Books : The Fifth Mountain

Rating: - Wonderful read
Coelho's writing can only be described as Genuis. Hes a natural and will certainly touch your heart, mind, and soul. He inspired and motivated me with every word that he has written throughout the years. Word in a review cannot begin to describe the writing of this brilliant man. All of his books are highly recommended.

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Rating: - Another Powerful Book by Coelho
I have read quite a few "Coelho" books to date, and am truly amazed by the powerful insights woven within the stories of each and every one! In fact, I have yet to read a book by this author that has not moved me in some way.

"The Fifth Mountain" is a story written about the biblical figure Elijia - his trials & tribulations, as well as his joys, loves & great accomplishments. In a very interesting way, the author guides the reader through the many lessons to be learned through the life of this prophet and all those he touched.

Some of the lessons/insights that I realized/remembered through reading "The Fifth Mountain" include:
*Through every hardship we go through, there is a lesson to be learned - so be on the lookout for what lessons/insights are showing up in your life, and take heed.
*Freedom is the ability to follow your heart without concern for the opinions of others.
*We must CHOOSE rathter than ACCEPT our fate

Overall, I found this book to be an easy, interesting, powerful read - with many great insights woven into a memorable fable-type story. I would recommend this author to everyone!

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Rating: - A Good Book
Okay this may not be Coelho's best book but I really like him as an author and this book was different from his others. But it wasn't a bad book. It was an interesting read and a real page turner. They don't all have to be great to be good.

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Rating: - Coelho's moral instructions
As with his previous book -- The Alchemist -- Paulo Coelho blends mysticism, fable, philosophy, and spiritualism into an entertaining canvas of ideas. The path he takes us down seems to always be familiar, and yet he manages to bring out the enchanting quality of even the most basic undertaking.

As with most stories created as fables, we're meant to take something away from this novel, even if it's not the message intended by the author. For this reason, Coelho peppers his book with lessons that seem simple, yet provide enough of a platform to inspire philosophical or ethical debates, while leaving you with no greater understanding, only perhaps, a greater appreciation.

Here, we're taken back to the story of Elijah and his struggles with God. While the Bible gave Coelho the outline for his novel, there's a lot more meat and illustration here than in the traditional telling. Even still, none of the original story appears to be tampered with, except where literary license is necessary to provide a greater image.

Even so doing, the language is easy and simple, reading as fluidly as any children's story. It's this framework that we're meant to remember -- the Bible stories from our childhood -- that were supposed to instruct us and guide us. It's that kind of basic, subtle syntax, with the rich overtones of the Central American community, that propel Paulo's meaning in a such a delightful way.

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Rating: - Another `Alchemist' it's not.
Paulo Coelho writes beautifully, and it's very easy to get swept up in his prose, but I felt that this time there was something rushed in his storytelling.

More overtly religious and less poetic than his other books I've read (The Alchemist, Veronica Decides to Die, Eleven Minutes), and although the usual faith-hope-justice theme was present here too, the story here was less meandering, the twists and turns here were more abrupt, and his hero's efforts seemed to me to be to a large extent futile.

Having said that, I read this book in almost a single sitting and definitely enjoyed reading it, but it didn't make me feel inspired or elated like some of his previous works.
(I'd rate it three-and-a-half stars if I could.)