INTRODUCTION:
This book is about Paulo's experiences while he was making his way across the Santiago de Compostela's way. It is half an adventure story and half a guide to self-discovery for Paulo Coelho. I decided to read this book because I made this pilgrimage some years ago and I found it amazing and also I felt fastinated by it.
The book is about an experience based on faith so it has a lot of specific vocabulary like: shepherd(pastor), crook(báculo), rebirth(renacer), prayer(oración), awareness(conciencia), plodding(caminar lenta y pesadamente), sorcerer(hechicero), slight(desairado)... The story deals when Paulo undertakes his initiation into RAM(a religious order), due to his failures, he must start the pilgrimage along the Santiago's way. He needs to find his sword which could make him to be accepted into RAM. On the other hand during the trip he must learn the simplicity of life too. The whole pilgrimage was very hard but he had a guide called Petrus who tought him eleven meditation excercices which helped Paulo to finish the trip and also to get the wisdom he needed, he teached about love and his forms: agape, philias and eros too. So far the trip Paulo was forgetting all his everday problems and he became only a pilgrim.He learned the simplicity of life struggling against his fears, in fact this big effort would change Paulo's soul for ever. At the end of the trip Petrus left Paulo and this fact was the last help which Paulo needded to get his target so finally he became a member of RAM.
In this novel are:
Paulo Coelho:is the main character.Brazilian. All the story is about himself and his pilgrimage. He is an unrealictic man who is looking for the secrets of his faith.
Petrus:is Italian.He is an engenier and he is in his latest fourties. He has grey hair and he is always sunburn. He is Paulo's guide and teacher into RAM practices.
Paulo's wife: She is who takes the sword into Spain and who hides it.She gives support to Paulo.
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th, in 1947. He is a Brazilian lyristic and novelist. He has won numerous international awards. “The Alchemist” is his most famous novel. “The Pilgrimage” was witten in 1986 after he made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. In total he has published 30 books, three of them are autobiographical and “The Pilgrimage” was one of them.
CONCLUSION:
To sum up I want to quote something that Paulo says in the book because I came into the same conclusion after I walked the Santiago's pilgrimage: “ This pilgrimage made me see that the research for happiness is a personal search and not a model we can pass on to others.”
I strong recomend this book to everybody to know about a good way in Spain.
