6 of 6 members found this review helpful.
“For the month of (September ’06)
Book – ELEVEN MINUTES – PAULO COELHO
I am sure that all of us at some point of time has read or heard of the Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and its rave reviews. I read it and reveled in the language and content for a long - long time until I read ‘eleven minutes.’ Being an avid reader I honestly believe that certain books come into our lives for a reason. It sends us messages or offers help on what you need the most and for me eleven minutes was one of them.
"Once upon a time, there was a prostitute called Maria” apt for the fairy tale of journey of Maria’s life. It’s a book on Maria’s journey as prostitute who finds true love. Too idealistic a lot may say, some might say pathetic but read between the lines!!
“She looked around her. People were walking along, heads down, hurrying off to work, to school, to the employment agency, to Rue de Berne, telling themselves: ‘I can wait a little longer. I have a dream, but there’s no need to realize it today, besides, I need to earn some money.’ Of course, everyone spoke ill of her profession, but basically, it was all a question of selling her time, like everyone else. Doing things she didn’t want to do, like everyone else. Putting up with horrible people, like everyone else. Handing over her precious body and her precious soul in the name of a future that never arrived, like everyone else. Saying that she still didn’t have enough, like everyone else. Waiting just a little bit longer, like everyone else. Waiting so that she could earn just a little bit more, postponing the realization of her dreams;”
Coelho leads us with his words through the disillusionment of love, harshness of reality, and the sheer seediness of sex — while allowing his heroine throughout the book to be sacred. It is worth a mention that the portrayal neither condemns, nor appreciates Maria’s ideology that guides her through her experiences. It is just a picture painted as it was seen by the protagonist’s eyes. So there are absolutely no judgments from any of the main characters in the book except of the readers!
It’s a book on hope, romance and more importantly about believing and taking pride in what you are doing. What does it matter what kind of work do we do or how much we get paid because at the end of the day you are answerable not to the society but to yourself!
It all depends on the passion for what you are doing. Don’t wait to do what you love when you grow old do it, you might not be capable of it then. Practicalities will be taken care of if you’re passionate about it and where there is a will there definitely is a way.
eleven minutes A must read - compare it with your attitude be it with work, romance or lifestyle. Are you as passionate, as dedicated and in love with what you are doing right NOW? That’s a tough one isn’t it??
While the ending was a disappointment, with its racy, romance-novel style quick alls – well- that ends-well style, the book is well worth reading. It flows nicely. It makes you question your own life and what similarities and differences are there, in reality, between reader and main character. Most of the pages in between contain a thoughtful look at life and their meanings
”
