Coehlo's Obsession is Not What You Think

I loved this book. My coworkers and I had talked about setting up a staff picks wall in the bookstore where we work. Reading Coehlo's book made it an imperative and the wall was created the very next day: I had to let people know about this book. It's funny, thought -provoking and joyful to the soul in a way that is inexplicable (it touched me in ways I'm still trying to grasp). And don't be fooled by the cover which says that the book is about obsession. It is about love and freedom.

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For Someone who loves his work

I grew up reading The Alchemist, ever since i could read i was reading it. At first was a tale of adventure, then suddenly became the first book with a message i found worth understanding. The Zahir is a book that makes you actually think. there were times where i was unaware of what was going to come next. but the ideas that are presented are something you may share with friends or family. i would recommend this to any one who has loved Paulo Coelho's other books.

It truly is a novel of obsession

This book spoke so much about life, So much of what he said was true. It seems like he has experienced life in many different point of views. In this book, he loses his wife because he's gotten caught up in his everyday routines which made his life somewhat boring. He had everything anyone could've hoped for :money, fame, courage, etc. But why was his wife not happy ? She left him because they started to "grow apart ". His wife, esther, would speak of a young man named mikhail. He met mikhail and wondered if he was his wife's lover. He grew obsessed with The "zahir which represented his wife. He went all the way to Central china in the steppes to find her. He realized all he needed was her to be happy . (:

curious

did anyone read this? i really want to know how much u like it?

A novel of obsession

I hadn't read a Paulo Coelho book for a while and this book has reminded me what I love about his writing. I am definitely intending to read more of his work. I love the way the prose pulls you in and keeps you interested. There are many inspirational and spiritual passages in the novel which seem to be written with the intention of giving hope and direction to the reader.
The book is about an internationally acclaimed author whose wife has disappeared. She is a War correspondent and, therefore, the husband does not know whether she left him, or whether she was kidnapped or something far worse. One day a man appears at one of the author's book signings with a message from the wife to say that she is okay. The husband then becomes increasingly obsessed with idea of finding her. She becomes his 'Zahir' which is defined as something which, once seen or touched, can not be forgotten. We follow the husband in his journey to find his wife, and also in his own personal spiritual journey along the way.
It is described as a novel of 'obsession' and, in my view, Paulo has done a great job in writing the book in such a way that the reader has almost a compulsion to read on to find out what happens - almost as if the book becomes an obsession.
The book isn't perfect, so I can't give it five stars. I did find it a bit confusing in places, as there are often long conversations in the book between characters (sometimes multiple characters) without reference as to who is the speaker. Also, the lack of quotation marks at the beginning of new paragraphs when a character was making a speech or talking over a few paragraphs, was a bit annoying and also confusing.
Finally, I was quite disappointed with the ending; for me it was too predictable and a bit contrived.
But on the whole I enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend it.

Great book

I really loved this book. Very original story and non-conventional development. Could not put it down, it was hard to resist temptation not to look ahead.

The Zahir a novel of Obsession

The Zahir by Paulo Coelho is a great book to get lost in. Coelho makes it difficult for the reader not to get interested in the story of the narrator. Though he has every thing he has ever wanted he feels empty with out his wife. His wife has left him for reasons he does not comprehend until he is taken on a journey with his wife¿s much younger boyfriend. Though he does not realize at the time, this new man will teach the narrator things about himself that he has never known. This book sends the readers on a journey to find their own energy of love and leave their personal history along with the main character. It is brilliant the way Coelho allows you to learn more about yourself as his characters are doing the same thing in his books. The main character is a man that is so human that you cannot help but relate to. He has all the same flows we have as people who can¿t see how great our lives are until it has taken a change for the worst. This book is for any person who has ever fallen in love and has felt that bliss that the narrator is trying to regain in the world. In the beginning of the book it seems that the narrator has just lost his wife though he doesn¿t realize he has lost himself as well. This is a story of a person trying to regain the part of themselves they have lost along the years. The Zahir is a novel of obsession and it shows the reader how obsession can ostracize a person. Paulo Coelho has a wonderful gift of writing about things that impact people in a way they do not realize until they have put the book down. His writing stays in your head and makes its way into the way you look at the world. After reading this book you are tempted to go through the same journey as the main character and take away your own zahirs. Like the narrator you will start to look at the world with different eyes and see what is true instead of what has been told you is true. This book will keep the reader hooked from cover to cover with all the layers of the magnetic characters that are all mirrors into different parts of the human soul.

A Little Disappointed

I read 'The Alchemist' approximately 5 years ago. 'The Zahir' is the second book I am reading by him, and I am a little disappointed. The story line is excellent, but I am not sure that Mr. Coelho knew how to unwind the story without it becoming boring along the way. I totally understand what the Zahir is, but I think the book has too many valleys, and very little 'wow' moments. I am going to read some more of his works. I have heard that 'Veronika Must Die' is excellent.

Amazing work of art...

This book has what so many novels have lacked in so many ways. Being an avid reader and in search for books that not only tell a great story but leaves me feeling I have gained in a way, my own self...The Zahir was so fulfilling. I've read several other books by Mr. Coelho including his prized The Alchemist, and I must say this book ranked right up there with it all. Reading this book, I felt such intense sadness--unexplainable...hollow...emptiness...loss--as I have also felt the reward of finally beginning to SEE the problems around us, the change and taking a life that is ours in our own hands. I loved it. And I would recommend everyone to experience what life is like when we've reached the end of one chapter in life...and finding the courage to start a new one.

