Oprah's got one so I thought I'd get one too.  These are the books on my current summer reading list.  I know I'll be adding a few more before it's all said and done. 

The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho 
The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
Day of Tears by Julius Lester

Re-Reading

Texaco by Patrick Chamoiseau
Love in the Time of Cholera (in Spanish) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Reading any good books?  Let me know.

Denna historia kunde ha uppfattats som tragisk och ledsam, men istället är den full av framtidstro och optimism. Den handlar om hur Maria finner sig själv och hur hon kommer i kontakt med kärleken och sin själ. Paulo kan konsten att berätta om livets olika sidor på ett uppmuntrande sätt. Jag har ännu inte läst ut boken och jag ser fram emot att läsa fortsättningen om Marias upptäckter. En trevlig bok att gå till sängs med helt enkelt!

I recognize that my stance has evolved reactively in some ways, as I've identified what kind of Christian I'm not and what sort of things I don't do relative to what most people seem to believe or expect of Christians, including people who identify themselves as such. I wrote in a previous post how I've left the organized church recently as the center of my faith journey, and struck out on a new path that includes church as a habit and resource but which I hope opens me up to a more diverse and personally authentic experience of God in ways that looking to the/a church first and foremost in my pursuit of God precluded me from.

Communities have sprung up around this premise, exploring the possibility that the spiritual life proclaimed and ushered in by Jesus can be pursued outside of an organized and codified religion. It's an extension in a way of Luther's assertion that God can be pursued by individuals independent of the ministration of the ordained, where again there is a cultural recognition that there's more to faith and finding God than is evident (or arguably possible) in the exclusive context of a local organized church. I'm not knocking organization itself, or leadership in the context of an assembled group of people of like pursuit. Without leaders and organization any movement is doomed to fail, whether necessary and helpful or not. Even rebellions or other causes that reject these establishments still have their de facto leaders and make efforts to share common beliefs. It seems though that faith that finds its source in an organization is lacking.

I read The Alchemist recently, a simple parable-like story of one boy's pursuit of his dreams and exploration of spirituality. While not categorically a Christian book, it inspired me in my pursuit of faith at a point in my life when I needed it most desperately, when my general happiness was already forfeit and my dreams were in jeopardy. What struck me most was the tale's straightforward view of the supernatural and spirituality, and the simplicity of the boy's passion in his pursuit of what he felt mattered most. It seems to me as though the one is a catalyst for the other - when spiritual things are uncluttered by religion and unaffected by doubt or apathy, but simply allowed to be, and to be as real as gravity or love or time which are impervious to how fervently they are believed in, then apprehending and pursuing spiritual things and the deeper dreams and passions of life is as straightforward a process as living, and living with eyes open for the opportunities that inevitably present themselves. Life becomes rich and meaningful, and laden with daily significance.

I was about to write a paragraph relating this world view to Christianity but it seems paradoxical to the point of this post. It's what I'm after - relating to God in a way that is uncontrived though it may involve habit or ritual, and significant to my daily life though the nature of the pursuit itself is unearthly. I don't think this approach is incompatible with the Christian faith; I hope instead that it leads to a deeper appreciation of who God is and how then to live.

Paolo Coelho gehört zu den 10 meistgelesenen Schriftstellern der Welt. Der brasilianische Bestsellerautor wurde einem größeren Publikum bekannt durch das 1988 erschienene Buch Der Alchimist (in Deutschland 1991 zuerst unter dem Namen Der Schatz der Pyramiden – oder die Reise ins Meister-Bewusstsein veröffentlicht), das sich bisher rund 30 Millionen mal weltweit verkaufte und damit Coelhos erfolgreichstes Werk ist. Um es kurz zu machen: Ich war nicht sonderlich begeistert von Der Alchimist, las aber im Anschluss Coelhos Roman Veronika beschließt zu sterben, der mich wieder versöhnlich mit dem Brasilianer stimmte. Wie die meisten Werke Coelhos haben auch die zwei Bücher autobiographische Züge.

Der Alchimist erzählt die Geschichte vom jungen Andalusier Santiago, der entgegen des Rates seines Vaters, Priester zu werden, Schafe hütet. Nachdem er mehrfach von einem Schatz bei den Pyramiden in Ägypten träumt, verkauft er seine Schafe und reist nach Afrika. Dort seiner Habe beraubt, schließt er sich einem Alchimisten an, um durch die Wüste zu gelangen. In einer Oase verliebt Santiago sich in eine „Wüstenfrau“, geht aber dennoch weiter seinem Vorhaben nach, den Schatz zu finden. Die Geschichte ist voller religiöser und mystischer Symbolik. Coelho benutzt hier das philosophische Konzept der Weltenseele (Anima Mundi) und beschreibt es in allen möglichen Varianten. Dabei ist er trotz der ca. 200 Seiten so redundant in seiner Erzählung, dass das Buch streckenweise nur langweilt. In einer relativ einfachen Sprache beschreibt Coelho den naiven Selbstfindungstripp seines Protagonisten und wiederholt dabei die immer gleiche Aussage über Liebe und Weltenseele. Mag sein, dass ein einfach gestrickter Geist dem Buch etwas abgewinnen kann, mir war es in seiner Aussage zu simpel, in seiner Symbolik zu naiv und insgesamt zu esoterisch und religiös.

