Paulo Coelho’s life may be deserving of its own book. His own parents placed him in a psychiatric hospital throughout his adolescence, believing that his rebellious behavior was a symptom of craziness; it was under such parental supervision that he was subjected to the horrors of electroshock therapy.
Coelho dropped out of law school in his twenties to travel around South America; he eventually became a journalist. He decided to pursue his lifelong passion of becoming a writer after a life-changing visit to Santiago de Compostela.
Here are a few of his most notable works.
The Alchemist (1988)
The Alchemist is a psychological tale, or so the book would have you believe. Paulo Coelho tells the story of a Spanish shepherd who creates his own personal legend during his Andalusian travels in Egypt. The story promotes the “philosophy” that people can only discover themselves if they learn to listen. But don’t take our word for it; listen to the alchemist: “Alchemy is the materialization of all spiritual concepts.”
Not only laboratory work but also inner, personal chemistry, the laboratory of which becomes our life itself. If we follow what I call the “Personal Legend,” the entire universe changes, and everything we touch turns into philosophical gold.”
The Winner Stands Alone (2008)
How much does success cost? Paulo Coelho provides us with a mirror image of our own culture, in which the fetish of luxury and achievement has rendered us deaf to the realities whispered by our hearts.
We meet folks who have achieved success in the realms of haute couture and cinema in Cannes: a Russian millionaire, a well-known Middle Eastern stylist, actress Gabriela, an ambitious detective, and model Jasmine. Money, power, and fame are their life goals, and they are willing to go to any length to attain them.
The Devil and Miss Prym (2009)
In The Devil and Miss Prym, the eternal fight between good and evil is renewed. Coelho has turned the Garden of Eden into a little community in the mountains, napping in tranquil pleasure, and the Fruit of Knowledge into gold bullion to convey this fable.
The seductive snake is an elegant traveler and talker who selects Chantal Prym, a stunning young barmaid, as his intermediary. In this world of shadows, where death is not confined to graves but stays inextricably linked to life, Coelho dissects and manipulates his characters like puppets. Is man good or evil? Is God even concerned about their fate? The answer can be found in just over 200 pages.
Eleven Minutes (2003)
Maria, a young Brazilian, works as a sales clerk in an apparel store and vacations in Rio de Janeiro for a week. A Swiss man approaches her on Copacabana beach and offers her a job as a cabaret dancer in Geneva. She imagines this to be the start of a fairy tale, but the truth is much different.
Maria becomes a prostitute, although it is vital to stress that she does so without shame. Despite her escapades, sex, and love remain enigmas until she meets a young painter who is just as lost as she is. Maria must first reconcile with herself to realize the holiness of sexuality.
Brida (1990)
Brida, a young Irish woman seeking knowledge, has always been fascinated by magic, but she yearns for more. Her quest leads her to meet wise people who help her explore the spiritual world. A woodland mage teaches her to overcome her worries and believe in the goodness of the cosmos, and a magician shows her how to dance to the rhythm of the world and summon the moon.
Brida then departs to fulfill her destiny. Is she able to leave everything behind and become a witch? As the author creates a tale of love, passion, mystery, and spirituality, he resurrects themes familiar to Paulo Coelho’s readers.
By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (1994)
Pilar and her companion first meet as children but are only acquaintances till they stumble across each other again 11 years later. She is a woman who has learned to be strong in the face of her emotions. He is a man with the ability to cure others who seeks a resolution to his internal difficulties through religion.
Both share a desire to change and follow their aspirations. To do so, they will have to overcome the traditional difficulties that persons who are lost face: fear of failure and discrimination. Pilar and her buddy then decide to travel to a small Pyrenean village to uncover their own “personal truth.” Paulo Coelho presents this story in a beautiful and sophisticated speech, but he also immerses us in the divine mystery. Because, in his words, “the spiritual experience is, foremost, a practical experience of love.”
Manuscript Found in Accra (2012)
The date is July 14, 1099. With crusaders at their gates, the people of Jerusalem gather around a strange man known as the Copt to hear his final instructions. The formerly peaceful assembly of Christians, Jews, and Muslims is ready for combat, defeat, and slaughter.
But the life lesson they are taught is far from a combat strategy. The manuscript is an invitation to reconsider our humanity, and it presents a pivotal question: which ideals survive when everything else is destroyed?
Also, Read 9 Books That Retell The Ramayana From Various Points Of View
The Zahir (2005)
When his wife vanishes without a trace, a great writer abandons all the values that have guided his life. He travels from Paris to Central Asia, crossing the steppe and the desert in search of something that gives his life more meaning.
Paulo Coelho revisits old stories and distant traditions to explore themes of love, self-discovery, and the beginnings of belief. He speaks about solitude and freedom, considering man’s future in search of stability, love, and spirituality.
The Witch of Portobello (2006)
Athena, the adopted daughter of a wealthy Lebanese family, fled to London as war broke out in her homeland, a war she had foretold. She falls in love with a man at university who gets her pregnant. The young pair overcomes obstacles and marries despite their families’ desires, but their marriage does not last.
As a mother, Athena can’t stop thinking about the lady who gave birth to her, and she sets out to find her, trying to figure out how she could have abandoned her kid. What she discovers on the trip will alter the trajectory of her life and the lives of her loved ones.
Veronika Decides to Die ( 1998 )
Veronika Decides to Die, inspired by events in Coelho’s own life, explores the nature of insanity and celebrates those who do not fit into the patterns that society thinks to be normal. It’s a stunning depiction of a young lady at the crossroads of despair and release, as well as a poetic, enthusiastic celebration of each day as a fresh opportunity.
