Book Review from the "By the River Piedra I sat down and wept"

It's true that it took me decades of years before I had this courage to read about his novel "By the River Piedra, I sat down and wept". After reading his novel, I realized that I've just experienced a wonderful and enlightening love story that has moved me deeply. Indeed, Paulo Coelho's "By The River Piedra I Sat Down And Wept" is a must read for people who have lost, found, or still seeking for love. I have jotted down some lines from the book that struck me the most, and taken note of my insights. (1) But love is much like a dam:if you allow a tiny crack to form through which only a trickle of water can pass, that trickle will quickly bring down the whole structure and soon no one will be able to control the force of the water. In my own understanding about this line, Falling in love is a beautiful experience. Deciding to fall in love is the hard part. But this analogy of love and a dam, explains it quite well. Once you start having the slightest feeling that maybe love is possible or start seeing a person in a different light, all other feelings and ideas will start to delve in. Then you feel afraid of what you have just realized and try to ignore it. No escape. Your heart and mind fight it out. Still, it doesn't matter which ends up victorious, because from then on, you will never see things the same way again

(2) Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering. How would we know if it is time to move on or that it is still worth another try? I have seen a lot with this dilemma, both from movies and through experiences. I have been in both situations. I have waited. I have forgotten.Forgetting is like a point of no return. If you choose to forget and leave, then you must stick to your decision, no matter how difficult it is. Only by then will you be able to move on. In waiting, the clincher would be how long should you wait, and do you really have something to wait for. Either way, you will find yourself hurting at one point in time.

Just like “The Alchemist”, “By the river Piedra…” is a story about a journey symbolizing the route towards self-discovery. “By the river Piedra…”, At a deeper level, Coelho also gives the message that as there are no rules when it comes to love, there are no rules when it comes to worshiping God: “to love is to be in communion with the other, and to discover in that other the spark of God”.

This book is certainly a form of escapism but The Alchemist is still my all-time favorite. Paulo Coelho always writes about forgiveness, life and death which makes him so popular. His works are idealistic. He writes for everyone, and his books really give me wonders.

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