Eleven Minutes

Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist is one of the most effective yet simplistic books I have ever come across. Lets see whether he lives upto my expectations in his new novel.

No, no friend of mine suggested this book. Neither did I learn of it from the net or some review in some Newspaper or Magazine. Wandering in streets of Delhi in search of a novel (Well, the search was not really for a novel. It was for pineapple juice at Nehru Place) brought me to a hawker selling the book at a cool Rs 60/-. 'Saare Paulo Coelho 60 rupaye mein', he said. The impeccable price - author combo led me to buy it. And in two days , I was through with the novel.

The novel starts with 'Once upon a time there was a prostitute', which is out of ordinary for a story to start with. It is the story of an ordinary girl leading an ordinary life and having ordinary ambitions - finding her Prince Charming. The girl goes out of her shell in search of that illusive entity - call it money or call it fame or call it realisation of a long lived dream, and lands up in the murky waters of real life. The story traverses through her several love encounters, her conclusions from each of those affairs and her consequent actions.
The novel has its moments of glory. Coelho gets philosophical at times, churning out statements in the diary of the protagonist, Maria, which are worth being noted down in a diary of the reader, or even scribbling them on the hostel rooms. He talks of Original Sin, of omens (remember The Alchemist) and of course S E X, which is the central theme of the story. He calls it Sacred Sex.

There are quite a few intimate scenes, scenes of love between Maria and ... wait I will not reveal the plot. These scenes have variety of shades from sadism-masochism to sheer passion, from amateurish to strictly professional, from loosing virginity to regaining it (Wait. 'Regaining Viginity'. What the hell does that mean? Read it for yourself). The sex scenes are on the borderline of Erotica and Porn, each treatment being one or the other. Female Orgasm is dealt in detail and Coelho tries to dispel a few misconceptions related to it.

There is an overdose of Sex in the book, sometimes even the very scene, the very concept is repeated. Language is too simplistic, though I dont blame Coelho for this. The translator is responsible for the language, not Paulo Coelho.

But certain ideas are original. Like the phrase Sacred Sex, or the concept of regaining Virginity, or the alternative interpretation of the Original Sin or the detailed description of indecision. Apart from this, certain philosophical statements are really good.

All in all, An ordinary book with minimal freshness in ideas or events and one which is not expected after The Alchemist.