Workshop : The Zahir

dear sir coelho,

i’ve read your book when i was in 4th year high school(i’m a filipina by the way).it made me realize a lot of things that i couldn’t imagined happening. me and my friends keep on borrowing it in our school library. this book is very popular in my class. keep up the good work sir..this is a nice novel.i didn’t get the chance to buy it because i still have dont enough money but i will if my money from my savings in my allowance can afford it. i’m now currently an engineering student, but even so i can still remember the feeling when i was reading this…i had goosebumps all over me

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Almost finished The Zahir. The book was translating into words my experience with my artist daughter and her freinds who I am hosting in my home. They are scary to others and live a life without the desire for money, establishment or other matters that are meaningful to me. Feeling alone, separate from my colleagues or freinds, it does not bother me a great deal to be alone. I’m learning from this “tribe” my daughters tribe. Something I don’t want – I say to myself – it’s uncomfortable yet freeing and liberating at once. The Zahir has provided me company in my world that I can not share with others.

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Paulo,

first the Pilgrimage, then the Alchemist, and today the end of The Zahir….. I am a man of 40 married to a beautiful woman with two lovely teenage daughters, I will ask my wife to read the Zahir which she may or may not…. regardless I have grown through your words.

I am a dreamer lets do coffee no need to be there in person the spirit will be fine.

warm regards and fondest love Jez x

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Mr Coehlo/All,

I first come across your book The Zahir while I was in Amsterdam. I had just breezed through a “vacation” in Portugal that seemed so spiritually challenging (much talk of religion *sigh) Anyway, I was waiting for my flight back to Germany when I happened across a bookstore. I read the back of the book and was immediately convinced I needed to buy the book in order to occupy my time on the flight and in the coming days.

A day or two later as I read through to the part in the book that mentions “The Road to Santiago” I immediately looked at my calendar! To my surprise this year is the Holy Year when the 25th of July falls on a Sunday! I just happened to be at a plaza in Germany where Spain was playing in the World Cup. That night they were victorious! I kinda felt a sense of victory inside of me as well…like I had found something I had lost (hard to explain).

The next morning I woke up and finished the rest of the Zahir. I was staying in a small Hotel, so I went down to look through books that guests donate to the lobby “library” and I found an old beat up copy of “The Alchemist.” WOW! Too Weird!??! Signs or coincidence? I snatched it like I had found a valuable treasure lol.

I find that I am my own Zahir always looking to be so many things in my past, present and future…trying to find myself and seemingly so far away. Wanting to love myself and yet unable to figure out why I am so unattainable. I don’t loathe myself..I just don’t know myself. I have experienced several consecutive traumatic experiences and I guess I have lost myself in a sense. SO! I have decided to travel to Santiago (my friends have teased me so much about this decision but I am extremely adventurous and here I go!)…I took the inspiration from the Alchemist…the section in the book that mentions taking a long journey even if it leads you back to where you started. Wish me luck or rather wih me LOVE.

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