Scan barcode
etwhalen4's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
charmingminx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
morgob's review against another edition
3.0
I don't really know what to think of this book. I suppose I enjoyed it. I enjoyed parts of it, rather. The book was filled with a bunch of mini life lessons, much like The Alchemist, but I didn't find it as thought-provoking and life-changing.
Let's start with the story. It was strange. The format was interesting because we got to hear from so many different characters all talking about the same woman, but they had different opinions of her, of course. That's what made it interesting: the thought that so many people were talking about the same woman as if they knew exactly who she was, but at the end, did any of them really know her? That was the most interesting part to me. It really shows a lot about people. We can know people their entire lives but know little about them or we can fail to understand them. The story was very Paulo Coelho-esque because it involved people following their dreams and being who they need to be. Examples of this would be, of course, the main character, but also the doctor Edda, the old blacksmith, and the man who taught her calligraphy in the desert. It also had the same feel as The Alchemist in the way that the main character went on a journey of self-discovery and learned a lot of new things. It has that sort of adventure type feel that I love in stories. Ordinary people going out and doing extraordinary things that they never dreamed of.
That being said... I didn't really like the main character. Maybe it's just how she was portrayed through other people's eyes--because quite a few of them didn't like her--but she just didn't seem like a likable character to me. I thought that was interesting, however, because I was rooting for her the whole time, wanting her to find what she was looking for and be happy, but I didn't like her. I didn't really like the choices she made, I guess. Although, I went through the whole book believing she got herself killed somehow and was just waiting for her to make some big mistakes that would have lead to that, so maybe that's what altered my vision. All the same, it was interesting that I didn't like the main character that much.
The section about her learning calligraphy was probably my favorite part. Maybe that is because it reminded me of The Alchemist, because that is one of my favorite books ever. I just liked the idea of the blank spaces and not losing yourself in them. And that quote, "'What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.'"
One last thing: the theme of feminism. It really threw me for a loop here. At times, it seemed like the whole purpose of the book was to talk about women empowerment, which could have been the case, but also talking about society's views of women and what they feel/think/believe. That's all well and good, but the thing that struck me as I was reading this was that it was written by a man. I know that should not matter all that much, except there is that whole "write what you know" argument. For example, at one point, the author mentions the things that women strive for in life, and that there are three(or something) types of women, categorized by what they want. And these things were things like get married, have children, etc. Then there is this overarching theme of the female God, God as The Mother. There are a lot of references to choice for women, or women taking control or power. That is all well and good, but at some points it just seemed to be too much of the feminism and empowerment, almost like the book was preaching it to the point of overpowering the other messages of the story. Then again, that leads me to wonder, would I have noticed it as much if it were talking about men? I really don't know. The only thing I know is this intense theme seemed overpowering at certain points, and I didn't really like that aspect of the book. Also, the author made it seem like all the other female characters in the book hated her! What does that say, that all the men appear to fall in love with her and all the women dislike her? I don't really think that's empowering. Maybe I'm missing the point. Maybe the point is some women go after what they want, they dare to be different, and they're hated for it, rejected by their own gender. I don't know. Now I'm just rambling.
Anyway, I liked the book, but I didn't love it. It disappointed me a little, but I enjoyed it as a whole. And the ending was pretty unexpected. I'm not sure what it did for the story. I did get some messages for living out of it, though. It definitely made me think a lot.
Let's start with the story. It was strange. The format was interesting because we got to hear from so many different characters all talking about the same woman, but they had different opinions of her, of course. That's what made it interesting: the thought that so many people were talking about the same woman as if they knew exactly who she was, but at the end, did any of them really know her? That was the most interesting part to me. It really shows a lot about people. We can know people their entire lives but know little about them or we can fail to understand them. The story was very Paulo Coelho-esque because it involved people following their dreams and being who they need to be. Examples of this would be, of course, the main character, but also the doctor Edda, the old blacksmith, and the man who taught her calligraphy in the desert. It also had the same feel as The Alchemist in the way that the main character went on a journey of self-discovery and learned a lot of new things. It has that sort of adventure type feel that I love in stories. Ordinary people going out and doing extraordinary things that they never dreamed of.
