Review of "The Zahir" by Paulo Coelho.

purnima_2k · Apr 5, 2006

HI Shardha

Sorry about not mentioning to you about the thread! , i didnt know where else to write the review. This review was my first one, varalotti had made some corrections in those, i tried to rectify them in my "Scar", i will try my best to give a better output next time!

Of course i didnt get disheartened, i knew the way you write.. Would i have asked you review Zahir if i was not preprared for brickbats?) hahahha!!

Thank you very much Sharadha, i kind of understand what you are trying to communicate!

Pls keep your views on and going...

Regards,
Purnima

Vidya24 · Apr 22, 2006

hi ladies

I was inspired to read 'the Zahir' after reading reviews by Mrs Chithra and Purnima. Fortunately, managed to get an English copy last week. And it is so good!

I wonder why PC titled it 'the Zahir' and not 'The Zahir' or maybe 'Zahir'? Any inputs on this?

Great work ladies, do review more and inspire us to read on.

cheers
VR

purnima_2k · Apr 23, 2006

Thanks for the kind words Vidhya!

Hi Vidhya,

Its nice to hear that you also enjoyed reading the book as much as we did. Regd why it was named "the Zahir" i am not sure, you can refer to Paul Coelho's website(http://www.paulocoelho.com/engl/ ) and post him the query.

Sudha and me are very big fans of PC, u can join us too! Now i am reading his book "The Devil and Miss Prym".

Some more great books which i have read in the recent past is Prithi Nair's " One hundred shades of white", "Five Point someone" --Chetan Bhagath(this is a book on IITians) etc are good.

Great Vidhya! Thanks again for the nice words!

Keep pouring views...

Purnima

sudhavnarasimhan · Apr 29, 2006

Hi Purnima and others,

Just got back froma holiday and guess what i too read Chetan Bhagat's second book....ONE NIGHT @ THE CALL CENTER !Great Book, and of course am reading 5 Point Someone, the one you have mentioned , Purnima, competing with my daughter for the book! How is the PC book you are reading now! Great na!
Also reading Gary Zukov's books Seat of Soul.... Great books, but philosophical....so slow reading!
Vidhya will get back to u on that Question...."the Zahir!"
Happy Reading!

purnima_2k · Apr 29, 2006

Sudha Super!

You are such a ball of energy. THe moment u were back from the tour , you not only passed on the infectious enthusiasm of yours , but also been catching hold of some great books! My husband was talking about one night@call center. He said it s good. Have to catch it myself. Now i am reading eleven minutes. Sudha, did u like "Devil and Miss Prym?", its nice, but i felt it was not upto "PC" level - u know Zahir, Alchemist, Veronica and Eleven Minutes are his master pieces. Whatis ur opinion onthat?

And also the other booklovers in this site, pls let me know any other good books to read!... We can have a post dicussion session also if the book is really good. For instance the question asked byVidhya was truly amazing, i didnt have an answer to that, or at least i didnt want to create an 'imaginary answer' , cos PC's thinking is a little above the ordinary, sudha, if you can catch hold of a possible answer forthat, i would love to know too!

Great to have u back sudha..u were missed! Seriously!

Warm Regards,
Purnima

sudhavnarasimhan · Apr 30, 2006

THANKS Purnima,
I did not know that i would be missed....yeah Devil and Miss Prym must have been one of his earlier books, and maybe the translations are not so good, who know maybe the originals are good. Anyway PC also as a writer must be growing and that is whY his 11 minutes and The Zahir are really the best ones...what do u say..
But i recently saw this hindi movie MalamalWeekly, which i thought had a very close reference to this book Devil and miss prym....but of course an indianised version, ut very well handles by this director Priyadarshan , i thought!

happy reading....

purnima_2k · Apr 30, 2006

HI sudha!

yes PC has been improving book after book. But we must remember that his very first book _ Alchemist was his BEST -- beginners lucK??? Also Veronica and devil and Ms Prym were his older ones, still veronica was very good. SO an author who has been consitently writing well, cannot go wrong(not that DEvil.. was bad... just not UPTO PC mark thats all. Actuallythe concept was quite good). The fact that it could have been a poor translation could have been it!

TRy to read Priti Nairs "One hundred shades of white", i have already mentioned it couple of times before ithink. Its quite good. Story about a kerala NRI family. Nice ones, also talks about the medicinal effects of cooking inthe process. Very different and nice.

Take care and keep your thoughts on and going!

Purnima

Chitvish · May 1, 2006

Vidya, this is what I think !

Dear Vidya,
Just a loud thinking about "the Zahir", which you have asked for.
Zahir means something which cannot go unnoticed & once we come into contact with it,grows into magnificent proportions in our thoughts. It need not necessarily mean a person or a thing. I think it is more a concept.
The author realises that his Zahir is Esther. He conceptualises her as his Zahir & so he refers as "the Zahir. "
In my birthday message to Sridhar, I had mentioned him as "the Jawaharlal Nehru of I L" . I meant that he was a concept for charm & affable manners in this forum. If I had put The, it might have meant as if he is the only fit person to be called so in the whole world -I meant his place in the I L .
Have I made myself clear ?
I would love to know what Sridhar thinks of this.
Love & regards,
Chithra.