Books : The Fifth Mountain

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.

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Rating: - An Interesting Slant on the Prophet's Life
While not being particularly "moved" by the book, it was an interesting and enjoyable read.

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Rating: - A REVISIONIST BIBLE STORY
In the introduction to THE FIFTH MOUNTAIN, Paulo Coelho quotes himself by saying: "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it." This is something he believes with all of his heart. This is a profoundly religious attitude, and shows an absolute trust in God. Such a trusting attitude is especially impressive when one considers that Coelho's father dismissed his son's Personal Legend as insanity and had him institutionalized and subjected to shock therapy. Although as this revisionist story of the prophet Elijah demonstrates, it is not what "you" want, but what God wants you to want.

One finds wonderfully pithy quotes in Coelho's books. "Here in this body there was once a man," he writes, describing a soul that has no faith. "Man was born to betray his destiny. God placed only impossible tasks in human hearts." The idea is that what God wants us to want is really what we want. God's way of teaching us this is by inflicting terrible pain on us till we learn to accept the impossible task he has given us with free will. This is essentially the same understanding of pain that C. S. Lewis presents in THE PROBLEM OF PAIN. "God sometimes could be stern, but never beyond a person's capacity." (So why does grief drive so many people to suicide or insanity)?

For the most part, Coelho skims over the story of Elijah that is found in the Bible, and makes up a story of Elijah with the widow and her son in Akbar. The Old Testament portrays God as petty-minded, relentlessly unforgiving, and sadistically cruel - very much like the God of the Taliban. Since man creates God is his own image, we assume that these were actually the personality defects of the prophets. Coelho's Elijah is gentle, forgiving, and loving. He does order the execution of the 450 priests of Baal, but since these Baal demanded human sacrifice, perhaps this was justice. Though I was at first opposed to white-washing the prophets this way, I now agree that since we have created a different God than the monster in the Old Testament, perhaps we also have a right to recreate the prophets also -- providing that we acknowledge that this is what we are doing.

The story of Jacob reminds us that "sometimes it is necessary to struggle with God." The feeling that God is unjust causes a man to choose his destiny. My own observation is that people only acquire free will when life, in the form of pain and humiliation, forces them to see something about themselves to which they had been oblivious. God is not merely inside us; God is the very core of our being. He is not outside of us inflicting pain so we can learn; pain is the only means by which God learns. Our pain is in fact God's pain; and God necessarily shares our guilt for even our worst crimes.
(Peter Payne - CAPTAIN CALIFORNIA BATTLES THE BEELZEBUBIAN BEASTS OF THE BIBLE)

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Rating: - Another Fabulous Read from Coelho
I LOVED the Fifth Mountain as much as The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage. This story of prophet Elijah was particularly inspiring and has left quite an impression on me in the months after reading it. While I wonder "why" and "what if" questions in my mind, I am continually reminded of Elijah's struggles and his own quest to understand his larger purpose as Coehlo so artfully portrays it. Coehlo's signature simplicity made this a wonderful, easy read too. Very enjoyable & very highly recommended.