Customer Reviews

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: A Novel of Forgiveness

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a book written for all romantics at heart. Paulo Coelho has written another superb novel based on the power of love, faith and hope. This book is inspirational, and pushes us to believe and learn to recognise the little miracles that appear to us each day. Dreams do take hard work, patience and a lot of tears, but the author teaches us never to loose hope. Paulo manages to move and inspire through this story. Excellent! It made me trust in love again!

Though I did not find this as compelling as The Alchemist, the story of Pilar and her inner conflict with the notion of love highlights universal emotions which anyone who has ever been in love can relate to. Coelho's story-telling technique is simple in prose but conveys a deeper message which may at times be difficult to grasp. I think a re-read is always a good idea as there are subtleties in his message which may not be picked up on straight away. But this shouldn't put the reader off, as it is a relatively short story and easy to read. It is a story of hope, written intelligently by someone who seems to have figured out what a lot of us are trying to find answers for.

After reading many of Coelos books I thought I could not be any more impressed than I already was, but this is a truly inspiring love story. Pilar is a woman who's life changes over a week as she learns to flow with life and love, and her lover who is struggling with his religeon's ridgid beliefs and his own views about the feminine face of god. As someone who rejected the same religeon at an early age I found I was able to reclaim the parts of my religeon I belive in while still rejecting those I don't. A must for any Coelho fan, especially women.

I had never read Paulo Coelho before this, which I was given by a good friend (although she immediately borrowed it so she could read it again!) It's a very beautiful book with very much hope about love, but also exploring ideas about relationships with God, and coming alive again from a cynical and empty life (similar in this way to "Veronica Decides to Die") It related to so many area's of my life, and i think therein lies it's magic. I'd never read anything that touched me like this before. very, very beautiful.

In lots of ways I really liked this book. I am an atheist and therefore the religious side to the story meant little to me. However the themes of love and sacrifices made in relationships was far more meaningful for me. I generally dislike things which are Christain but I took the religion in this book as the characters trying to make some sense of there lives and that way I could relate to it a little more. Their search for happiness and ridding ones self of 'the Other' reminded me of Buddhist teachings and 'the clouds of delusion'. I thought the love story was sweet and the opening to the story was very poetic and beautiful. I would recommend this book more to people who have any sort of faith. The message behind the story will mean more. Even if you are an atheist there are still things in this book of value but you will may appreciate it less.

This book is one of my favourite books of all time. It isn't a masterpiece of literature in the way, for example, Jane Austen could claim her work to be. However, it is a million times more powerful. After reading some other Coelho books, a close friend urged me to read this one, saying it was perfect for me. She was right. This book really helped me to re-evaluate my own relationship and path in my life. It is beautifully written, very moving, and at the time it was appropriate to my life which increased its impact. I would urge anyone who feels insecure in themselves or their relationships to read it, it is perhaps over- spiritual for some people but I would without doubt say that if you are looking for a follow up to the Alchemist or any other Coelho book, this is the right choice.

Just like "The Alchemist", "By the river Piedra..." is a story about a journey symbolizing the route towards self-discovery. "By the river Piedra...", however, could more easily be described as a story of love, as it strives to show that "true love is an act of total surrender". At a deeper level, Coelho also gives the message that as there are no rules when it comes to love, there are no rules when it comes to worshiping God: "to love is to be in communion with the other, and to discover in that other the spark of God".
"By the river Piedra..." is an enjoyable love story that may also be seen as a metaphysical allegory. It is a characteristic sample of Coelho's writing, and some questions are raised by the paradox of Coelho urging people not to use formulae in their lives and yet he once again uses the formula that gave him his best-selling status. Nevertheless, this novel, like all the novels he has written, is a delightful read which gives the reader a sense of much-needed faith in humankind.

Paulo has done it again ! I couldn't put this book down, first reading took just a couple of hours and I have since re-visited it many times. It contains so many truths, so much wisdom. It inspires faith, trust, hope and above all, Love...and Heaven knows we need as much of that as we can get in this New Millennium. A beautiful gift for anyone of any age. Keep 'em coming Paulo, you're work is much loved and HUGELY respected.

I read it yesterday, took me only one day, I liked it so much that there was nothing more important that day but finishing the book. At the end I was sad ( I always am ), I only wish it had some 1000 pages. strongly recomended

If you want an easy read, don't buy this. If you want a rich poetic discourse full of thought provoking dichotomys, tension and passion, then do. The book meanders more than flows and clarity can be elusive at times, but this is definitely a book to read and re-read, each time gaining more insight in to the workings of this great author. Many themes are covered from exile to spiritual freedom to commitment and love. A good book to read when you have the time it deserves.