Igor
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by Paulo Coelho on June 1, 2009
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Igor was like angel but the harsh realities turned him into a devil.He loved too much with Ewa but she betrayed him inspite of knowing that he loved him.Even at the end she tells lie that she didn’t receive any message.In my opinion no body is criminal or murderer by birth.He says that in his life Ewa was the only lady to whom he loved but when she betrayed him the angel turned into absolute evil.
I still cant understand why Paulo didnt punish Igor in the end why he lets him go… that is unfair.
I deeply love this book(actually I love all Paulo’s books), but I am shocked with the end of “Winner stands alone”.
love,
Alba.
Dear Paulo I’m happy to link here a post of my blog http://andrewdistefano.blogspot.com that talk about Igor Malev and the link I found between this Character and the Legion Man that appear in the Gospel. It’s in italian but i’m sure you’ll read the English Translation!
Hugs Andrea
Igor Malev e l’uomo legione (o sarebbe meglio scrivere, Igor Malev è l’uomo legione!)
Secondo gli insegnamenti di tutte le Grandi Tradizioni il mondo che sperimentiamo nel nostro stato ordinario di coscienza non è che il riflesso di altri mondi. Un artista degno di tale nome dovrebbe, alla maniera di Dante o di Rumi essere in grado attraverso la narrazione dei fatti che accadono nel nostro mondo di far intravedere cosa sia questo Altro. Purtroppo tra gli artisti contemporanei sono molto pochi coloro che si occupano di questo Altro.
Nella letteratura mi vengono in mente soltanto Jodowrosky e Coelho.
Non a caso sono i miei autori preferiti.
Per questo motivo, e perché il protagonista del mio nuovo romanzo -che nei prossimi giorni sarà possibile scaricare gratuitamente in forma di ebook- sogna in maniera ricorrente di incontrare una ragazza che non ha mai conosciuto ma di cui sa tutto, e poiché questa ragazza tiene tra le mani L’Alchimista, ho deciso di dedicare il primo post di questo blog ad un personaggio di Coelho. Inaugurando una serie di post dal titolo: il vincitore è solo.
Igor Malev è il protagonista dell’ultimo Romanzo di Paulo Coelho: Il vincitore è solo. Il titolo della versione italiana rende molto meglio di quella inglese (The winner stands alone). “Il vincitore è solo” è estremamente più ermetico che il vincitore sta solo. Si presta molto di più ad una lettura esoterica. Infatti secondo il sufismo (e a leggere bene anche il cristianesimo) ogni essere umano non è un’unica persona, ma dietro ad ogni essere umano si nascondono molte persone differenti. Una volta scoperto questo bisognerebbe entrare in sé stessi ed iniziare una guerra interiore nella quale è necessario lottare per eliminare tutte le persone inutili che albergano al nostro interno. Fino a diventare un’unica persona. In questo senso Il vincitore è solo.
Non Trovate?
Perché è diventato un’unica persona, dentro di sé è rimasto solo. E per essere rimasto solo il vincitore, proprio come Igor, in un certo senso è stato un ‘killer’ (nel mondo spirituale intendiamoci. Dentro di sé ha ucciso tutti i demoni che gli facevano compiere gesti inutili).
Ma tornando al titolo del post, sono molti gli elementi all’interno del libro che mi fanno protendere per l’ipotesi che Coelho abbia plasmato Igor Malev come simbolo dell’uomo legione.
Ma chi è l’uomo legione vi domanderete?
L’uomo che non possiede un’unità interiore.
L’uomo che ora è uno, un secondo dopo è un altro ed un istante dopo un altro ancora. L’uomo che vive in balia degli eventi, che in ragione di essi devia continuamente i suoi obiettivi. Che oggi desidera una cosa e domani l’esatto opposto.
L’uomo che lascia che le sue passioni, i suoi demoni interiori si impossessino di lui facendogli perdere il controllo.
