Paulo Coelho

A Novel of Forgiveness (P.S.)

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Colleen

Coelho's writing is pretty, but this booked really lacked depth or strength. It felt like a random mash-up of thoughts about religion and new age thought coated over with a weak love story. Nothing was clear or concise enough to be powerful. I have a suspicion that some of this had to do with the translation, but the end result was the same: I was bored. I have felt many emotions from books - love, like, annoyance, hate. Certainly there have been many books that bored me and that I couldn't wait to be done with. But I don't recall ever feeling this level of apathy towards a book. Except for a couple of pleasant quotes, I read through the whole book in almost complete indifference. The characters were flat. The ideas were unclear and verbose. Despite being very short, it took me over a week to read because I just couldn't get engrossed in it.

I was annoyed by Pilar's willful ignorance though. She reconnects with her childhood crush but then refuses to ask the questions she need to ask. She listens to his speech but daydreams the whole time. Then she goes to dinner with his group and zones out most of the time. So she expresses confusion about what is going on and who he has become. As the book went on, she refused to ask questions because she was afraid the answers might mess up her daydream version of everything. More than once she asked questions or brought up subjects then immediately said, "No, never-mind. I don't want to know the answer." It really ruined anything good that might have been in the book. I can't stand a heroine who is determined to be witless.

This review fulfills the "Book That Was Originally Written in a Different Language" category of the Popsugar reading challenge.
http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-...

Paulo Coelho, author of "The Alchemist", has crafted another gem of romance, adventure and spiritual insight in this bestselling story of a woman and her lover facing life's most difficult choices on a trip through the French Pyrenees that becomes a passionate journey of the heart.

Ipshita Kanungo

I mean, I loved it. It can kind of confuse you with it meaning, I remember reading it twice to finally get what point it was trying to make. The ending kind of didn't make a lot of sense to me, but it was still good read. I enjoyed it, it's beautiful in a non sensical way 

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Connor 

The story of an independent young woman whose life is changed forever by a chance encounter with a childhood friend. This exciting new edition includes exclusive content, such as an interview with the author, in-depth background information on the book, recommended books if you liked this one, and much more.

Ofelia

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept A Novel of Forgiveness (P.S.)

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