Paulo Coelho

[jackokent]

Help

I've just picked up some Paulo Coelho books in a haul and was wondering if there was a natural order to reading them.

I have:

The Alchemist
The Pilgramage
The devil and miss prym
Veronika decides to die

or are they all stand alone books?

 

[TK-421]

I have read most of his books in portuguese while I lived in Brazil and it's been a while but they are all stand alone books. Very very good stories and easy to read. The Alchemist is his most famous work but I rather enjoyed:
The Pilgrimage
Brida
The Fifth Mountain
The Valkyries
By the River Piedra I sat down and wept

Start with either The Alchemist or The Pilgrimage (this one being the least recent of his books) to get a feel for his style. The other two you have are a little heavier but still very good.

 

[jackokent]

Thanks TK

Really helpful.

With the modern propensity for massive long series I feel a little lost with a pile of stand alone books.

PS - read in Portuguese! I'm very impressed.

 

[Nesacat]

The first one I read was Veronika Decides to Die and then I went and got all the others of his.

I'd agree with reading Alchemist and or Pilgrimage first and then going along although they are all essentially stand alone books.

Just out of curiousity TK-421, have you read them at all in English and if you have, how much of a difference is there and how much of a difference does it make to the reader?

 

[TK-421]

I've only read two of them in both English and Portuguese. I guess, because I had always read it before in it's original language, I say there was a bit of a difference but one that would be unnoticeable to someone who had never read them in Portuguese. The translation was very well done. So I always first associate Coelho and his books with the Portuguese edition.

Most of his books I read some time ago when I was younger, living in Brazil (or shortly thereafter)...oh, those were the days...

 

[philoSCIFI]

I've only read The Alchemist. Its a favorite. If its not the first you read, then maybe the last. From the other comments I don't think it'll matter with them all being stand alone books.

 

[Dave]

I've just read The Alchemist, on the recommendation of my wife, who tells me now that didn't like it much herself - go figure that!

I read the English translation. It read like a modern day fable to me. My wife says it's like reading psalms, but I thought it was quite an easy read, and I love the ending. It's also refreshing to read a story that is exactly the length that it needs to be; no padding there to make it into a decent sized book.

 

[philoSCIFI]

I've bought another copy of The Alchemist after having misplaced the first copy. I believe I lent it out, but I forgot who borrowed it. Time for another re-reading.

I'm interested in reading some of his other books. Does anyone have any suggestions on which I should read next?

 

[GOLLUM]

I've only read and won The Alchemist and a couple of other titles. Coelho is quite a capable novelist but probably not in the top shelf.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

I was moved by the Alchemist. So much so that it influenced me to move out of the employed role I had and to start work for myself. You wouldn't believe the story but I now run a very successful company of my own and have interests in a few others.

 

[kaneda]

I read the alchemist, but felt quite underwhelmed. I think because of all the hype that I had heard from it, I expected it to be "life changing", which it wasn't. However, it's fine to read and has a good message. I think if you finish a book feeling you've learnt something then it cannot be considered a waste to read it.