The Witch of Portobello - Rated 
Not my favourite Paulo Coelho book, quite hard to get into because many different peoples views on this lady, changing from chapter to chapter but then at the end it does come together. Interesting and thought provoking as he always is...
Enlightenment - Rated 
I'm not really sure how to review this book. It's so completely different to anything I've ever read. I'm therefore not going to try to analyse it, because there are some fantastic reviews for this book, and I know mine will not be of the same standard. So I'm basically just going to write down my thoughts, and how the book made me feel.
The main character, Athena, discovers that there could be more to life after going to her neighbour's flat to complain about the loud music. What she sees when she arrives is a group of people dancing around to music - eyes closed, unaware of anything around them. She questions this with her neighbour who advises that he'd found some writing from his father, that spoke about dancing being a way to connect the participants to their inner self, and in turn to the light and The Mother. Athena then embarks on her own spiritual journey. This book is more of a spiritual life lesson than a fiction novel. There is no real plotline - Athena travels around and learns lessons, but thats the extent of the storyline. This doesn't matter though, as it's the meaning behind the plot that makes this book so wonderful.
I think that the fact that it is told from multiple narrators really enhances the story. It is interesting to hear the different opinions on Athena and her teachings. I've encountered multiple narration in other books and hated it, but in this book it works very well. My only criticism is that because the characters are never really explored in depth, sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the different narrators, however this is a minimal issue.
I found this book very empowering. It has definitely opened up my eyes to spirituality as a whole. I think I am generally a spiritual person, but I haven't really read too much around this particular subject. I have always been interested in the paranormal and mediums and such like, however I've never been very religious. I like the notion put forward by the book that there is a female divinity, and this is something that I would like to investigate further.
The book addresses the issues of religion, and the church's attitude to anything other than its own views. Whilst I appreciate that the church is (generally) more relaxed now than it was them, it still throws forward the argument that unless you agree with their teachings and ways of life, you are seen as the enemy.
After reading the book, somehow I felt more in touch with myself, although I haven't attempted to practice any of the methods Athena uses. I think it's because the book teaches us that we each carve our own way in the world. We can be guided by people, but ultimately it is the individual that possesses the power to really make a difference in their own lives. It teaches us that whilst we may think we're happy, if we take a step back and really look, there is so much more left to discover.
Huge disappointment - Rated 
Such a shame given how much I enjoyed the Alchemist and maybe I was wrong to expect something similarly rewarding. What I found instead was a meandering affair, poorly written and with the main subject, 'Athena' lacking any real depth of character and no credibility. In fact, it amazed me that we should be asked to believe that any of the other characters she met on her journey should be so taken with her on the basis of her shallowness - or maybe it was that the reader was expected to see more in her than I did. In any event, I feel that this particular work of Coelho is sadly, pretty feeble.
Poorly written, load of mumbo-jumbo - Rated
As someone who has enjoyed Coehlo's other works, I had high hopes for this book. I read half-way through however, and by this point I was still waiting for the book to 'start'. It tells a story from different perspectives, a cliched tactic, but there was one problem: There was no story. There is a vague mumbo-jumbo tale of Sherine Khalil, but it seems to make little sense, and is of no excitement and importance.
It makes a cliched attack on religion, and shows a staggering level of ignorance about religion in the UK. For example, in the book a woman who names herself 'Athena' is 'persecuted' by the church in England (This is set in the 1990s) yet in reality any New Age dancing and chanting in this country is highly unlikely to receive anything beyond a raised eyebrow. You would certainly not have the power to have the police or the church close somewhere down.
The book was one of the worst I have ever read, and I feel Coehlo is now surely not writing for the love of it, but perhaps to pump out further income for his book empire. A massive disappointment for someone who has enjoyed so many of his books.
Go Paolo Go!! - Rated 
Every time there is a new book from Paolo I don't want to buy it because I don't believe that he can write another amazing book. But I am always wrong :)
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