(Book) By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept by Paulo Coelho

title: By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept

author: Paulo Coelho

publisher: HarperTorch, 2004

pages: 180 pages

rating: 3 of 5 stars

a short review :)

I didn't expect anything when I decided to read this book. I just need to read something light and entertaining but alas it was far from that. There's no such things as a-light-read when it comes to Coelho's books, I guess (laughs). I thought this book's going to talk about first love and its irony but I was wrong, this book's mostly talking about spiritual things and it's kind of confusing for me since I'm not a Christian. So, I find it hard to related to the story.

I actually don't feel anything with this one. I usually can feel the emotion in the characters but not with this, perhaps the theme is too heavy for me or this kind of spiritual book isn't really my cup of tea. I could not feel the love that Pilar felt for her best friend, it's just plain. And well, boring. Fortunately, there are many beautiful words that I love in this book. 

Joy is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a conquest. Our magic moment helps us to change and sends us off in search of our dreams. Yes, we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times, and we will experience many disappointments—but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken. 

I’ve paid a considerable price for the little I have gained. I’ve been forced to deny myself many things I’ve wanted, to abandon so many roads that were open to me. I’ve sacrificed my dreams in the name of a larger dream—a peaceful soul. I didn’t want to give up that peace. 

All this was so new to me. Life takes us by surprise and orders us to move toward the unknown—even when we don’t want to and when we think we don’t need to.

those words hits too close to home, like seriously. sometimes in life we tend to push away our adventurous nature for the sake of living a comfortably normal life in order to feel safe and secured, but we will feel truly alive when we throws away all sense of doubt and start an enjoyable life. It is a very difficult thing to do, though I know that. It takes a strong and unwavering convictions to do so.

Coelho was always known for his philosophical words; my book flooded with sticky notes. Hahaha. It's just that I do not get the satisfaction and enlightenment of what I read this time around, in contrast to when I read Veronika Decides To Die (review here); I enjoyed it a lot better. Even so, I still give this book 3 fat stars because of Paulo Coelho himself and his beautiful wise words. Hehehe. Yes, I'm biased like that :D

xo, Puspita Sanri.