That being said... I didn't really like the main character. Maybe it's just how she was portrayed through other people's eyes--because quite a few of them didn't like her--but she just didn't seem like a likable character to me. I thought that was interesting, however, because I was rooting for her the whole time, wanting her to find what she was looking for and be happy, but I didn't like her. I didn't really like the choices she made, I guess. Although, I went through the whole book believing she got herself killed somehow and was just waiting for her to make some big mistakes that would have lead to that, so maybe that's what altered my vision. All the same, it was interesting that I didn't like the main character that much.
The section about her learning calligraphy was probably my favorite part. Maybe that is because it reminded me of The Alchemist, because that is one of my favorite books ever. I just liked the idea of the blank spaces and not losing yourself in them. And that quote, "'What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.'"
One last thing: the theme of feminism. It really threw me for a loop here. At times, it seemed like the whole purpose of the book was to talk about women empowerment, which could have been the case, but also talking about society's views of women and what they feel/think/believe. That's all well and good, but the thing that struck me as I was reading this was that it was written by a man. I know that should not matter all that much, except there is that whole "write what you know" argument. For example, at one point, the author mentions the things that women strive for in life, and that there are three(or something) types of women, categorized by what they want. And these things were things like get married, have children, etc. Then there is this overarching theme of the female God, God as The Mother. There are a lot of references to choice for women, or women taking control or power. That is all well and good, but at some points it just seemed to be too much of the feminism and empowerment, almost like the book was preaching it to the point of overpowering the other messages of the story. Then again, that leads me to wonder, would I have noticed it as much if it were talking about men? I really don't know. The only thing I know is this intense theme seemed overpowering at certain points, and I didn't really like that aspect of the book. Also, the author made it seem like all the other female characters in the book hated her! What does that say, that all the men appear to fall in love with her and all the women dislike her? I don't really think that's empowering. Maybe I'm missing the point. Maybe the point is some women go after what they want, they dare to be different, and they're hated for it, rejected by their own gender. I don't know. Now I'm just rambling.
Anyway, I liked the book, but I didn't love it. It disappointed me a little, but I enjoyed it as a whole. And the ending was pretty unexpected. I'm not sure what it did for the story. I did get some messages for living out of it, though. It definitely made me think a lot.
casspro's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't really know what to expect with this book. It was way more spiritual and cross-cultural than I was anticipating. However, I don't quite know if I liked Athena as a protagonist, but it's not necessary to like her in order for the message of the book to come through. It got a little world-weary toward to the end, but I enjoyed it overall.
meghananne's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing. Interesting ideas on spirituality and very thought provoking. I recommended it for expanding the way you think about religion, God and the universe.
Written in a refreshing fashion which brings into question the intriguing notion of who we are through others' eyes - and how those pieces create a whole that is neither good nor bad but simply is.
Written in a refreshing fashion which brings into question the intriguing notion of who we are through others' eyes - and how those pieces create a whole that is neither good nor bad but simply is.
aalexandrina26's review against another edition
4.0
This one was a roller coaster. I started off loving it, found many beautifully written moments and relatable quotes, the plot was being slowly introduced and I had very high expectations. It was a journey of getting to know the authors style (I’ve read only the Alchemist a few years ago and I vaguely remember I loved the story, yet didn’t remember much about his writing style) and also getting to discover myself (not in the religious way, but in a more philosophical one). But I got lost at some point, and went through many pages hoping to get to some action. It didn’t help that my copy was randomly missing 30 pages, a mistake of some sort of those who printed the edition. Anyways, I was already set on giving it 3 stars but the plot twist at the end made me close my eyes for a second and had me completely off guard. I wasn’t expecting it. That’s why I’m giving it 4 ⭐️ (but it’s more like 3.5).
joyceontheroad's review against another edition
3.0
Deze man heeft betere boeken geschreven, maar het is niet dat ik me vanavond niet vermaakt heb.
oakenlion's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anair02's review against another edition
2.0
There's only so many times you can imply that the main character is mystical before it just gets boring. I feel like the book started off strong but then somewhere along the way the author lost ahold of the narrative. There are some parts of this book that feel unnecessary and out of place. Overall felt like a waste of time