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Paulo Coelho Fan!

Discussion in 'Book Lovers' started by vidyasarada, Jan 5, 2007.

  1. vidyasarada

    vidyasarada Senior IL'ite

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    Hi all
    Just finished reading ZAHIR by Paulo Coelho. I was wonderstruck. Imagine writing a whole book about an absence ! It is a deeply introspective book that tries to unravel the mystery of an age old question : what is love ?; Is it possession ? Is it reflected self-love , is it blind obsession ? It forces you to think about your own relationships with your near and dears. How frightening it is to move out of our comfort zones !

    Three years ago I read " Alchemist " and straightaway fell in love with Paulo Coelho. After that, i read " Veronica decides to die" , "Eleven Minutes" , "The Pilgrimage" and "Road to Santiago". His books are not voluminous. They are narrated in very simple language . But the contents are haunting, insightful and comforting because his characters are very ordinary people who draw upon their inner strength to become extraordinary .

    Any Paulo Coelho fans out there ?

    Vs
     
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  2. vidyasarada

    vidyasarada Senior IL'ite

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    Hi
    right after posting the above, i found the related thread that has discussed Zahir thread bare in May 06. !
    Glad to see that so many have enjoyed what i have. With so many fans of Coelho around, I wonder if anyone subscribes to Warrior of Light ?

    VS
     
  3. ambika ananth

    ambika ananth Bronze IL'ite

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    I am a fan too...

    Hello Vidyasarada

    Paulo Coelho is a fabulous writer directly reaching the core of the readers' heart and mind. Right now I am soaking in the wisdom and worldliness of his book " Like The Flowing River", full of his thoughts and reflections.
    A very very good read as usual..
    Regards
    ambika
     
  4. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    Count me in, Vidyasaradha!

    Yes I am a staunch Paulo Coelho fan. Eleven minutes and Zahir shook me to the roots of my being.

    Vidya Sarada I think there is already a review on 11 minutes and Zahir in some forum in IL. I introduced those books to the ILites and some of them wrote brilliant reviews. Please search those threads and post views there.

    The basic plot of Alchemist can be stated in a five line paragraph. But its depth is so profound that I would say anybody who has not read that book is one rung lower in the evolutionary ladder.

    regards,
    sridhar
     
  5. vidyasarada

    vidyasarada Senior IL'ite

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    Thanx ambika and sridhar for the response.
    Ambika, i have just picked up Like the flowing river, maybe we can exchange notes in a week's time after i am through reading it. Have u read "the witch of portobello"? I havnt yet.

    yes sridhar, i have already acknowledged the fact that there was a lively discussion about Zahir among ILs sometime ago.( I found that "related thread" right after i posted ). And I agree that Alchemist is a gem, i dont know if Coelho himself can better it. The tale reminded me of the siddhar paadal " Irrukkum idaththai vittu illaadha idam thedi engengo alaiginrar gnana-thangamey !"
    In whatever step of the evolutionary ladder we are, i wonder if we ever realise simple truths like this , consumed as we are, in all the illusory splendors of samsara .....................

    VS
     
  6. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    A small correction, VS!

    Thanks for the nice words. The song "irukkum idathai vittu illatha idam thedi engengo alaihirar gnanathangame" is not a siddhar padal. It is a film song which is in the classic Tamil film Thiruvarutchelvar. I think the song is written by Kannadasan. The great Sirkazhi sang the song in his metallic voice while Gemini Ganesan moved his lips to that immortal song.

    Even now I cannot watch that film without getting my eyes wet.

    sridhar
     
  7. Preethi

    Preethi Gold IL'ite

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    Paulo Coelho - AlChemist

    Hi Vidyasarada,

    I have not read any of Paulo Coelho Books, but I have barged into this forum to let you know, I have his AlChemist with me which am planning to start soon. (Currently am reading "The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari" by Robin Sharma and want to finish this book before venturing into others).

    I have heard so much about AlChemist that I have been desperately trying to get my hands on this book...The Book size actually surprised me, the book seems to have medium no of pages (unlike a novel with 400-500 pages), but my understanding is that the depth of information is much more than the size of the book...I am looking forward to a good learning out of this book and even before reading the book, am confident AlChemist wont disappoint me...

    You could count me in as a soon-to-be a fan of Paulo Coelho :)

    Love,
    Preethi
     
  8. vidyasarada

    vidyasarada Senior IL'ite

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    Hi Preethi
    yes, Achemist is indeed a deceptively simple book, almost like a fairy tale written for children. But big surprises come in small packages !

    VS
     
  9. vidyasarada

    vidyasarada Senior IL'ite

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    Wonderful old song .

    Dear Sridhar,
    Yessir, that verse found popularity because of the Kannadasan-Sirkazhi-Gemini combo. and I have enjoyed the song and the film too ( dry eyed !) But just happen to kno. from the horse's mouth that film lyricists then often borrowed lines from ancient writings . Years ago in one of Kannadasan's interviews he admitted that ideas, phrases, similies and sentiments from old writings ( like ettuthogai, thirumuraigal, pasuram, even Vallalar and Bharathiyar) were incorporated in some film songs to provide the neccessary poetic flourish to them. Among the five or six examples he had quoted was this Thiruvarutchelvar song too. I concede it may not have been a "siddhar paadal" technically, but def. not 100% Kannadasan , no offence meant to that great poet.
    VS
     
  10. varalotti

    varalotti IL Hall of Fame

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    I dont want to prolong... but..

    Dear VS,
    I dont want to prolong discussions like these; but I love interacting with you, hence bear with me for continuing to argue on a minor issue.
    Actually two clarifications.
    Number one, I said that I watched the film with wet eyes but not this song which is written in a humorous strain.
    But there are scenes that are sure to make one cry:The scene where Appoodhi Adigal (Muthuraman) and his wife will be offering feast to Thirunavukkarasar, in spite of the fact their only child would have died of snake bite;
    The scene where Gnanasambandar who wants to see Thirunavukkarasar in the city he is visiting is shocked to see the latter as one of his palanquin bearers and so on.
    Kannadasan has borrowed from Siddharkal, no doubt about it. Veedu varai manaivi, ponal pogattum poda and so on. But for this song, Irukkum Idathai vittu, I have my own doubts.
    I would not have ventured to write on the same subject now but for the fact that accidentally I heard the song in my car stereo yesterday only.
    After hearing the song, I am of the humble opinion that the Great Poet could not have borrowed from anybody else the main idea of this song.
    The song is highly contextual and does not contain any profound words.
    For example in one stanza he writes, "பிள்ளையைக் கிள்ளிவிட்டு தொட்டிலை ஆடிவிட்டுத் தள்ளி நின்றே சிரிப்பார்... now that is an ordinary, popular Tamil proverb which has been in vogue for aeons. For this Kannadasan should not and need not have borrowed from Siddhas. Even these ordinary lines were glorified by the music and Sirkazhi's innovation of taking the Thalam one step behind so that when he says thalli, he takes the thalam also thalli.
    Even the first stanza describes the life of Thirukurippu Thonda nayanar (Shivaji). He says that the subject always speaks the truth and because of that has earned the enmity of the village. This is such a worldly truth and I dont think Kannadasan should have borrowed Siddha's or for that matter, anybody's words.
    regards,
    sridhar
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2007

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