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

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.

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Rating: - Very odd book
Told through a series of interviews, THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO is the story of Sherine Khalil. Sherine uses the moniker of Athena and is on a spiritual quest. Her search sends her on a journey, from finding her birth mother to her joy in dancing. Just how did Athena's journey lead to her death? Open the pages as her spiritual quest unfolds....

The interview format is well done as the various characters interviewed do come across as very distinct personalities. This format really helped develop Athena's character as she is seen through the various perspectives. In fact, it was this interesting twist that kept me reading long past when I knew the overall book was just not appealing to me at all.

I think the biggest obstacle for me connecting with this book centered on Athena herself. She didn't come across as very goddess like (which I think was the intention) but rather seemed just as fanatical as the church she ended up in battle with. I also never connected with the multiple names (she later uses the name Hafia Sofia). The dancing into a trance for a meditation aspect also seemed a bit bizarre to me as it was never explained; instead, it was assumed the reader should just comprehend this unusual ritual. THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO was just a very odd book.

It's hard to capture just what THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO is about as it is rather weak in plot. Those looking for some sort of mystical insight may find a benefit to this one, but clearly it was not something for me.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

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Rating: - Many questions, and few enough answers
How wonderful that Athena, the title character of _The Witch of Portobello_, tries and tries and tries again to find the meaning of her life. She discovers many spiritual practices that are truly valuable, yet none that are obviously enough. She is hurt by some of her religious guides, and by her own powers -- or the powers of life into which she taps. Athena strives, and that is what makes her character recognizably human in a novel not always concerned with realism.

The questions asked in _The Witch of Portobello_ are vitally important, and important also is the lack of sure answers. Coelho's prose is very readable, but this is (like _Citizen Kane_) more a character study than a coherent story. Do not expect of _The Witch of Portobello_ a realistic or even always particularly interesting plot. Expect of it a feeling of hope and doubt together which you can take away with you.

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Rating: - Good read, interesting style (interviews), and great twist
Another thought-provoking work from Paulo Coelho. Like The Alchemist, this one has (I think) a great twist at the end. Actually 2, but 1 that I think was completely unexpected. The other could probably be predicted by anyone who was asked what they thought might happen in that particular storyline.

As with The Alchemist, a reader must be willing to suspend belief for a while and just go with Coelho's flow. As another reviewer here pointed out, the weakest character (in terms of believability) is the protagonist Athena, but I think that's why she's never given her own true voice. Instead Coelho tells "her" story through the voices of those who knew her. He focuses on the lives she has touched, and for me, they were so interesting and well-defined that Athena wasn't as important.

I still liked The Zahir better, because the characters were just so rich in that book, but I thought The Witch of Portobello brought up a lot of good points through an interesting, well-paced story that I could hardly put down. Coelho's direct style was effective as ever, and I think the genuineness of his personal beliefs shining through makes all his work truly special. Through his books, I do feel like I am looking into his soul, and it's rare for an author to accomplish that.