Today’s Question by Aart Hilal

by Paulo Coelho on July 21, 2008

You are undeniably one of the most influent and, in the same time, one of the best selling contemporary writers. Considering only these two certainties, aren’t you afraid that at some point you could disappoint your readers or you could be accused that you write commercial literature?

I write to understand myself. If you take “Eleven Minutes” for example, it was a risk, but I was ready to take it. I am only concerned about being honest to my soul, when I write.

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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

wanbliska May 25, 2009 at 7:36 am

Do those three pretty points mean that I can say few in many ones? :D
Joking.
Thank you Paul.

Be blessed.

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samina July 24, 2008 at 10:35 pm

I struggled to enjoy Eleven Minutes but now I think it was because I was not ready to understand it. I wrote a message in it and left it on a shelf with other beach stained books in a tiny resort on a Thai island …I am sure someone there has read and understood your message and mine.

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Tania July 22, 2008 at 3:23 am

God chooses to reach people in all forms -either in books or movies /radio etc..I like reading books but I am also very visual -but as long as God gives us stories -spiritual information and gets us to look at ourselves and understand others with compassion and caring ,sharing then we should just accept what it is meant to be and be grateful that there are great writers and ideas for all to connect to .Love Tania

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KaZenDim July 21, 2008 at 9:58 pm

Hi dear Paulo,

I think that u sometimes succed in feeling what’s in the air by plunging into your soul which is a part as every soul of let’s say God. I think that you are a SynchronicityZen.

Love
Damien

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Osbaldo Gutierrez -Los Angeles July 21, 2008 at 9:08 pm

My friend and I talked about this subject this weekend. About you ‘selling out’ because of the movie ‘veronika decides to die’. I disagreed with her telling her, that it’s just a different medium of your writings. It allows others to be exposed to your work, outside of literature. I don’t think you are selling out to commercialism it is evident. Question, outside of 11 minutes, what other subject matter will you focus on?

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wanbliska July 21, 2008 at 8:03 pm

Do those three pretty points mean that I can say few in many ones? :D
Joking.
Thank you Paul.

Be blessed.

Reply

wanbliska July 21, 2008 at 2:54 pm

Yes, before reading your books we know we are about to encounter your soul again, and be placed face to ours.

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zingsho July 21, 2008 at 1:36 pm

understand yourself? in a way…? eleven minutes is the book that is detailed and something i couldn’t imagine or have a thought to even describe in words or imagine that would be describe like that…yes Sir Paul have taken the risk and was honest about it! but it didn’t dissapoint me yet i was like uh? wait a minute! Maria liked her job and this and that…and its about a girl…something i found different of what the author will write about! but i love the ending!

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