L’uomo che non possiede un Centro di Gravità Permanente, per usare una terminologia cara a Franco Battiato. Che lascia che una delle sue molteplici parti faccia un passo da una parte, ed un’altra un passo nella direzione opposta.
Il mago Paulo Coelho che è un iniziato della RAM un movimento magico di ispirazione cattolica che si rifà ai principi di Rettitudine, Amore, Misericordia credo proprio che queste cose le sappia bene.
Ed Igor Malev risponde alle caratteristiche proprie dell’uomo legione?
Vive un amore tanto appassionato per la sua ex moglie, da averlo trasformato in ossessione. È diventato schiavo della sua passione, non è più in grado di controllarla, tanto da essere disposto a trasformarsi in un serial killer pur di riottenerla.
Uccide in nome dell’amore per Eva e crede che accanto a lui vi siano degli angeli pronti ad aiutarlo per conseguire il suo scopo senza accorgersi di essere invaso da una moltitudine di demoni che si sono impossessati di lui.
Sogna di ritirarsi in un paese sperduto, per trascorrere là lontano dal mondo il resto della sua esistenza con Eva, ma per fare ciò ha ritenuto indispensabile diventare prima un miliardario proprietario di un colosso delle comunicazioni.
Va a Cannes per riconquistare sua moglie ma finisce per ucciderla.
Detesta il glamour e la vita mondana, ma pernotta in uno degli alberghi più lussuosi di Cannes.
Detesta la moda ma indossa vestiti molto eleganti, tanto eleganti da non farlo passare inosservato agli occhi della gente in una delle cene di gala più chic ed esclusive di tutto il festival.
Giudicate voi…
A me Igor ricorda molto da vicino alcune persone che si prodigano molto a parlare di ecologia e trascorrono per coerenza le vacanze in yacht da 40 metri.
http://andrewdistefano.blogspot.com/2010/05/igor-malev-e-luomo-legione-o-sarebbe.html
Igor no fim para mim foi o vencedor, apesar de ser assim ruim, com a sua inteligencia driblou todo mundo
cconcordo
Igor è uma pessoa egocentrica, inteligente , mas nao tem o amor por sua mulher.Ele fez tudo porque tinha o seu orgulho ferido, e muito odio no coraçao, uma pessoa realmente ruim
“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Rumi (1207 – 1273)
Martial Art -
When my child was young he did martial art.
He was with a group of children mentioning that he was doing it and got beaten up by another child, he ended up in hospital.
When asked why didn’t you retaliate his answer was “I am not allowed to.”
I know he was very hurt by that incident. I was very proud of him.
It was merely a crude portrait, a mirror of what the world has become….
A man who believes in agape, love & light, paulo does not support these ideas of killing in the name of love, he is merely talking about extremists, and how they justify themselves, and by putting us in the shoes of the charachter, he helps us understand their version of truth.
And asks questions that hopefully those who destroy, will ask themselves should this book fall into their hands.
Igor`s personality reminded me that each person has his own beliefs and values, and this creates a word in his mind which can be far from reality. And the more we go deeper into our beliefs, the more far from real life. And the example of Igor shows that sometimes it can bring us to our own trap. You think that there is no another truth. You became a hostage of your own thoughts.
I was surprised by the end of the story, because it is not complete at all, better to say, there is no certain conclusion of the story and this makes you think on it on your own. I was expected another conclusion. And after completing reading the story it left questions on my mind.
Igor- a person who seemed to have understood some of the Truths about life and tries to apply it, but also has to deal with the imperfect world. It is the collision of higher conscious and life situations. Unfortunatly it seems Igors experiences that brought no light– fightng in a war, dealings with thugs, and having to deal with money hungry business people–, showed him how to deal with problems.
His absorbtion of the many negative sides of humanity was stronger than the pieces of wisdom he was getting. But at the end the reader got a sense that there may be a rebirth of Igor.
