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yogeshyagami's review against another edition
3.0
Coehlo’s writing are always though provoking and asking profound questions. This book was very crude and realist, way more than I had imagined and I was deep into the story before I knew it. The beginning was a little slow and there were one too many stories being told at one point, some even left unresolved.
veerles's review against another edition
3.0
Paulo Coelho stond al lang op mijn lijstje van auteurs waar ik dringend eens een boek van moest lezen. Dus toen dit boek in de selectie van de leesclub zat, wat het meteen mijn favoriet.
Ik denk dat dit boek geen "typische" Coelho is, al zit er hier en daar toch wel wat spiritualiteit in verweven en stemt het tot nadenken. Ik was van bij de start onmiddellijk geboeid omwille van de vele weetjes die in het boek zitten. Dit zwakte wel wat af naar het einde van het boek, net zoals het verhaal. Coelho beschrijft in dit boek het leven van de Superklasse en hoe zij het leven van de anderen bepalen. Je leest de verhalen van zevental personages die allemaal in Cannes verblijven tijdens het filmfestival, elk om hun eigen redenen. Je wordt meegenomen in hun wereld, want de personages zijn vrij goed uitgewerkt. Het is niet altijd evident om te switchen tussen de verschillende verhalen, maar dat houdt het boek wel levendig. En dat is nodig, want naar het einde toe zwakt het wat af en word je vermoeden hoe het zal aflopen groter en groter. Het einde vond ik dan ook wat teleurstellend. Maar al bij al is dit een aangenaam boek om te lezen en stemt het wel tot nadenken...
Ik denk dat dit boek geen "typische" Coelho is, al zit er hier en daar toch wel wat spiritualiteit in verweven en stemt het tot nadenken. Ik was van bij de start onmiddellijk geboeid omwille van de vele weetjes die in het boek zitten. Dit zwakte wel wat af naar het einde van het boek, net zoals het verhaal. Coelho beschrijft in dit boek het leven van de Superklasse en hoe zij het leven van de anderen bepalen. Je leest de verhalen van zevental personages die allemaal in Cannes verblijven tijdens het filmfestival, elk om hun eigen redenen. Je wordt meegenomen in hun wereld, want de personages zijn vrij goed uitgewerkt. Het is niet altijd evident om te switchen tussen de verschillende verhalen, maar dat houdt het boek wel levendig. En dat is nodig, want naar het einde toe zwakt het wat af en word je vermoeden hoe het zal aflopen groter en groter. Het einde vond ik dan ook wat teleurstellend. Maar al bij al is dit een aangenaam boek om te lezen en stemt het wel tot nadenken...
saaadiaaa's review
dark
sad
tense
slow-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
caterinasforza's review against another edition
2.0
Yıllar önce okuduğumda da bende "parçalı bulutlu" bir etki bırakmıştı... Coelho'yu çok severim ama bu kitabı bana göre değildi sanırım.
Bunu, iki okuma arasında geçen yıllar boyunca edindiğim tecrübelere ve farklı bakış açılarına rağmen söylüyor olmam, ve bende önce değerlendirmiş olanların da tepkisi ne yazık ki "başarılı" bir eser olmadığını düşündürdü bana.
İgor'un öyküsü bana 3. sınıf action filmini anımsattı hep. Dövüş sanatlarında uzman bulunduğu yere dişiyle tırnağıyla kazıyarak gelmiş bir rus milyoner ve zenginliğe giden yolda fazla zaman ayıramadığı, fikir ayrılıkları olan karısının kendisinden ayrılmasıyla yaşananların uçlardaki öyküsü...
Sevemedim...
İkinci yıldızı Coelho'nun önceki kitaplarına duyduğum sevgiden verdim...
Bunu, iki okuma arasında geçen yıllar boyunca edindiğim tecrübelere ve farklı bakış açılarına rağmen söylüyor olmam, ve bende önce değerlendirmiş olanların da tepkisi ne yazık ki "başarılı" bir eser olmadığını düşündürdü bana.
İgor'un öyküsü bana 3. sınıf action filmini anımsattı hep. Dövüş sanatlarında uzman bulunduğu yere dişiyle tırnağıyla kazıyarak gelmiş bir rus milyoner ve zenginliğe giden yolda fazla zaman ayıramadığı, fikir ayrılıkları olan karısının kendisinden ayrılmasıyla yaşananların uçlardaki öyküsü...
Sevemedim...
İkinci yıldızı Coelho'nun önceki kitaplarına duyduğum sevgiden verdim...
katiepope86's review against another edition
4.0
Certainly not for everyone, this book was given to me by a friend.
I've always found great truth in Paulo Coelho's quotes and short passages, but was disappointed when his most popular book, the Alchemist, was just okay. I was eager to read The Winner Stands Alone.
In this fiction novel, Coelho takes a darker turn with themes of murder, obsession, deceit, and power. Despite these themes, Coelho manages to maintain his spiritual, peaceful, simplistic undertone. I like, for example, how some of the characters mention meditation and yoga during difficult situations, or those that require concentration. It's clear, either way, that the narrator's (sometimes very distant) voice does not condone the behaviors presented in the book. Rather, he seems to be making a statement about the world - our obsessions, our focus, and our self-serving tendencies.
He illustrates these tendencies and behaviors with the symbolic "superclass" in attendance of the Cannes Film Festival. In The Winner Stands Alone, these are the stars, or those seeking stardom, who have lost touch with their truth in exchange for fame. We are quickly shown, as he narrates multiple intertwining stories, how this is not a healthy path for any of them.
The Winner Stands Alone is not a fast-paced novel. It is subtle and quiet, and it is dark with some Coelho spiritual gems hidden throughout.
Pop Sugar's reading challenge:
"A book with a love triangle"
I've always found great truth in Paulo Coelho's quotes and short passages, but was disappointed when his most popular book, the Alchemist, was just okay. I was eager to read The Winner Stands Alone.
In this fiction novel, Coelho takes a darker turn with themes of murder, obsession, deceit, and power. Despite these themes, Coelho manages to maintain his spiritual, peaceful, simplistic undertone. I like, for example, how some of the characters mention meditation and yoga during difficult situations, or those that require concentration. It's clear, either way, that the narrator's (sometimes very distant) voice does not condone the behaviors presented in the book. Rather, he seems to be making a statement about the world - our obsessions, our focus, and our self-serving tendencies.
He illustrates these tendencies and behaviors with the symbolic "superclass" in attendance of the Cannes Film Festival. In The Winner Stands Alone, these are the stars, or those seeking stardom, who have lost touch with their truth in exchange for fame. We are quickly shown, as he narrates multiple intertwining stories, how this is not a healthy path for any of them.
The Winner Stands Alone is not a fast-paced novel. It is subtle and quiet, and it is dark with some Coelho spiritual gems hidden throughout.
Pop Sugar's reading challenge:
"A book with a love triangle"
iamthemuffin's review against another edition
2.0
Turkish version is poorly translated and has a lot of mistakes.
jennifer1993figueroa's review against another edition
3.0
El Vencedor Está Solo no me convenció completamente, pero entiendo que es una crítica al mundo de la fama y el poder. Fue interesante conocer un poco más sobre el Festival de Cannes y cómo se presenta como un microcosmos del mundo superficial que gira en torno al éxito y la imagen. Al final, el libro refleja que, en la búsqueda desenfrenada del poder, nadie realmente alcanza lo que desea, ya que todo se vuelve vacío e insatisfactorio.
belleriver's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5