By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Title: By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept

Author: Paulo Coelho

Publisher:  Harper Collins, 2012 (First published 1994)

ISBN: 978-81-7223-530-7

Pages: 210

The indefatigable Paulo Coelho, again with his magic touch which moves mountains and illuminate the daily lives of millions of people with his grand, positive outlook and kindly style of writing which refills hope in the lives of many who see only desolation before them. If we are to analyse his works threadbare, there may not be anything which you can point out as world class or perfectly original. The present volume, which in fact is a novel, is so ordinary in its plot and narration that it stands no chance to ascend the international best seller list were it not for the fact that Coelho’s incomparable manner of diction transformed it to appeal to all classes of readers. The Coelho-isms, if we may say so, fills every nook and cranny of the narrative, enlivening the reading experience and fills the booklover’s mind with positive thoughts and inspiring enthusiasm. Perhaps the author serves a good purpose in today’s fast-paced world where we need constant reminding of our true place in society and to remould our selves, both internal and external, in accordance with the rapidly changing requirements our living environment demands from us. The language is so easy and fluid that nobody is bothered with its finer nuances as we constantly endure from some other authors. This fact is also to be counted as an augmenting factor in favour of the wide popularity of the author.

The present book is a work of fiction, recounting the tale of a 29-year old woman, named Pilar, who meets her childhood lover after a gap of 12 years in which a lot changes took place in both of them. The man had become charismatic spiritual teacher in the meanwhile who had turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts. Even though he was away, and leading a spiritual life all the years, a silent fire of love was raging on in him, which found expression in another spiritual experience which compelled him to seek out his sweetheart again. They travel together, share spiritual and physical familiarity and reache a point of divergence where the man has to take a decision whether to continue on the path of salvation his mind had chosen many years ago, or to follow the path of love, as his heart would like him to choose. After several mystic encounters with the supernatural, the couple arrive at a congenial decision which glorifies the plot like nothing else.

The book litters with several memorable quotes which stand out on its own, regardless of the small size of the book. Their stature is taller than any work of fiction and share a prominent place in the collective mind of human society. It would be prudent to mention some of them here. “At any given moment in our lives, there are certain things that could’ve happened but didn’t. The magic moments go unrecognized, and then suddenly, the hand of destiny changes everything” (p.10). And, as a sequel to this, we find “sometimes an uncontrollable feeling of sadness grips us. We recognize that the magic moment of the day has passed and that we’ve done nothing about it” (p.27). About life, Coelho says further, “Life takes us by surprise and orders us to move toward the unknown – even when we don’t want to and when we think we don’t need to” (p.49). Then again, “It is better to lose some of the battles in the struggle for your dreams than to be defeated without ever even knowing what you’re fighting for” (p.56). The author felicitate happiness like, “Happiness is something that multiplies when it is divided” and “Only a man who is happy can create happiness in others”. The pain of waiting is immortalized in another phrase, as “waiting is painful, forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering”. In a bout of energy, Coelho exerts, “Free us from all these damned rules, from needing to find an explanation for everything, from doing only what others approve of” (p.170).

Though it is foolhardy to propose how the author should proceed to align his writing in conformity to rational thought and to make his books attract an even wider audience, some aspects may be clearly spelt out. His dependence on religious mysticism and charms are quite a hindrance to enjoyment of the book, but which the readers turn a blind eye to, out of respect and high regard for the author and his work. The descriptions of charismatic prayer enunciated in this book is verging on the comical, but we patiently turns the chapters in search of the sense of fulfilment that we obtain after reading one of Coelho’s works. The master story teller’s pen strokes are so evident in every page of the book.

The book is highly recommended.

Rating: 3 Star