Dear Readers,
As you know throughout the month of June we shall be discussing my new book “The Winner Stands Alone”.
Throughout the week, I will be accessing this page 2-3 times a day in order to answer your questions until June 30th. I want also for you discuss among yourselves – since I’m very curious to see your reactions to the book.
As you know one of the recurrent themes of my books is the importance of paying the price of your dreams. But to what extent can our dreams be manipulated? For the past decades, we lived in a culture that privileged fame, money, power – and most of the people were led to believe that these were the real values that we should pursue.
We all should be a “winner”. Not in the sense of someone who finally wins what is important to his/her life. Not in the sense that happiness is the most valuable gift on Earth – and it can be attained here and now, when your work fulfills your heart. We should be a winner in the sense that the system portraits a successful person: celebrity, influence, photos in glossy magazines, behaving like the masters of the universe.
Yes, you may reach the goal society has fed you – but will you be satisfied? Will you be whole? Will you be in peace? This cycle of possession never ends – because the moment that you think that you have reached your goal another desire creeps in.
Soon after I finished writing “The Winner Stands Alone”, the financial market collapsed. Will this lead us again to the real values? I really don’t know. What I do know is that we cannot continue to allow our dreams to be manipulated like they are as for some of the characters in the book.
So please join me in this monthly workshop into a world that is coming to an end. We will be talking about the characters of the book as well as the main themes that run through it.
I thought of writing a small introduction about each character but prefer to list them below – so that you may comment on them. I’m really eager to see how you feel in regards to each one of them, so leave – under each character – our opinions and questions. As you can see there’s also a section dedicated to the themes that are dealt in the book as well as a section to the writing style.
CHARACTERS
IGOR
EWA
HAMID
GABRIELA
JASMINE
THEMES
SUPERCLASS
GLITTER AND GLAMOUR
THE CELEBRITY SYNDROME
BROKEN DREAMS
THE BOOK
YOUR OPINION ON THE NARRATIVE STRUCTURE
In the month of July, another workshop will be organized, this time around “The Alchemist”.
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Dear Paulo,
I think the way it was presented to the readers as a workshop is brilliant.
How many authors present their books in that way. ..I am just wondering,.
the characters, the themes and the opinion on the narrative structure and are asking (the readers) about their opinions.
I personally did learn a lot on that workshop as it was the first time I ever attended one and I did not know what to expect.
Thank you so much for introducing it in that manner.
With love
Marie-Christine
I want to meet you someday.. :) Write to me when you will be in Poland. A lot of people think that your books are dangerous. Is that true? ; )
yes
My heart is in the same place. And at the same time, feel optimistic.
As well, in sync with today’s story, and also the book I am reading.
Thankyou for this book also. Always a journey inside, to find the light and joy.
Thankyou Paulo, Suphi, Ken, Love to All,
Jane
dear sir
as it is truly said that if u want to have a peep into an author’s literary genius , it is his books that will illustate out in a full fledged form. I really had the plesure of reding ur two books “the alchemist ” and eleven minutes. they were truly mindblowing piece of your literary genius….. once again thanku sir for writing such great novels… waiting for ur new book!!!
any…I hope you had one
Gin W
the Legend
:)
hi
I don’t know how to say about you , when i read you book it took me to anther world i keep reading and say great great .
When i start reading i cant stopping still ending it. 11 minuet is really really great .
i am awaiting for you next and next books and i like you Arabic touches in your writing
sr,pablo coelho,lo que usted escribe e sus libros se tratade trabajar desde el niño interior y donde se originan los primeros miedos,y esos nos condicionan en la adultes.por eso es que no podemos progresar en muestra vocacion y en el amor.me gustan sus libros y le doy gracias a dios por haber iluminado su alma.desdea ya y con amor ffraternal,humberto
seriously, i wil not waste time telling u love u very muuch… tht much u already know…
i will tell u this… i like the mixture of upbeat n depression, the way u remind us tht whether we like it or not we do hve this bad/evil/dark side of us tht will always dwell with us… and u rather focus on how to vanquish it instead of ignoring it…
it just gives me a glimpse of who you truly are… a man with many scars.
Hi. I wanna tattoo with your “cita” from The winner stands alone.. But I don’t know how it is in Portugal language.. I mean : “If you believe in the victory, the victory will believe in you” Can you write me this in Portugal ? your language?
Se voce acredita na vitória, a vitória acreditará em voce
Books’ covers change from country to country.In the Polish one there is a picture of a gun I am picturing a whodunnit type , the English version has a woman centered ready to walk up the steps onto the red carpet with photographers on each side and lights from their cameras flashing up,I am thinking glamour ,she is the winner , on the French one it is the same steps with a red carpet and photographers on each side of the carpet but no woman , I am thinking the winner can be anyone – either a man or a woman -
Interesting. I am also thinking how we can easily be influenced by pictures.
Hi Paulo!
I very like your books! “Na margem do rio Piedra eu sentei e chorei” is the best for my. I dream that in the future will have everything you books :) I wait for next and next books…
Bye, kisses from Poland!
Hi Paul
Despite realizing that the winner stands alone, I still want to win it all !!!
