Books : The Witch of Portobello: A Novel (P.S.)

Rating: - Witch of Portebello
I enjoyed this book because the story unfolded in a unique way, through interviews with the various characters. It shed light on ancient traditions giving tribute to the Feminine Divinity which is so relevent to our times. I really like Paulo Coelho's easy reading syle of writing and have read several of his books which always have little lessons and hidden meanings. Great read!

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Rating: - I still prefer The Alchemist
I enjoyed this book overall, and thought that the story of Athena and her personal journey were wonderful. It gave me hope about being different than what society expects of you however, I found the conclusion of her story to be a little lacking of the depth that I am used to getting from Paulo Coelho.

I thought the addition of hearing from some unexpected characters at the end was very good and thought provoking.

I dove head first into this book and couldn't put it down but found I had to force myself to finish it when I felt the story begin to drag in what would normally be the climax.

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Rating: - An excellent improvement
Let me state this bluntly - I read Coelho's famous "The Alchemist" and absolutely hated it. I found it a stupid, simplistic waste of time. I picked this up because the title and cover photo looked interesting and I thought, "Hey, let's give him another chance."

Most second chances end in disappointment, but this ended in delight and surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Witch of Portobello". The style is less stupidly watered down than "The Alchemist" and the story is actually readable. I was also significantly more impressed by Mr. Coelho's writing as well, as he managed to create a multi-perspective story well and I was able to keep track of the characters at all times.

And yet I give this novel a FOUR STAR rating. It's not, really. It's somewhere between a four and a five. It's enjoyable, well-written, and down-right fascinating. While in "The Alchemist", Mr. Coelho jams a bit too much down the reader's throat in so little time, here the religious and mystical theme is well-spaced and wide. And it's all very novel-like. One can view it as reality, or one can view it as fantasy. Whichever you want.

But some readers may not like that. Some may not like Mr. Coelho's style (though I assure you, this is nothing like "The Alchemist" - no foolish simplicities, dull characters, or silly non-plots), but here it flows elegantly. Athena is a curious character, and viewing her from all directions except her own is revealing and fascinating. Also, absolutely enjoyable. Dialogue is occasionally a bit long and speech-like, but on the whole it's relatively good.

I do recommend this book. I enjoyed it; others might not. It's a grand improvement over "The Alchemist" and a plain good book. Expect to think a bit about all sorts of things. And even if you don't like it, stick it out until the end - it's worth it.

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Rating: - very intresting!
Very intresting and beautiful book! Also it is a good suppliment to Eckhart Tolle's "New Earth" and intresting if you know about Edgar Cayce.
I enjoyed it more than "Alchemist".

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Rating: - Not as good as his other books.
My favorite books of Coelho are the `Alchemist', and `The Devil and Miss Prym. For some reason many of Coelho's other books did not appeal to me.

The book is about the quest of a woman, Athena, to find her identity and the reason for being so different from other people. Her story is pieced around other people's account of her, a quite interesting but at times confusing writing style. The book deals with love, relationships, religion, new age topics, and politics. Has religion failed us? Should we accept love unconditionally? Is the new age religion the religion of the future? Do not expect Coelho to give you sure answers.

I had a problem relating to and understanding the characters. Though an interesting book, I did not enjoy it as much as his other works. I found myself skimming through pages at times. If you are on a religious quest, you might actually enjoy this book. However, I would rather read non-fiction books for this purpose.

Be prepared for an unexpected twist at the end, if you do reach it. Some reviewers actually found the end disappointing.