THE ESSENTIALS
The Essentials | PAULO COELHO
Find out why The Alchemist isn’t on top of this list
If you’ve been following my writing, you may know that I tend to fall in love with this author or that, seemingly every year. I try to get my hands on every book they ever wrote, devouring them all greedily. One such author is Paulo Coelho.
I want to preface this by saying that I am not a deeply religious person. So it’s surprising that one author I love so much is someone who has written as extensively about spirituality and faith as Paulo Coelho.
He is one of those rare authors whose (almost) every book I have come to love. And since he has written upwards of 30 books, there are still many left for me to love and discover.
Read on to find out about my top 5 favorite Coelho works so far.
1. Eleven Minutes
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: 2003
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Philosophy
Pages: 273
You know a book is going to be good when it combines all of the aforementioned genres.
I read Eleven Minutes when I was 17 years old. The book follows the life of Maria, a young girl from a small village in Brazil, who travels to Switzerland looking for fortune and fame, after she is left heartbroken by her first encounter with love. There she works for a time in a nightclub, before becoming dissatisfied and eventually quitting.
She tries to become a model but is unsuccessful. Because she is running out of money, she accepts 1000 francs from an Arab man to spend the night. She then decides to become a prostitute and ends up in a brothel in the heart of Geneva’s red-light district.
It might be surprising to say, but this story taught me more about money and love than most self-help non fiction books I have read (perhaps even combined). I know that that’s a powerful statement to make, but just trust me, and give this a go.
2. Like The Flowing River
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: 2000
Genre: Short Story, Philosophy, Spirituality
Pages: 245
Like the Flowing River is an intimate collection of Paulo Coelho’s reflections and short stories, written from 1998 to 2005. these are powerful tales of living and dying, of destiny and choice, of love lost and found. Sometimes humorous, sometimes serious, but always profound, this book, like all of Coelho’s work, explores what it means to be truly alive.
The Goodreads description gets this very right.
I happened to read this book during Hajj (the Muslim mandatory pilgrimage to Mecca). This book helped me, a sceptic at the best of times, to open myself up to the experience and allowed me to make the most of my travels. I had been dreading it, but Coelho held my hand firmly throughout the whole journey.
In the end, I am deeply thankful to have had the privilege to read this, and at such an appropriate time, too. It’s just short stories, so it could not have been an easier read. 10/10 would recommend.
3. By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: 2000
Genre: Short Story, Philosophy, Spirituality
Pages: 245
Believe me when I say this, I do not take rating a book 5 stars lightly, but his works are just that damn lovable.
If pain must come, may it come quickly. Because I have a life to live, and I need to live it in the best way possible.
This is a book about adolescent love that never really fully matured, until the two encountered each other years later. Time transformed Pilar into a strong and independent woman, while her devoted childhood friend had grown into a handsome and charismatic spiritual leader.
In a small village in the French Pyrenees, by the waters of the River Piedra, a most special relationship is reexamined in the dazzling light of some of life’s biggest questions.
4. The Alchemist
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: 1988
Genre: Short Story, Philosophy, Spirituality
Pages: 182
And finally, the book you’ve all been waiting for, The Alchemist!
This is a book about Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of worldly treasure. His quest leads him to riches far different — and far more satisfying — than he ever imagined.
Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.
The reason that this isn’t on top of my list is simply because I believe he wrote it a tad bit too early in his career. This was published more than a decade before he any of the other books on this list, and I don’t think he had found his voice just yet.
It is still, of course, a very powerful book. Everyone I have spoken seemed to have nothing but good things to say about it, but it was just.. a little too mystical for me.
5. Veronika Decides To Die
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published: 1998
Genre: Contemporary, Philosophy. Psychology
Pages: 285
I didn’t love this book the way I did the others, but still, no regrets.
Veronika is a 24 year old who seems to have it all; a fulfilling career, loving family and any number of boyfriends. Despite this, she feels a gaping hole inside of her, a deep melancholy.
Other than that, the name of the book pretty much covers it. While she waits to die, she scraps the suicide letter she had been writing to her parents, when suddenly provoked by a magazine article.
The magazine article wittily asks “Where is Slovenia?”, so she writes a letter to the press justifying her suicide; in an attempt to make the press believe that she has killed herself because people don’t even know where Slovenia is. I imagine this will either pique your interest or put you off.
It was a captivating read and I felt more and more deeply for Veronika as the story and character evolved. She is one of those characters that, despite all circumstances, you cannot help but find tragically adorable.
