on where you are in life is how you will enjoy this book. If you are going through a tough time this book may help you get out of it, or it may make you angry at the world. if you enjoy mysticism and spiritualism and believing that there is a higher being out there, not necessarily God then… you probably would enjoy this book. Otherwise, you know, read it for the story because it I think it was a well written story…
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This definitely took a bit for me to get into - it was a bit difficult to follow, just with the way it was written. However, once I started to understand the story progression, it was easy to fall right into. I read the vast majority of it in one sitting - and I do believe that this was mainly due to Paulo Coelho's writing. He writes so beautifully and the story that he created was just so eye catching. So, did like it - though it took me a bit.
4.75
Sinceramente fue un libro bastante bueno. Creo que más allá de la historia o de los personajes, lo más importante o relevante de este libro son los mensajes que deja acerca de: el amor, la espiritualidad, la conexión con la Tierra, con uno mismo y con el otro, el aprender a dejar SER al ser humano en su búsqueda de iluminación así como en los momentos más mundanos y sencillos, y la conexión con lo femenino.
Tuve algunos problemas con el personaje principal pero al final creo que el libro va más allá de Athena en sí.
La unica razón por la que no le doy las 5 estrellas es por que, siento que hay algunas ocaciones en las el autor le falla un poco la vision feminista y hay cosas con las que senti que se quedaba corto (como los 4 arquetipos que puede adquirir la mujer durante el camino del conocimiento, y algunos otros que no me gustaron tanto).
Sinceramente fue un libro bastante bueno. Creo que más allá de la historia o de los personajes, lo más importante o relevante de este libro son los mensajes que deja acerca de: el amor, la espiritualidad, la conexión con la Tierra, con uno mismo y con el otro, el aprender a dejar SER al ser humano en su búsqueda de iluminación así como en los momentos más mundanos y sencillos, y la conexión con lo femenino.
Tuve algunos problemas con el personaje principal pero al final creo que el libro va más allá de Athena en sí.
La unica razón por la que no le doy las 5 estrellas es por que, siento que hay algunas ocaciones en las el autor le falla un poco la vision feminista y hay cosas con las que senti que se quedaba corto (como los 4 arquetipos que puede adquirir la mujer durante el camino del conocimiento, y algunos otros que no me gustaron tanto).
This felt like Coelho wanted to write a nonfictional treatise on religion and spirituality, but wanted to be edgy. It was page-long manifestos but as dialogue between characters that didn't really make sense. Called it quits at page 56.
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn't hooked on this book, but I kept reading because it was an interesting concept. Overall, I liked the book. Good themes of being different from other people, finding your true path in life. Regardless of where it takes you.