Wie das genaue Gegenteil mutet da Veronika beschließt zu sterben an. Veronika fehlt es an nichts, sie ist aber unfähig, „für sich“ und ohne gesellschaftliche Zwänge zu leben, weshalb sie beschließt zu sterben. Der Selbstmordversuch misslingt. Veronika wird in die slowenische Psychiatrie eingewiesen, wo die Ärzte ihr erklären, sie werde innerhalb einer Woche an den Folgen ihres Medikamentenmissbrauchs sterben. Veronika kommt in Kontakt mit den Insassen von „Vilette“ und spürt zum ersten Mal, was es heißt zu leben. Dieser Roman ist schon rein inhaltlich viel komplexer als Der Alchimist. Als politischer Hintergrund dient der Jugoslawienkonflikt und die Unabhängigkeitserklärung Sloweniens. So ist der Abschiedsbrief von Veronika eine Beschwerde über einem Zeitungsartikel, in dem gefragt wird „Wo liegt Slowenien?“. Zuallererst ist das Buch aber eine bitterböse Gesellschaftskritik. Es geht um Verrücktheit und den gesellschaftlichen Umgang damit. Was ist verrückt und was ist normal? Coelho beschreibt die Schicksale der Psychiatrieinsassen, erzählt vom Verhalten der Angehörigen. Im Endeffekt handelt der Roman auch (wie schon in Der Alchimist) vom Lebenswillen und Lebenssinn, doch geht Coelho hier viel subtiler ans Werk, erzählt abwechslungsreicher und interessanter.

Nach der Enttäuschung mit Der Alchimist war ich von Veronika beschließt zu sterben äußerst positiv überrascht. Paolo Coelho wird gewiss noch eine Chance von mir erhalten. Die Lektüre eines weiteren Buchs von ihm muss aber warten, da ich momentan einen Roman von Haruki Murakami lese, von dem ich bis jetzt sehr angetan bin.

Der Alchimist: 4/10
Veronika beschließt zu sterben: 8/10

Una lettera che parla delle persone "speciali".

25/28 aprile 1922

Per Mini, la sua cecità è la cosa più normale e naturale. Non solo egli riceve più affetto dalle persone cosiddette normali, ma può anche esprimere, con molta più libertà, ciò che sente nel proprio cuore. Quello che a te sembra una maledizione, per lui è un miracolo. Lui interpreterà sempre il mondo secondo il proprio Regno personale. Non credere che un invalido sia qualcuno che non vale niente. Persone che sono in un mondo diverso dal nostro possono essere i migliori operai nella costruzione di questo pianeta, perchè i loro occhi vedono cose che noi siamo incapaci di scorgere. Le loro menti interpretano l'Universo in maniera differente, e lo ridisegnano a loro modo. Noi non siamo i creatori della luce, ma solo i raggi di questo Grande Bagliore.

i've been putting off telling wonderful stories i have personally stumbled upon the past few weeks.

because more stories are coming my way, i am having a hard time catching up.

i've just finished reading paolo coelho's the zahir.another masterpiece, i must say. and a true tearjerker at that.

the term Zahir has islamic roots that can be traced back to the eighteenth century. it begins with a glimpse or a passing thought (of something or someone), and could either end as holiness or madness.

it is not difficult to demonstrate love as some sort of zahir. because most of us do end up either crazy or revered when we chose to track its path. it is a delicious obsession.

i was once on this track. i am tempted to claim that i am obsessed with love and i wish that was all there is to it. alas! along the way to satisfying this insatiable craving, i discovered a lot more than just madness.

just like the narrator of this book, my zahir has been about recovering lost love.

like him, i discovered a desert of things that are both empty and full of life.

that love is an energy we can not manipulate because it is free and wild. that making it go to the direction we want will cause us desperation, frustration and disillusionment.

aber! unlike him, my zahir has no name- yet.

but my acomodador has occupied quite a lot of space within me. and i have been made to understand that love would still be revealed to me in different channels.

i know there will be times i will get crazy, and will sound mad, but i look forward to that holy state this journey will finally conclude on.

coelho is a triumph in progress.

I've had this book for quite some time already. Although, I never really had the chance to read it until recently. I devoured the whole thing in a matter of hours and it amazingly coincided with most of the things that have been clouding my mind lately. 'What makes a person hate themselves? Cowardice perhaps. Or the eternal fear of being wrong, of not doing what others expect.' It precisely hit me on the right spots.

My life, as was Veronika's, is becoming quite monotonous. I often find myself resolutely adhering to the disarray of which nature is inadvertently handing me situations, mayhap empowered by a shadow of fear that I always fail to acknowledge. The fear... of trying to ascertain whether that very thing I once pursued, and passionately persevered for, no longer gives me the contentment it used to fill me with.

