First Impressions
BY SUCHITRA BEHAL
HIS fan mail borders on fanaticism. But strangely that is farthest from what he preaches.
Paulo Coelho has spent decades unravelling the great mysteries of the mind. He is something of a cult figure with those who follow every written word of his.
To others he appears a bit of a charlatan, using his special prowess mixed with his somewhat unholy approach to questions that vex the mind.
After The Alchemist, Veronica Decides to Die and Eleven Minutes, he was hailed as the only voice in this generation that had the guts to catch the bull by the horns and delve deep into the darkest secrets of the h
uman mind.
But, like all things, even the river runs its course and it seemed like his Midas touch was slowly losing its sheen. His new book The Witch of Portobello has an intriguing title as well as a storyline that reads like a well-crafted
detective novel.
Athena, as she chooses to call herself, is a young lady born in Romania, brought up in Beirut to a Lebanese couple but living in London as an adult. We hear the story of Athena not from her but from those who either loved or hated her. Each person who came in contact with her found her power amazing and her spirit indestructible.
Athena is out to find herself, through music and dancing and much like a dervish begins to go into a trance and prophesy events. But suddenly this young woman dies. Was she murdered? Or did she take her own life?
The answers are many and Coelho leads us to a rather unexpected climax. There is a strange feeling of déjÀ vu.
What is new about this book? Aren’t these platitudes the same that his other books attempted to answer? There is a sense of disappointment.
Surely this is not the Paulo Coelho that one has read and heard of. Is this an impersonator? Unfortunately not.
This is the real McCoy someone who has lost his own way while looking for the truth.
The Witch of Portobello; Paulo Coelho; Harper Collins, Rs 295.
SENATOR Bob Moreland is dead against embryonic stem cell research. He believes it is an unethical way to look for medical salvation to diseases of the spine and has based his political career on this stance.
But his life and work is questioned when his son is involved in a tragic car accident on his 18th birthday. Moreland’s life falls apart, his beliefs are questioned and his wife suddenly seems to distance herself from him.
Little does he realise that these extreme reactions are due to his political beliefs, which have affected a large number of people.
One such disgruntled man rams his car into the senator’s. His son is driving on that fateful day that will change Bob Moreland’s life.
Even as the various family members try to cope with the tragedy and look for options, Moreland refuses to give in. But when his son and wife decide to take a shot at the little known treatment on nothing but hope, he is forced to retract and assures them that though he will not go the whole hog , he will still support their decision. The book addresses the complex bio-ethical issues that surround stem cell research and forces readers to question their beliefs.
Hope... in Vitrio; Shelly Chawala and Dianne Wilson; Mannat Productions; price not mentioned.
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