I am still reading the winner stands alone, almost finished but i can’t help thinking that Igor had been through traumatic experiences during the war and he was now living in denial. He felt guilty probably first time he killed during war and by living in denail he was fooled by the voice inside his head that it was a right to kill for love or any other reason. Igor was killing even before Ewa left him so i dont beleive it’s love that makes him do such actions, even if Ewa didnt leave him, still he would have murdered people. Since he was so concerned and occupied by power and money because he was escaping his traumatic past,he somehow lost his soul. Igor’s mind and soul was taken by the darkness or evil. He was fooled by the devil that he was doing the right thing but in reality he was living in denail and covering his guilt of killing people in the past when he was a soldier. His killing was like a bad circle that he coulnt stop, once he started he kept doing it, sicne he never faced his past and forgave himself he completely lost in touch with the light inside him. Though he tried in the beginning when he handed him over to the police but no one believed him.
Love
Nalin
I was probably the first reader of the book in my city =) The book provides great info about the lives of hollywood people and those who wish to become a part of hollywood. But I felt like the book was incomplete. Gibrella was such a wise dreamer, she didnt get fame in the end of the book and Igor escaped the long arm of law, he killed two innocent people and he kept on feeling proud on his mistakes. If killing people for some strong reason is not wrong, then I’m sure we all can kill people and have ourselves still respected by the people for our strong aim. Lets assume I have to become the leading engineer of my country and I have a competitor, since I’m very passionate about my dream so I kill him. Rather than prohibiting my act, people in the literary society appreciate me for taking such a wise step for achieving my dream. Then atleast I wont consider myself different from Hitler. He had a strong aim and he killed people to demonstrate his power in front of the world and he indeed was capable of making a history. Another point which I cant understand in the story was about Eva, she loved Igor so deeply that even with Hussein she was not living a very ideal life. Even then she didn’t get any return for her love? And what was the mistake of Hussein, why was he killed at the peak of his career?
I gave that book for reading to all of my friends, saying that probably there will be a 2nd part of the book in which all the characters will get justice ;)
I just finished reading this amazing book for the second time and I have to say Igor was the character who troubled me the most.
Can someone do everything, even killing people, in the name of love? Can anyone do such violent actions in the name of freedom, love or justice?
Igor was under the illusion that God guided him and helped him fulfill his goal.He justified what he did because he thought that God approved that.He second-guessed himself only once but apart from that he didn’t feel any guilts because he killed people in the name of love and that is enough for him. The strangest thing is that even after he decided he didn’t want Ewa back, he didn’t regret his actions.
However, I was wondering what finally happened to him. Did he manage to escape to Russia or the French police followed his tracks, because the bodies of Hamide and Ewa were supposed to be found at the end of the night and surely the confessions of the host and Gabriella were enough to find him.
Anyway, I have to say that Mr. Coelho has a stunning way of treating subjects like the world of the fame with such an exquisit way that absolutely amazes you and makes this book completely captivating.
I enjoyed reading every line of it. :)
I think he manage to escape to Russia because we read that his jet managed to fly back. But, even though he can go back to Russia, I doubt Savoy and Morris would just let him go. Maybe there’s some cooperation between France and Russian about criminal extradition or something. But, of course, Savoy and Morris have to be able to proof that Igor was the one who murdered all that people.
Theres a good thing in Mr coelhos books that you cant find out whats his opinion.When I was reading “the winner stands alone” i was upset that my favourite author thinks that its good to kill people becouse of love.But at the end of the book i understand that author himself thinks that “igor” is like childs and he will do everything for what he wants.Its a great surprise for the reader that he cant know authors opinion easily
I’d like to propose another ‘what if’, for I think it’s always a very offensive and aggression provoking behavior to betray your lover. And that is what Ewa did. Going to bed with another man within one week, and finally leaving the first one after just traveling to Madrid and making love every day…
so, what if she’d try to work things out, to speak things out – as Igor suggested much later (he would have listened…?).
Just meaning, what if she’d left him in a more ‘decent’, ‘fair’, ‘respectful’, less ‘dishonoring’ way. For in my opinion, many abandoned people have the strong impulse to take revenge, to destroy. And even if one cannot change the fact of the end of the relationship, one also constantly thinks about the HOW. It could be somehow the one thing left, one can accuse the other.
