A review by alexiasophii
Brida by Paulo Coelho

2.0

So... I was initially thinking of giving this book just 2 stars but changed my mind with the ending Never mind, gave it two stars after thinking about it for a few days. So most of the people around me and even in Pagan Communities are fascinated with Paulo Coelho's work and I can see that, in a way. His writing is very deep and he approaches several aspects of life which are very interesting and I enjoyed that part of the book. It's interesting to see the approach on life, death, rebirth and the Universe in general as explained in this book. But the characters are just... not my thing. I'm a sucker for consent and information, no matter the Mysteries. If one doesn't know what is doing and can't consent then it shouldn't happen. And I didn't like the fact that both Masters sent this young woman into wild things without preparation, even though she might have experiences from past lives (which in real-life for me is a not relevant fact to be honest). As someone who practices Witchcraft and Paganism for a long time now, I can't agree with this and it really put me off part of the book. Also the main character, Brida, annoyed me a lot and I only started liking her in the last 20 or 30 pages of the book. She seemed like a spoiled brat who wanted to try everything without committing or even trying to learn what she was doing. She just went with the flow and tuned off when she felt like it. Maybe she felt a "calling" or something but the way it was explained in the book it almost seemed like a whim of young age. I didn't like that fact. Another fact that I didn't appreciate (but fully understand and this is indeed a matter of choice and preference) was the Christian liturgy and references, I wasn't expecting something that looks so Pagan, so Pure to be so bounded to Christianity and to the idea of "God" as omnipresent and omniscient and such a christian-way of viewing God. I didn't like that but, again, it's a matter of preference.

Overall I give this book 3 stars because the plot wasn't that bad and the life lessons expressed in the book are interesting to read, if one can separate them from the religious aspects.