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vistacanas'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
thebobsphere's review against another edition
3.0
My first taste of Coelho was The Alchemist. A book I disliked, mainly cause I thought that it was regurgitated Middle Eastern Philosophy with a self help sheen to dupe people into thinking that the novel would take them to some higher plane. As I pointed out this opinion to many people, I met two very distinct opinions. There were those who swore by the book and those who swore at the book. I admit I guess I’m in the latter category. Saying that at the time I was swindled by the bookstore I worked at and I turned to the book so that I would feel better but I suffered from the opposite effect.
Which brings us to The Devil and Miss Prym, a book that I should read before I die. Keeping in mind my first Coelho experience, I was quite sceptical about the whole thing and began to read it with a sort of mocking undertone in my brain.
When I was a kid, there were a series of televised fairy tales (no it’s not Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre) that had a popular following on video tape. The reason being the series were constantly rented out and you really had to rely on luck in order to find one of the blessed things! There was one story in particular about a man who made some Faustian pact with a creature in which he would forgo washing altogether in order to lead a rich life. Predictably his social life went down the proverbial drain so he gladly gave up the cash in order to apply soap to his grubby torso.
When I was reading The Devil and Miss Prym I was transported into the past as the novel is indeed a fairy tale with a more Christocentric message.
One fine day in the poor village of Visco a fellow possessed by evil decides to see if the villagers are capable of evil. He does this by offering 10 bars of pure gold to the villagers if they kill one person in their close knit society. To make matters worse this stranger uses a barmaid called Chantal Prym as her mouthpiece and rope her into doing his dirty work. (in fact I noted that it was similar to the book of Job- and then two pages later there are quotes from the book)
When the village find out about this plan many discussions about the nature and personification of evil. All done through parable. Eventually through Miss Prym they reach a decision and find out that the secret to a rich life lies within our free will. In order not to give any spoilers I have to be this vague.
Being a Theology student, I found a lot of points postulated in the book to be quite valid, However Coelho sometimes becomes way too preachy for his own good and it can be a bit bothersome. One gets the feeling that he is some perfect faultless being or at least he’s using his books as a mouthpiece for that concept. After a little while I did put this aspect aside and I did like the book. Essentially it’s a cautionary tale that’s a bit more religious in it’s outcome.
Which brings us to The Devil and Miss Prym, a book that I should read before I die. Keeping in mind my first Coelho experience, I was quite sceptical about the whole thing and began to read it with a sort of mocking undertone in my brain.
When I was a kid, there were a series of televised fairy tales (no it’s not Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre) that had a popular following on video tape. The reason being the series were constantly rented out and you really had to rely on luck in order to find one of the blessed things! There was one story in particular about a man who made some Faustian pact with a creature in which he would forgo washing altogether in order to lead a rich life. Predictably his social life went down the proverbial drain so he gladly gave up the cash in order to apply soap to his grubby torso.
When I was reading The Devil and Miss Prym I was transported into the past as the novel is indeed a fairy tale with a more Christocentric message.
One fine day in the poor village of Visco a fellow possessed by evil decides to see if the villagers are capable of evil. He does this by offering 10 bars of pure gold to the villagers if they kill one person in their close knit society. To make matters worse this stranger uses a barmaid called Chantal Prym as her mouthpiece and rope her into doing his dirty work. (in fact I noted that it was similar to the book of Job- and then two pages later there are quotes from the book)
When the village find out about this plan many discussions about the nature and personification of evil. All done through parable. Eventually through Miss Prym they reach a decision and find out that the secret to a rich life lies within our free will. In order not to give any spoilers I have to be this vague.
Being a Theology student, I found a lot of points postulated in the book to be quite valid, However Coelho sometimes becomes way too preachy for his own good and it can be a bit bothersome. One gets the feeling that he is some perfect faultless being or at least he’s using his books as a mouthpiece for that concept. After a little while I did put this aspect aside and I did like the book. Essentially it’s a cautionary tale that’s a bit more religious in it’s outcome.
breadandmushrooms's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0