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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
At some points it was so moving but at other points it was really slow. I really had to push myself here.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Preachy and dumb ending. Self righteous. If I had read this when I was a teenager- young adult, it might have changed my life because I would have believed what it said. But as an adult, I felt it was full of bullshit and no payoff.
I was in for the first 2/3 then it lost steam, sense and direction, and the hippie dippy philosophy was not nearly as thought provoking as The Devil and Miss Prym.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I was so disappointed with this novel! I absolutely loved The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and I think his writing style in that book was beautiful. I had high expectations for The Witch of Portobello, thinking that Coelho would continue his style into this book, but it didn't happen.
The Witch of Portobello is written as a group of interviews with people who knew the main character. I was unable to get attached to any of the characters, even the main character. It was hard to follow, very repetitive, and the theme fell short for me.
I'm still willing to give another book by Coelho a chance just because of how much I loved The Alchemist, but I would not recommend The Witch of Portobello.
The Witch of Portobello is written as a group of interviews with people who knew the main character. I was unable to get attached to any of the characters, even the main character. It was hard to follow, very repetitive, and the theme fell short for me.
I'm still willing to give another book by Coelho a chance just because of how much I loved The Alchemist, but I would not recommend The Witch of Portobello.
The Witch of Portobello. It is a very different form of a book. It requires your full attention and you will be pleased. It is the only Coelho’s book I am ever going to recommend to you.
This the story of Athena, a mysterious woman, the story itself told by many different flesh entities who knew her or did not know her at all. She was born in Romania and her parents, a successful family of Beirut adopted her. From an early age she had a strong religious vocation and knew all the gospels by heart.
Athena had the secret desire to become a saint someday. She had everything, and yet she wasn't satisfied. Athena got married to a man she met at a college, her son was born, she left church on which she had deep faith, left the house too. And that's when her story begins.
Athena learns to harness the powers that have been present within her, and the story picks up as she acquires a teacher, then disciples, and speeds toward a spectacular end. The book is complex and challenging and reader will get indulge with it if he provides an amount of attention to it.
This the story of Athena, a mysterious woman, the story itself told by many different flesh entities who knew her or did not know her at all. She was born in Romania and her parents, a successful family of Beirut adopted her. From an early age she had a strong religious vocation and knew all the gospels by heart.
Athena had the secret desire to become a saint someday. She had everything, and yet she wasn't satisfied. Athena got married to a man she met at a college, her son was born, she left church on which she had deep faith, left the house too. And that's when her story begins.
Athena learns to harness the powers that have been present within her, and the story picks up as she acquires a teacher, then disciples, and speeds toward a spectacular end. The book is complex and challenging and reader will get indulge with it if he provides an amount of attention to it.
I liked this book but towards the end, I found that it had some dead moments and I was eager to see the story conclude. The way everything is narrated in the first person is quite interesting and gives personality to the different description of Athena depending on who's taking about her. It was actually my first book by Coelho and I am planning on reading Brida.
Following are some quotes I particularly loved (in french):
"J'ai assisté, comme spectateur de moi-même, au combat inutile que menait mon coeur pour que je ne me laisse pas séduire par une femme n'appartenant pas à mon univers. J'ai applaudi quand la raison a perdu la bataille, et je n'ai eu d'autre solution que de m'abandonner, d'accepter que j'étais amoureux."
"Devant moi il y avait deux routes
J'ai choisi la route la moins fréquentée
Et cela a fait toute la différence. - Robert Frost "
"Il est bien de donner quand on est sollicité, mais il est mieux encore de pouvoir tout offrir à qui n'a rien demandé. - Khalil Gibran "
"Pour moi, l'amour emplit tout. Il ne peut pas être désiré - il est une fin en soi. IL ne peut pas trahir, parce qu'il n'est pas lié à la possession. On ne peut pas le retenir prisonnier, parce qu'il est comme un fleuve, et il se répandrait par-dessus les barrières. Celui qui essaie d'emprisonner l'amour doit couper la source qui l'alimente et dans ce cas, l'eau qu'il a rassemblée finira stagnante et croupie."
"L'amour n'est pas une habitude, un compromis ou une dette. IL n'est pas ce que nous enseignent les chansons romantiques - l'amour est. [...] L'amour est. Sans définitions. Aime et ne pose pas trop de questions. Aime simplement."
Following are some quotes I particularly loved (in french):
"J'ai assisté, comme spectateur de moi-même, au combat inutile que menait mon coeur pour que je ne me laisse pas séduire par une femme n'appartenant pas à mon univers. J'ai applaudi quand la raison a perdu la bataille, et je n'ai eu d'autre solution que de m'abandonner, d'accepter que j'étais amoureux."
"Devant moi il y avait deux routes
J'ai choisi la route la moins fréquentée
Et cela a fait toute la différence. - Robert Frost "
"Il est bien de donner quand on est sollicité, mais il est mieux encore de pouvoir tout offrir à qui n'a rien demandé. - Khalil Gibran "
"Pour moi, l'amour emplit tout. Il ne peut pas être désiré - il est une fin en soi. IL ne peut pas trahir, parce qu'il n'est pas lié à la possession. On ne peut pas le retenir prisonnier, parce qu'il est comme un fleuve, et il se répandrait par-dessus les barrières. Celui qui essaie d'emprisonner l'amour doit couper la source qui l'alimente et dans ce cas, l'eau qu'il a rassemblée finira stagnante et croupie."
"L'amour n'est pas une habitude, un compromis ou une dette. IL n'est pas ce que nous enseignent les chansons romantiques - l'amour est. [...] L'amour est. Sans définitions. Aime et ne pose pas trop de questions. Aime simplement."
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
This book takes you to many different emotions and opinions. Definitely one worth reading more than once.
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated