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A review by jesslolsen
The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession by Paulo Coelho
3.0
I should have known better than to expect a standard storyline, don't be fooled by the blurb on the back cover - this book is not a conventional love story.
At first I struggled with the plot - if someone went missing without a trace and the police were called in to take away the husband as a suspect, then surely that would not be the end of the discussion. Wouldn't an investigation have to go on? And wouldn't there be a way to find her - credit cards, passports tracing etc. And I found it hard that it took 2 years for the narrator to get motivated to find where she went - surely he couldn't be that shallow??
You never find out the name of the narrator and I wonder how much of the story and characters are based around Paulo Coelho's life.
For me personally, I found the conversations about love and life happiness between the characters interesting and thought provoking, and while some struck a cord with me, others did not as much.
I really found the metaphor for the writing process interesting on page 69, and also the railway tracks defining a marriage on page 136.
If you a fan of other Paulo Coelho novels then you will also enjoy this one - but if you haven't read any of his other books, then relax, don't fight it, and let the story take you on a journey.
At first I struggled with the plot - if someone went missing without a trace and the police were called in to take away the husband as a suspect, then surely that would not be the end of the discussion. Wouldn't an investigation have to go on? And wouldn't there be a way to find her - credit cards, passports tracing etc. And I found it hard that it took 2 years for the narrator to get motivated to find where she went - surely he couldn't be that shallow??
You never find out the name of the narrator and I wonder how much of the story and characters are based around Paulo Coelho's life.
For me personally, I found the conversations about love and life happiness between the characters interesting and thought provoking, and while some struck a cord with me, others did not as much.
I really found the metaphor for the writing process interesting on page 69, and also the railway tracks defining a marriage on page 136.
If you a fan of other Paulo Coelho novels then you will also enjoy this one - but if you haven't read any of his other books, then relax, don't fight it, and let the story take you on a journey.