The Witch of Portobello: A Novel (P.S.)
Harper Perennial - Harper Perennial
Release date: 2008-02-05
Paperback
Author: Paulo Coelho
Brazilian Novel And Short Story, Fiction, Fiction - General, Literary, Fiction / General
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The Witch of Portobello: A Novel (P.S.)
Date undefinedUnless you enjoy reading prose that could very well have been constructed by a student in middle school, stay away!
The Witch of Portobello: A Novel (P.S.)
Date undefinedMy enjoyment of this book was based more on the plot itself than the philosophy or the characters. I enjoyed the structure of the novel as well, told from various perspectives of the title characters friends, families, and acquaintances. The Witch of Portobello, or Athena, is not the most sympathetic character, but I think everyone can relate at some point in our lives to an empty, unfulfilled feeling. This meaninglessness in Athena's life motivates her to explore different ways to fill her void, through motherhood, dance, and even locating her birth mother.
I enjoyed some characters narratives more than others. Particularly Athena's adoptive mother, who tries so hard to provide a stable life for her daughter and tries to understand Athena's precociousness. I did not, however, care at all for Athena's "teacher," Edda, who seemed a bit self-serving and I didn't take any stock in her touchy-feely earth-goddess mumbo jumbo, which seemed to go on paragraph after paragraph. In general, I thought the whole belief system lacked any cohesiveness, although I was intrigued at Athena's power. The ending has quite an interesting development, and I don't want to give anything away, but it clearly indicates that the people who thought they new Athena so well had only scratched the surface of her life. That mystery, that arm's-length distance she kept, added intrigue to her image.
The Witch of Portobello: A Novel (P.S.)
Date undefinedI struggle to explain.. maybe the following would put this book into perspective
", but the fact is that, to a greater or lesser extent , all creative human beings have such experiences, which are known as 'possession by the sacred'. suddenly for a fraction of a second, we feel that our whole life is justified, our sins forgiven, and that love is still the strongest force, one that can transform us forever.
..."
i am anthea and she is me
