Paulo Coelho is an author that can take you to another world. I don't mean Harry Potter/ Twilight kind of other world, but just completely live within his novels. I am a very big fan of Paulo Coelho, and have read almost all of his books; the most recent one being "Brida", which I will review soon.
He's most famous for "The Alchemist" and I don't really know why, because its the book I liked the least.
He really goes into details with his writing. Not the details that are descriptive for the imagination, but details of the characters' thoughts. So many thoughts, some that we also sometimes think. The kind of things that can't really be explained, but he explains them in such an eloquent way.
I'm not sure if its just the books I read, or this is Coelho's style, but the main characters are mostly women. I think that is so because women have such complex minds and thoughts that are so intriguing that it draws readers attentions just to understand what is going on in their minds.
His novels are so interesting because they're not your average novels with average characters. Each character is carefully created with such unique traits, history, and lifestyle.
- Take for example some of the novels I have read such as "Veronika Decides To Die" which starts off with Veronika commiting suicide, and the story continues from there as she is then in a mental institute.
- Or, "Eleven Minutes" about a woman who suddenly finds herself working as a prostitute, and how she ended up like that when she only had just recently started her life in the real world in Switzerland.
- Another great read is "By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept" which is about a female student who is looking for something more to life. Her life takes an interesting turn.
- Something different is "The Devil and Miss Prym" with a unique setting and essentially questions the morals of humans. Its one of those stories that feels like an old tale. Again, the main character is also a female.
- A novel of his with a male main character is "The Alchemist". Its his most famous novel, but I didn't enjoy it as the rest. Maybe I grew accustomed to living in female minds with Paulo Coelho, that having a male main character wasn't enough for me. Its really interesting, though.
His novels deal with a lot of spirituality, and some are very deep. They are very mystical and enchanting, like a fairy tale sans the perfection of la la land. If you're looking for a book that will leave you with more than a happy ending, but with things to ponder on and question yourself about, then you should try reading one of the above.
- "Brida" is my all time favorite, and it deserves a review on its own.. coming soon.
- I bought two more books today by Paulo Coelho: "Warrior of the Light" and "Like the Flowing River". I'll review them as soon as I read them.
- I'm not sure if I have read "The Zahir" , "The Valkyiries", or "The Witch of Portabello" because they seem familiar, but I don't really remember them since I've read his books many years ago, but they are on my to-read list.
PS: Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author. All the books I've read are translated into English. I bet his novels in their original language are 10 times better!
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