Pilgrimage, The - Paulo Coelho

The writer of the book Paulo Coelho is known as a spiritual and philosophical writer. Before reading ‘The Pilgrimage’ I had read certain other books of Paulo such as Zahir, The Alchemist and Eleven Minutes. He is a fictional writer and this book is also of fictional.

The book has a religious connection so if you are religious you would like the book very much. For others the book might be a bit lazy, so they might only enjoy the book in bits and pieces.  The  story of book has lot of  hidden philosophical messages which can be a bit difficult to get through for realistic people. So the book may not appeal to everyone.

Personally  for me this book was a decent companion in my trip but I felt sleepy a lot of times. It chossed this book to try to understand emotional and physical stability. I think this book would be more helpful to people who seek spiritual guidance while taking trip to grow as a person. But I strongly feel that the author was trying to appease the readers by making them feel good about themselves with fake writing, so I didn’t like the book.  

The story of the book is fictional about author as protagonist who is looking for spiritual empowerment and seeks his mentors guidance in order to increase his human potential and in the pursuit he must complete the journey of “Road to Santiago”. Initially he is very reluctant about the pursuit but he decide to start the journey. In order to complete the journey he seeks guidance from his guide who everyday pushes him more from than his normal life and mental strength. This book explores the uncomfortable situations a traveler encounters in a journey to new places and how he fights with them. The author in the book shows the quest of mental and emotional strength of protagonist. The idea of the book is to handle human insecurities and gain life experiences through the journey.

Some good abstracts

"Changing the way you do routine things allows a new person to grow inside you."

"We are always trying to convert people to a belief in our own expectation. We think that the more people there are who believe as we do, the more certain it will be that what we believe is the truth. This is mistaken behavior."

"When you are moving towards an objective, it is very important to pay attention to the road. It is the road that teaches us the best way to get there, and the road enriches us as we walk its length. You can compare it to a sexual relationship: the caresses of foreplay determine the intensity of the orgasm."

"The messenger helps you, but there is one thing that is beyond the messenger's control, beyond his desires, and beyond you, as well. It is the divine spark, what we call LUCK! "

"Good teachers only are able to demonstrate how you can deal with problem, and how to win. Teaching only demonstrate what is possible. Learning is making it possible for yourself."

"Death is inevitable. Death is our constant companion, and it is death that gives each person's life its true meaning. Actually, we should be more frightened by the way in which we would die than by death itself."

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The novel is a perfect example of de stressing world. The pilgrimage which is a holy term takes the person on a journey of truth. The novel contains numerous ups and downs. Every chapter and every lesson opens a new mystery. The different scenes have enchanting effect.

The cascade scene leads to an illusionary effect. The presence of devil, dog and various other symbols of evil enculcates fear amongst the reader. Being a fan reader of Paulo Coelho, I find this novel to be a feather in his cap. Even the climax leads to a new mystery. When tutor leaves the protagonist curiosity arises about the next scene. The final scene where he gets the sword is the most beautiful scene I have ever read. A perfect elucidation of what success is and the best way to achieve it.

Everything a person might feel while watching characters playing their lively roles in a drama is experienced here; pity, fear and delight. And yet, amongst all these dramatical scenario, the novel ends leaving an indellible imprint. His novels make one feel calm and relaxing.

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Another awesome book by Paulo Coelho, revealing the good and devilish side of humans. A treat to read ; engages the readers at crucial junctures and a steady paced book.

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Are you stuck midway through your life ?

Are you feeling insecure ?

Do you think that you have lost the direction in life?

Then read, ''The Pilgrimage'' .

Pilgrimage starts at the moment where the protagonist has lost everything , just when he was supposed to get the highest power . His life is doomed and he is trying to swallow the reality . The failure in life.

This is not the book for me ....!! So , I thought . I'm doing really good at my job and in my personal life ... why should I read it ? .

The protagonist , then tries again for what he wanted in life. The book is all about how he is taught to face the day , face the life and face the bad things in the world. He learns to talk to himself , find answers to his question by himself and also fight the good fight inside his mind when everything around him is going the wrong way.

I read this book , after reading ''The Alchemist'' by the same author. However, unlike alchemist , Pilgrimage had a more intense and painful story line . It asks the reader , to search within his mind for answers as well as questions. It gives freedom of interpretation & imagination for the reader . It'll help the reader to free himself at junctions where he is stuck. If Alchemist is recommended for those who are about to start a journey, Pilgrimage is for those who are stuck half way through a journey.

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Most of us are satisfied with carrying on with our daily chores and keep going through the routines of the same old life, we do nothing to change the status quo but we still keep cribbing about how bad and sad things are. Well that’s one way of leading a life, a life that is nothing more then ordinary, but there is another way to lead that same life, in others words lead a life less then ordinary. Such is the life of men who are different, men who are not satisfied with the mundane, men who are not afraid to ask the whys and how’s of this world, men who are not shy of walking the path less trodden, men who would come home at the end of the day and say to themselves I could have done this thing better and they would go out tomorrow in the open world to implement their ideas to make a difference, to make a new beginning. It is the life of such men that gives us ordinary men to lead a life without thinking of doing things in a better way.

