欧宝娱乐

Thanks for the (devastating) review.. this book has been on my to-read list for ages and I'm not even sure if I have it somewhere gathering dust. I'll think twice now before picking up this book!

I didn't mean to turn your off it, if you think it's a book you might enjoy! I actually own my copy too, but I bought it in a charity shop so at least something good came out of it. ;)

"Utter drivel. The book was badly written, righteous, condescending, preachy, and worst of all, the ending was morally questionable. All the fables and stories are stolen from elsewhere, religious ideas and spirituality are badly mixed, and everything is so obvious."

--So what?

The story is not supposed to sound original, it another rendition of the same story passed down in many traditions. One of the strengths of the book is it does not rely on suprise twists or other contrivances. Its all there plainly to enjoy and contemplate. Those that treat this as a philosphical treatise, either in admiration or in their critisism, are equally guilty of misinterperatation. It is a story. I have never read or heard Pablo Coelho refer to it as anything else.

In the end the basic idea, that you might well benefit from if you will decend from your high perch of lots of books, is that life is about perspective, if you are willing to accept the mundane and unexpected with equal measure of positive outlook then you are making a decision to be happy, and your soul will be lighter. That is, if your not too cynical to beleive in a soul.

I'll go back to being a lazy slack jawed yokel who rides the backs of others. Thank god their are people like you who add real value to the world with your blood and sweat. You must work with your hands. Weren't the good old days great?

It's a fairly well-known concept that people have wildly differing opinions on the same books. I think you're going over the top when you post a comment here and also send the same text as a private message to me. I get it - you love this book and cannot bear the thought of anyone else disliking it. You should perhaps work on your confidence - I don't mind at all that other readers dislike the books I love. What does it matter?

Regarding your actual comments, I don't agree that there was anything in this book to either enjoy or contemplate. I didn't enjoy reading it and the novel was so obvious there was nothing needing contemplation. It was a rubbish story.

I have read tons of books and some of them were well-written, but bad, or well-written, but I disliked them for a variety of reasons. This book was badly-written and bad, boring, and condescending. Having read lots of books is hardly a high perch. Again, this stems from your issues with your confidence.

I don't believe in a soul. Personality, yes, memory, yes, soul, no. Certainly not one that weights 24 grammes and lives forever even when we're dead. ;-)

Thanks for your closing comments. I certainly do add value to the world and I do work with my hands. Don't we all?

I'm sorry, I should not have posted what I did yesterday. It was stupid and immature.

Apology accepted. I am glad you feel so strongly about books! :-)

I was going to write a review, but it seems you've plucked from my mind everything I was going to say...

Great review. The man can't write.

Abailart wrote: "Great review. The man can't write."

I totally agree with you. After reading eleven minutes (I wish I finished it in that time) I thought I give "the alchemist" a shot, everybody said it was his best. I will never read another book of him again. Very expensive toiletpaper and its not even soft.

Right on point...thought it was just me.

but i think it's great.perhaps, b'cause i rarely read any book better than 'The Alchemist'

I could not agree more with your review.

agreed

wrong

Well said, Mae. This book is tripe.

Yep, the book and it's philosophy is a pile of steaming arse produce.

you think it's easy to notice an omen? it takes more than just hard work, it takes the power to believe, it takes faith. it takes more than courage. do you have it?

No, it just takes a credulous nature and a desire to believe the unlikely in the face of overwhelming evidence to contrary.

whoa that's a harsh review. You do realize that is was translated right?

Maybe it is because of the translation.

I think this is great. :)

I think Mae said all there is to say about this book. Utter drivel.

Couldn't have said it better so I won't try...this book equals an utter waste of time

I TOTALLY agree with you. You expressed my [strong] feelings about this book better than I could!

Your review is excellent. I'm surprised Hollywood hasn't bought the rights yet. Oh wait. They have :)

everything has it's beauty. but not everyone can see it

As others have said here, you have already made the point I came to make. This book was awful and had too much fluff for me to even get through it.

this is also the worst book I have ever read.

