By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept - Paulo Coelho

I just love this author. I always have. I’ve decided to dive into his novels again with the intention to read them all. This doesn’t mean I will, but I would like to, and I honestly can’t say that about any other author.

It was a few weeks ago while browsing in chapters that I was struck by Eleven Minutes - because it was in the wrong place. I’d already read it years ago, and at the time I thought I understood it well and remembered it had inspired me to believe that some sort of enchantment exists in the real world, and that maybe dreams can and do come true. I thought that I must read it again to remember how that felt.  Then, a few weeks later, I discovered the post about The Zahir and wanted to read it. And, of course, I also want to read the most recent novel, Aleph, which looks amazing.

So off I went to the second-hand bookstore to find something by this author. When I got there my options were: By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept or The Fifth Mountain. Both intrigued me but I went with the first, partly because I looked through it and saw a section about the Virgin Mary.

The story takes place in the 90s in the mountains of France. Two friends who’d been in love many years before, reunite, and converse, “when the wine loosened their tongues”, about love and God (and Goddess).  The agony of deciding between following her heart, or staying wise and learning from previous mistakes, is a theme for Pilar, a young woman bent on reason. But her companion (a religious/spiritual man) has different ideas and believes the heart should be followed and opened, regardless of the outcome, that roads are meant to be travelled, and that we should all let ourselves be guided by our chosen faith in life and the “heart’s eye”– the more we do this, the easier it and life becomes. {It’s all nice, but I sensed early on that someone was going to get hurt - probably her – hence the name of the novel  - not, I Married My Dream Guy Had Two Kids and Lived Happily Ever After.  Although...when it was all said and done, it could have been called this.  It’s not a sad story at all – just one with purpose and meaning.}

If I had to spell out my favourite parts I would have to rewrite the entire book. Each paragraph, sometimes sentence, unfolds beauty and truth - with a sprinkle of experience, so I sensed. I would recommend this or any other novel by this author, trustfully. The only thing I would like to note is that the author’s focus, from what I’ve read so far, is not usually on character development. If you go into his novels for the experience, you’re bound to get something good out of them and enjoy the ride.

Here are a few favourite quotes:

“I was there because suddenly life presented me with life.”

“I’ve sacrificed my dreams in the name of a larger dream – a peaceful soul.”

“What is the Other? The Other is the one who taught me what I should be like, not what I am.”......“From the moment that I ousted the Other from my life, the Divine Energy began to perform its miracles.”

“Some people always have to be doing battle with someone.”........ “But the worst part is that they cannot present the play by themselves, so they begin to invite other actors to join in.”

“Love is a trap. When it appears, we see only its light, not its shadows.”