I know this is not the forum for such talk but then I thought since I am talking about a book that talks about the way of life and what we want from it, why not make a beginning on the lines which makes you think that yeah indeed we could make out so much more from our lives if only we gave it a shot. So here I am today talking about yet another book by the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho and the book in question is his first book, The Pilgrimage.

the plot of the book recounts the author’s experiences along the historic Road to Santiago, much of it revolving around a sacred sword. It mixes travelogue, history and a modern quest for spirituality. In the words of the writer it is just an attempt to share his spiritual quest or his inner quest with his readers, and he does a good job at that. He takes his readers along with him on his journey to Santiago del Compostella, and he has them involved in his travails, his hardships and what all he has to go through in his quest for the sword. Well that’s all that I want to disclose about the story at this point in time as I have always maintained that talking about the story robs the fun for those reading it.

the journey of this book is both intriguing and interesting at the same time as it talks about the devils inside each of us which comes in our path as we try and discover our true selves and reveal our inner character. It talks about our fallacies, our inner inhibitions and fears which makes each of us fallible. He talks about the demons inside us, which makes us weak when we are alone and which makes us think twice before we try and do something new, something we are not used to. He talks about how we are afraid of the dark because we are all scared of dying, once we have gotten over the fear of dying, we would never be afraid of the dark or of being alone. He talks about how we become our own enemies and how we keep pulling ourselves down before we try to do something. He takes his readers along with him on his journey and he wants them to come out of their self imposed cocoon and become confident, he wants his readers to shed their inhibitions and become free birds who have the courage to dream and implement them.

the winners of this book are in the way he talks to his readers keeping himself as the subject and trying to give a narrative, which is both believable and convincing at the same time, he talks in a tone which is friendly and in a manner which makes the readers believe that yes indeed it is possible to do what is being talked about. The book is a first person account, where Paulo is in conversation with his guide, Petrus. It does not preach fancy things in the tone of a philosophical book alone, it is ideas blended in the form of a story which follows an easy course, something on which the reader can be a part of the journey and not feel left out with the pace of the ideas or the speed at which he unravels the mysterious ways of life.

the pitfalls of this book comes from the weirdness of it, I mean the story is set in modern times but the stories of witches and demons and sorcerers makes it a little tough to fathom. It talks about the magic world, a world which doesn’t really exist in today’s times. It tries to blend the modern times with ideas which have long lost their potency. The story gets jerky at times which makes it a little tough to follow at times, but I guess we have to be little fair to the writer what with this one being his first novel. He would polish his style of presentation in his books to follow, especially in the alchemist he comes across as a man who knows what he is talking about and where he wants to take his readers.

best time to read this book would be when you are alone, this is not a book you would want to peruse through, as it forces you to think aloud and talk to yourself, makes you question things, things which you will be able to do when you get that much needed space just for yourself. The best time to read this book would be on a long weekend when you have nothing else to do and when you are away from all those friends who will not let you think and ask.

sign off this book is a good read to state the obvious, but it will not appeal to someone who wants a fast paced narrative with plots and sub plots. It is meant for people who like to question sometimes and who have the courage to change things if there is a need for it.

some questions for those who have read it.

Do you think that Paulo exists in today’s world; do his ideas have a relevance to the fast paced lives we all lead?

Do his ideas place him in the league of a philosopher or is he just a story teller with a difference?

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Amidst busy schedules, bustling routines, staggering to-dos, slogging studies people forget some simple things in life which in fact are the basis of improvement of the self. Paying attention to humdrum chores will unleash a whole new view of creativity, and keeping things simple makes the finish even better. That's what Paulo Coelho seems to say in The Pilgrimage.

The Brazilian belonging to a cult religious faction named Tradition is all set to walk the Road to Santiago spanning from St Jean Pied de Port in France to Compostela in Spain in search of his Sword along with a guide. All the learning he imbibes through his walk is captured in the book; the very reading of it converts us to pilgrims carrying knapsacks with Scallop shells(sacred symbol of pilgrims) ready to face devils and Gods, away from our monotony.

The author uses direct, simple language that is comprehensible for anyone willing to take the book and read. The guide teaches the author of simple rituals or exercises which are very useful in elevating oneself. Some examples to be cited are the Seed Exercise that makes us forget our wrongdoings in past and face the world with an all new face and confidence which the author calls it a Rebirth and Invoking of Messenger where the author teaches to talk with the subconscious self to achieve anything anyone wants.

The philosophy conveyed is very effective and the teachings are quite practical to an extent to have some impact or improvement in the readers life. Though the book might be a bit philosophical, the message conveyed and the vivid descriptions makes the book all the more interesting to read. In short this book is a very good non-fiction work aimed at development or elevation of individual souls.

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After having read and loved the Alchemist, I just couldn't resist laying my hands on another book written by award winning author Paulo Coelho.

This one was The Pilgrimage - actually flicked from a colleague of mine who in turn had borrowed it from someone else. Have bought my own copy already.

The Pilgrimage is in a way a self-help book which does not dictate the way life should be lived. It just narrates the experience of the author himself.

The author describes a religious trip he took in search of his coveted sword. And the lessons he learnt from his guide on this trip are lessons which can help anyone lead a better simpler life.

There are several exercies described in this book to think better, to take decisions and to overcome jealousy or fear.

Although I still have to try any of those exercises myself - I am sure they help. For on some subconscious level we have tried either the breathing exercise or the hurting your thumb ritual to avoid disturbing thoughts. But after reading the right way to do them in this book -it just makes them easy to follow.

Apart from this the best thing about the author is his simple writing. No flowery language here just simple thoughts put simply. His narration is easy to follow and interesting to read.

For those of you who enjoy reading about slice of life - this one is definitely a winner.

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