Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The witch of portobello


lotus reads so many books n her book reviews are splendid.. She inspired me greatly to read new books.. I always used to pick up the books from libraries and have hardly chosen a random book from the store to read.. It was fine till now.. But recently when the parameters of time n resources are being abundantly favoured on me, i thought it was time to move a step further...

i have started frequenting Barnes and nobles bookstore near our place n have found the ambiance there really refreshing.. Few teenagers r lying down on the floor reading while some others are sitting squat legged taking down notes.. The kids have their own space n so do adults..The plush sofas are cosy and welcoming n i found there were people spending their whole day there.. It was 4 weeks back, here, that i had started reading "THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO" However that time i cudn't finish it and luckily i got it from the library on request..

Being a Paulo Coelho fan, i had badly wanted to read that book.. The Alchemist has completely swept me over n somehow i started to believe in the lessons for soul and in spirituality.. What he says seems to make sense to me..

The same holds true about The witch of portobello too..(However The alchemist still tops as my favourite :) ) Based on the current day lives in London/Dubai n Romania, the story binds the contemporary and spiritual lives of a young woman..She is Sherine Khalil who loves to call herself as Athena, a normal young girl who has great determination to live a useful worthy life.. The beauty of the book is that it is a first person narration of the many people who closely knew the protagonist, who now is dead.. The author speaks about the female form of god and this time around love plays a central role in his plot..So does the part of a guru/teacher.

I feel he is an author of great calibre and has the power to take u to a next level..It is like picturing the story from an invisible fourth dimension plane.It sure is deep and thought provoking and not all of u may like it much.. Philosophy is illustrated with simple facts but at times the goin may get a little too tough.. However a good read for anyone who likes a little spirituality/philosophy.

19 comments:

Nanditha Prabhu said...

So I'm the first to comment!
As you said the libraries and the ambiance around them makes us read! I have felt that too! I am also reading much more than what I used to read before....Its surely not because I have more time in my favour... ( I clearly don't know what it is!)
Thanks a lot for Blog rolling! You are included In my list too! :)

Preeti Shenoy said...

Barnes and Nobles sounds like my idea of heaven!
Yes--have read most of the books by Coelho.His writing has that amazing sensitivity and depth.

Will check out 'lotus reads' too.

Unknown said...

Paulo Coelho's many subsequent books have often been compared to The Alchemist.. I found the Pilgrimage coming a close second.

Gosh, this post reminds me that I should get back to reading!!

tulipspeaks said...

how r u there? :)


ammu.

Unknown said...

http://onthe-rocks.blogspot.com

There you have it.

Maddy said...

hey diya - I have 5 of coelho's books but never got to reading through even the first which was alchemist - so it is still waiting to be read and digested & commented upon. people rave about it, but i found the first few pages abstract like an aravindan movie..I will read it. another blogger once told me that it will get to me on one destined day. Until then they will line my collection...

Keshi said...

Im not much of a reader these days...mebbe cos Im a blogger now :)

Keshi.

Bobkat said...

That sounds like a great book shop and you've sparked my interest in this book :)

However, I never seem to have time to read anything that isn't related to work or study these days!

Amandeep Singh said...

Though I have just read his Alchemist I agree with u ..he is the one who can take u to the next level..

Latheesh Mohan said...

Nice blog..

MeMyself_n_I said...

sounds good. i'm gonna give it a shot.

Kush said...

Nice write!

Radha said...

Keep reading Diya...would love to read more reviews :)

Little Miss Muffet said...

sounds good..i liked the alchemist and maybe i'll give this one a try too..

Lotus Reads said...

Hi, Diya!

Thank you so much for such a lovely mention *hugs*

I am so glad you're enjoying your trips to Barnes and Noble. We don't have a B & N here but I love frequenting our local store called "Chapters". Like you say, a bookstore has such a nice ambiance and I feel like I am being filled with knowledge simply through osmosis, anytime I visit one! :)

I am so glad you chose to review "The Witch of Portobello" It was given to me as a birthday gift by a very dear friend and I have been meaning to get to it...your review helps me know what to expect from the read, so thank you!

I second Radha...would love to read more book reviews!

cm chap said...

I readh "Eleevn Minutes"... very bluntly told reality.. After readg Alchemist this one was totally different

Anonymous said...

Diya, Hello!
I'm also a big Paulo Coelho fan and I don't know if you heard about his blog
www.paulocoelhoblog.com
I've started as a fan and now I'm collaborating with him and thought that you would like to enter his universe.
Check the blog, if you want, or subscribe to his newsletter
http://www.warriorofthelight.com/engl/index.html
You'll see a community of warriors of light sharing ideas, dreams and most importantly following their personal legend.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"When someone wants something they should be aware that they are taking a risk. This is precisely what makes life interesting. "

See u there and have a great day!
Aart

Anonymous said...

Hi Diya,

Your blog is lovely your words are the words in my heart. I love Paulo Coelho books for they speak a universal language :D

much love, peace, and joy
marie

NeYawn said...

If You've loved The Alchemist and The Witch Of Portobello you might as well like Doctors by Erich Segal which is, though of a completely diffrent genre, an excellent read.Also try MidNight's Children (in case you haven't)-an excellect , metaphorical novel.No wonder it's the Booker of Bookers.

P.S. If you've too many turning points in your life,perhaps you"re moving in a circle

The 'Crush'er..

At age 13 I was a lanky boy with slight traces of a moustach below my nose.I was shy and except during classes, I always wore my sports ca...