When I first started reading novels and books, I wasn't aware that a genre like self-help really existed. I thought it was only failing and falling in life that taught people these lessons; not that reading insulates you from the low downs in anyway, but it helps cushion the blows, once in a while. My introduction to the self-help genre had been through a parting gift that my senior and dear friend had given me. The book was The Alchemist and reading it, patched me up with philosophies that I'm proud to live by, even today.
Not that he needs any introduction, but Paulo Coelho is a Brazillian writer, who originally writes in Portuguese and is noted mostly for the divine fable : The Alchemist.
His genre is spirituality, magic, the culture of marginalized faiths, cults and super-natural. His characters sometimes earthly and sometimes too fictitious to be relatable often go on meaningful journeys to explore their inner passions, awakenings and dreams; and on their path, stumble upon incredulous tales of love, lust, sacrifice, magic, super natural and/or misery. This is a recurring theme in most of his works and that is what you can expect if you're picking up a Paulo Coelho book.
As an individual reader, I've resonated personally with his characters and his vision of the world, but I'm open to accept that a certain imperfection, misogyny and un-realism (so to speak) lines his body of work. Amid these constructs, I bring to you today a compilation of recommendations, that hopefully, canvass the tastes of a broader reader base. So without further ado, here are my top picks.
1. THE ALCHEMIST
So it is pretty clear that if there was one and only one book that you could pick from all that Coelho has written, the most credit worthy (for him) and the most value-for-your-time-and-money investment (for you) would be The Alchemist. And that's because the book doesn't have a target audience. The book is for everyone, literally.
The message in this fable of a shepherd crossing a dessert to follow his dreams in the face of love, sacrifice and whimsical science of magic and alchemy, surprisingly appeal to a universal crowd. It is the kind of book you buy and read, and then read it again after a few years, on a day when you're feeling too many blues. It's not too long and neither has too many themes, like other books in this list. The concise nature of its' message and fairy-tale descriptions make it truly unique. I would place my bets on Paulo Coelho, just because of this book.
A little side note, if you decide to give it a read - pay attention to the anecdotes in the prologue and epilogue, they're some of the greatest lessons and highlights of the story.
2. ELEVEN MINUTES
Following the tale of a heart-broken small town ambitious girl who wants to live a splendid and glamorous life, this book explores female sexuality, nature of sex, spiritual implications of orgasms and love. Though heavily lined with scandalous undertones and misogyny, this novel is an eye-opening read for many minds, especially because it breaks down the stigma and the shame that revolves around sex and the pleasure that it evokes. The themes of breaking free, exploring love with and without lust and the wild nature of passion make it a wholesome Paulo Coelho reading experience.
So for a dime of your time, I think you can pick this book up and read it. I wouldn't bank on your appreciation of the literature in the book, but surely on the experience of reading it.
3. BRIDA
Much like the mysterious women Paulo Coelho loves to write, Brida is a fiery young girl who aspires to learn magic and master the art of witchcraft. If this sounds absurd to you, then believe me, you'll be stunned to read all the philosophies that Coelho brings out in this book. And I'd recommend you to read it, just for that thrill.
Brida, in many ways to me, is an alternate and occult pretext to modern day feminism. It is all about the internalized sense of empowerment and austerity that revolves around female sexuality. If the scandalous and misogynistic undertone of Eleven Minutes, is too much for you, this alternative read is exactly your match. In every way, thrilling and whimsical, Brida is a book you only need to read once, to remember for your entire life-time, how to understand all the women that you have met or will meet in your life.
4. VERONICA DECIDES TO DIE
For a brief period in his late teens, Paulo Coelho was sent to a mental hospital by his parents as he was suffering from depression. Drawing on these experiences, he wrote the book Veronica Decides to Die in which a young attractive woman, Veronica, who supposedly has everything going on for her, decides to end her life, but fails. Her encounter with a schizophreniac during the numbered days of her life inside an asylum, which Coelho describes as a land of freedom and free will, leave her questioning the choices she has made. It is a tale of romance, hope, finding happiness and also manages to infuse an element of suspense with the character of the head psychiatrist and his experiments. This book isn't a page-turner but in its' subtleties, it manages to weave in the reader's interest. Hence, I'd recommend it to anyone who is already familiar with Paulo Coelho's works and wants to explore more.
5. THE ZAHIR
Among all the other works by Paulo Coelho, I picked The Zahir for the fifth and last of my recommendations, because this book is heavy on the many themes that it touches. Yes, the concept of finding an identity, meaning and purpose in life is redundant in his books but that's Paulo Coelho's niche.
The Zahir, on the other hand, is a deconstruction of an established character's life values. On many levels, I believe this book has overtures from his real life interaction with fame and fidelity. But this body of work is on all accounts claimed to be fictitious but the characters have been portrayed as real as they can get in a Paulo Coelho novel. When Esther, the wife of the unnamed protagonist disappears, he is forced to re-examine his entire relationship spectra with women (yes, the character had extra marital affairs), life-values and his identity.
Set against the backdrop of Paris and war-affected steppes of Kazakhstan, the story talks about how easy it is for people to lose their individuality in a committed relationship and feed or be fed toxic love. I would definitely ask you to pick this book, if you've found at-least two of the above four, truly exciting, inspiring and you like his genre. Otherwise, The Zahir (meaning obvious) is an obvious and predictable trope.
So, that's a wrap on my suggestions. Thank you very much for reading this blog post. I just want to add, in the end, that these books are only my personal recommendations. I have tried being as objective and skeptical as possible, but there's a degree of subjectivity associated with opinions, genres, tastes and preferences which cannot be overridden while writing such posts.
On that note, I do have another suggestion, one broader in scope and sincerity. I hope you're having a safe time in quarantine. These are tough times for humanity and if there's not much that you can do to reduce the suffering of others, I'd urge you to step-up and at-least try to work on yourself. Investing in you, the future human asset of this planet, would be a good thing. And a good place to find that motivation is in Reading. So look up and pick your favorite and I wish you all the best for your journey.
If you have suggestions, please let me know! And in case, you want my suggestions in some specific genre or by any author, mention in the comments below and I'll see what I can do to help. Above everything, thanks a lot for reading through. It means a lot to me. Take Care.
Comments