I mean: leaving Igor this way was insane. There was a very wrong evaluation of the danger.
Women should think about it very carefully before they leave. For Ewa there was not much of a new life with the new husband but rather a situation overshaded and determined by the past.
I’d appreciate your comments very much!
I also thought the same thing what if instead making affair with Hamid, Ewa take Igor to psychiatry or try to “heal” him. Indeed, Igor is murder, his love for Ewa is real (before he lose his sanity).
Igor is controversial person. He is rich and he thinks that all must be as he wants. He is bad person, but I really liked him in book : “The winner stands allone”. Ewa left him becasue she was scared. Igor was dangerous. He killed a lot of people. Every time, when I was reading this book, I thought that Ewa and Igor will be together. He annihilated diffrent worlds for ex wife. It is beutifull story about world by the light on the magical flashlight. He felt that he don’t love Ewa and he killed her too. In this book were very corpses, but it was really perfect thriller. I love books of Paulo Coelho.
Monika
Greeting for you!
I am agree with doing anything for live.Even sacrificing myself.Exept killing another one and killing the light of his/her life.Its our task to love and make people alive,not finish them off.But any way its good that he finished his task.Its not good to put your sword in its place without a perfect reason
I wonder what would have happened IF Ewa had gone back, IF she realized the seriousness of the situation…
Ewa would have begged for forgiveness, pleading to live with him again. Wouldn’t he kill her anyway (because it’s not perfect anymore)?
Igor deeply loved Ewa and was forced to do the things he is accused of. Some call him murderer, some call him insane,& so on.
But as per my views , Igor is a man who is true to his word, a very optimistic husband who trusts his wife, a mental disorder curable by 1 medicine:Ewa’s love!
In ma opinion for the crime Igor commited, only Ewa, Hamid, His motherland dat deformed his conscience via the wAR, every human being who is a nationalist & thus promotes WAR unknowingly.
I was so touched by Igor’s character that I literally cried when Igor was fighting with his inner demons. It was worth eternity when Igor set Ewa’s soul free bcoz at dat epoch it was the only left medication dat could cure him….
Moreover,when Ewa got his mesges why didn’t she try to save the victims by returning to Igor,knowing dat he won’t stop with anythng less than that.
I can argue on every crime Igor commited and prove him right.
I respect Igor for the final decision,coz only bravehearts can do that thing. He still loved Ewa bcoz he chose a particular organ for the bullet to penetrate so that its illness/defect/disease is cured. In a way Igor helped Ewa in stopping her internal infection, so what if it cost Ewa her life.
Definately the
Winner stands alone!
reading him i am surprised if any man can be in illusion soo strong soo clear. truly subject is diff from object but never knew that illusion can be so much strong.. virtual world comes clearer than real…then i realised that its not new thing at all…
many people in earth never get any symbol of god but they still stick to god upto death
Igor does not kill out of love, but out of pride. He doesn’t understand that in true love you wish the best for the beloved , no matter if this has to do with letting the person go away from you.
Indeed Adriana,
What you said remind me of what the Sufi Ibn Arabi wrote:
“Every affection/love (mahabba) which doesn’t cause the lover to prefer the intention of the beloved over his own intention can’t be relied upon.”
Love,
Tarek
I never thought the serial killer I read about in this book would have anything to do with me.
It was too far from my reality I took him as a symbol of a completely inappropiate behaviour. Someone ready to kill for the sake of love seems irational.
Saudações…
É Extraordináriamente indispensável, a leitura dos livros de aultoria do senhor paulo coelho.
Nunca tinha lido os livros do mesmo, mais ao me dispor á lêr, O ZAHIR, deime conta de que tinha perdido algo de maravilhoso em meio á esta vida, que são os livros, e os aultores, dotados destas dadivás extraordinárias, o qual, Deus, lhes entregou.
Mas gostaria de parabenisar aos leitores deste grande homem.