Haha. Mildly entertaining fluff, but "the worst book"?

This was the worst book I had ever read in December 2007 and it still is. I am sure there are far worse books out there, but none that I have read. :)

Haha. Ok, it has been more than a few years. Recommended to me by a new agey gf at the time. I read (the things men do).

Marte- you seem intelligent! Send me some of your favorite books!!! I really like the glass castle by Jeannette Walls.

Great review. It's shocking that so many people praise this book as some kind of genius revelation. I know a literature teacher who thinks it's one of the greatest books ever written and that people who have not read it are less intelligent or smth. poor kids...

I completely disagree with your review but I won't chide you for it. Amazing to see how it resonates profoundly with some while others think it's trash.

Ut-ter drivel.

If you think this book was badly written then I think you should never be a book reviewer or author.

Genesis, I respectfully disagree. As a publishing industry employee I think it's important that a variety of books are published, to cater for a diverse readership with different tastes. Not all book reviewers will agree with your tastes, and not all authors will write to your liking, or to mine. That should not stop someone from becoming a book reviewer or an author if they have the talent and passion for it. As it happens, I have neither the talent nor the passion for either profession, so you get your wish. :)

You really haven't the slightest clue what this book is really about. My best guess is you have a pretty miserable life.

My life is perfectly pleasant, Ich. :) Not having the same taste in books as you thankfully does not automatically mean my life is miserable.

Perhaps you can tell me what the book is *really* about?

Its about not getting in a comfort zone.

Well, I got that 鈥� that was pretty obvious. I still think it was badly written, righteous, condescending, preachy and has a morally questionable ending, so I think we'll have to agree to disagree. I am genuinely pleased you enjoyed it so much. :)

Marte wrote: "Well, I got that 鈥� that was pretty obvious. I still think it was badly written, righteous, condescending, preachy and has a morally questionable ending, so I think we'll have to agree to disagree. ..."
I'm pretty sure you answered that because you really didn't understand what "getting out of a comfort zone" meant. I'm not questioning your ability to Google it though ;)
Hyggelig 氓 se noen andre norske her og. :)

I do understand the concept of getting out of one's comfort zone, just like I understood the rest of the novel's concepts 鈥� which isn't really saying much, since everything was spelled out so obviously.

It is possible to understand this novel and still dislike it. If you check the book's stats here on GoodReads, there's something like 90 000 people who've rated it 1 or 2 stars. It's condescending to think that all those people just didn't "get it".

Marte wrote: "I do understand the concept of getting out of one's comfort zone, just like I understood the rest of the novel's concepts 鈥� which isn't really saying much, since everything was spelled out so obvio..."
No person who truly gets this book rates it 1-2 stars. If they got it, they didn't get it.

To think that people are rating this book low because they "didn't get it" is ridiculous. We "got it" and that is why we understand that it is utter garbage.

It's harder not to get it, while it was as obvious as this. The guy can't write.

I think you would like zig ziglar, Vincent Peale like of book which talk of some real life. While they work on common people belief extracting the character of a hero and preaching all the qualities of hero. And you have practice those qualities.

As from you everyone is stealing from their work. But I think people always want to proceed and achieve to the life. Not like I am happy with my work and I do not want to gain more of my work. To live the life out of the couch doesn't mean your life is miserable.

I agree completely, I was terribly dissapoint end in this book

I liked the book although the writing was a bit shonky. It's interesting how this book splits us in to the soul verses no soul argument. It appears that if one is sympathetic to the idea of soul then one can enjoy the simple pleasure of the book. If not, then it becomes offensive, maddening dogma. I enjoyed.

Thank you, Kenny! I am glad we can agree to disagree. :)

Totally agree. I can't believe how sensitive and reactionary a lot of people get when someone else doesn't like this book, as if it's a kind of personal attack on the fans. Maybe it kills the sense of humor?