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A review by katiepope86
The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho
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"