Books : The Fifth Mountain

Rating: - starts with a bang ends in a whimper
I'm a big fan of Coelho's work, and admittedly had high expectations for this book having just come off the Alchemist. The book starts off brilliantly, the text sucking you right back into Coelho's world of deceptively simple spirituality. But after a brilliant beginning, the book gets a bit aimless. It does pack many an emotional punch, but it the end, it just fails to deliver. In fact, the whole thing ends rather abruptly, as if Coelho just ran out of time. It is certainly worth a read, and if you like Coelho's style, you will be pleased, but it doesn't come near the Alchemist, and is damned by comparison

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Rating: - Would have been better with less religion.
Coelho has rewritten this story from Old Testament and its kind of religious story - there are lot of references to the Bible and Gods. Sadly I'm true atheist and I'm against any kind of religion, so I didn't enjoy this book as much I wanted.

I changed the theme of Elijah talking with the angels and God with Elijah talking with himself, with his "inner angels". This made this story a little bit more readable for me. Maybe this is the way you have take religion, but still I don't like this kind of symbolism or view of world.

But the main ideas in this book are still valid, whether you are religious person or not. They are quite well explained in other reviews, so I will not replay them hear. Most of them weren't nothing new for me, some were similar to the ideas in "The Alchemist".

One of the ideas that I haven't thought before to much was:
'If you have a past that dissatisfies you, then forget it now.'
I know that I would live better life, if I would forget some things in my past that are causing negative emotions like grief, anger, hatred. They are stopping me finding my own path.

Although I didn't like this book as much I did like "The Alchemist", it was still worth reading and gave me couple of things to think about.

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Rating: - Worth reading
If you are on a spiritual journey of your own then this book is written for you. The themes of the book are deep and the book will repay re-reading.
You aren't wasting your time with this one.

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Rating: - "From Human to Divine"
In this book Paulo Coelho presents to us Elijah the Prophet in all his humanness, a man with the awarenes that he has a Divine mission, but has to face his fears, doubts, pain, he also has to face society in his own country and then as a foreigner in another country. Elijah had much sufering in his life but reached greatness because he used his ability to see the bigger picture. In the beginning though he didn't think he had what it takes to be a prophet, he didn't feel worthy to do the God's work, and probably for good part of his life kept doubting himself, but when the time came he listened to his soul and awakened the Divine spark that allowed him to be all that he could be!!!
Curious thing, we all have this spark of Divinity in us, but most of the time we don't think we are worthy of doing God's work, or maybe we feel we are missing a special gene Saints have, well this story comes to show you that is not true, even Saints had doubts and their moments of weakness, but they listened to their souls and follow the soul's voice with all their might, when they did this God revealed to them, and they saw their greatness and they saw the big picture!!!
We are Spiritual beings having a Human experience!!!
Peace be with you!!!

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Rating: - Don't start here ....
I have never read a Coelho book and was eager to read The Fifth Mountain. I selected this book over Coelho's more popular Alchemist because it did receive strong reviews and support from its readers. I was disappointed.

The book failed to move me and I found none of the passion that I anticipated. The story moved slowly and I never felt a part of it, nor a friend of the characters, not even Elijah.

My lack of enthusiasm suggests I might have been better off introducing myself to Coelho with The Alchemist. I have no doubt that he is a master at his trade, but The Fifth Mountain did not inspire me to read additional Coelho books.