I sometimes think that I may have went overboard with my fickle-mindedness; wanting to go here, there, and a couple more directions yet mercilessly find myself back to where I've started. But I, for one, strongly believe that no one is too old to rediscover themselves (should they ever feel the need to).

There may be certain barriers that I currently can't cross on my own, but it's a long and winding road. And no matter how discouraging my misfortunes are, I'll never get tired of investing my time and effort when and where it's needed.

We should train ourselves to the bitttersweet. Dance in the rain before going to bed, wake up in the morning and dread the lack of blue sky and the domestic drudgery ahead and then dance the night away again.

Silly human nature. Will we only really start to live our lives when a limit has been set? Now, this is a cliche (but always rings true): It's the journey, not the destination, that counts.

"Istnieją dwa powody, które nie pozwalają ludziom spełnić swoich marzeń. Najczęściej po prostu uważają je za nierealne. A czasem na skutek nagłej zmiany losu pojmują, że spełnienie marzeń staje się możliwe w chwili, gdy się tego najmniej spodziewają. Wtedy jednak budzi się w nich strach przed wejściem na ścieżkę, która prowadzi w nieznane, strach przed życiem rzucającym nowe wyzwania, strach przed utratą na zawsze tego, do czego przywykli."

Paulo Coelho

Kata Hati: Hmm.. kenapa perempuan tanpa sepatu itu berlari menuju lorong sempit?
Hati berkata lagi: Unik lorong sempit itu.. di mana tempat ni?
Dan kata hati lagi: Kenapa The Zahir?
..sedang Mata: Melihat ke seluruh kulit novel, font, warna...

Kata Otak: Cuba lihat belakang buku..
Jawab Mata: Oh, ya tak ya.. aku lihat, kau baca ya!
Kata Otak lagi: Apa kau rasa, Hati? Bagus ke?
Kata Hati: Setiap cerita ada mesej.. setiap cerita, ada perasaan. Aku boleh ambil peranan. Pakcik Paolo Coelho ni menulis bukan calang. Kau macam mana, Mata? Tahan?
Jawab Mata: Kalau kau ada perasaan untuk selami cerita ni, aku akan bantu kau untuk lihat.. aku tahan..
Kata Otak: Aku pun boleh. Janji Hati mahu..

Sapa Mulut: Aku?
Jawab Hati: Engkau? Hmm SHHHhh.. jadi silent mode. :)

book of the week @ ayzagursoy.wordpress

]]> http://eslan.wordpress.com/?p=12 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 03:23:38 +0000 mimiguille http://eslan.wordpress.com/?p=12 I haven't read this book yet. I still need to finish reading 2 more books so I can move on to new ones. So for now I'll just post the free complete online copy of the book here, you guys might want to read it ahead...

Browse Inside this book Get this for your site

Closing Cycles

Scanning through the contents of Paulo Coelho's The Pilgrimage will make you think that this book is for the psychologically-stressed, over-sentimental readers who are in need of another tear-jerker from the author of The Alchemist. This is half-true. Paulo's travel to Santiago de Compostella wasn't that boring after all. In fact, I finished reading the whole book during my stay in Boracay.

The style of writing is in the form of a journal, somewhat like a 'Dear Diary' version of an adventure. Its opening page has a map which has been very useful for me. In search for his goal (which is a sword - a symbol of ultimate happiness), he passes through the difficult pilgrimage path called the Road to San Tiago. Historically updated and well-written, Paulo was successful in putting his striking quotations throughout the book. The last line was unforgettable:

"I guess it is always true that people always arrive at the right moment at the place where someone awaits them."

While reading the book, I felt the difficult tasks that a pilgrim has to do in order to attain spiritual happiness. We are all pilgrims. The book explains 11 so-called 'exercises' that would help our spirit find its way toward its ultimate goal. I remember the song entitled 'Pilgrim's Theme' sung by Bukas Palad Ministry with the chorus that goes - "I think I'll follow the voice that calls within, dance to the silent song it sings, I hope to find my place so my life can fall in place, I know in time I'll find my place in the greater scheme of things."

Thank you:
Brix, for the wonderful book.
TJ, for letting me hear 'Pilgrim's Theme' for the first time using your iPod.

- Paolo Coelho in The Alchemist

The book is written in a first person narration format by several people telling the story of how the witch of Portobello or Athena came to be. From a mixed background of Lebanese, Romanin and English rises a very interesting, troubled and complex woman, who gets married, has a son, gets divorced, learns to dance and enjoys the art of calligraphy in order to find her mission and path in life.

It is a good read but I am biased, the Alchemist is still my favorite perhaps because we all find something to identify with in that book unlike TWoP you are merely a spectator on the bus of someone else's journey.  My feelings towards the protagonist  ranged from anger and irritation to admiration and respect.  The book is an interesting one but did not make me feel that I had to delve deeper into my soul to be able to finish it like I had to do with the Alchemist (I told you I was biased).

Overall it was an entertaining and pleasing read and I would definitely recommend it.