One of my favourites from Mr. Coelho.

It is truly a novel about obsession and perhaps thats the reason it appealed so much to me because I happen to be a pretty obsessive person. At this particular point in time, I am going through an emotional low where the more I try to mend things, they keep getting worse, all because of an obsession of mine. Something in me has changed because of this but I couldn't quite pinpoint it or understand it. That's what this book has helped me do. I was never that big a fan of Paulo Coelho, not even after reading The Alchemist and most of his other books. But after reading this book, I have become a huge fan of his. Definitely one of the best writers to have emerged in a long time. This book is a must-read.

Cant put it down

Coelho has done it again. This book is possibly a bit less inspiring than some of his others, but still a fantastic read. I hesitated buying a 'romance' story, but 'The Zahir' is much more. This would be 5-star had it had less sensationalism and more concrete 'spirituality'. There are a few less than lively moments early in the story.

I am sad in an inexplicable way

Being an avid fan of Coelho, this novel, unlike any of his other books has left me with a terrible void. I can't quite explain it, yes, it was about true love and personal freedom, but somehow romantism was not a key component. It's ending was what I expected, but not 'How ' i expected it. I was dissapointed, there is not that much selflessness in the world. I love his style of writing,his thought provoking quotes, his ability to make anyone identify themselves with their feelings. I unfortunately did not connect fully with the story line.

Dissapointing!

I have read other books written by Paulo Coelho and the Alchemist is a personal favourite. However the Zahir was a dissapointment. After finishing the book, I wondered what the whole point was that Coelho was trying to make?

Very disappointing

After reading the Alchemist, I thought this book would provide similar insights, but what a disappointment. I am right in the middle of it and I only continue reading it while putting my baby to sleep. It is self-absorbed, repetitive and superficial, full of bla,bla. I think he got an advance on this book and wrote it in one night just to be done with . The only nice thing about this book was the poem of Ithaca in the preface. Don't waste your time and money on this one.

The best book by Coelho

Being an avid reader of the author, I believe that The Zahir is his masterpiece. It is not often that someone is honest enough to show is soul as a writer, as a magician, and as a man. He is THE PHILOSOPHER of our times. But in a way that everybody can understand (better saying, warriors of the light can understand)

A Good Effort And An Entertaining Tale

The question of obsession (cacoethes to the ancient Greeks and Zahir to the Muslims) makes for an interesting treatise set in the backgrounds of Paris and Kazakhstan. I grew interested in the premise through the character's involvement and principally through the main character's growing Zahir...the search for his own wife. Faith and love also become integral to the plot and I believe it was skillfully done in order to advance the central theme. There is, of course, also the inevitable introspection that the protagonist must go through. This component did not detract from the main idea and did fuel it to an extent. There were pages that did drag but overall I enjoyed the pace that was set by the author. Recommended. I also recommend 'Anna's Trinity' by Howard Cobiskey. It is such a beautiful novel regarding the search for God set in the background of a deep mystery that I cannot recommend it highly enough.

A FABULOUS FABULIST COMPELLINGLY READ

British stage, film and TV actor Jamie Glover gives a sterling performance, immediately intriguing listeners with a mesmerizing story of obsession. Told in the first person by a nameless narrator, Glover ably carries us along on a journey, a search not only for a loved one but also perhaps for meaning, answers to the riddle of life. The narrator is a successful author living in Paris with his wife, Esther, who is an accomplished journalist, a war correspondent. She has just returned from Iraq only to disappear again. It's not known whether she ran away or was kidnaped, whether she is alive or dead. She was last seen with a man younger than she, a man who hid his true identity but was known as Mikhail. Could he be her lover? According to author Coelho the idea of the zahir stems from the Islamic tradition, it means 'incapable of going unnoticed. It can refer to an object or a person, and that object or person gradually takes over our every thought, until we are unable to think of anything else. This could be considered a state of holiness or a state of madness.' We'll leave it to the listener to decide which description is most appropriate for our narrator as he undertakes a journey to find Esther. He knows that she felt a deep unrest and was unsatisfied with her life, although he cannot comprehend why. He was stunned when she announced that she wanted to become a war correspondent, yet he also understood that he could not stand in her way. Brazilian born Paul Coelho (The Alchemist) is very much a fabulist, an extremely fine one. His works have been published in 150 countries and translated into 59 languages. Obviously, his appeal is immense. For this reader/listener one reason so many are drawn to him is that he causes us to think, to probe deeply within ourselves and perhaps reassess what is truly important and what is not. He seems to be reminding us that we change, life changes. Whether my assessment is correct or not the works of this author are gifts, radiant, compelling, and utterly fascinating. - Gail Cooke

Phenomenally Boring Story Of All Times!

After alchemist I thought this writer to be a thinker, but while reading the Zahir, I literally puked at every incident of this ridiculous writer, seemingly cool with any females he happen to meet. Paulo seems to be obsessed with sex, adultery and deciet and tries to infuse love mechanically for his zahir, it is blasphemy if you talk religion. There is no research or painstaking effort in providing a learning or excitement to the reader. This book is a sheer waste of time and money, I have taken a vow not to read any of his other garbage writings. As an avid reader I can spend money on other bestselling writers, atleast time is well spent on the well researched books like the Da Vinci Code, State of Fear etc.

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