Every time you reread a book you discover something new. It’s like they speak to you every time you pick one of them to reread and once again they reveal something intriguing.
I can say this about most of Paulo Coelho books. (Or Maybe it’s just a change in perspective as you mature.)
Anyways, ‘The Witch of Portobello’ is the Book responsible for my obsession with Paulo Coelho’s style of storytelling. Yes, there’s a stuff that stopped my smooth sailing towards the end when I’d first read it.
But not this time, this time I read it to know all that I had overlooked the first time around. I also discovered that when you read a book just for the sake of reading, it doesn’t speak to you.
‘The Witch of Portobello By Paulo Coelho’ ~~ Synopsis:
It’s a biography told from the perspectives of people whose life Athena, the protagonist, either touched positively or destroyed. It’s a biography with a twist, if you want to call it that.
The author tries to capture the essence of Athena’s personality by interviewing people she once knew. Some say she’s a witch, for some she’s a restless soul with moments of profound wisdom.
None seem to know her. Everyone has a definition or label to define Athena, yet no one manages to successfully define her.
One of the narrators, Athena’s mother reveals that Athena’s adopted, but they always loved her like their own child. However, they have no idea how to deal with her strange behavior at times. Athena’s different. She’s restless, adventurous and sometimes wild like a wind and sometimes strong and independent.
At first Athena seems like a flighty character, not sure of what she wants; always running after one or other thing.
As you continue to read, you realize, Athena’s in tune with her basic nature. She doesn’t hide her nature and behaves as per her wishes. Not caring least about what people would call her.
She decides to get married early, but the marriage doesn’t last. Left alone with a child to take care of, Athena starts reconstructing her new life.
Soon her life begins to change. She comes in contact with a teacher. He guides her towards dancing as a medium to connect with herself. From then on Athena starts her spiritual search for the Mother Goddess.
Athena finds her biological mother to know she’s loved and was not abandoned because her mother hated her. Athena learns to connect with her higher self and begin to teach others how to do it.
No surprises the day arrives when organized religion started to view Athena as a devil worshiper & a threat. It all happens on a local level. But changes lives.
Yes, just like it’s not possible not to note down quotes from Paulo Coelho books it’s difficult to overlook lessons too. Below are some of them:
1. You need to know who you’re. What you want from life and what kind of life you want to live?
You can follow the rules put in place by others over the years that may or may not make sense to your real self.
Or you can decide to stay true to your real self, the one that knows what would bring you peace and happiness?
2. Again the author repeats the one of his favorite lessons: you can’t capture or command love no one can, either you feel it or you don’t.
I believe you can’t or shouldn’t even try to feel love when you don’t feel it for someone. There’s no greater insult to another human being than pretending to be in love with that person. When you don’t.
“People either feel love or they don’t, and there isn’t a force in the world that can make them feel it.” — Paulo Coelho
3. Fear of upsetting people you love, keeps you from following your heart. The end result, you upset yourself.
4. You know who you are but the question is not if you’d like to discover the real you. Maybe most people would love to!
However, the question is: do you want to risk knowing the Real You? As there’s no way to undo it if you happen not to like what you find.
5. Take time to enjoy life. There’s no point in making lots of money and not having enough time to live life.
Outcome:
Gripping, philosophical and the kind of book that makes you ask yourself ‘what is it that you want? How do you want to live your life?’
“Changes only happen when we go totally against everything we’re used to doing.” — Paulo Coelho
Happy Reading!
Cited From: Passionate Book Reviews