The Zahir kept me from my obsession in the last few days. I may have mentioned in my past entries that my favorite Paulo Coelho book would either be The Alchemist or The Witch of Portobello. But after reading The Zahir, my opinion has changed again. I still love those two books and also enjoyed reading Veronika Decides to Die.
The Alchemist was a wake up call for me. The Witch of Portobello helped me accept certain things about myself, my life, and the people who have directly and indirectly made an impact in my life. The Zahir, on the otherhand, was more of a mirror. Not necessarily an exact mirror, but the narrator's and other character's thoughts and experiences are very close to mine.
Here is one of the many unforgettable excerpts in the book:
No one should ever ask themselves that: Why am I unhappy? The question carries within it the virus that will destroy everything. If we ask that question, it means we want to find out what makes us happy. If what makes us happy is different from what we have now, then we must either change once and for all or stay as we are, feeling even more unhappy.
About The Zahir (from the publisher):
The narrator of The Zahir is a bestselling novelist who lives in Paris and enjoys all the privileges money and celebrity bring. His wife of ten years, Esther, is a war correspondent who has disappeared along with a friend, Mikhail, who may or may not be her lover.
Was Esther kidnapped, murdered, or did she simply escape a marriage that left her unfulfilled? The narrator doesn't have any answers, but he has plenty of questions of his own. Then one day Mikhail finds the narrator and promises to reunite him with his wife. In his attempt to recapture a lost love, the narrator discovers something unexpected about himself.
Download theThe Zahir PDF or Browse Inside (Harper Collins):
Reflections on the Zahir and how the other four books relate (may contain spoilers):
After discovering (or rather, accepting) my own personal legend, I have been standing in between the paths of the Crystal Merchant and the Alchemist for quite some time. Reasons for my current state are quite complicated and too personal to divulge. Nevertheless, I am working on getting out of limbo however slow or difficult it may be.
According to Paulo Coelho, there is a difference between a dream and an obsession. It is the same difference that lies between a Personal Legend and a Zahir. When you follow your dream, you walk your path and learn from it. Your objective does not blind you from the road that takes you there. On the otherhand, an obsession is what prevents you from admiring the teachings of life; it is like trying to get to your objective without overcoming the obstacles.
Reading about Veronika simply supported my fears of death. Athena's encounters has also helped me understand more about myself and why things keep happening to me in cycles.
Before I started writing this entry, I searched for other people's opinions/reviews about The Zahir. Some have highly recommended it, while a few have thought it to be the ultimate disaster novel. You can't expect to please everyone. If we didn't have things to disagree on, it would be a perfect world. It might just be a boring universe.
The main character in the story is confronted by self-doubt, anger, and the pressure to fulfill his personal legend. Aside from that, he realizes his Zahir (his wife) and is tormented by her disappearance. During his journey in search for her, he encounters people and situations that help him realize that in order to find her; he must first find himself.
Paulo Coelho's writing style has often been classified as simplistic. Some people may or may not like that. The story's tone is quite sensitive and may be too sensitive for some folks who prefer to read books with more humor (there is some light humor in the story). It is neither an action-filled novel.
To me, it's a simple story with simple, tangible issues that deal with real consequences. As much as I also love to read epic, fantasy, and non-fiction stories, novels like The Zahir make you feel that you are not the only one going through the same issues in life. Not that we didn't already know that, it is nice to be reminded once in a while.
Certain points of the story portrays the character as someone who is aware of his socio-economic status. Some people might misunderstand this as being arrogant rather than being honest. He just states things (through the narrator's thoughts) as they are. I'm sure at some point in your life, you have praised yourself for your accomplishments. There's nothing wrong with that. There is a scene in the book where the narrator actually starts discussing about earnings. It is that one scene that seems to be mentioned in several reviews I've read online. What's interesting is that I found that scene to be purposely humorously sardonic. In my opinion, the main character is meant to be self-indulgent. If you did find the "hero" of the story quite pompous, then Coelho succeeded in his character depiction.
Just like any story, each person has his/her interpretation. We don't have to agree with everything the author or the reader says. I did not agree with everything the character personified, but I liked the book (a lot). I am sure that pessimists and other people who do not like "romanticizing" life ideals will hate this book. Whether you loved, liked, or hated the novel, you ended up having a reaction to the story. Use that reaction to your own benefit. I know I am.
One last thing, objective/impartial comments are welcome.
Rambling Gypsy
