![](”http://static.flickr.com/44/116364022_14e11279b9_o.jpg")
Sunday, 18 Mar 2007
I always said he sucked. I would even offer to summarize his book, the alchemist, in 4 sentences. 1) A boy is chilling in the desert with nothing to do, so he decides to go look for the treasure in Egypt, 2) Upon arriving there, he meets the wise man and asks him about the treasure, 3) The wise man tells him that the treasure is real, and it's inside of him, 4) so the boy realizes what the old man says to be true, and that the treasure is really inside him! The end!
I have to admit I didn't hear about this guy until my cousin mentioned him to me, which aroused my suspcions greatly since the girl doesn't read and wouldn't know a good book if I hit her on the head with it! But then I found out that all of AUC was reading it, which confirmed its status to me as a pile of crap, but decided to read it anyway. The first day I slept after reaching page 5. I couldn't take it. It was so blehh! The man can't write, and the people who like him must not be big readers. He is the Britney Spears of modern fiction writers, for the lack of a better description!
Anyway, I am glad I am not the only one who feels this way. Roobs, this is why me and you are friends woman!
March 18th, 2007 at 11:02 am
and the problem in Paulo Coelho that he looks like a religion man
so as you know all religion men are sucks
March 18th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
“The man can’t write, and the people who like him must not be big readers”
Well you just slammed 50,000,000+ million readers around the world.
If you failed to see the magic in his writings that doesn’t make him a bad writer!
March 18th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
These reviews remind me of my reaction to “Das Kapital.” I was left wondering how such a puerile book could have inspired a world-wide movement. I have since learned that many, many people who comment on, or claim to be inspired by, a writing — haven’t read it at all. Non-readers are non-readers.
March 18th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
I also thought it was dumb and pretending to be something with spiritual meaning. Blah. blah, blah
March 18th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
I had to read this book for school. It was very boring and the only time I think I could ever read it and enjoy it was if it was the last book left in the world.
March 18th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
dunno if PG sucks, the “Alchimist” fall off my hands when I started reading it ; I think the man is living by now in south west of France and is very appreciated as a neighbourg
March 18th, 2007 at 11:44 pm
” He is the Britney Spears of modern fiction writers ”
touche`!
March 19th, 2007 at 11:15 am
Haha, yup! When I was writing the post I was thinking of the Oprah incident….
March 19th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I didn’t like that book either which surprised me because it’s so popular. But yeah its a pile of crap!
May 12th, 2007 at 10:52 am
for someone who’s critisizing paulo coelho you all seem to have trouble expressing yourselves… why can’t he write? what does bleh mean? its ok you can use actual words and be specific…
if your only problem is the plot then maybe you should read mystery books or thrillers…
i mean look at what happens in the catcher in the rye… pretty much nothing.. but its still a great book
i mean he has reached and touched… hold on… 50 million readers, so he’s gotta be doing something right…
to get so many people to actually read a book..
just because something is mainstream, doesn’t mean its bad
and don’t get me started on the comparison to music…
literature and music are two just completely different things…
June 9th, 2007 at 3:19 am
THANK GOD ! I thought I was the only one who felt this way, I just can’t stand so many girls that I know saying he is the best, when Paulo Coelho is not a great writer, altought he has an excelent column in many newspapers around the world, if you read you would have to admit it, but the books are a big “NO NO NO”
September 15th, 2007 at 3:25 am
“THANK GOD ! I thought I was the only one who felt this way”
Ditto he does suck, it’s not a matter of opinion. The only book of his I’ve read is Veronika, it sucked. It’s full of truisms and clichés, Doctor-Phil kind of cheap psychology (I wouldn’t dare call that philosophy), narratively it’s, at best, mediocre. I’m not talking about the plot of his books, I’m talking about the writing, most people can’t read beyond a plot, maybe that’s why he’s so popular. He’s the Dan Brown of the Southern Hemisphere. Such a waste of paper.
October 30th, 2007 at 5:37 am
I completely agree with you. Jeezus. When I read his stuff, he completely drained out all the mirth in me.
He must think hes the key to sole spiritual enlightenment or something.
He’s worse than James Frey and Paul McCartney going solo put together.
February 20th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
These books are drivel of the first order. Harry Potter looks like Shakespeare and they’re little better but at least suited for their age group.
So what if an alledged 50 million people read them.. since when was mass the arbiter of quality? Dan Brown enjoyed equal success and he can’t write either.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:17 am
Some of his writings are rather interesting, the ones refering to old legends from different countries, in the sense that they reveal to us old wisdom from different cultures. But his writings are not literature in any sense and it bothers me that he promotes an image of himself as being a modern Guru, persuading and influencing many people, unfortunately. I do agree that the Alchemist is a crap, as all of his novels.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:22 am
The late Barbara Cartland had millions of readers all over the world, women mostly, this doesn’t mean she wrote literature!
March 15th, 2008 at 10:41 am
[...] περισσότερο είναι το «όταν θέλεις κάτι πραγματικάτο σύμπαν συνομωτεί για να το αποκτήσεις». Αλλά δεν είναι αυτό το θέμα μας τώρα (απλά [...]
March 15th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Fully agree with you. I have -managed to- read his book “o Diario de Um Mago” (”The Diary of a Magus”) (1987) republished in English as “The Pilgrimage” (1992) and it is the same sort of new age, metaphysical mumbo jumbo. Appalling!
May 19th, 2008 at 6:01 am
I have read ‘alchemist’. it’s a big rip off from actually existing legend
June 13th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Meh, you just don’t get it because your mind is as closed as Fort Knox, and you have no affinity whatsoever for metaphysics. Yes, religion is a huge part of his writting, but you are not force to read his work; if it make you uncomfortable and you don’t like it, don’t read it.
September 27th, 2008 at 9:34 am
ugh i feel the same way.
glad others do as well
November 4th, 2008 at 12:45 am
I blame society, and the modern education system. If Coelho was a singer he would be aphonous and you could all tell. But since people read less and less
it`s no wonder to me that intelligent and so-called educated people, with university degrees can`t tell between literature and this crap.
I’ve read the Alchemist—sucks,I expect self help books are like that.
Veronika decides to die (don`t know the English title) now that`s romantic and it sucks. And is there anyone who didn’t see the end a mile away?! come on…
The fifth mountain. Now this guy wrote a lot of stupid things but st Elijah thinking the Fenician ship design improved due to the hardships they encountered is stupid in so many ways it makes my mind stop.
Of course what is most important is that the man can’t write, but the mob can’t tell. At least he gets people in the library…
November 19th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
As we speak Paulo Coelho is publishing another—no wait, here it comes—oh its already in stores!!! And here comes another one! The man Just wont stop! Stop, God DAMN IT, STOP!
November 19th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
If you guys want to read good cultural fiction novels with a strong social message, try Amin Maalouf instead…. start with Leo The African
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 pm
I´m Brazilian and I also think Paulo Coelho sucks.. He is not a writer. He is a cheater..
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I´m Brazilian and I also think Paulo Coelho sucks.. He is not a writer. He is a cheater.. If you want to read good Brazilian literature, read Guimarâes Rosa/Machado de Assis/Erico Verissimo and many others..
Best to you
December 9th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
I’m Brazilian too. It’s a shame Paulo Coelho is called a writer. We have wonderful writers in Brazil such as those already mentioned above and Pedro Nava, Graciliano Ramos, Clarie Lispector and a lot of real writers. If people read good books they would know the difference. Paulo Coelho does not write literature at all.