The 73-year-old Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho continues to delight his fans with new works. Readers from around the world have already compiled a list of his most profound and significant novels, including: The Alchemist, Veronika Decides to Die, Eleven Minutes, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, and others.
The life of Paulo Coelho itself could easily become the plot for an exciting book. As a teenager, his parents placed him in a psychiatric hospital, believing his rebellious behavior to be a symptom of insanity. During his treatment, the future world-famous writer had to undergo the horrors of electroconvulsive therapy, but it did not break him.
When Coelho was twenty years old, he dropped out of law school because his dream was to travel, and he began to explore the South American continent. Then followed a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, a journey that changed his life. After that, Paulo decided to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a writer. So let’s waste no time and take a look at the 7 most memorable novels that Paulo gave to the world.
The Alchemist
The protagonist of The Alchemist is Santiago, a shepherd from Andalusia (a region in southern Spain). The young man has the same disturbing dream and wonders if his dreams have any meaning at all. To find out the truth, he decides to talk to a gypsy woman, who interprets Santiago’s dream as a prophecy and foretells that the shepherd is destined to find treasure in Egypt. So Santiago sells his sheep to cover the cost of his journey across the Mediterranean Sea and begins an adventure that will eventually lead him to a great discovery.
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept
This time the protagonist of Coelho’s novel is a young 28-year-old Spanish student who lives her life according to a rigid plan of social expectations. She is educated and independent, a seemingly strong, confident woman. Nevertheless, she is unhappy. But as soon as a childhood friend and first love bursts into the girl’s harsh routine, the layer of protective dust she has allowed to settle around her immediately swirls up.
Veronika Decides to Die
The title itself hides a clue to the plot, and just by picking up the book, we already understand that it will begin with the main character’s thoughts about suicide. Indeed, a young girl named Veronica wants to end her life deliberately. When the reader begins to explore Veronica’s life in detail, it turns out that her existence is not filled with insurmountable obstacles or chaotic problems; she is not even placed at the center of grievous family history. Things do not seem to be going so badly for the heroine, but she decides to die because she believes she has nothing worth living for.
The Devil and Miss Prym
The eternal conflict between good and evil returns in Paulo Coelho’s novel The Devil and Miss Prym. In this story, the author has transformed the Garden of Eden into a small village in the mountains, napping in peaceful bliss, and the forbidden fruit into bars of gold. The Serpent Tempter plays the role of an elegant traveler who chooses Chantal Prym, a young and beautiful waitress, as his mediator. Coelho analyzes and plays with his characters like puppets in the world of shadows, where death is not limited to the cemetery but remains closely connected to life. The reader will have to answer several important questions: Is man inherently good or bad? Is God interested in the fate of men? Each of you will formulate your point of view, letting your imagination run wild.
The Witch of Portobello
The protagonist of the novel is a young woman named Sherin, who calls herself Athena. She was adopted in Romania by Lebanese parents of high social standing. Her adoptive mother and father gifted her with love and gave her an excellent education. At the same time, Athena’s biological mother was a poor gypsy woman who abandoned the girl because of her inability to carry the burden of tainted love. After the bloody events, Athena’s family moves to modern-day London, where the book takes place.
Brida
Paulo tells the story of a young Irish girl who seeks secret knowledge. Brida has always been interested in magic, but she longs for something more, and the girl’s quest leads her to meet great sages who teach Brida to discover the spiritual world. First, the forest magician teaches her to overcome her fears and believe in the universe’s goodness: he explains to the girl how to dance to the world’s rhythm and summon the moon. Then Brida continues her journey, fulfilling her destiny. Will she succeed in renouncing mortality and becoming a witch? This charming novel revives themes so beloved by Paulo Coelho’s readers as the author creates a narrative that combines love, passion, mystery, and spirituality.
The Winner Stands Alone
What is the price for success? Paulo Coelho portrays our society, where the cult of luxury and success makes us deaf to the truths that our hearts whisper. In Cannes, we meet those who have succeeded in the world of haute couture and cinema: a Russian millionaire, a famous stylist from the Middle East, ambitious models, and actresses. Money, power, and fame are the goals of their lives, and they are willing to do anything to achieve them. The Winner Stands Alone is one of Paulo’s most atypical novels because the plot is created in the genre of the glamorous detective.
