The Witch of Portobello (2007) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Viorel: Athena's son. He is Athena's main focus.
• Andrea Mccain: Actress. Heron's girlfriend and Athena's disciple. She learned that even though she didn't like Athena, she loved her. Also she continues Athena's work in a way that Athena wouldn't have been able to.
• Athena: Main character of the story, also known as the Witch of Portobello. Raised in Lebanon by her adopted parents, decided to go in search of her biological mother who was a gypsy in Romany. Became interested in magic and such sort of things afterwards.
• Heron Ryan: Journalist. Andrea's boyfriend who later becomes emotionally interested in Athena.
• Lukas Jessen-Petersen: Athena's ex-husband. Met in college, and married very young because Athena wanted a child. They divorced a couple years later.
• Edda: Athena's teacher. She tries to be a guide for Athena, speaking of teaching.

Quotes edit see section history

• “Love simply is.”

• “"What is a teacher? I'll tell you: it isn't someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows."”

• “But love doesn't bring and never has brought happiness. On the contrary, it's a constant state of anxiety, a battlefield; it's sleepless nights, asking ourselves all the time if we're doing the right thing. Real love is composed of ecstasy and agony.”

• “"Love fills everything. It cannot be desired because it is an end in itself. It cannot betray because it has nothing to do with possession. It cannot be held prisoner because it is a river and will overflow its banks. Anyone who tries to imprison love will cut off the spring that feeds it, and the trapped water will grow stagnant."”

• “"No one places her dreams in the hands of those who might destroy them."”

• “"They say that extroverts are unhappier than introverts and have to compensate for this by constantly proving to themselves how happy and contented and at ease with life they are."”

• “"Everything, absolutely everything on this earth makes sense, and even the smallest things are worthy of our consideration."”

• “A kind of blanket lies between the physical and the spiritual world, a blanket that changes in color, intensity, and light; it’s what mystics call ‘aura’.”

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• “What is a teacher? I’ll tell you: it isn’t someone who teaches something, but someone who inspires the student to give of her best in order to discover what she already knows.”

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• In order for us to liberate the energy of our strength, our weakness must first have a chance to reveal itself.

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• Try to feel good about yourself even when you feel like the least worthy of creatures. Reject all those negative thoughts and let the Mother take possession of your body and soul; surrender yourself to dance or to silence or to ordinary, everyday activities—like taking your son to school, preparing supper, making sure the house is tidy. Everything is worship if your mind is focused on the present moment.

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• Pity those who seek for shepherds, instead of longing for freedom! An encounter with the superior energy is open to anyone but remains far from those who shift responsibility onto others. Our time on this earth is sacred, and we should celebrate every moment.

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• Changes only happen when we go totally against everything we’re used to doing.”

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• when mouths close, it’s because there’s something important to be said.

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• Don’t let yourself be weighed down by what other people think, because in a few years, in a few decades, or in a few centuries, that way of thinking will have changed. Live now what others will only live in the future.

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• Reprogram yourself every minute of each day with thoughts that make you grow. When you’re feeling irritated or confused, try to laugh at yourself. Laugh out loud at this woman tormented by doubts and anxieties, convinced that her problems are the most important thing in the world. Laugh at the sheer absurdity of the situation, at the fact that despite being a manifestation of the Mother, you still believe God is a man who lays down the rules. Most of our problems stem from just that—from following rules.

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• Music isn’t just something that comforts or distracts us, it goes beyond that—it’s an ideology. You can judge people by the kind of music they listen to.

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• You have understood what all great painters understand: in order to forget the rules, you must know them and respect them.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• London
• Transylvania
• Dubai
• Scotland Yard
• England
• Beirut
• Middle East
• Sibiu
• Bucharest
• Romania
• Portobello
• Britain
• France
• Lebanon

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Hagia Sophia: is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey.

Series & Lists edit see section history

List the series to which this book belongs.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Paulo Coelho (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Margaret Jull Costa (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 869.342

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Many sexual references.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Metaphysical
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Literary

More Books Like This edit see section history