After reading ‘The Winner Stands Alone’, I just felt that the story was incomplete. The Savoy and the guy from Monte Carlo (i.e. the retired policeman from Scotland Yard) reached nowhere; even though the later had started rigging it correctly.
I just want to confess to you: I love your sentences more than the actual stories (1. Brida and 2. TWSA)
I am an idiot who loves his monitor and keyboard more than the CPU; this reasons why I still want to be the winner.
Paulo,
Tus libros y sus mensajes son muy inspiradores para mì, tengo 18 años y todo lo que aprendì en cierta forma, me ayuda mucho, gracias por hacerme ver la vida desde otra perspectiva.
con cariño
Mayra
le quiero mucho,y estoy alegre leer sus libros
Gracias a Dios para Usted
soy de Armenia
Querido Paulo,
Estou bem atrasada não é?rs
Que coisa curiosa: ‘O Vencedor está só’ estava só mesmo…bem na minha estante (há muiiito tempo) esperando que eu o lesse na primeira oportunidade…pois não é que li ‘O Aleph’ antes dele? Vai entender né?rs
Bem, acabei de ler o livro solitário e tive uma ótima surpresa…encontrei um Paulo diferente, contando uma história diferente, mas que tinha coisas do antigo Paulo…difícil de explicar…
Excelente livro! Apesar de ser um ‘workshop’(que chique) não me sinto preparada para fazer comentários sobre escopo, personagens e outros itens…
Apenas uma coisa… o Igor é um personagem complexo, mas esse Amor que ele sentia pela Ewa, “capaz de destruir Mundos”, existe e como existe…
Muito boa essa leitura e tenho que confessar: torci pelo Igor… (vê lá, hein, não vá me confundir com ele…rs…rs…rs)
Beijo e fique com Deus
Luciana
me gutaria tener la posibilidad de poder leer la nota, pero lamentablemente no se ingles, desde ya mucha gracias si lo pasan en castellano o tener la posibidad de que este en castellano o ingles, tener una obcion, desde ya muchas gracias, paulo soy tu admiradora de todo lo que escribis.
Gracias
Dear Mr. Coelho,
I’ve read all of your books some of them twice. I’m a huge fan but have to say this last book was very disappointing. It was dark and disturbing and I couldn’t endear myself to any one of your characters. Perhaps we are all afraid of the dark? But honestly I look to your books for inspiration and enlightenment from a non conventional thinker and this book was just too dark and negative for me.
What happened to my Warrior of Light?
Best regards, Leah
pablo deverias ir a la gran sabana, contantar a esa jente y te aseguro que sera una gran fuente de inspiracion para tu alma para que luego viertas esas inspiracion como tu lo sabes hacer
Hi Paulo,
As can I connect to your thoughts in the previous books I read: The Zhahir and The Witch of Portobello, I can also connect to your thoughts in The Winner Stands Alone. Scary but true enough.. mostly with Igor, and then Ewa.
I think your books are so deep, so inspiring, so much explaining about life and love without having to feel that you’re explaining. I just can connect. Even when you’re explicating about the superclass.
Reading your books I can jump in and out of the characters, from one character to another, actually visualize the setting, take in every history and reason, and get a little bit wiser every time(!) I would call it an adventurous reading experience.
After I finish (I almost reach the last chapter of The Winner Stands Alone), I’m going to read “By the River Piedra..”.
Thanks for the adventure, Paulo.
When I become a writer one day, definitely you are my inspiration.
Yes, by the “river Piedra” just imagine ,you will be able to listen to the sound of the river and the stones moving along,.all this in a very calm and soothing atmosphere I think they call it the right stuff, anyhow it must be good to put words together near the river you can also lie there and do nothing just being you yourself and the rest is hearstory. don’t forget to listen hard, breathe in and out we dont want anything happening to you. the thought of it is sending me into a friendzy who knows we might even see each other i”ll jump over the barrier feer picking up my shells and crustaceas i’ll put thm in the basket and im thinking about a nice picnic on the grass the green one any thing goes a nice salad mixture is what i fancy at the moment ill also bring the tablecloth the one u can wipe over with a sponge it is really nice it has a map of the world on it and then we can travel with our mind and let it all go to our heads then i will lay out the crockery two goblets and two plates with a fork and knife and a spoon for the dessert a dessertspoon of it sounds pretty good that is what the doctor recommended so we can have our medicine as well a healthy mind is what is needed at all time we don’t want to fall into dark thoughts any longer its all over rover its all rock and roll with it cos we are as solid as rocks you and i i and u and the rest of us love al ways
pues creo que paulo es el mejor escritor lo amo mucho
Will you have any workshops or appearances in America soon?
peace & love
Paulo,
I was going to read this book then I quickly closed it as I read the warning in front of the page. Should I take this warning literally?
So far, I have read five of your books in English. Thanks for your wonderful work. It inspired me so much.
I struggled to read this book, in fact I could only read it half way, it was just not for me, I didn’t like the story, the theme, the characters. However I found very interesting the way Mr. Coelho narrates the story.
I’m so excited for this book
And thank you, Sir