Saudações…
É Extraordináriamente indispensável, a leitura dos livros de aultoria do senhor paulo coelho.
Nunca tinha lido os livros do mesmo, mais ao me dispor á lêr, O ZAHIR, deime conta de que tinha perdido algo de maravilhoso em meio á esta vida, que são os livros, e os aultores, dotados destas dadivás extraordinárias, o qual Deus, lhes entregou.
Mas gostaria de parabenisar aos leitores deste grande homem.
We all have Igor in our character who knows what is right but the feeling of revenge and hatred doesn’t allow us to decide what is right and act accordingly
But choosing the brutal murder of innocent people as a tool to make Ewa feel his presence and show how much he love her is not convincing.
Is this the only way to make your presence feel to your loved ones
I am Igor…..At this time and place.Thankfully my reasoning is not faulty and mass murder will not ensue.It’s that childish anger that has little ones lashing out before thinking things through.I think we all fantasise about acts of vengence when someone breaks our heart.I wonder though if by carrying out his crimes Igor actually removes the bitter taste in his mouth?
Igor has lost the norms and murder was the best action to made Ewa looked him.
Sometimes we are Igor.. Do the bad things (read: break the rules)only to attract people!
As a coincidence, I was practising some martial arts in past years. So as I always do, I was searching information, bought books and read about the Chinese culture . That why among other things, in one book I was reading about the most dangerous and secret type of Chinese martial art, I guess was dim chak , but not remember well. Anyways it mean “the iron hand”, and it required lot of training, but the techinque could be used to cure or to kill, and a soft tuch made the difference. Only the person who used it could notice the difference, so some murders were the result of that techinque.
That character is really impressive, powerful, very well defined and built. It really applies to our times, when we have so many men who fight in some war and come home with serious desorders, I could add insane, even if the illness is hidden.
I dont have medical preparation, so cant afford to give diagnose to Igor, but at some traits he seem to have even hallucinations, seeing one of his victims giving him advice.Olivia.
The obsession for Ewa was only a resort and we know he never acept to lose, for him the purpose excused the means .
We see in the end that he lost humanity, he did not know to love, maybe that feeling, empathy lacking made him being such a cold blood murderer.
I noticed that the double personality came into discussion. Might be the case?
Anyways he missunderstood the message of God, of religion, as many do still nowadays. In the name od something good, the commit lots of injustices.
The worst thing was the incapacity that Igor understand he was wrong.
He was so sure he did right things.
Pretty scaring, I must say.
So how he could be ever judged, when he lacked his sensibility?
I know he was wrong, life is sacred, not to be touched, but he seemed to be unaware.
Terrible one character, I hope not to meet any of that kind ever.
Love and Light
Alexandra
I was thinking before sleeping last night to Igor. Just noticed the details made him so hard to be identified, he had almost no sign to be distinguished, a grey character, almost as a good spy could be.This was because he represent( or might) any of us?
Para mi Igor simplemente perdió la brújula, y el dolor de perder al gran amor de su vida lo racionalizo de manera inadecuada e insana, seguramente debido a un pasado de por si ya traumatico y que con el tiempo se fue incubando hasta que otro evento traumatico disparo el mal que ya traía. Su final no lo merecía.
Namaste Sr. Coelho,
I’ve let this work digest a bit, so hopefully it will be easier to write.
Igor seemed like a warped Santiago in many ways. He’s creating his personal legend to hell. I can’t say that I understood his logic, but then I’ve never been a soldier. I do not see nobility in murder. I never have. I’m often shouted down by those who differ from this position.
His darkness plagued this book. Facing darkness such as this as a writer must be hard. Yet he was realistic. He fits the psychological profiles of such individuals quite well. They say Hitler was a charming man. I’m glad you showed that in Igor. Too often people have images of physical deformity with such an individual, but all too often the deformity lies within their soul.
His ending in the book was perfect. In many ways, it’s like a knife in the heart, which wakes the reader up. There’s nothing more to say about that without giving it away.
Love to you
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