Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho
Excerpted from Paulo Coelho’s website:
“Once upon a time, there was a prostitute called Maria…” Like a fairy-tale for adults, this is the beginning of the novel that shook the world.
“Eleven Minutes does not intend to be a manual or a treatise on men and women faced by the still unknown world of sexual relationships. It is an analysis of my own journey, without wanting, at any time, to judge what I experienced.
I wrote this book in order to discover whether I had had the courage to learn everything life had taught me in this respect.” – Paulo Coelho
This is my local book club’s read for January (Chanda’s selection) and my first Coelho read. It was easy to read, and held my attention, but the entire time, I kept wondering if there wasn’t something lost in the translation. I kept waiting for the “gut punch” I get from literary reads. I got nothing. Instead of connecting to Maria and/or her plight, I felt like a researcher, trained only to observe. There was no judgement, no empathy, no concern. I simply wanted to know what she was going to do next so that I could reach the end of the book.
Maybe I would have liked this book much more if I read it in it’s original form. But that would mean that I would have to speak Portuguese. Minor problem there.
At least Coelho was true to his word- it was indeed a fairy-tale.
My review- it was just OK.
Hi,
I would have liked to know a little more about your personal experience on reading the book. Did you identify with the novelist’s point of view etc?
Personally I think, the book is a happy departure from Coelho’s usual philosophizing. It has a hard hitting practical nature, minus the rose tinted glasses, that i liked.
BTW, if you like you can have a look at my review of the book at http://www.book-review-circle.com/Eleven-Minutes-Paulo-Coelho.html
Hi Ashmita,
. I was really just curious as to when or if Maria would return home, and under what circumstances. Would she be disgraced or would she be able to return home on her own terms? It was interesting, but felt more like a sociology report than a novel to me.
I didn’t identify with Maria other than the fact that she was a woman. I had no concern for her whatsoever. I felt that I was simply privy to her adventures as a witness and nothing more. I intend to read other Coelho novels so that I can get a better feel for his writing style. This may cause me to change my mind- I try to remain open. But I also know that not every book is going to appeal to every one. I did read your review, and it was much more enthusiastic than mine
You must read Alchemist to get a feel of the typical Coelho. And I do not think Maria will ever return home…the secure mundane life back home is not for her. Also, even if she does return home, she will make up some story about her past to ensure that she lives on her own terms. After all, if she could manage that in a foreign country among strangers, why not at home among friends
You may be right about Maria. I kept thinking that she was going to purchase another ticket during her layover. LOL At least she knows that she can take care of herself.
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